As so many of you know, and as a Senate investigation recently confirmed, many for-profit colleges are roping in students with deceptive marketing and aggressive sales tactics, providing substandard training, and leaving students deep in debt they can’t pay back. Efforts are underway to try and change that.
The Department of Education recently proposed a rule that would require for-profit schools to prove students are getting jobs that make it possible for them to pay off their loans. The proposed “gainful employment” rule is a good start, but many student advocates don’t think it goes far enough. Not surprisingly, the for-profit college lobbyists are trying to weaken the rules.
Here’s where you come in. You can go to this website to make sure your voice is heard. The site, operated by a non-profit student advocacy organization called The Institute for College Access and Success, has a form that makes it easy for you to send in your comments. Public comments are being accepted until September 9th, so time is running short. Click here if you’d like to send in your comment.
You can also submit your comments at www.regulations.gov.
The CBS station in San Francisco, KPIX, profiled a Westwood student who complained to their Action Help Line about the school. The 23-year-old student, Christian Duncan, says he currently owes close to $80,000, and still does not have a diploma. They call his experience “one expensive lesson.”
The story also focuses on the huge boom in for-profit education in the past decade. They report that tuition is usually far more expensive than what public colleges charge, and the reporter says even some top-notch private universities are cheaper. She warns that students of these schools can get stuck paying the bill for a long time. Click on the video above to watch. We’re sure many of you can relate, from all the stories you’ve shared with us. If you haven’t already, you can click here to tell us your story.
Robert Shireman, Nicole Mayer, Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Hi everyone,
I’m Attorney Nicole Mayer. I’ve been working on your case with Jillian Estes since the beginning. This weekend, I was a panelist at an important education conference in Chicago hosted by the Rainbow Push Coalition. I had the opportunity to discuss your concerns about student loans and for-profit schools with some wonderful people. Among them were the Deputy Undersecretary of the Department of Education Robert Shireman and President of Bennettt College Dr. Julianne Malveaux. (see picture)
It was inspiring to see so many people stand up and advocate for students. After listening to everyone speak and talking with other panelists, I really believe that big changes are coming. Part of this can be seen by the rules released by the Department of Education today which are designed to protect students from aggressive and misleading recruiting practices.
There is still a very important rule up for discussion, the one that requires schools to show that their graduates achieve “gainful employment.” The for-profit schools are lobbying hard against this, so everyone who wants to see a change will need to be active. So, keep telling your stories. We will make a difference. I will keep you posted on what you can do to help make sure that rule is passed in a way that protects students.
