A number of high-profile for-profit educators shut down or scaled back operations in recent years, among accusations of overcharging and under-educating students, and new rules intended to hold schools accountable. However, these companies’ fortunes began to turn after the election of Donald Trump and his naming of pro-industry Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. That’s why a group of 18 state attorneys general are calling on the administration to not ease up on these controversial schools.
Shortly after the election, Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) — the new Chair of the House Education Committee (and the largest recipient of campaign contributions from both the for-profit college and student loan industries) — said that Congress would “do everything we can to roll back those rules and regulations” put in place by the previous White House.
It’s pro-business, anti-regulation sentiments like this that led the 18 attorneys general to send a letter [PDF] to DeVos and Congressional leaders, raising concerns that without current protections, for-profit colleges would see it as “open season” on students.
“As the chief consumer law enforcement agencies in our states, our offices handle thousands of complaints concerning higher education every year,” the AGs wrote in the letter, adding that their offices have worked to stop abuses by schools such as ITT Technical Institute, Corinthian Colleges, and DeVry University.
For example, just last month, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office announced a $2.75 million settlement with DeVry University related to the company’s use of deceptive ads to recruit students.
In April 2016, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey filed a lawsuit against ITT Educational Services, accusing ITT Technical Institutes of using unfair and harassing sales tactics, and misleading students about the quality of its Computer Network Systems programs, and the success of the program’s graduates in finding jobs.