Thousands of students affected by the abrupt closing of ITT Technical Institute campuses can seek free academic and financial counseling through an online tool introduced this week.

The website, NextStepsEdu.org, was announced by the Department of Education, which is seeking to expand the support available to roughly 35,000 students who were left in the lurch when the schools closed. ITT Educational Services, the parent of the schools and one of the largest for-profit education companies, announced on Sept. 6 that it was shuttering ITT, which had more than 130 locations, including one in Tampa.

Students affected by the closing of other for-profit schools, including Corinthian Colleges, can also use the website. Students enter their information and ask to be contacted by telephone, email or text. The website says a response may take seven to 10 business days.

Students have two options: Apply to have their federal student debt canceled or discharged, or seek to have their credits transferred to another institution. But if students transfer and pursue a comparable course of study, they must continue to pay their loans, according to the Education Department.

Maggie Thompson, executive director of Generation Progress, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on issues affecting young adults, including student debt reform, said the school's closing had left students in a "crushing" situation, and her group is generally encouraging former ITT students to have their loans discharged. Thompson said she was concerned that other for-profit schools advertising for ITT transfers were themselves under regulatory scrutiny. The most sensible choice, she said, may be for students to have their debts canceled and pursue a degree from an institution that employers respect.

Here are some questions and answers about options for ITT students:

Who is eligible for a "closed school" loan discharge?

ITT students who were enrolled or withdrew after May 6 may seek a discharge of their federal debt. The option is not available to students who have already completed their studies, according to the Education Department.

Students can find the discharge form online (http://tinyurl.com/he6wvlz )or contact their loan servicer.

Does the discharge apply to private student loans?

No. The discharge option applies to loans made or backed by the federal government, not to private loans, which are generally made by banks or other lenders and have fewer consumer protections than federal loans.

Is there any recourse for ITT students who don't qualify for the "closed school" discharge?

The Education Department is completing rules for what is known as "borrower defense to repayment," under which borrowers may apply to have federal direct loans canceled if their school misled or defrauded them or broke state law. The department's website suggests that borrowers may wish to wait until a formal process for claims is established, but it offers instructions for those who want to apply now.