Colleges that profit, students who don't

“Colleges that profit, students who don’t” by Will Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News The Seattle Times Published 4/9/11 Retrieved 4/16/11 Complete URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014724680_profitcollege10.html Intended Audience: college students, college applicants  
Summary: Many graduates of for-profit career colleges are unable to find work in their respective career fields and therefore have no means to repay their ever-increasing student debt. The dilemma has caught the attention of the Obama administration which is proposing new regulations that would prevent students from getting federal loans to pay for tuition at colleges who do not enable enough students to find employment after graduation. Representatives of the career colleges maintain that the high percentage of their unemployed postgraduates is due to the colleges’ willingness to take a chance on more students from poorer economic backgrounds.  
Key Points • For-profit career college enrollment has increased to 11% of higher education. • These colleges are responsible for 48% of all defaults on federal student loans. • The majority of students who enroll in these for-profit career colleges are middle-income. Relevance: This is yet another example of how the rising cost of tuition and the decreasing quality of education are making higher education increasingly less attractive. The trends are the same whether it’s these for-profit career colleges or more traditional state universities, although state universities are facing these problems for slightly different reasons.