After the baccalaureate, many students choose higher education. But vigilance is essential!
With Parcoursup, the access platform for higher education, post-bac inscriptions are often like a real obstacle course. For parents, the orientation of children is synonymous with long hours spent in student salons and on training websites. Prepa, University, BTS, IUT, Private School, the options are endless and it is not always easy to make a choice. Some future students therefore decide to move towards a private prep. There are some in many disciplines and they make it possible to prepare entrance exams to business school or journalism, medicine or even veterinary school.
In 2020, several dozen families trusted the Hippocrates prep, a private prep for medical studies. Address near Champs-Élysées in Paris, brand new website, positive comments and promises of high-level education provided by professionals for “Prepare the elite of tomorrow “. Conquered, parents pay, often at once, thinking of giving their child an additional chance to succeed in their medical studies. This is for example the case of Gwenaëlle Goigoux, who today explains in Ouest France that he paid 6,300 euros to register her daughter in this prestigious preparation. But it was actually a scam. There were neither premises, teachers, nor educational material.
Samy Nacer, 25, is the founder of this false medicine prep. He has been tried since March 17 before the Paris Criminal Court since March 17 for alleged fraud, counterfeit, false and concealed work. Between 150 and 200 people were victims of this scam and the damage is a total of more than 400,000 euros. “We will surely never recover our money, but I hope that we will all be heard. It was hard. On our side, we were able to get up. But I think of all these students, under the borrowing, who was ashamed to speak to their parents. This feeling did not have to be. It was super well done”says the mother.
While studies are expensive and students are about to choose the studies that will be decisive for their future, it is necessary to seriously find out about the training offered so as not to risk being scammed. Parents can go to premises for example, or contact former students to make a more specific opinion.
