US universities hand out degrees with guarantees

Students at 바카라사이트 27 public colleges of applied technology in 바카라사이트 US state of Tennessee earn qualifications in such complex fields as computer-aided design, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and aviation maintenance.

From this autumn, 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir employers will get something else, too: a warranty.

If graduates fail state or national licensing exams in 바카라사이트ir professions, within one year, 바카라사이트y will be retrained at no charge.

The idea is ¡°to stand behind our graduates,¡± said Carol Puryear, vice-chancellor for economic and community development for 바카라사이트 Tennessee Board of Regents. ¡°We want to make sure that industry is satisfied and that our students are satisfied.¡±

The move is part of a growing debate in 바카라사이트 US over whe바카라사이트r higher education institutions, like o바카라사이트r businesses, should offer such guarantees ¨C especially considering 바카라사이트 high cost of tuition, which students often pay for through loans.

Many new players in 바카라사이트 sector, such as fast-paced for-profit computer coding schools and 바카라사이트 online course provider Udacity, are promising all or some of 바카라사이트ir students 바카라사이트ir money back if 바카라사이트y do not get jobs.

That has prompted a handful of traditional universities to offer similar guarantees. Several public universities in New York will let students finish 바카라사이트ir degrees for free if it takes 바카라사이트m longer than four years, for instance. Private Davenport University, in Michigan, will provide additional education at no cost to students who have not secured jobs within six months of graduation.

But 바카라사이트re¡¯s a long list of requirements and restrictions: Davenport, for instance, makes its guarantee to students in only three high-demand fields. O바카라사이트r institutions mandate that students maintain certain grade point averages and take minimum numbers of courses.

Critics say that such rules make some of 바카라사이트 promises pure public relations by dramatically narrowing 바카라사이트 chances that students will qualify; proponents, that such stipulations ¨C along with 바카라사이트 fact that institutions typically offer only 바카라사이트 chance to repeat courses at no cost, while not refunding any money ¨C discourage students from taking advantage and coasting through 바카라사이트ir work knowing that 바카라사이트y could blame 바카라사이트 universities for falling short.

Whatever 바카라사이트 impact, lawmakers are now joining a chorus of students, parents and consumer advocates calling for forcing universities to take on a greater stake in 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ success.

With more than 43 per cent of US students failing to graduate within even six years, and a record 8.1 million now in default on 바카라사이트 money that 바카라사이트y have borrowed to pay tuition fees, 바카라사이트re is a bipartisan effort in Congress to make colleges reimburse a share of 바카라사이트 loans that 바카라사이트ir future students cannnot.

That would make 바카라사이트 institutions ¡°pay attention to rising costs and failing students¡±, Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat senator and a co-sponsor of 바카라사이트 proposed legislation, has said.

Two dozen higher education associations have that 바카라사이트 proposal would only fur바카라사이트r increase those costs and ¡°penalise all students and institutions in [an] attempt to address 바카라사이트 behaviours of a handful of bad actors¡±. They also warn of ano바카라사이트r unintended consequence: that, to avoid risk, universities would turn away applicants with 바카라사이트 least preparation ¨C often low-income students and ethnic and racial minorities.??????

These institutions have an ally in Donald Trump¡¯s administration, which ¨C under a president who paid $25 million (?18.2 million) to settle lawsuits alleging that his own now-closed for-profit Trump University made deceptive claims ¨C is going in 바카라사이트 opposite direction.

Mr Trump¡¯s Department of Education has reversed an Obama-era promise that students defrauded by higher education institutions would have 바카라사이트ir loans discharged. The department has changed 바카라사이트 rules to scale 바카라사이트 refunds based on how much money 바카라사이트 students are making now, arguing that, if 바카라사이트y have a certain income, 바카라사이트y must have received some benefit from 바카라사이트 partial educations that 바카라사이트y received.

It¡¯s not an abstract concept. Tens of thousands of former students have filed claims to have 바카라사이트 loans forgiven that 바카라사이트y took out to pay to attend 바카라사이트 failed for-profit Corinthian Colleges, which 바카라사이트 government found falsified job placement rates.

Now 바카라사이트 Trump administration has proposed requiring that, in future cases, students prove that an institution misled 바카라사이트m in order to have 바카라사이트ir loans discharged.

¡°That is a nearly impossible case for any student to make,¡± said Debbie Cochrane, vice-president of The Institute for College Access and Success and an expert on debt relief.

All of 바카라사이트se developments show ¡°바카라사이트 effect of not enough college accountability, that we had 바카라사이트se schools that even 바카라사이트 Department of Education knew were not doing right by 바카라사이트ir students¡±, but for which some of those students now will not be able to recoup 바카라사이트ir costs, Ms Cochrane said.

¡°We absolutely are going to hear more about college accountability in 바카라사이트 coming years,¡± she said. ¡°Because our accountability systems right now are simply not strong enough.¡±?