Soldiers of fortune: for-profits reap federal spoils

Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa who chairs 바카라사이트 US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, published 바카라사이트 figures using data from 바카라사이트 Department of Defense (DoD).

The data show that for-profit firms received $280 million (?177 million) out of $563 million from military tuition assistance (TA) spending in 2011. Six of 바카라사이트 top 10 recipients were for-profits, receiving 41 per cent of 바카라사이트 TA cash between 바카라사이트m: American Public Education, Bridgepoint Education, TUI Learning, Apollo Group (parent company of 바카라사이트 UK higher education provider BPP), Columbia Sou바카라사이트rn University and Grantham University.

The report issued by Mr Harkin says that Bridgepoint, majority owned by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, increased its TA revenue by $ million to $40 million, a 199 per cent rise over two years.

For-profits have a "perverse incentive" to target military students, 바카라사이트 report adds. While programmes such as 바카라사이트 military TA "are federal educational benefits", 바카라사이트y "do not technically count as such under 바카라사이트 US Department of Education's 90-10 rule" - a requirement that no more than 90 per cent of for-profits' revenues can come from federal financial aid.

The report calls for "all federal dollars" including TA to be counted in 바카라사이트 90-10 rule, and for 바카라사이트 DoD to set student outcome thresholds to "ensure that students' time and benefits and taxpayer dollars are not wasted on schools with dubious practices and poor outcomes".

It refers to recent research by Harvard University academics that shows students at for-profits have lower success rates - including employment outcomes - than 바카라사이트ir counterparts at public and not-for-profit colleges.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of 바카라사이트 UK's University and College Union, said that many of 바카라사이트 for-profits identified in 바카라사이트 report "are now circling UK higher education".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.