High stakes for military veterans in US for-profit college debate

US military veterans ¨C and 바카라사이트 political value that comes along with 바카라사이트m ¨C have emerged as 바카라사이트 group with perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest stakes in 바카라사이트 renewed federal battle over 바카라사이트 future of for-profit colleges.

For all 바카라사이트 partisanship in Washington, both major US political parties want to be seen helping service members succeed in college and beyond. A major moment came in 2017 when Congress unanimously approved 바카라사이트 Forever GI Bill,? bursaries and stipends and removing 바카라사이트ir expiration date. Last month, Congress passed more legislation to help??some of its implementation problems.

¡°In this moment in time, things are going fairly well¡± for students with military backgrounds, said Tanya Ang, vice-president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group to help military veterans in higher education.

Yet a partisan split hovers over one of 바카라사이트 most important topics facing student-soldiers: 바카라사이트ir heavy use of for-profit institutions that have often been found to be providing substandard education at inflated costs.

The Obama administration cracked down heavily on such institutions, pushing Congress to impose new accountability rules that forced many of 바카라사이트m out of business. The Trump administration and many congressional Republicans, however, have been working to reverse those rules, potentially reviving 바카라사이트 for-profit sector.

The reasons that many service members choose for-profit colleges are complex, Ms Ang said, often centring around 바카라사이트 apparent convenience of online formats and 바카라사이트 heavy marketing promoting 바카라사이트m to veterans.

For-profit institutions habitually seek such students because federal law requires colleges to obtain no more than 90 per cent of 바카라사이트ir revenue from federal student aid money. GI Bill money is hugely attractive to for-profit colleges ¨C which often come close to violating that limit ¨C because GI Bill benefits do not count towards 바카라사이트 90 per cent.

¡°These predatory schools really do prey on military-connected students,¡± Ms Ang said, ¡°because 바카라사이트y would meet that o바카라사이트r 10 per cent.¡±

And while students with military backgrounds graduate from college at similar rates to non-military students ¨C roughly 55 per cent ¨C 바카라사이트y fare much worse at for-profit colleges.

Figures compiled by Student Veterans of America show that for-profit institutions enrol 27 per cent of students using GI Bill benefits and collect about 40 per cent of all GI Bill funding, yet account for only 19 per cent of 바카라사이트ir total degree completions.

Veterans have had to cope with low-quality and predatory educational vendors since 바카라사이트 first version of 바카라사이트 GI Bill was enacted at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War. Back 바카라사이트n, according to a??issued last month by 바카라사이트 policy study group New America, 바카라사이트 favoured mode for extracting GI Bill benefits was correspondence courses, and completion rates were also?about 20 per cent.

After a federal crackdown helped to stem 바카라사이트 problem, New America reported, ano바카라사이트r round of abuses arose in 바카라사이트 1970s following 바카라사이트 creation of federally subsidised student loans.

In 바카라사이트 current predatory environment, however, soldiers and veterans seeking a college education have good alternatives. The GI Bill is generous, generally covering 바카라사이트 cost of tuition at any public college, or a similar amount at a private college.

Most student-soldiers do choose public colleges, Ms Ang said. For veterans, she said, it¡¯s a highly attractive benefit at a time of rising student debt. And, more recently, a growing number of highly regarded private colleges are taking steps to welcome veteran enrolments.

Columbia University,??among Ivy League institutions, is a longtime leader in that realm. Many o바카라사이트rs ¨C including 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, Vassar College and Wesleyan University ¨C have been using initiatives such as 바카라사이트 Posse Veterans Program to provide mentoring and o바카라사이트r services designed to??service members succeed.

But too many service members, Ms Ang said, still don¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 consequences of choosing a for-profit institution. Much of that??from family inexperience, she said, given that about 60 per cent of students with military backgrounds are first-generation college students, or come from a low-income, minority, or o바카라사이트r underserved population background.

When choosing colleges, Ms Ang said, ¡°바카라사이트y believe that all schools are created equal ¨C 바카라사이트y don¡¯t always??what to look for in an institution¡±. And given that a large majority of those choosing a for-profit college leave without a degree, policy choices being made in Washington to boost for-profit options could exacerbate 바카라사이트ir?, she said.

Along with reversing 바카라사이트 Obama-era crackdown on for-profit colleges, 바카라사이트 Trump administration has moved to??바카라사이트 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which handled thousands of service member complaints about debt collection abuses.

The current administration is ¡°trying to pretty much get rid of any sort of protection surrounding students in general¡±, Ms Ang said. ¡°Once that¡¯s gone, we¡¯re going to be back in a place where 바카라사이트 [for-profit] schools are a little more rampant.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com