Another sign of America’s struggling economy revealed itself yesterday when the U.S. Department of Education released figures indicating that the percentage of people defaulting on college loans rose from 7.0 percent in 2008 to 8.8 percent in 2009. The for-profit sector of higher education–which has come under scrutiny for aggressive recruiting tactics in low-income areas–accounts [...]

Just how well do students who attend five of the largest, most well-known for-profit schools in the U.S. do when it comes to repaying their loans? The Hechinger Report decided to take a closer look following the release of new federal rules meant to police institutions that critics contend take advantage of poor and unprepared [...]

Compromises tend to please nobody:  Critics of for-profit higher education say the Education Department’s “gainful employment” rule, announced yesterday,  is too weak, while the industry complains it unfairly cuts off access to student loans. Under the new regulation (pdf), career training programs will have to show that  at least 35 percent of former students are [...]

The Department of Education released its long-anticipated regulations for for-profit colleges Thursday. By 2015, if fewer than 35 percent of graduates of a school are repaying the principal on their loans three years after commencement and if loan payments are more than 30 percent of discretionary income and 12 percent of all earnings, the school [...]

Fast-growing for-profit colleges, under fire for saddling students with unmanageable debt, are rolling out new policies aimed at raising graduation rates while also hoping a Republican-controlled House will block unfavorable legislation. “We have a great opportunity to educate (the newly elected representatives) on the value our sector plays in the higher education system and the [...]

Community colleges – typically the country’s cheapest option for higher education – face a new and unlikely rival: the fast-growing industry of for-profit colleges. To understand why students are turning to more expensive options like for-profits, it’s helpful to consider the case of Joseph Carrillo Jr., a 24-year-old who until recently attended American River College [...]

At a time when jobs are scarce, it should come as no surprise that higher percentages of students are defaulting on their college loans. Default rates increased from 5.9 percent to 6.0 percent at public institutions, and from 3.7 to 4.0 percent at private colleges and universities, new U.S. Department of Education data show. The [...]

It’s easy to understand the appeal of for-profit colleges, especially with the push to get more Americans to earn degrees. They offer personalized recruiting and generous financial aid packages, along with a range of professional, vocational and technical training and degrees. They take full advantage of federal financial aid dollars and advertise and market their [...]

What can a student learn at a for-profit school? The growing sector offers everything from diplomas in massage therapy to MBAs – on campuses and online – along with certificates in areas such as “addiction counseling” and “diversity studies.” Online, students can even earn a J.D. from Kaplan’s Concord Law School or a doctoral degree [...]

In the past decade, for-profit colleges have risen from relative obscurity to front-page news.

The College Board estimates that 10 percent of all college students are now enrolled at for-profit institutions, a dramatic shift that has attracted the attention of both politicians and the media.