California sent the cease-and-desists to numerous coding bootcamps

Coding bootcamps are scrambling to figure out how they can save their programs, after a California regulator slapped them with cease and desist letters ordering them to shut down, pay a $50,000 fine, and offer refunds to past students. The problem, according to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education which sent the letters, is these bootcamps aren’t technically private schools under the law.

A handful of California coding bootcamps are fighting for survival after receiving a stern warning from regulators, VentureBeat has learned. Unless they comply, these organizations face imminent closure and a hefty $50,000 fine. These organizations have two weeks to start coming into compliance. In mid-January, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) sent cease and desist letters to Hackbright Academy, Hack Reactor, App Academy, Zipfian Academy, and others. General Assembly confirmed that it began working on this issue several months ago in order to achieve compliance with BPPE.