In a memo to students at Western State College of Law Monday, the American Bar Association said it did not have the authority to direct the disbursal of student aid that has yet to be released for the spring semester.

The law school is among the campuses operated by Argosy University where students have not received student aid funds. The Education Department took the rare step last week of cutting off access to Title IV aid for those campuses in response.

ABA, as the law school's accreditor, has received numerous calls and emails from Western State law students. Barry Currier, managing director of the ABA's section of legal education and admissions to the bar, said in the memo that the law school would retain its accreditation until the council formally removes its approval.

He said ABA had the authority to either commence a review process that could lead to the removal of accreditation or require that Western State file a teach-out plan for the orderly closure of the law school.

"Because either of those actions by us would likely lead to the eventual closure of the law school, we will proceed carefully within the requirements of our rules," Currier wrote.