For-Profit Colleges

Last week, President Obama signed an executive order to protect veterans, soldiers and their families from being swindled and hoodwinked by for-profit schools. Check out some of these shady behaviors, and you'll understand what set Obama off.

Some for-profit colleges may lose access to U.S. government aid as the Department of Education works to improve oversight of the sector. Colleges that pay recruiters based on how many students they sign up could be disqualified from participating in federal-aid programs, Bloomberg News reported....

With the withering economy making it tough for students to find jobs after graduation, an increasing number of borrowers are defaulting on their student loans. The overall default rate on federal student loans grew to 7 percent in fiscal 2008 from 6.7 percent a year earlier, says the Department of...

Over the past 10 years, for-profit colleges -- which are different from private colleges, most of which are operated as non-profits -- have tripled their enrollment to 1.4 million, with annual revenue of $26 billion. Leading for-profit colleges include the University of Phoenix, Devry, The Art...

Over at Washington Monthly, Stephen Burd takes an extended look at one of the biggest -- and least reported on -- financial crises facing young people: unethical for-profit college foisting massive debt loads on their students. These debt loads often carry exorbitant interest rates and lack any...

The New York Times reports that many laid-off, right-sized, downsized and fired workers are looking to technical colleges and other training programs to develop new skills that will, they hope, lead to long-term job security.The Times piece mentions 25-year old Jonathan Beam, who enrolled in a...