Former Newbury Students Face Garnishment Over Old Debt

Newbury College is suing a former student for $28,000 in back tuition, with 20 others also threatened with wage garnishment.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Financial Aid

Former Newbury Students Face Garnishment Over Old Debt

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Should former students still have to repay tuition owed to a college that closed?

Newbury College sued former student Cesarina Barros for $28,000 in back tuition and interest in summer 2025, according to filings in Boston Municipal Court. Barros and 20 other former students have also been threatened with wage garnishment.

Why it matters

The lawsuits show how students of a closed college can still face large debts years after leaving, even as the institution's assets passed to another school. The case affects former students who borrowed or owed balances when Newbury shut down.

Barros owed $10,000 when she left in 2009 and kept making payments, but Newbury is now seeking $28,000 including interest. Wheaton College's inherited scholarship fund totals $4 million and has supported seven students, though Wheaton says it did not acquire student accounts.

The players

Newbury College

Newbury College was a Boston-area private college that shut down in 2019 and whose remaining obligations are now being pursued through collection lawsuits.

Wheaton College

Wheaton College is a Massachusetts liberal arts college that was designated in 2022 to inherit Newbury's assets and funds, though it says it did not take on student accounts.

The details

Barros left Newbury College in 2009 because she could not afford tuition and kept paying toward her balance after leaving. Newbury College shut its operations in 2019 and ceased operating as a nonprofit in 2022, when Massachusetts' highest court and the state attorney general designated Wheaton College to inherit its assets and funds.

2009: Barros leaves Newbury College because she cannot afford tuition.
2019: Newbury College shuts down operations.
2022: Newbury ceases to operate as a nonprofit and Wheaton is designated to inherit its assets.
Summer 2025: Newbury sues Barros for $28,000 in back tuition and interest.
January: The court case is postponed until this month.

Financial Aid Landscape

The 2022 designation of Wheaton College as Newbury's legal successor did not transfer student accounts, leaving former students to face collection on balances owed to a college that no longer operates. Wheaton's inherited $4 million scholarship fund has supported seven students, a small share of those affected.

Former students with unpaid balances from a closed college should check whether any successor institution has taken responsibility for their accounts. Those facing collection can seek legal advice before wages are garnished.

The takeaway

Balances owed to a college can outlast the institution itself, so students who leave with debt should keep records and confirm who holds their account. Asset transfers to another school do not necessarily carry over individual student balances.