Stars & Stripes: Sweeping veterans bill boosts protections for GI Bill recipients and cracks down on predatory schools
Veterans Education Success has accused the VA of not abiding by a section of The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, which prohibits schools from participating in the GI Bill if they [...]
Marine Times: Congress finalizes sweeping veterans policy bill with new protections for women, students
“This landmark legislation will significantly weed out predatory colleges that seek to take advantage of veterans,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success. She praised lawmakers for “stepping up to protect veterans and their [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans and COVID-19
"What you’re seeing within this population is similar to what you’re seeing in other student populations, especially for post-traditional students," said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success. Read the full story by Inside [...]
Chicago Sun Times: He’s fought for his country in the Army and FBI. Now, he’s fighting for himself, other vets.
Aniela Szymanski, senior director for legal affairs and military policy with Veterans Education Success, says vets should be able to use benefits from both GI Bills if their service qualifies them. “I don’t understand, from [...]
Chicago Sun Times: “GI Bill snafus still keeping veterans from tapping benefits to pay for their kids’ college.”
But for veterans’ families, “The consequences are huge,” says Aniela Szymanski, senior director for legal affairs and military policy for Veterans Education Success, a not-for-profit that helps vets. For some vets, serving longer so they [...]
Stars & Stripes: VA has lost GIBill.com rights, and some worry it could prompt scammers to target student vets
Some lawmakers and advocates are urging the VA to get the website back because they are worried the status of the site could prompt a group to try again to take advantage of student veterans. [...]
National Organization Joint Statement Endorsing California Proposition 16
Visit The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights to learn more and click here to view a PDF of the letter. September 29, 2020 National Organization Joint Statement Endorsing California Proposition 16 On behalf [...]
Stars & Stripes: Dozens of military families have had to repay VA for GI Bill benefits
“VA is paying out these benefits expecting that DOD is going to hold the service member to the extent of the contract,” said Aniela Szymanski, senior director for legal affairs and military policy at Veterans [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Focusing on Student Veterans’ Strengths
A new research article identifies the strengths that students who are military veterans bring with them to higher education. Katie Sullivan and Kay Yoon, both associate professors of communication at the University of Colorado at [...]
Letter to Congress: Stars and Stripes Funding for Fiscal Year 2021
September 16, 2020 The Honorable Richard Shelby The Honorable Patrick Leahy Senate Committee on Appropriations Room S-128, The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Stars and Stripes Funding for Fiscal Year 2021 Dear Chairman Shelby and Vice [...]
Press Release: 14 Military and Veterans Organizations Urge Congress to Fund the Iconic “Stars & Stripes” Newspaper
For Immediate Release Contact: Tanya Ang - (202) 838-5050 14 Military and Veterans Organizations Urge Congress to Fund the Iconic “Stars & Stripes” Newspaper Organizations say fast action is necessary to guarantee the 159-year-old newspaper’s [...]
Report: Protection and the Unseen: How the U.S. Department of Education’s Undeveloped Authorities Can Protect Students and Promote Equity in Higher Education
Abstract Higher Education is changing and demands enhanced oversight by the U.S. Department of Education. This paper identifies underused authorities in the Higher Education Act of 1965 that can promote equity and protect students and [...]
Brookings Institution: Where Have All the GI Bill Dollars Gone?: Veteran Usage and Expenditure of the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Kofoed, Michael S., U.S. Military Academy and Brookings Institution, “Where have all the GI Bill dollars gone? Veteran usage and expenditure of the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” (Oct. 2020), This report is available at Brookings: https://www.brookings.edu/research/where-have-all-the-gi-bill-dollars-gone/ [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Truth in Advertising? Education Stakeholders Seek to Hold For-Profit Institutions Accountable
COVID-19 “will definitely be an opportunity for for-profit schools to capitalize on high unemployment, on people who may have delayed their educations in order to take job opportunities that might not exist anymore and see [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces New Team Member
For Immediate Release: Contact: Tanya Ang - (202) 838-5050 September 1, 2020 VETERANS EDUCATION SUCCESS ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM MEMBER Washington, D.C. – Veterans Education Success, announced a new addition to their team today to [...]
Forbes: 50 Organizations Call For Student Loan “Bill Of Rights”
Signatories on the letter to the Massachusetts legislature in support of the bill include the Student Loan Borrower Protection Center, the Massachusetts Teacher’s Association, Veterans Education Success, and Consumer Reports, as well as the heads [...]
Fox 13 Memphis: Report: Many for-profit colleges ramping up social media ads during coronavirus pandemic
Many for-profit colleges have ramped up their social media ads during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report. The nonprofit group, Veterans Education Success, released the report that looked at the use of social [...]
Military Times: Advocates warn GI Bill students of shady college recruiting amid coronavirus pandemic
A new report released Wednesday from Veterans Education Success found a significant increase in college advertising related to the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging students to reconsider their short-term learning plans given many school’s decisions to shift to online-only [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Report: Colleges Ramp Up Advertising During COVID-19, Especially For-Profits
Aggressive marketing by for-profit colleges is of particular concern for veterans and their advocates. Another recent report by the nonprofit Veterans Education Success analyzed marketing by 27 for-profit schools between February and April, all of [...]
Press Release: New Analysis Finds Proprietary Colleges, Including Some with a History of Misleading Marketing, Are Using the COVID-19 Pandemic in Facebook Advertising Campaigns
For Immediate Release Contact: Tanya Ang - (202) 838-5050 Walter Ochinko – (202) 838-5050 [...]
Issue Brief: Investigative Analysis: Advertising Trends for Selected Postsecondary Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Click here to download a PDF copy of the report. Click here to download the Appendix including screen-captured ads as part of the analysis. Highlights Our investigation examined how a [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Arizona-Ashford Backlash Begins
Consumer advocates and critics of for-profit education echoed many reservations expressed by Arizona faculty members about Ashford's reputation. "We have serious concerns about this deal," said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success. "Just last [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces New Director of Racial Justice
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 August 3, 2020 Veterans Education Success Announces New Director of Racial Justice New position will ensure equity and civil rights for veterans [...]
Military Times: Ruling on major GI Bill benefits case won’t come in time for fall classes
In recent weeks, a pair of veterans advocates — National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success — filed briefs of support in the case, arguing the more generous interpretation of GI Bill payouts [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Releases Policy Memo for Candidates Running for Public Office ahead of November’s Election
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President, Veterans Education Success (202) 838 - 5050 July 15, 2020 Veterans Education Success Releases Policy Memo for Candidates Running for Public Office ahead of November’s Election New [...]
NPR: Trump Administration Clears For-Profit Colleges To Register Veterans Again
"The law says the secretary shall not approve GI bill enrollment at schools that use deceptive recruiting," says Carrie Wofford with Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. "It feels like yet another blow to veterans [...]
Inside Higher Ed: House Panel Advances Dems’ Education Spending Plan
"Veterans and military service organizations have named closing the 90-10 loophole as their top priority in higher education. We are pleased to see House Appropriators heeding the call of veterans and military service organizations. We [...]
Public News Service: VA Says Predatory Colleges Can Accept GI Bill Students
Ang says lawmakers have been active in their support of more oversight of for-profit colleges. "We have worked really hard with both sides of the aisle to find a bipartisan bill that would protect military-connected [...]
Video: Tasha Berkhalter’s Story
Hometown Stations TV Interview: "Tasha Berkhalter has traveled to Washington D.C. and been interviewed by big-city media in her mission to get veterans education that they need at no cost."
Public News Service: V.A. Green-lights Use of G.I. Bill Funds for Predatory Colleges
The move comes just a few months after the agency warned the schools they would be cut off from access to GI Bill benefits if they continued to use false data and predatory tactics aimed [...]
New York Times: The Students Are Victims of Fraud, but the Government Won’t Help
But the response received by David Boyer, a former ITT student, is more typical. It included a long list of evidence the agency said it had considered, including submissions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, [...]
Marine Corps Times: VA clears 5 schools to keep enrolling GI Bill students
But a veterans’ advocacy group says the VA’s decision amounts to an attempt to “ignore federal law in order to protect predatory colleges.” “The only winners today are the schools that used their money and [...]
Forbes: Veterans’ Group Slams Trump For Giving Predatory Schools A Pass
Veterans’ groups immediately slammed the decision. “The only winners today are the schools that used their money and political influence to evade the law and harm veterans,” said Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success, a veteran advocacy organization. “The GI Bill statute specifically [...]
Politico’s Morning Ed: Trump Administration: Reopen your Campuses or Lose Your International students
“The only winners today are the schools that used their money and political influence to evade the law and harm veterans,” said Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford. “We appreciate the staff at Veterans Benefits [...]
Inside Higher Ed: VA Drops Allegations Against Temple, Phoenix and Others
But Tanya Ang, vice president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, called the decision “disappointing at best, but not surprising given how much money and political power these schools have. Yet again, those who [...]
Connecting Vets: VA lifts GI Bill suspensions for colleges accused of ‘deceptive’ enrollment practices
As VA moves to lift those restrictions, advocates are arguing it could be entering murky legal waters. New students can again use GI Bill benefits to enroll at the five schools -- worth a potential [...]
New York Times: House Fails to Override Trump’s Veto Limiting Student Loan Debt Relief
Outraged by the changes, several groups, led by Veterans Education Success, began running advertisements on Fox News hoping to persuade Mr. Trump to reconsider. They argued the new rules did not protect military service members [...]
Our Letter to VA’s Veterans Advisory Committee on Education
Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Services 810 Vermont Avenue Washington DC 20420 Via electronic submission to [email protected] Re: Advisory Committee on Education Dear Members of the [...]
Investigative Analysis: Advertising by For-Profit and Other Schools in Response to COVID-19
Statement by Veterans Education Success (August 5, 2020) - "Veterans Education Success regrets to inform you that this report has been removed. Although we are confident in our findings about the number of ads that [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces New Team Member to Better Serve Veterans and Military-Connected Students
For Immediate Release Contacts: Tanya Ang, Vice President | [email protected] Veterans Education Success Announces New Team Member to Better Serve Veterans and Military-Connected Students New law fellow will provide important legal assistance to defrauded [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Petitions the Federal Trade Commission to Investigate For-Profit Colleges and Controversial Lead Generators
For Immediate Release Contact: Aniela Szymanski, Senior Director of Legal Affairs and Military Policy | [email protected] June 24, 2020 Veterans Education Success Petitions the Federal Trade Commission to Investigate For-Profit Colleges and Controversial Lead [...]
Forbes: Trump Vetoed A Student Loan Forgiveness Bill, Now Congress Should Override Him
After the bill passed, advocates waited anxiously to see what President Trump might do. One veterans’ group even ran an ad on Fox News urging the president to sign the law. Thirty-four military and veteran service organizations supported the [...]
Our FTC Petition: Lead Generators
Complaint, Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief Submitted by Veterans Education Success Pursuant to the Commission’s Rules, 16 C.F.R. § 2.2, Veterans Education Success respectfully requests that the Commission institute an investigation of businesses [...]
Our FTC Petition: Army.com and Partner Schools
Complaint, Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief Submitted by Veterans Education Success Pursuant to the Commission’s Rules, 16 C.F.R. § 2.2, Veterans Education Success respectfully requests that the Commission institute an investigation of schools [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Democrats Call for Safeguards If Campuses Reopen
In a report, Third Way, New America, the Center for American Progress, the Century Foundation, the Institute for College Access and Success and Veterans Education Success said, “The decision of whether to operate in person [...]
Campus Reform: Veteran students could be denied coronavirus aid
Thanks to the GI Bill, veterans receive free tuition at public universities, which supplies the most likely explanation as to why so many do not file a FAFSA. But campus-based student veterans can still suffer [...]
Connecting Vets: Bill would provide new education benefits to veterans who lost their job over the pandemic
The legislation has the support of veteran service organizations including the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, IAVA, WWP, Student Veterans, Blinded Veterans Association, TAPS, Veterans Education Success, National Guard [...]
Politico Morning Ed: Meet ACT’s new interim top executive
Veterans Education Success and the Century Foundation released a new tool kit, “2020 Toolkit for State Policymakers: What States Can Do to Protect Students from Predatory For-Profit Colleges.” It outlines steps state leaders can take to help [...]
Statement by the American Legion: Calls for White House to protect vets ‘borrower defense’
The American Legion calls for White House to protect vets ‘borrower defense’ (WASHINGTON—May 29, 2020) - The head of the nation’s largest veterans organization is imploring President Trump to sign legislation which would relieve students [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success and The Century Foundation Release Toolkit for State Policymakers to Better Protect Veterans & Military-Connected Students in Higher Education
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford, President, and Ramond Curtis, State Policy Manager, Veterans Education Success (202) 838-5050 Alex Edwards, Director of Communications, The Century Foundation, [email protected], (810) 986-0880 May 29, 2020 Veterans Education [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Will Trump Let Congress Undo DeVos’s Borrower-Defense Rule?
Trump hasn’t taken action, and the White House has not responded when asked if he intends to, increasing the hopes of the rule’s critics, like Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success. [...]
New York Times: Over Veterans’ Protests, Trump Vetoes Measure to Block Student Loan Rules
Several groups, led by Veterans Education Success, began running advertisements on Fox News programs urging Mr. Trump to sign the resolution, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent to the White House last week. Read the full [...]
Forbes: Trump Vetoes Congressional Override Of DeVos Rule
Many veterans have been the target of predatory colleges seeking to profit off of military and veteran education benefits. Veterans Education Success even ran an ad on Fox News targeting the president in hopes that [...]
Forbes: Veterans’ And Consumer Groups “Heartbroken” After Trump Vetoes Student Loan Relief Bill
Following President Trump’s veto, veterans’ organizations and consumer groups voiced their disappointment. Veterans Education Success said in a tweet that they were “heartbroken” over the President’s veto, noting that the action went against the recommendations [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Group Says Veterans Could Be Excluded From CARES Act Grants
College students who are veterans of the U.S. military could be disproportionately denied emergency aid grants under the CARES Act because of the way the Education Department is interpreting congressional intent in passing the coronavirus [...]
New York Times: Trump’s Dilemma: Reject DeVos Debt Forgiveness Rollback or Anger Veterans
“With a bipartisan vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it is clear the support of Congress for veterans, service members, and their families and survivors stands above partisan politics,” 34 groups wrote [...]
Politico: Congress sends rebuke of DeVos ‘borrower defense’ rule to Trump’s desk
Several dozen veterans organizations are ramping up their efforts to win over the White House on the issue. They’ll be running an ad on Fox News, starting Wednesday, urging Trump the sign the legislation. The groups include Veterans Education [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Coronavirus News Roundup for May 19
A report from the advocacy group Veterans Education Success found that veteran college students could be disproportionately denied emergency aid grants under the CARES Act because of how the Education Department is interpreting the intent [...]
Politico Morning Education: It’s just not going to look like any other school year
COULD VETERANS BE BLOCKED FROM CARES ACT GRANTS? Veterans Education Success says it’s possible. — “At issue is which students are eligible for the cash grants,” the group, which focuses on student veterans, argues in a new brief. Education [...]
Veterans’ Use of Private Student Loans: A Primer
Click here to download a PDF copy of the report. Highlights Based on our analysis of ED survey data from academic year 2007-08 to 2015-16: The proportion of undergraduate student veterans at for-profit schools taking [...]
Impact of Disability on First-Time Student Veterans’ Persistence and Attainment
Click here to download a PDF copy of this Issue Brief Highlights Among undergraduate veterans who enrolled in postsecondary education for the first time in 2011-12, 33% reported a disability, compared to 15% of non-veterans [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Commends Maryland as the First State to Close the 90/10 Loophole
May 7, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ramond Curtis, State Policy Manager Veterans Education Success Commends Maryland as the First State to Close the 90/10 Loophole Advocates and veterans defrauded by for-profit schools react [...]
Public News Service: Virginia Urged to End Restrictive Higher-Ed Enrollment Contracts
As more people explore going back to school after losing jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia is being urged to prohibit the use of enrollment contracts by some private post-secondary schools. Michael Saunders, director of [...]
Arnold Ventures: Carrie Wofford, Fighting to Protect Veterans From Predatory, For-Profit Colleges
The founder of Veterans Education Success talks about what caused the VA to finally crack down on predatory for-profit colleges and why scams targeting veterans are likely to increase after the pandemic. Read the full [...]
Arnold Ventures: Scammed Out of Their GI Bill Money, Army Veterans Are Standing Up Against Predatory Colleges
GI Bill benefits made Tasha Berkhalter and Jarrod Thoma ideal targets for unscrupulous and duplicitous for-profit colleges. Now, thanks to groups like Veterans Education Success and the Project on Predatory Student Lending, they are getting [...]
Military Times: Lawmakers pass second emergency package to protect student veterans from coronavirus losses
"After talking to VA work-study students who were worried about being able to pay their bills and others who had to choose between working to feed their families or staying home to protect their families [...]
Fox 11 News: While other colleges struggle, for-profits hope for revival
To critics, the flurry of activity brings echoes of the 2008 recession, when for-profit colleges enrolled record numbers of students but left many of them with heavy debt and few job prospects. A new study [...]
Associated Press: While other colleges struggle, for-profits hope for revival
A new study by the advocacy group Veterans Education Success found that some chains have been spending more on Facebook ads during the pandemic. “This aggressive and deceptive targeting will once again harm veterans’ academic [...]
Inside Higher Ed: The Recession and For-Profit College Recruiting
Wofford, then senior counsel of the Senate's education committee, said for-profits appear to be stepping up their advertising aimed at veterans of the U.S. military and active-duty service members, a heavily sought group of potential [...]
Analysis of Higher Education Relief Funds for Coronavirus: How Will They Be Allocated Across Institutional Sectors?
Click here to download a PDF copy of the factsheet. Higher education emergency relief funds authorized by § 18004 of P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), are limited to institutions [...]
Press Release: Thirty-Three Leading Military & Veteran Service Organizations Praise VA Effort to Protect Veterans and Taxpayers from Schools that Mislead Prospective Students
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford President 202-838-5050 April, 9 2020 Thirty-Three Leading Military & Veteran Service Organizations Praise VA Effort to Protect Veterans and Taxpayers from Schools that Mislead Prospective Students The [...]
Joint Military & Veteran Service Organization Letter: Praising VA’s Effort to Protect Veterans and Taxpayers from Schools that Mislead Prospective Students
April 9, 2020 The Honorable Robert Wilkie U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Dear Secretary Wilkie: Thank you for enforcing 38 U.S.C. § 3696, which is critical in stopping [...]
New York Times: Online Learning Should Return to a Supporting Role
As the coronavirus pandemic forces schools and college campuses to go online, the delivery model of education — largely unchanged for centuries — has suddenly been disrupted. This may seem like the acceleration of a [...]
SAS Global Forum 2020 Report: Post-9/11 GI Bill: Teasing Out Insights about Veterans’ Success in Postsecondary Education
By Walter Ochinko, Research Director, Veterans Education Success Abstract This paper (1) examines the challenges researchers face in using publicly available databases to track veterans use of GI Bill benefits and their success in earning [...]
Politico Morning Education: Senators demand $2B for school, library internet connections
'WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF OUR VETERANS,' President Donald Trump said Thursday, as he declared he would extend benefit deadlines and postpone debt collections for veterans. — “We’re cautiously optimistic of this announcement as it’s been [...]
Military Times: Trump says VA won’t collect debts, will extend benefits deadlines amid coronavirus outbreak
“We must lighten the financial burden of veterans by suspending VA debt collections in the same way (the government) did for U.S. Treasury and U.S. Department of Education (debts),” officials from Veterans Education Success wrote [...]
The Capitol Forum: Perdoceo Education Corporation: AIU is Operating Under Provisional Status Due to Open Review of 90/10 Revenue Requirement
"Given that AIU is only provisionally certified for Title IV participation," Walter Ochinko, Research Director at Veterans Education Success, told The Capitol Fourm, "it is simply astonishing that the Department of Education failed to include [...]
Letter to the Education Department Urging it Revoke Recognition of ACICS as an Accreditor
March 24, 2020 Herman Bounds Director, Accreditation Group U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20002 Dear Mr. Bounds: On February 27, 2018, twenty-nine Veterans and Military Service Organizations wrote to ask [...]
The Capitol Forum: Vol. 8 No. 105: For-Profit Colleges: Republicans Include Generous Provisions to Aid For-Profit Colleges in Draft Bailout Legislation; Higher Ed Advocacy Groups Fight Back
"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently announced that House Democrats would put forward their own legislation to provide coronavirus relief and industry bailout money, but an early Senate Republican version of the bill included [...]
Politico Morning Ed: GOP proposes suspending federal student loan payments, extending new powers for school waivers
CONGRESS PASSES COVID-19 FIX FOR GI BILL AND OTHER VA-FUNDED STUDENTS: The House passed the legislation, S. 3503 (116), Thursday by unanimous consent following Senate passage by voice vote on Monday. — “We are relieved military-connected students [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Maryland Closes 90-10 Loophole
“This groundbreaking legislation makes Maryland the first in the nation to stand up for veterans and stop predatory schools from cheating them out of their hard-earned GI Bill,” said Ramond Curtis, state policy manager for [...]
Education Dive: Maryland could be the first state to close a loophole on federal aid to for-profit colleges
Maryland's bill intends to pose new limits on for-profit schools by forcing them to include military and veteran benefits when determining how much federal aid they rely on for revenue. Many large for-profit chains, such [...]
Military Times: GI Bill benefits to continue despite college coronavirus closings after emergency fix rushes through Congress
“Today, military connected students are free from the burden of worry with their housing allowance and can concentrate on protecting their families and community,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success. “We are [...]
Washington Post: Maryland General Assembly moves to tighten federal aid restrictions on for-profit colleges
Maryland is poised to become the first state to limit the revenue for-profit colleges can receive from enrolling veterans. On Tuesday, the state House of Delegates unanimously passed legislation to close a loophole in the [...]
Washington Post: Veterans’ advocates urge Congress to protect GI Bill benefits as colleges move classes online
“We don’t want veterans on the street,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. “They should know that the benefits they worked so hard for will be protected in times [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Will Trump’s Promise Really Help Borrowers?
But Mike Saunders, director of military and consumer policy for Veterans Education Success, said Education Department lawyers may feel bound by law to not allow interest to be waived. And Morabito, the department’s spokeswoman, didn’t [...]
Inside Higher Ed: More Help for Borrowers
Mike Saunders, director of military and consumer policy at Veterans Education Success, said waiving interest will only marginally help student borrowers. "We call on President Trump to ensure borrowers, as well as all Americans, have [...]
Press Release: 32 Military and Veteran Service Organizations Urge President Trump to Support Veterans and Military-Connected Students From Loans Incurred as a Result of Fraud
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 March 13, 2020 32 Military and Veteran Service Organizations Urge President Trump to Support Veterans and Military-Connected Students From Loans Incurred as a Result of Fraud [...]
Letter to President Donald J. Trump from 34 Military & Veteran Service Organizations Urging Support for H.J. Res 76
March 13, 2020 The Honorable Donald J. Trump The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump: In August 2019, you stood with veterans in directing the Education Department to ensure that all totally and [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Latest Coronavirus News
The multibillion-dollar coronavirus package being negotiated by Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin isn’t expected to include a temporary suspension of student loan payments, said a Democratic House aide. Advocacy [...]
Inside Higher Ed: GOP-Led Senate Joins House in Rebuking DeVos on Loan Forgiveness
The congressional votes are “an unequivocal, bipartisan message that military-connected students who have been defrauded out of their hard-earned GI Bill and burdened with unnecessary student loans should have a fair and equitable process for relief,” [...]
New York Times: Senate Rejects DeVos Rule Restricting Debt Relief for Bilked Students
“Veterans had a target on their backs when they were in uniform, there’s no need to have one again when they go to college,” said James Haynes, federal policy manager at Veterans Education Success. “These [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Praises Bipartisan Passage of H.J. Res. 76 in the Senate to Stand with Veterans on Borrower Defense
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 Tanya Ang | Vice President (202) 838-5050 March 11, 2020 Veterans Education Success Praises Bipartisan Passage of H.J. Res. 76 in the Senate to [...]
Colorado Springs Gazette: VA bars Colorado Tech, 4 other schools from enrolling new GI Bill students
Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in a statement that the VA’s decision was “more than justified” and sends the message that “the federal government and taxpayers will no longer [...]
KOAA News: VA moves to suspend new GI bill enrollment at 5 universities
Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in a statement that the VA’s decision was “more than justified” and sends the message that “the federal government and taxpayers will no longer [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Praises Decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to Suspend New GI Bill Students from Enrolling at the University of Phoenix, Career Education Corporation Institutions, Bellevue University, and Temple University
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 Tanya Ang | Vice President (202) 838-5050 March 9, 2020 Veterans Education Success Praises Decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to Suspend New [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Groups Urge Debt Forgiveness for Disabled Borrowers
A coalition of more than 30 higher education, consumer and veterans' groups on Tuesday called on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discharge the student loans of about 350,000 disabled borrowers. Under the Higher [...]
NBC News: States urge Betsy DeVos to forgive loans of students with disabilities
Student loan representatives from seven states and Washington, D.C., sent a letter Tuesday to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul asking them to erase the federal loans of more than [...]
Federal Court Denies Ashford University’s Lawsuit against VA
Decision of the US Federal Circuit Court to Dismiss Ashford University's Lawsuit against VA (Decided: March 3, 2020) Ashford petitions this court for review, contending that the Cure Letter “announces” new “rules” and that 38 [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Senate Might Rebuke DeVos on Borrower Defense
"The same assessment came from the other side. 'In a time where partisan politics often is the headline of media stories, we are encouraged by the number of Republican offices who are willing to stand [...]
Stars & Stripes: Vets group sounds the alarm after VA greenlights controversial Ashford University for GI Bill funds
The Department of Veterans Affairs agreed to preserve Ashford University’s eligibility to receive GI Bill benefits after years of whistleblowers, veterans, and state officials sounding the alarm over the school’s alleged predatory habits aimed at [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Responds to VA’s Decision to Approve Ashford University for GI Bill Funds
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Responds to VA's Decision to Approve Ashford University for GI Bill Funds Reaction by President Wofford highlights VA's approval of a school [...]
Veterans Education Success Testifies Before Oregon Senate Committee on Closing the 90/10 Loophole
Watch Veterans Education Success State Policy Manager Ramond Curtis testify alongside OR State Legislators and American Legion leadership before the Oregon Senate Committee about pending legislation that would close the 90/10 loophole in Oregon.
USA Today: This college was accredited by a DeVos-sanctioned group. We couldn’t find evidence of students or faculty
"Reagan National University was supposed to be a place of higher learning, but it was unclear how it awarded degrees. By all appearances, at present, it has no students, no faculty and no classrooms. An [...]
WMAR Baltimore: State lawmakers looking at bill that may help veterans with college
"Lawmakers are looking at a bill that might help veterans with college. They say there is a loophole in a college tuition program allowing for-profit colleges to take advantage of loans given to veterans. We've [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Student Loan Relief for Disabled Vets
"Many of those borrowers are not veterans. But some are veterans who became disabled after they left the military, or whose injuries were not considered service related even though they were on active duty, said [...]
Maryland: The Daily Record: Md. lawmakers look to add for-profit college regulations again this year
State lawmakers hope this year to place new regulations on for-profit colleges operating in Maryland, a third straight year of new regulations for an industry that has seen more favorable regulatory actions from the federal [...]
Politico Morning Ed: Nearly Two Dozen Veteran and Military Service Organizations Are Continuing to Press DeVos
POLITICO reported last year that the Trump administration suspended the process of forgiving hundreds of millions of dollars in student loans owed by veterans with severe disabilities, despite a presidential pledge the debts would be easily erased. [...]
Military.com: Veterans Groups Want Government to Expedite Forgiveness of Student Loans
"Led by Veterans Education Success, a bipartisan group dedicated to ensuring career and education success for military families, a collection of 22 veterans groups has sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The letter [...]
NPR: Teachers Union Lawsuit Claims DeVos ‘Capriciously’ Repealed Borrower Protections
"One of the nation's largest teachers unions sued U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday. The complaint: She repealed a rule meant to protect student loan borrowers from for-profit and career-focused schools that graduate them [...]
Chronicle of Higher Education: Purdue Global Has Had a Rocky Start. Is It Growing Pains or a Sign of Trouble?
"A $43-million loss last year was due in part to marketing costs. And the institution expects to turn a profit this year." Read the full story by the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Purdue Global Has [...]
Education Dive: ACICS no longer seeking recognition from key oversight group
"The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and School (ACICS), a troubled national accreditor that had its federal status revoked under the Obama administration, is no longer seeking recognition from the main private association that vets [...]
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Editorial: Senate must decide whether to side with scam colleges or defrauded students
"The House has voted to overturn a Trump administration rule that makes it more difficult for students who were defrauded by their colleges to seek loan forgiveness. The measure now moves to the Senate — [...]
Media Advisory: Rep. Susie Lee, Sen. Durbin to Hold Press Conference After House Votes to Overturn DeVos Borrower Defense Rule
For Planning Purposes Only January 14, 2019 Rep. Susie Lee, Sen. Durbin to Hold Press Conference After House Votes to Overturn DeVos Borrower Defense Rule Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, Jan. 16 at 11:00 a.m. [...]
LA Times: For-profit film school turned their Hollywood dreams into student debt nightmares
"Only two months into pursuing his dream to be a sound engineer, David Gross knew he’d made a mistake. The single father in 2013 signed up at a for-profit college in Burbank that convinced him [...]
Arnold Ventures Podcast: Podcast: ‘Dollar Signs in Uniform’: How For-Profit Education Continues to Target GI Bill Money
"For 75 years, the GI Bill has provided military service members with invaluable educational opportunities. And for just as long, for-profit colleges and universities have sought to gain and maintain access to that funding stream. [...]
Politico Morning Ed: Veterans Group Responds to Education Department Delay in Loan Discharge
Mike Saunders, military and consumer policy director at Veterans Education Success, said his group learned of the department's delay in implementing student loan debt forgiveness for severely disabled veterans, a Trump administration promise, in a story [...]
USA Today: Loophole Allows Some Colleges to Take Advantage of Veterans
Cameron Newberry always knew he wanted to go to college, but felt he needed to serve his country before jumping back to his studies. This led the 23-year-old to serve in the Marine Corps from [...]
Chicago Sun Times: More GI Bill horror stories: Vets say government reneged on promise to pay for kids’ college
"Hower and her father are among more than a dozen families who contacted the Chicago Sun-Times after a story Nov. 10 on military families hit with hefty college bills they were promised would be covered [...]
Washington Post: Trump administration promise of debt relief for disabled veterans got delayed. Now, the program is resuming.
A Freedom of Information Act request made by the advocacy group Veterans Education Success found that the Education Department contacted more than 42,000 disabled veterans, yet barely 8,500 had signed and returned the application for [...]
CBS News: After scrutiny, U.S. again forgiving student debt for disabled veterans
Mike Saunders, the legal director at Veterans Education Success, said he had been surprised to learn about the Education Department freeze, saying the advocacy group had been "under the impression that they were automatically forgiving [...]
Politico: Trump Pledge to Forgive Disabled Veterans’ Student Loans Delayed — at Education Department
Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that focuses on student-veterans and had for months pushed the Trump administration to automatically forgive the loans, said it was “disappointed” that most of the loan cancellations had not [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Reacts to Department of Education’s Delay Discharging Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Reacts to Department of Education's Delay Discharging Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans & New Effort to Reduce Student Loan Interest [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Praises Senator Alexander’s Support for Closing the 90-10 Loophole
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Praises Senator Alexander's Support for Closing the 90-10 Loophole Senator Alexander (R-TN) Announced His Support for the Protect VETS Act of [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Bipartisan Movement in Washington
"Chairman Alexander's support for closing the 90/10 loophole is a game-changer for student veterans and military-connected students across the country and means Congress can and will remove the recruiting target from the backs of veterans [...]
Washington Post: Republican Leader Backs Restrictions that Could End For-Profit Colleges’ Aggressive Recruitment of Veterans
“Chairman Alexander’s support for closing the 90/10 loophole is a game-changer,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. It “means Congress can and will remove the recruiting target from the backs [...]
Richmond Free Press: Veterans Hurt by Predatory For-Profit Colleges
“That VA has not invoked their authority to ban schools that engage in deceptive mar- keting for almost 50 years is a missed opportunity to do what is right for military-connected students in higher education,” [...]
The St. Louis American: Protecting Veterans from ‘Collegiate Con Artists’
“That VA has not invoked their authority to ban schools that engage in deceptive marketing for almost 50 years is a missed opportunity to do what is right for military-connected students in higher education,” said [...]
Military Times: Push to Limit For-Profit College’s Access to GI Bill Benefits Gets New Boost
“We are thrilled to finally have a real chance to close the 90/10 loophole and remove the target from the backs of veterans and service members,” said Carrie Wofford, president at Veterans Education Success, in [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Praises Bi-partisan Bill to Close 90-10 Loophole
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Praises Bi-partisan Bill to Close 90-10 Loophole Proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate will close the 90-10 loophole and remove the [...]
NBC News San Diego: Man Schemed Nearly $30M of Education Benefits From Veterans Affairs: US Attorney
The owner of a technical training school pleaded guilty Wednesday to defrauding nearly $30 million worth of benefits over a three-year period from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal authorities discovered an elaborate scheme at [...]
U.S. News & World Report: The Real Cost of For-Profit Colleges
Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, says veterans have been particularly targeted by for-profit colleges because of the money they bring with the GI Bill, which pays more than $24,000 for [...]
U.S. News and World Report: How to Find Additional College Benefits for Veterans
"There are typically more resources than you realize," says Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that provides free counseling, legal resources and other services to military-affiliated students. Read the full story [...]
North Dallas Gazette: America’s Veterans Deserve Better from For-Profit Colleges
"That VA has not invoked their authority to ban schools that engage in deceptive marketing for almost 50 years is a missed opportunity to do what is right for military-connected students in higher education,” said [...]
Chicago Sun Times: The Navy told him he served long enough to get his kids free college. Its math was 6 days off.
"Dotson, who’s from Michigan, didn’t know that the promised education would be yanked out from under them, that this gift would turn into debt-collection notices for his daughter amounting to $20,000 and growing. The Dotsons [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces New Team Members and Renewed Partnership to Better Serve Military-Connected Students
November 8, 2019 For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Announces New Team Members and Renewed Partnership to Better Serve Military-Connected Students New staff and partnerships [...]
The Highland County Press: Sen. Brown’s Bill Would Extend Lending Protections for Service Members to Veterans, Consumers
"The legislation has been endorsed by a wide variety of consumer, civil rights, veterans, service-member organizations, and advocates, including...Veterans Education Success; Allied Progress, Americans for Financial Reform; Center for Responsible Lending; Consumer Action; Consumer Federation [...]
Stars & Stripes: As Possible Shutdown Looms, Troop Pay Raises Seem Safe
“Veterans and military-connected students should not worry right now about a government shutdown impacting their benefits. However, if the shutdown goes longer than a month then all kinds of government benefits could be impacted, from [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is Out with Two New Issue Briefs
"Veterans Education Success is out with two new issue briefs. One suggests Congress should consider authorizing the VA to require letters of credit from schools to mitigate risks to veterans and taxpayers. Another seeks to clarify the [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Releases New Reports on the Use, Return-on-Investment, and Administration of VA Education Benefit Programs
For Immediate Release Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Walter Ochinko, Research Director | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Releases New Reports on the Use, Return-on-Investment, and Administration of VA [...]
The 85-15 Rule and Related GI Bill Safeguards
The impact of the 85-15 rule—a requirement that education programs enroll at least 15% non-veterans to ensure schools are not bilking VA, as occurred after WWII—has evolved over time. This Issue Brief presents the Congressional [...]
Annual and Cumulative Student Loan Debt Among Veterans Using and Not Using GI Bill Benefits
This Fact Sheet examines student loan borrowing in academic year 2015-16, comparing undergraduate veterans who received any GI Bill educational benefits (beneficiaries) to those who did not (nonbeneficiaries). In addition to their borrowing during that [...]
GI Bill Payments and Enrollment, Fiscal Years 2009 to 2018
Total GI Bill payments and enrollment grew significantly after the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits in August 2009. Eighty three percent of the $105 billion in expenditures on educational benefits from Fiscal [...]
Politico Morning Education: A Veterans Education Success Report Found that Few States Acted Proactively to Protect Veterans
A Veterans Education Success report found that few states acted proactively to protect veterans and in many cases the Veterans Affairs Department took no action to support those ones that did so. In another report, the group also [...]
VA and States Should Act on Early Warning Signs When Risks to GI Bill Beneficiaries and Taxpayers Emerge at Participating Schools
This report is one in a series of three reports by Veterans Education Success on State Approving Agency (SAA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) oversight of GI Bill participating schools. A second report examines [...]
NJ Spotlight: Norcross Among Congressional Group Proposing Major Move on College Debt, Affordability
“We are thankful to the House for their comprehensive bill that addresses most of the concerns the military-affiliated community has expressed,” said Veterans Education Success, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for educational opportunities for [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Releases Two New Reports Documenting Early Warning Signs at Troubled Schools Missed by VA and States, and VA’s Failure to Follow Legal Authority to Protect Veterans
October 21, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford, President | [email protected] (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Releases Two New Reports Documenting Early Warning Signs at Troubled Schools Missed by VA and States, and VA’s [...]
Congress Should Consider Authorizing VA to Require Letters of Credit from Schools in order to Mitigate Risks to Veterans and Taxpayers
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) lacks the authority to require letters of credit (LOC) from schools eligible to enroll GI Bill beneficiaries. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) can require schools [...]
Inside Higher Ed: House Dems’ Vision for Higher Ed
"The College Affordability Act also would make the federal student loan program more generous for student borrowers....the bill has received endorsements from Third Way, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Veterans Education Success, the National Association [...]
Washington Post: Only War Heroes can be Awarded Purple Heart Medals. Anyone Can Join the Purple Heart Trail
"Barrett Bogue, senior communications adviser for the nonprofit Veterans Education Success, calls such practices 'a concern' and says that 'prospective students should not make the life-changing decision of where to earn a degree based on [...]
VA Still Not Enforcing 1974 Ban on Schools that Engage in Deceptive Advertising and Recruiting
Summary: This Issue Brief examines the history of schools that rely on misleading advertising and recruiting to enroll veterans and eligible family members and subsequent ban by Congress in 1974 based on contemporaneous findings of [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: New Coalition Highlights the Need For Student Voices in Higher Education Policy
The coalition consists of twelve different groups, including Higher Learning Advocates, Veterans Education Success, Young Invincibles, the National College Access Network and others. The goal is to advocate for policies that expand supports for nontraditional [...]
Sierra Sun Times: U.S. Senators Introduce Congressional Effort to Overturn Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Rewritten Borrower Defense Rule
"Organizations supporting the resolution include...Veterans Education Success, The Education Trust, National Education Association, Project on Predatory Student Lending, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Third Way, Americans for Financial Reform, [...]
Joint Press Release: Veterans & Military Service Organizations Response to Sen. Alexander’s Higher Education Legislation
October 19, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Tanya Ang | Vice President | (202) 838-5050 Lauren Augustine | Vice President of Government Relations (SVA) | (703) 772-9919 Barrett Y. Bogue | Senior Communication Advisor | [...]
Sacramento Bee: Veterans Affairs Moves to Strip California’s Power in Fight Over For-Profit Schools
“It’s hard to argue that the VA has the interests of veterans and taxpayers at heart when it allows things like Thomas Jefferson. Why would they rescind these actions?” said Walter Ochinko, research director for [...]
Military Times: VA Concedes its Debt Collection Systems Leave Veterans Confused, Frustrated
Officials from Veterans Education Success said one in four recipients of GI Bill benefits face some [sic] time of overpayment-related debt. Read the full article by Military Times, "VA Concedes its Debt Collection Systems Leave [...]
LAist: The Trump Administration Is Canceling California’s GI Bill Approval Power, But The State Is Fighting Back
But Carrie Wofford questions whether federal regulators can effectively oversee the entire college and university system in the state of California. "It's somewhat unrealistic," she said. "How is the VA sitting in Washington going to [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is Out with Two Reports
Veterans Education Success this week released two new reports about federal and state oversight of colleges receiving GI Bill funding: "Overemphasis on Payment Accuracy Impedes More Effective SAA Oversight of Schools Participating in the GI Bill" [...]
The Scribe: Presidential Memorandum Streamlines Student Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans
"Veterans Education Success, a non-partisan advocacy group for student veterans, outlined in a letter written to the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, the unfairness of making veterans with a total disability classification to complete paperwork [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Proposed Amendment Scrutinizes For-Profit Schools Targeting Veterans
The 90/10 rule is supposed to be a “market test,” says Tanya Ang, policy and outreach director at Veterans Education Success, because a reputable school should be able to attract some non-government funds. For example, [...]
Comstock’s Magazine: Lobbying Blitz Stymies California’s Crackdown on For-Profit Schools
Ramond Curtis, the state policy manager for the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said he felt outgunned. His group supported Assembly Bill 1343 by Asm. Susan Eggman, aimed at closing a loophole in federal law that [...]
Politico: Trump Administration Strips CalVet Regulation of For-Profit Colleges
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, characterized VA's move as another instance of finger-pointing between Washington and California. "All they've been doing is fighting with each other," she said in an interview. "There's going [...]
Press Release: DeVos’s Final Rewrite of the Borrower Defense Rule Is a Slap in the Face for Military-Connected Students
September 3, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Walter Ochinko | VES Research Director | (202) 838-5050 DeVos’s Final Rewrite of the Borrower Defense Rule Is a Slap in the Face for Military-Connected Students Washington, D.C. [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Faster Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans
Education Department data provided last year to two groups, Veterans Education Success and Vietnam Veterans of America, showed that more than 42,000 borrowers were eligible for the loan forgiveness benefit, known as Total and Permanent [...]
ABC 13 News Now: Disabled Vets to Receive Student Loan Relief Requested by Attorney General Herring
The automatic forgiveness supported by the attorneys general also has the support of veterans groups including Vietnam Veterans for America, Veterans Education Success, The Retired Enlisted Association, High Ground Advocacy, and Ivy League Veterans Council. [...]
UPI: Trump Signs Order to Eliminate Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans
A Freedom of Information Act request filed by the non-profit Veterans Education Success showed that more than 25,000 of the 42,000 disabled veterans eligible for student loan forgiveness were in default of $168 million in outstanding [...]
Press Release: Statement by Veterans Education Success on the Presidential Memorandum on Discharging the Federal Student Loan Debt of Totally and Permanently Disabled Veterans
August 21, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Barrett Y. Bogue | Senior Communication Advisor (202) 670-5587 Statement by Veterans Education Success on the Presidential Memorandum on Discharging the Federal Student Loan Debt of Totally and [...]
NPR: Trump Signs Executive Order Forgiving All Federal Student Loan Debt For Disabled Vets
An activist I spoke with at Veterans Education Success said she wants to know if they're going to do anything to repair the people who were - had their credit ratings damaged or wages garnished [...]
Diverse Issues In Higher Education: Some Disabled Vets to Get Automatic Student Loan Debt Forgiveness
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, issued a brief statement calling the administration’s action “a welcome development on an issue we have been leading since November 2018.” She said what began as a Freedom [...]
The Washington Post: Trump Administration to Automatically Forgive the Student Debt of Permanently Disabled Veterans
A Freedom of Information Act request made by the advocacy group Veterans Education Success found that the Education Department contacted more than 42,000 disabled veterans, 25,000 of whom were in default on their student loans. [...]
CNBC: Trump to Grant Student Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans
However, recent records revealed the government continues to seek repayment on $1 billion in student loans from more than 40,000 severely disabled veterans who have been deemed unable to work. More than 25,000 of them are in [...]
Wall Street Journal: Fight Over For-Profit Colleges’ Funding Centers on Veterans
Jose Diaz-Buttler, a trained mechanic three years removed from the Navy, was seeking steady work in the Bay Area when the 2008 financial crisis hit. After initially contacting Heald College, a nearby for-profit school, to [...]
Connecting Vets: Bill Would Help Troops with ‘Outdated’ Montgomery GI Bill, End Enrollment by 2029
The 1984 Montgomery GI Bill is "outdated" and should eventually be phased out, two members of Congress say, but in the meantime, veterans should get more time to decide if they want it or not. [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Could For-Profit Question Impede Short-Term Pell?
Lawmakers pushing for a dramatic change to the federal Pell Grant program have for months sought to placate liberal critics by arguing that new money wouldn’t go to for-profit colleges. Legislation dubbed the JOBS Act [...]
Salon: How Financially Troubled Colleges Rip off Veterans
“For-profit schools really aggressively target veteran students and spend a ton on marketing, but spend little on instruction,” Walter Ochinko, Research Director at Veterans Educations Services, told DCReport. Read the full story at Salon, "How [...]
Florida Daily: Elijah Cummings Working With Florida Congressman to Help Veterans at Colleges, Universities
Rep. Elijah Cummings is also working with a Republican congressman from Florida in offering a bill to help veterans attending colleges and universities. Student Veterans of America, the American Legion, Veterans Education Success, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Higher Learning [...]
Florida Daily: Veterans Groups, Education Leaders Back Donna Shalala’s Effort to Close GI Benefits Loophole
Veterans groups and education leaders are going all out to help a South Florida congresswoman’s proposal to close a loophole proprietary colleges use when it comes to federal funds, including GI benefits.
Joint Letter in Support of Shalala Amendment on DoD Tuition Assistance
On July 25, 2019, twenty-six student, education, military, and veterans service organizations expressed their support for an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 that would require the Defense Department to make public [...]
Bloomberg: Students to Keep Pressing Congress for Higher Education Update
Ten student advocacy groups are teaming up to push for a reauthorization of the main federal higher education law, even as lawmakers are turning their focus to other bills. The groups have individually advocated for [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Groups Align to Advocate for Today’s Students
A coalition of groups representing veterans, working adults and historically underrepresented students have teamed up to form a new organization designed to change federal and other policies to better recognize how "today's students" differ from [...]
Military Times: Fewer Troops are Using Tuition Assistance Benefits
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, a group that has established itself as one of the toughest critics of for-profit schools, pushed for a greater focus on academic inputs, such as the amount of [...]
Education Dive: House Passes Amendment Raising Scrutiny of For-Profit Colleges’ Military Benefits
Tanya Ang, vice president at VES, told Education Dive in an interview that the "extra step of security" the audits provide are a positive development. Bipartisan support is also a plus in her view. "That's [...]
NBC News: ‘They just saw me as a dollar sign’: How some certificate schools profit from vulnerable students
An investigation into Premier Education Group shows how for-profit schools with questionable track records are able to fly under the enforcement radar. Read more.
Our letter urging stronger accreditor oversight of colleges
Letter to the Office of Post Secondary Education About Proposed Rules for Accrediting Agencies.
Politico: Thousands in GI Bill Fees Paid by Recruits “For essentially no reason at all”
“The bottom line is it makes no sense to the Department of Defense to continue to look the other way, as you will, as new recruits come into the force,” said Bob Norton, a retired [...]
Politico: House Republican Seeks More Relief for Student Veterans After Schools Collapse
The top Republican on a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee said Wednesday he wants to work with Democrats to expand protections for student veterans faced with abrupt school closures. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), the ranking Republican on the [...]
Republic Report: Clash Over Ashford Univ. Casts Doubt On VA Protection of Students
"The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is charged by law and principle with shielding veterans from predatory abuses — deceptive recruiting, high prices, low-quality programs — by colleges seeking to profit off the GI Bill, [...]
Capitol Pressroom: For-Profit College reform
"In his budget proposal, Governor Cuomo has proposed a number of new regulations on for-profit colleges and universities. We took a deep dive into the issue with Yan Cao, Century Foundation fellow; Pamela Lanich, Western [...]
Military Times: Lawmaker vows to protect student loan forgiveness program for troops, others
"A controversial Republican proposal from last Congress to eliminate a student loan forgiveness program for public servants, including military service members, may be off the table. Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill this week, the new [...]
Military Times: Millions of GI Bill dollars are going to questionable schools — and it could soon be billions: VA watchdog
"Millions of dollars have gone toward educating student veterans at ineligible, delinquent schools, due to inadequate oversight by state-based agencies in charge of approving school programs for GI Bill funds, a recent audit by the Department [...]
Inside Higher Ed: VA Inspector General Cites Poor Oversight of College Programs Approved for GI Benefits
Hundreds of college programs that enroll military service members and veterans have gone years without adequate oversight to determine if they are delivering quality education, according to a recent audit by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [...]
Politico: Betsy DeVos’ bet on boot camps
As Americans look to build the skills they need for the fast-changing job market, a new type of education provider has swept onto the scene: the coding boot camp, an intensive, short-term training program for [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Finds ACICS-Approved Schools Remain Among Nation’s Worst
October 12, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Finds ACICS-Approved Schools Remain Among Nation’s Worst Discredited agency receives failing marks after temporary reinstatement; Students continue to fare worse [...]
Press Release: U.S. Congress Expected to Unanimously Vote to Restore GI Bill Benefits to Vets that Attended Defunct ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges
July 28, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford U.S. Congress Expected to Unanimously Vote to Restore GI Bill Benefits to Vets that Attended Defunct ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges The “Forever GI Bill” will [...]
U.S. Department of Education, New Analysis Finds Many For-Profit Colleges Skirt Federal Funding Limits (Dec. 2016)
U.S. Department of Education, New Analysis Finds Many For-Profit Colleges Skirt Federal Funding Limits: 90/10 Data Released (Dec. 2016). Data excel spreadsheet here. New analysis released today by the U.S. Department of Education reveals many [...]
Press Release: Veterans Service Organizations and Student Veterans Offer Testimony, Urge De-Authorization of Dysfunctional College Accreditation Agency
June 23, 2016 For Immediate Release Contact: Dominic Slowey Carrie Wofford Veterans Service Organizations and Student Veterans Offer Testimony, Urge De-Authorization of Dysfunctional College Accreditation Agency ACICS’s multiple failures have allowed predatory for-profit colleges to [...]
Press Release: Veterans and Advocates Join Sen. Carper on Capitol Hill, Urge Congress to Close “90/10 Loophole”
June 22, 2016 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford Veterans and Advocates Join Sen. Carper on Capitol Hill, Urge Congress to Close “90/10 Loophole” Closing loophole would protect G.I Bill funds and service members’ education [...]
Press Release: Yale Law School Study Says VA Can – and Should – Deny G.I. Bill Funding to For-Profit Schools That Employ Deceptive Marketing Practices
March 1, 2016 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford Yale Law School Study Says VA Can - and Should - Deny G.I. Bill Funding to For-Profit Schools That Employ Deceptive Marketing Practices Contradicts VA Position [...]
Press Release: Defense Department Puts University of Phoenix on Probation
October 9, 2015 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford Defense Department Puts University of Phoenix on Probation Statement by Matthew Boulay, Executive Director, Veterans Student Loan Relief Fund and an Iraq War veteran Washington, D.C. [...]