Tri-Valley University facts for kids

Tri-Valley University (TVU) was a school in Pleasanton, California, United States. It was not officially recognized by education groups, meaning its degrees might not be accepted everywhere. The school said it offered Christian higher education in subjects like Engineering, Business, and Medicine. Most of its classes were taught online.

The school was closed down after a government agency, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), investigated it. They suspected the school was involved in visa fraud.

Legal Problems and Closure

TVU came under investigation by ICE, a part of the US government that deals with immigration. ICE believed the school was helping people stay in the US illegally. They claimed TVU gave special student visas, called F-1 visas, to students who did not even live in California.

The number of students with F-1 visas at TVU grew very quickly. In May 2009, there were only 11 such students. By May 2010, this number jumped to 939. By December 2010, it reached 1555 students. About 89 percent of these students were from India. Students paid up to $2,700 for their classes each semester.

The Department of Homeland Security also said that students who signed up were paid money if they convinced another student to join the school. Susan Su, who ran the school, said that some student workers were responsible for the visa problems.

ICE raided the school on January 19, 2011, and it was shut down. The US government later tried to take ownership of five properties that Susan Su owned, saying they were connected to the school's activities.

Many foreign students, especially from India, were questioned by ICE. Some were even given tracking devices to monitor where they went. The government of India protested this, saying it was unfair to students who might have been tricked by the school. ICE created a website to help former TVU students understand their options.

In March 2011, a news group called The Chronicle of Higher Education looked into TVU. They also investigated other for-profit schools in the US that were not well-known and mainly enrolled foreign students.

On May 2, 2011, Susan Su, the person who started and owned TVU, was arrested. She faced many charges from a Federal Grand Jury. Later, on October 12, 2011, four students who worked at TVU were also charged in the same case.

In July 2014, the four students received their sentences, which included probation and fines for some. On October 31, 2014, Ms. Su was sentenced to 16 years in prison. She also had to give back $5.6 million and pay over $900,000 to others.

While Ms. Su's case was still ongoing, she was listed as the president of a new school called Global TV University. This new school was also not officially recognized and was located in the same office building as TVU. However, the State Attorney-General did not allow the new university to open at that location.

On March 24, 2014, Ms. Su was found guilty of 31 charges in her federal case. Prosecutors said she made $5.9 million through mail fraud, visa fraud, and money laundering. They said she used this money to buy expensive cars and properties. Ms. Su tried to appeal her case several times, but her appeals were denied by higher courts, including the US Supreme Court.

School Recognition

Tri-Valley University began operating in 2008. At first, it was allowed to operate because it claimed to be a religious school, which gave it an exemption from some rules. However, this changed in 2010 when a different state agency, the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, took over these issues.

TVU applied for the religious exemption again, but this time it was denied. This meant the school could not accept any new students starting in January 2010.

The Department of Homeland Security had certified TVU to issue F-1 visas to foreign students. To qualify for this, a school's credits usually need to be accepted by at least three other established universities. However, during the investigation, it was found that two of the schools listed did not actually accept TVU's credits. This discovery helped start the investigation into TVU. Many students were questioned during this time.