Warning signs were present from the start.
Christopher Collins received daily calls from IronCircle, a cybersecurity boot camp provider, urging him to enroll. After enrolling, he faced numerous issues with online courses and a slow help desk. He noticed graduates complaining about job prospects on message boards.
Despite this, Collins committed to a $5,500 payment plan and felt reassured by the program’s affiliation with the University of Central Florida. His trucking job was no longer an option due to injury, so he chose to persevere.
In June, he found himself unable to log in. IronCircle attributed it to technical issues, claiming, “fixing the program remains our top priority.”
However, IronCircle was already eight days into liquidation.
Critics, including many former students who feel deceived, view IronCircle’s abrupt closure as a fitting end to its tumultuous eight-year history. Known for frequent name changes, the company charged students up to $18,900 for courses but failed to deliver on job placement promises, according to a Hechinger Report investigation.
Students were lured by the prospect of securing high-paying cybersecurity jobs during economically uncertain times. However, they ended up facing unfulfilled promises and inadequate support services.
More than 20 universities, including esteemed public institutions, partnered with IronCircle, providing a veneer of legitimacy. These universities made millions off these partnerships, even as IronCircle operated without adhering to federal regulations meant to protect students.
“When you’re signing up for education offered by an established, reputable university, you’re typically not trying to enroll in a for-profit boot camp dressed up in wrapping paper,” said Aaron Ament, president of the legal advocacy group Student Defense. “Schools that are putting their name on the program have an obligation to oversee it.”
IronCircle did not respond to numerous requests for comment. QuickStart, which acquired IronCircle in February, stated the closure was beyond its control, as it only acquired certain assets. They offered some students transfers to QuickStart courses.
The University of Central Florida expressed surprise at the closure, stating they were “blindsided” and were working to gather student information for future communications. Other university partners also reported being caught off guard.
IronCircle operated largely without oversight for years, with some schools failing to collect program completion or job placement data. Despite student complaints, the partnerships continued.
Although IronCircle offered programs through accredited universities, it wasn’t accredited itself. The company operated in a regulatory gray area, leaving students with little recourse if problems arose.
The federal government has been slow to regulate these types of partnerships. Recent guidance from the Department of Education emphasized that third-party university partners must follow the same regulations as universities, especially regarding the employability of graduates. However, enforcement of these regulations remains lax.
“The Education Department is absolutely not paying attention to this right now,” said Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, investigations manager with the higher education program at New America, a liberal policy group. “It was a struggle to get the Biden administration to do much about it.”
In May 2021, Marni Vilardi was approached about IronCircle’s virtual cybersecurity boot camp, initially named HackerUSA, then ThriveDX, before becoming IronCircle. The program, run through the University of Michigan, promised career prospects and high salaries.
Vilardi, who lost her bartending job due to the pandemic and was caring for her mother, signed up after being promised a lucrative post-graduation salary. Similar promises were made to other students like Shane Mack and RoniKa Griggs, who were assured of job placement success rates as high as 90%.
However, the cybersecurity job market was becoming saturated, with entry-level positions requiring prior IT experience, which many IronCircle students lacked.
Ira Winkler, a cybersecurity expert, said, “Entry-level cybersecurity is almost an oxymoron,” emphasizing the shortage of experienced professionals, not beginners.
Former students and employees reported that IronCircle did not disclose these realities. Under pressure to meet sales targets, representatives often made overly optimistic claims about job prospects.
Many universities did not respond to questions about student allegations. The University of Michigan ended its partnership due to declining interest, while the University of Central Florida highlighted that career services were optional.
Students were influenced not just by recruiter promises but also by the university endorsements. Bret Morris, who enrolled through the University of Central Florida, believed the program was thoroughly vetted and monitored.
IronCircle leveraged its university ties, using logos and branding in its marketing. Admissions representatives emphasized these partnerships, further convincing students of the program’s legitimacy.
Universities approved coursework and instructors, but IronCircle managed marketing, curriculum development, and teaching. Universities received a share of tuition revenue, with institutions like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earning millions.
Eileen Connor, president of the Project on Predatory Student Lending, described this as “renting out a brand,” leading to consumer confusion. She suggested fewer people would fall for such scams without university partnerships.
Raymond Osorno, a veteran who enrolled through San Diego State University, expected a high-quality program. However, he became skeptical of its effectiveness in helping him secure employment.
After asking IronCircle for job placement statistics, he was told, “We do not track this data.” San Diego State stated it had no responsive documents related to student outcomes.
Some universities provided limited job placement data, but only a third of graduates found employment within six months. IronCircle required students to complete specific tasks to “opt in” to career services, with less than two-thirds finding jobs.
At the University of Central Florida, IronCircle began tracking job placement in late 2024. Of 325 students, only 26 secured jobs within six months.
When Morris enrolled through UCF, he was assured of personalized career support. Instead, he received a generic résumé template. A learning success manager suggested gaining experience at Best Buy.
Program completers reported significant shortcomings in IronCircle’s support and career services. They struggled to get responses to questions, and career guidance was often unhelpful.
A former student success adviser noted a caseload of nearly 700 students at times, making it difficult for students to access her time.
Kat Kuhlman, who completed the course through UNLV, expected to find a job through IronCircle’s “exclusive job board.” She discovered it merely aggregated job postings, many unrelated to cybersecurity. She eventually worked at Jersey Mike’s Subs, as the $18,000 program failed to secure her employment.
UNLV spokesperson Francis McCabe acknowledged that while some students achieved their goals, others did not. The university committed to addressing student concerns.
On June 9, Rick Stauffacher’s credit card was charged over $1,200 for tuition. Two days later, he was informed that the IronCircle program was closed. UW-Madison spokesperson Greg Bump said the university was winding down its partnership.
Students scrambled to recover their money, but options were limited. Liquidation proceedings placed students at the bottom of the list for refunds, and private loan lender Sallie Mae had no obligation to forgive loans.
Stauffacher, who initially trusted UW-Madison to vet IronCircle, received $8,000 back after a credit card dispute. He regretted assuming the university would only endorse high-quality programs.
“They’re not going to put their name on something they think is terrible,” he thought at the time. But he added, “I guess they didn’t care, because they were making a bunch of money off of it and not having to do any work besides putting it on their website.”
Contact investigations editor Sarah Butrymowicz at butrymowicz@hechingerreport.org or on Signal: @sbutry.04.
This story about cybersecurity training was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
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