A new bill aims to make defrauded GI Bill vets whole again. Will it?
"Of the 17,918 GI Bill-approved schools, 809 have such warnings, according to VA data. A dozen have reached settlements with the FTC. Hubbard said that if the VA stopped approving schools with these warnings, a significant [...]
GI Bill School Feedback Tool, No Form, OMB Control No. 2900-0797, Document Number 2024-18723
September 20, 2024 Via electronic submission Re: GI Bill® School Feedback Tool, No Form, OMB Control No. 2900-0797, Document Number 2024-18723 Dear Sir/Madam: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the collection of information [...]
Our Letter to the Department of Education Regarding Perdoceo (formerly CEC) Schools
September 19, 2024 The Honorable Miguel Cardona Secretary U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona, I write to urge you to use your authority to protect student veterans, [...]
‘Duped’: Students of UA’s new online college can’t get jobs, say school misled them on value of degrees
"“The unbelievable thing is that a public institution is willing to risk its reputation and engage in this kind of practice just for the sake of generating revenue,” Barmak Nassirian said about UA’s decision to [...]
Nextgov/FCW: IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel details his hefty tech to-do list
"Low employment rates for participants William Hubbard, the vice president for veterans and military policy at the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, played an important role in the creation of the VET-TEC program. While still [...]
Our Letter to VA Regarding Proposed New Application for Education Benefit Restoration Due to School Closure, Program Suspension or Withdrawal
May 3, 2024 Nancy J. Kessinger VA Forms Manager Veterans Benefits Administration Department of Veterans Affairs Via email Re: OMB Control No. 2900-0859 (VA Form 22-0989)--Open for Public Comments Dear Ms. Kessinger, Thank you for [...]
Military.com: Veterans Scammed Out of GI Bill Benefits Could Get Benefits Restored Under House-Passed Bill
""We are pleased that the House of Representatives took an important first step today in providing the secretary of Veterans Affairs with the authority to restore the GI Bill for student veterans who have been [...]
Our Statement on House Passage of HR 1767 to Restore GI Bill Benefits to Defrauded Veterans
For Immediate Release April 30, 2024 Statement on HR 1767 “We are pleased that the House of Representatives took an important first step today in providing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the authority to restore [...]
Our Press Release: Legal Expert and Student Veterans Available for Interviews: Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] LEGAL EXPERT AND STUDENT VETERANS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake [...]
Our Press Release: Progress in the Fight Against GI Bill Fraud & Scam Schools
Contact; Ana Cobian (323)360-1827 [email protected] INDEPENDENCE DAY— GOOD NEWS HOOK PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GI BILL FRAUD & SCAM SCHOOLS Fourth of July Good News: As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day, there is some [...]
Our Press Release: Supreme Court Affirms Veterans’ Right to Use Earned GI Bill Benefits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – STATEMENT Contact: Will Hubbard (703) 379-3822 [email protected] Veterans Earned the Right to Use Their Hard-Earned Educational Benefits Supreme Court Announces Opinion Declaring Right of Veterans To Access Education Benefits Already Earned, [...]
Inside Higher Ed: ‘Catastrophic Success’ Threatens Army Education Benefits
"Will Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that works to protect federal military and veteran education benefits, said his organization recognizes the Army’s “very real” budgetary [...]
Veterans Earned the Right to Use Their Hard-Earned Educational Benefits: Supreme Court Announces Opinion Declaring Right of Veterans To Access Education Benefits Already Earned, which VA Deemed As Double-Dipping
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – STATEMENT Contact: Will Hubbard (703) 379-3822 [email protected] Veterans Earned the Right to Use Their Hard-Earned Educational Benefits Supreme Court Announces Opinion Declaring Right of Veterans To Access Education Benefits Already Earned, [...]
Our Press Release: Local Veterans Sound Alarm on National Stage on Tuesday 3/5 – Exposing How Unfair Practices, Poor-quality School Programs & “Sham Education Factories” Saddle Veterans with Debt & Fuel Student Debt Crisis
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] Local Veterans Sound Alarm on National Stage on Tuesday 3/5 Exposing How Unfair Practices, Poor-quality School Programs & “Sham Education Factories” Saddle Veterans with Debt & Fuel [...]
Our Press Release: Our Press Release: Local Veterans Sound Alarm On National Stage On Monday 3/4: Exposing How Unfair Practices, Poor-quality School Programs & “Sham Education Factories” Saddle Veterans With Debt & Fuel Student Debt Crisis
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] Local Veterans Sound Alarm on National Stage on Monday 3/4 Exposing How Unfair Practices, Poor-quality School Programs & “Sham Education Factories” Saddle Veterans with Debt & Fuel [...]
New York Times: University of Idaho Needs More Students. Should It Buy an Online School?
Alphi Black, an Army veteran from Los Angeles, is trying to have her student loans forgiven after having enrolled at the University of Phoenix following what she said were misleading sales pitches. After earning her [...]
MilitaryTimes: GI Bill rule change could upend requirements for online-only classes
“The impact of the proposed changes will lead to veterans being charged their GI Bill for what amounts to simple access to the internet,” said William Hubbard, vice president for Veterans and Military Policy at [...]
First In-Depth Assessment of the Post-9/11 GI Bill Provides Insight on Veterans’ Post-Secondary Enrollment, Degree Completion, and Earnings
Unique sharing of individual-level data among federal agencies finds veterans complete college at double the rate of comparable independent students. February 15, 2024, at 4 p.m. (ET) For more information, contact: For more information, contact: [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans To Testify Monday, February 5 About How Unfair Practices & Failed Oversight Saddle Gis With Debt & Fuel The Student Debt Crisis
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] VETERANS TO TESTIFY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 ABOUT HOW UNFAIR PRACTICES & FAILED OVERSIGHT SADDLE GIs WITH DEBT & FUEL THE STUDENT DEBT CRISIS AS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF [...]
WBAP Impact Texas: “Veteran GI Bill For-Profit College Scams”
Listen to the full audio at WBAP NEws Talk 820 AM 93.3 FM
CBS Audio: Eye on Veterans: Scam U: Student vets testify in DC re: college degree scams, GI Bill abuse
Today we’re talking with former student veterans who testified before the US Dept. of Education in Washington DC, regarding for-profit colleges that failed to provide the useful degrees they promised, all while burning through the [...]
Fort Cavazos Herald: Area veteran fighting for restoral of GI Bill benefits
Glenn’s experience is not unique, according to Will Hubbard, vice president of veteran and military policy for Veterans Education Success. According to Hubbard, there are three entities involved in providing accountability and oversight. They are: [...]
820 News Talk-WBAP: Interview with Will Hubbard and Vet Michael Nelson
Just short of graduating, he received a gut wrenching email from the institute Do not return back to the school because we're now closed. No options, no nothing. Unfortunately, Nelson story is all too common. [...]
820 News Talk- WBAP-Dallas: Interview with Will Hubbard by Nicole Osei
The power grid failed, knocking out power to millions of Texans for days. Eric Bushman, WB AP News veterans testified on Capitol Hill this week about getting scammed out of their GI Bill benefits. Nkomo said he [...]
KLIF 570 Radio News: Will Hubbard interviewed by Nicole Osei
Our law veterans are testifying in Washington, D.C. this week about their experiences with for profit colleges that scam them out of their GI Bill benefits. The Obama administration implemented tighter regulations for these types [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans To Testify January 8 About How Unfair Practices & Failed Oversight Saddle GIs With Debt & Fuel the Student Debt Crisis
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] VETERANS TO TESTIFY JANUARY 8 ABOUT HOW UNFAIR PRACTICES & FAILED OVERSIGHT SADDLE GIs WITH DEBT & FUEL THE STUDENT DEBT CRISIS AS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans’ Studies Gains Traction as Emerging Field
"While a disproportionate number of veterans (many with access to GI Bill money) have attended—and sometimes been swindled by—for-profit colleges, William Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, said it’s encouraging [...]
Idaho Education News: EXCLUSIVE: ‘The dollar store of higher education:’ Skeptics say the Phoenix purchase would cheapen the U of I brand
David Halperin and Della Justice have spent years scrutinizing for-profit universities. And nothing they have seen in recent months has changed their minds about Phoenix. For years, they say, Phoenix has used aggressive marketing and [...]
Black Enterprise: Howard University Addresses GI Bill Suspension with Dedicated Veterans Office
Another expert, Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, a group responsible for often lobbying Congress on issues related to the GI Bill, told Military.com that the move against Howard also concerned her, because there were [...]
New York Times: How Millions of Borrowers Got $127 Billion in Student Loans Canceled
Seeking help, Ms. Olsen — a former Marine — contacted Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. Their representatives helped her file a borrower defense claim in 2021. Read the full column at The New York [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans ‘Check the Boxes’ Colleges Now Seek
"William Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, which advocates for and works to protect federal military and veteran education benefits, said four-year institutions that have larger budgets to invest [...]
Our Letter to Lincoln Technical Institute’s Accreditor
October 31, 2023 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Lincoln technical Institute Dear Holly Eichhorst, The Lincoln Technical Institute in New Britain, Connecticut is on [...]
Our Letter to Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Accreditor
October 31, 2023 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Aviation Institute of Maintenance Dear Holly Eichhorst, The Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Chicago and Norfolk [...]
Military and Veterans Organizations’ Press Release Regarding Support for CFPB In Supreme Court Case
PRESS STATEMENT Military and Veterans’ Organizatons Express Support for CFPB On October 3, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association [...]
Nationally Known Policy Expert and Student Veterans available for comment/context on U.S. Department of Education’s Gainful Employment Rule
Media Availability September 27, 2023 Nationally Known Policy Expert and Student Veterans available for comment/context on U.S. Department of Education’s Gainful Employment Rule Today, the Department of Education published the long-awaited gainful employment and financial [...]
First News: Battling GI Fraud and Scam schools
Hear the full podcast at First News on demand with WRGA's Tony McIntosh here.
Cheyenne Post: Veterans Should Have the Right to Use Their Hard-Earned Educational Benefits
"We are pleased the Supreme Court granted cert as this case raises important questions regarding veterans’ rights when they have qualified for both the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill. When veterans serve their country [...]
Our Press Release: Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action Contains Puzzling Logic That Will Fail To Ensure Racial Diversity in the Armed Forces Officer Ranks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Will Hubbard (703) 379-3822 SUPREME COURT DECISION ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CONTAINS PUZZLING LOGIC THAT WILL FAIL TO ENSURE RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THE ARMED FORCES OFFICER RANKS Jun 29, 2023– In the [...]
Our Press Release: Largest Post 9/11 GI Bill Fraud Case Yields Guilty Pleas
Contact: Ana Cobian: (323) 360.1827 [email protected] LARGEST POST 9/11 GI BILL FRAUD CASE YIELDS GUILTY PLEAS SERVES AS TRAGIC WAKE UP CALL: VA NEEDS STRONGER AUTHORITY & OVERSIGHT US Taxpayers & Student Veterans Scammed Out [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Should Have the Right to Use Their Hard-Earned Educational Benefits
Assignment Desk Team, You may have heard about the potential purchase of the University of Phoenix by the University of Idaho System. I wanted to share this opportunity to interview a legal expert leading a [...]
Idaho Statesman: University of Phoenix has a checkered past. Did U of I make an ‘enormously risky’ move?
Blaming students for poor results is a tactic for-profit schools use, said Barmak Nassirian, a longtime higher education policy analyst who works for Veterans Education Success. When predatory institutions have a pattern of low graduation [...]
The Guardian: US veterans defrauded by for-profit universities fight to restore benefits
"When the Department of Ed finds out there was wrongdoing, that actually has no bearing on whether the students who are veterans are going to get their money back, because they’re using GI Bill dollars,” [...]
U of I’s purchase of University of Phoenix fraught with red flags. Here are ones we know
A day after the public learned of the proposed deal, the Idaho State Board of Education authorized the creation of a not-for-profit to purchase the for-profit University of Phoenix on behalf of the University of Idaho.
Our Press Release: Local Detroit, MI, Student Veteran & National Advocate Applaud Changes to Weed Out Failing Programs & Help Protect Student Veterans Using Their GI Bill Benefits
MEDIA ADVISORY - Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] LOCAL DETROIT, MI, STUDENT VETERAN & NATIONAL ADVOCATE APPLAUD CHANGES TO WEED OUT FAILING PROGRAMS & HELP PROTECT STUDENT VETERANS USING THEIR GI BILL BENEFITS This Change By [...]
Our Press Release: Letter from Veterans & Higher Ed Advocates Ask University of Idaho to Reconsider University of Phoenix Purchase in Light of the Business’ Consumer Protection Legal Liabilities
Assignment Desk Team, You may have heard about the potential purchase of the University of Phoenix by the University of Idaho System. I wanted to share this opportunity to interview a legal expert leading a [...]
Our Press Release: Nationally Known Policy Expert Available for Comment/Context on the Imminent Release of U.S. Department of Education Proposed Rules On “Gainful Employment,” Financial Responsibility, Administrative Capability, and Certification
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] Nationally Known Policy Expert Available for Comment/Context on the Imminent Release of U.S. Department of Education Proposed Rules On “Gainful Employment,” Financial Responsibility, Administrative Capability, and Certification [...]
Proposal for Idaho to purchase University of Phoenix should stop in its tracks
The Idaho State Board of Education made a stunning announcement Wednesday afternoon: The following day, it would “consider a proposal by the University of Idaho to create a not-for-profit entity to acquire the University of Phoenix.” The proposal was listed as an action item, meaning with almost no public debate, the board could act Thursday.
Our Press Release: Local Atlanta, GA, Student Veteran & National Advocate Applaud Changes to Weed Out Failing Programs & Help Protect Student Veterans Using Their GI Bill Benefits
MEDIA ADVISORY - Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] LOCAL ATLANTA, GA, STUDENT VETERAN & NATIONAL ADVOCATE APPLAUD CHANGES TO WEED OUT FAILING PROGRAMS & HELP PROTECT STUDENT VETERANS USING THEIR GI BILL BENEFITS This Change By [...]
Our Press Release: Local Akron, OH, Student Veteran & National Advocate Applaud Changes to Weed Out Failing Programs & Help Protect Student Veterans Using Their GI Bill Benefits
MEDIA ADVISORY - Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] LOCAL AKRON, OH, STUDENT VETERAN & NATIONAL ADVOCATE APPLAUD CHANGES TO WEED OUT FAILING PROGRAMS & HELP PROTECT STUDENT VETERANS USING THEIR GI BILL BENEFITS This Change By [...]
Our Press Release: Detroit Veteran Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] DETROIT VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
The Washington Post: University of Phoenix to be acquired by University of Idaho nonprofit
"Della Justice, vice president of legal affairs at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that spoke out against the Arkansas-Phoenix deal, said she was dismayed with the Idaho board’s decision. “We are disappointed that the [...]
Our Press Release: Local Phoenix, AZ, Student Veteran & National Advocate Applaud Changes to Weed Out Failing Programs & Help Protect Student Veterans Using Their GI Bill Benefits
MEDIA ADVISORY - Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] LOCAL PHOENIX, AZ, STUDENT VETERAN & NATIONAL ADVOCATE APPLAUD CHANGES TO WEED OUT FAILING PROGRAMS & HELP PROTECT STUDENT VETERANS USING THEIR GI BILL BENEFITS This Change By [...]
Our Press Release: Experienced Veterans Advocate Joins Team at Veterans Education Success
For Immediate Release May 15, 2023 Experienced Veterans Advocate Joins Team at Veterans Education Success Former Legislative Counsel and Senior Associate, Advaith Thampi, J.D. Washington, D.C. – Veterans Education Success is pleased to announce that [...]
The Washington Post: Potential deal to buy University of Phoenix draws scrutiny in Arkansas
"If [Phoenix] becomes affiliated with Arkansas, we’re concerned that the documented bad practices at Phoenix would continue under the banner of a major university system,” said Della Justice, vice president of legal affairs at Veterans [...]
The Boston Globe: Website posing as fake Massachusetts university draws attention of authorities
"These types of schemes and bad-acting for-profit colleges tend to target first-generation and veteran students, said Della Justice, vice president for legal affairs at Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that advocates for veteran students using [...]
Wilmington Veteran Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] WILMINGTON VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
Jacksonville Veteran Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] JACKSONVILLE VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
Old Forge, PA Veteran Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] OLD FORGE, PA VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of [...]
Detroit Veteran Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] DETROIT VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
Heartland, TX Veteran Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] HEARTLAND, TX VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being [...]
Kentucky Army Spouse Testifies About Sham College – Calls for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] FT. CAMPBELL, KY ARMY SPOUSE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake [...]
Defrauded Veterans Testify About Sham Colleges – Call for Reforms
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] LEGAL EXPERT AND STUDENT VETERANS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of [...]
Our Press Release: Heartlanx, TX Veteran Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] HEARTLAND, TX VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being [...]
Our Press Release: Ft. Campbell, KY Army Spouse Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] FT. CAMPBELL, KY ARMY SPOUSE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham College & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake [...]
Our Press Release: Wilmington Veteran Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] WILMINGTON VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
Our Press Release: Old Forge, PA Veteran Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] OLD FORGE, PA VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of [...]
Our Press Release: Jacksonville Veteran Available for Interviews – Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students
Contact: Ana Cobian (323) 360-1827 [email protected] JACKSONVILLE VETERAN AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS Defrauded Veterans Speak Out About Sham Colleges & Need to Strengthen Accreditation & Licensing to Protect Students WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of being defrauded [...]
Our Press Release: Local Jacksonville, FL, Student Veteran & National Advocate Applaud Changes to Weed Out Failing Programs & Help Protect Student Veterans Using Their GI Bill Benefits
MEDIA ADVISORY - Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 [email protected] LOCAL JACKSONVILLE, FL, STUDENT VETERAN & NATIONAL ADVOCATE APPLAUD CHANGES TO WEED OUT FAILING PROGRAMS & HELP PROTECT STUDENT VETERANS USING THEIR GI BILL BENEFITS This Change By [...]
Los Angeles Times: Veterans burned by for profit colleges fight for their lost GI Bill benefits
“Veterans get disproportionately victimized primarily because they disproportionately represent all of the characteristics of your nontraditional students,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group focused on [...]
Major Step Forward in Justice for Veterans – Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Bill Drops
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ana Cobian (323)360-1827 [email protected] “Major Step Forward in Justice Long Overdue for Student Veterans” as New Bill: Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act Drops House Veterans Affairs to Hold Thursday Hearing on [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Univ. of Phoenix is the Top Recipient of GI Bill Funding
"These large for-profit college chains have massive recruiting efforts focused on veterans,” Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, told USA Today. “They hire lots of salesmen and hold lots of events [...]
USA Today: This controversial, for-profit college has received $1.6B in GI Bill funds, the most of any school
Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, is not surprised. For years her group has tracked schools that aggressively enroll veterans, checking to see whether they are delivering quality education. “These large for-profit [...]
KUAF: University of Arkansas System Moves Closer to Deal with University of Phoenix
The University of Arkansas System is in talks with the University of Phoenix on a possible affiliation deal, as an Arkansas nonprofit is set to buy the for-profit university. KUAF's Daniel Caruth hears from UA System officials and critics about what an affiliation could mean.
U.S. taxpayers stuck with the tab as helicopter flight schools exploit GI Bill loophole
For some flight schools that train helicopter pilots, the GI Bill that took effect in 2009 was a windfall the government never intended. Helicopter schools had been struggling financially, and the bill excluded them from direct funding. But after finding a loophole in the law that allows them to train military veterans completely at government expense, with no cap on what they can charge, the schools rapidly expanded. They now collect tens of millions a year in taxpayer dollars.
Our Testimony at the Department of Education’s Virtual Hearing on Incentive Compensation Guidance
My name is Barmak Nassirian and I serve as Vice President for Higher Education Policy with Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit research, policy, and student veteran advocacy organization. We work on a non-partisan basis to [...]
Arkansas Times: Veterans’ group warns against a Phoenix deal; UA System president defends moving forward
Coalition members include the Center for American Progress, New America Higher Education Program, Project on Predatory Student Lending, The Institute for College Access & Success, Veterans Education Success, attorney David Halperin, and Robert Shireman, a [...]
Career-training companies scoop up federal funds with little oversight
The United States spends untold millions on workforce training programs. Many don’t help people find jobs.
Letter From Veteran & Higher Ed Advocates Asks University Of Arkansas To Reconsider University Of Phoenix Purchase In Light Of The Business’ Consumer Protection Legal Liabilities
Contact: Ana Cobian - 323.360.1827 MEDIA ADVISORY - LEGAL/VETERAN EXPERT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT/CONTEXT LETTER FROM VETERAN & HIGHER ED ADVOCATES ASKS UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS TO RECONSIDER UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX PURCHASE IN LIGHT OF THE BUSINESS’ [...]
The Christian Post: DOJ seeks to recover money bilked from veterans by House of Prayer schools
In testimony on GI Bill modernization before the House Veterans Affairs Committee last July, William Hubbard, vice president for Veterans & Military Policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group focused on advancing higher education success for service [...]
WTOC: FBI raided Hinesville church over possible VA fraud, according to court documents
Veterans Education Success, a non-profit that helps service members further their education, says they’ve been raising concerns over the school for years. Sending letters to the VA and Georgia’s State Approving Agency in 2020. “We [...]
Military News: Feds Try to Seize Money, Property from Church Accused of Multimillion-Dollar Scheme Targeting Vets
The investigation was spurred in 2020 after Veterans Education Success, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that lobbies on military education issues, raised concerns about the church to the VA and lawmakers. "All veterans should feel [...]
WRDW: Raided church accused in multimillion-dollar VA fraud scheme
A nonprofit said it had been warning about these facilities for years. Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that helps veterans find educational opportunities, says the House of Prayer churches committed fraud by taking GI Bill [...]
Court Watch: Exclusive: Church Preyed on Veterans and Stole Millions, says DOJ
In 2020, Veterans Success Education, a nonprofit which advocates for higher education standards for military members and their families sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs asking the agency to investigate what it [...]
The August Chronicle: DOJ: House of Prayer Christian Church swindled $22+ million in VA benefits
In August 2020, Veterans Education Success, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Veterans Service to investigate alleged abuses of the GI Bill program by [...]
The Chronicle: Washington Bible College Linked to Alleged ‘Cult’ Loses GI Bill Approval After FBI Raid
A Tacoma seminary program associated with a chain of churches raided by the FBI earlier this year has lost approval to receive federal Veterans Affairs education funds. Former members have described the chain as a cult that defrauds soldiers.
Stars and Stripes: Tacoma bible college linked to alleged ‘cult’ loses GI Bill approval after FBI raid
A Tacoma seminary program associated with a chain of churches raided by the FBI earlier this year has lost approval to receive federal Veterans Affairs education funds. Former members have described the chain as a cult that defrauds soldiers.
GI Bill fix for vets enrolled in defunct schools heads to White House
“VA should not be making it harder for student veterans to use their benefits and get back on track to their educational goals with unnecessary requirements,” said Will Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military [...]
Our Press Release: Senate Passes Important “VETS Credit Act” Unanimously, Bill Heads to the President for Signature
December 21, 2022 Contact: Will Hubbard VP for Veterans & Military Policy [email protected] (703) 379-3822 PRESS RELEASE: Senate Passes Important “VETS Credit Act” Unanimously, Bill Heads to the President for Signature Today, we celebrate the [...]
Republican Eagle: College provides assistance for veterans on campus
Nearly 5% of students at public community colleges are veterans, according to a 2019 report from the American Association of Community Colleges. Military veterans are more likely to complete postsecondary programs than their non-veteran peers, [...]
The Potential of the G.I. Bill and the Need to Combat Fraud in the Program
By Will Hubbard The following op-ed was published in The Ripon Society. It’s time to fulfill America’s promise to our veterans They finally found John Gibson, a Georgia Congressman, after a frantic statewide search. The year [...]
Veteran’s Day Message 2022
Established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954, Veteran’s Day is an opportunity to recognize those who faithfully served our Nation as a member of the armed forces. It is also an opportunity to recognize [...]
Coastal Courier: Patty Leon: An update on House of Prayer
On June 23, federal agents raided the House of Prayer Church in Hinesville and its other affiliated churches in North Carolina, Washington State, Augusta, Texas and California. The raids stemmed from an investigation after a [...]
Inside Higher Ed: 90-10 Loophole Closed
“We can celebrate today as the day that the loophole was finally closed,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president of higher education policy for Veterans Education Success, which helped lead the effort to rally public support [...]
Higher Ed Dive: Education Department finalizes 90/10 rule, college ownership regulations
Another military group, Veterans Education Success, celebrated the policy shift, saying in a statement that following “years of harassment by deceptive and aggressive for-profit college recruiters, veterans, service members, and their families will no longer be viewed [...]
Military.com: Education Department Closes Loophole Advocates Say Some Colleges Used to Scam Veterans
"After years of harassment by deceptive and aggressive for-profit college recruiters, veterans, service members, and their families will no longer be viewed as nothing more than dollar signs in uniform," Veterans Education Success President Carrie [...]
Our Press Release: After Decade-Long Fight, the Department of Education Has Closed The 90/10 Loophole
Contact: Will Hubbard VP for Veterans & Military Policy Veterans Education Success After Decade-Long Fight, the Department of Education Has Closed The 90/10 Loophole Major Win for Student Veterans & Their Families WASHINGTON D.C., [...]
Military Times: Feds close 90/10 loophole involving veterans education benefits
“After years of harassment by deceptive and aggressive for-profit college recruiters, veterans, service members, and their families will no longer be viewed as nothing more than dollar signs in uniform,” Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education [...]
WRDW-TV (Augusta, GA): Ga. agency pulls GI Bill funding for church that was raided
Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that helps veterans find educational opportunities, says the House of Prayer churches committed fraud by taking GI Bill funding and not providing a proper education in return. Read the full [...]
The Augusta Chronicle: State agencies withdraw GI Bill funding for House of Prayer Christian Church seminaries
The USA Today Network previously reported that Veterans Education Success, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Veterans Service to investigate alleged abuses of the [...]
Military.com: House of Prayer, a Church Accused of Squeezing Veterans for Benefits, Stripped of GI Bill Eligibility
Veterans Education Success, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that lobbies on military education issues, told Congress that the House of Prayer's alleged scam against veterans serves as a flashpoint for the need for boosted oversight over the [...]
Bucks County Beacon: Veterans, Scams, And Higher Education In Pennsylvania
In 2017, the non-profit group Veterans Education Success (VES) filed a complaint with the FTC regarding some of Victory Media’s specific business practices. VES noted that in 2015 more than 257 schools awarded Military Friendly® status were [...]
Our Reaction: Westwood College Borrower Defense Relief Announcement
For Immediate Release: August 30, 2022 Student Veterans Who Attended Westwood are Available for Interviews Legal Expert also Available Huge Win for Student Veterans & Other Students Borrower Defense Relief News - Department of Education [...]
Our Press Release: $386 Million Veteran Training Program Struggles to Achieve Outcomes
Contacts: Will Hubbard VP for Veterans & Military Policy Veterans Education Success PRESS RELEASE: $386 Million Veteran Training Program Struggles to Achieve Outcomes Washington, D.C., August 25, 2022 – Today, shocking revelations have come to [...]
WRGA-FM (Atlanta, GA): Radio Interview with Will Hubbard on ITT Tech Loan Forgiveness
We're very excited that the Biden administration has is taking important and long overdue steps to cancel some of these loans that these students had. Unfortunately, veterans that might have used the GI Bill are [...]
North Carolina News Network: Interview with Della Justice on ITT Tech Loan Forgiveness
Just to tell you a little bit about our organization it is Veterans Education Success. As you said, we are a nonprofit organization that works on a bipartisan basis to protect the integrity and promise [...]
CNBC: Key events on the path to student loan forgiveness, from Occupy Wall Street to the 2020 presidential primaries
Nassirian at Veterans Education Success agreed that the problems in the higher education system, namely price escalation and diminishing quality, span way beyond the for-profit sector. “Packaging people with debt that schools knew or should [...]
Sirius XM’s POTUS Politics: Interview With William Hubbard on the ITT Tech Borrower Defense Relief Announcement
They have been a long time target of what I like to call scam factories. And these are schools that are purely interested in taking advantage of their benefits, and they don't even actually care [...]
CNBC: ‘It’s frustrating and stressful.’ 40 million people are in the dark about whether or not student loan payments will resume
“The fact that they haven’t issued any guidance so close to the theoretical start date pretty much indicates yet another payment freeze is inevitable,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans [...]
The Charlotte Observer: These colleges lied to students. Their loans don’t have to be paid back, feds say
Veterans Education Success called the decision “huge news” but asked that Congress restore GI Bill benefits to defrauded veterans. “These students deserve to have their student loans canceled after having been so misled about the [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Debt Relief for All Former ITT Students
Tasha Berkhalter, a former ITT student and veteran who had a borrower-defense claim approved in 2021, said, “I chose the school because they had advertised its high-tech criminal justice program. Their initial staff told me [...]
Military Times: Plan to erase $4B in ITT student loans won’t restore GI Bill benefits
“These students deserve to have their student loans canceled after having been so misled about the education at ITT, the transferability of credits, and employment after graduation,” said Della Justice, vice president of legal affairs [...]
The Associated Press: Former ITT Tech Students Get $3.9B in Debt Cancellation
Federal officials based the decision on findings from many state attorneys general, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the nonprofit Veterans Education Success. Investigators found widespread evidence that ITT Tech made false claims [...]
Our Reaction: ITT Tech Borrower Defense Relief Announcement
For Immediate Release: August 16, 2022 Reaction from Veteran Advocacy Org - Veterans Education Success Huge Win for Student Veterans & Other Students Borrower Defense Relief News - Department of Education Decision Today The Department [...]
MarketWatch: Department of Education to cancel $3.9 billion in federal loan debt for former ITT students
Tasha Berkhalter, a former ITT student, shared her first hand experience with these tactics. An army veteran, Berkhalter enrolled at ITT in 2006 hoping to earn a credential that would allow her to work for [...]
The Chronicle of Higher Education: It’s Time to End Higher Ed’s Gimmicky Sales Tactics
By Barmak Nassirian The following op-ed was published in The Chronicle of Higher Education on August 8th. Private-public partnerships — arrangements in which college projects or services are outsourced to for-profit providers — have been all [...]
ProPublica: At Liberty University, Veterans’ Complaints Keep Coming
The complaint was one of more than a dozen provided in response to a public records request about Liberty that was filed with the Veterans Affairs department’s GI Bill Feedback Tool and shared with ProPublica. [...]
You Don’t Have to Be a Veteran to Be a Great Veteran Supporter in Higher Ed
The idea of a student going straight from high school through college is outdated, said Hubbard; adding: "What want to see is a modernization of policies and procedures that allows us to account for and [...]
The Christian Post: House of Prayer schools allegedly bilked over $7 million from veterans for Bible study classes
In testimony on GI Bill modernization before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday, William Hubbard, vice president for Veterans & Military Policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group focused on advancing higher education success for service [...]
Military.com: Church that Allegedly Scammed GI Bill Benefits Is Proof More Oversight Is Needed, Advocate Tells Congress
An advocacy group told a House panel on Wednesday that a church alleged to have scammed veterans out of millions of dollars in service benefits should be a wake-up call for regulators of GI Bill [...]
WTOC (Savannah, GA): Churches at center of FBI raid lose recommendation, removed from VA’s school list
“We knew that this school had a troubling and problematic history. We’ve spoken with many students and whistleblowers who worked at the school and were able to detail the practices that they were taking at [...]
Our Press Release: Nationally Recognized Leader on Deceptive Trade Practices by Predatory Schools To Lead Legal Affairs Team at Veterans Education Success
For Immediate Release July 20, 2022 Nationally Recognized Leader on Deceptive Trade Practices by Predatory Schools To Lead Legal Affairs Team at Veterans Education Success Former Assistant AG in Kentucky AG’s Office for Consumer Protection, [...]
Military.com: How a Church Allegedly Scammed Millions in VA Money from Vets
Will Hubbard, the vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group, told Military.com that regulators should have spotted the red flags with the church. "I think your average taxpayer [...]
The Washington Post: Biden administration wants to ease student-loan forgiveness for some
Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said the proposed changes are a “giant step in the right direction.” Still, he is concerned the department would allow [...]
Reaction: STUDENT VETERANS WILL BENEFIT FROM STEPS PROPOSED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Barmak Nassirian, VP for Higher Education Policy Reaction: STUDENT VETERANS WILL BENEFIT FROM STEPS PROPOSED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Washington, D.C., July 6, 2022 - Today, the Department of Education released [...]
The Associated Press: More flexibility proposed for student debt forgiveness
Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit advocacy group, called it a “significant improvements over current rules,” adding that it would hold “unscrupulous schools accountable for federal losses.” Read the full story in the Associated Press here.
The News & Observer: Christian school duped veterans on GI Bill in NC, advocates say. ‘Really sickening’
Veterans Education Success, a Washington D.C.-based veterans advocacy organization, sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2020 outlining a series of allegations against the church that were gathered from students and members. [...]
The Fayetteville Observer: What to know about the House of Prayer Church raided by the FBI in Fayetteville
In 2020, Veterans Education Success wrote a letter to the Veterans Administration, asking that abuse of the GI Bill program by House of Prayer Christian Church’s bible seminaries be investigated. Veterans Education Success works to [...]
WTVD-TV (Fayetteville, NC): FBI raids Fayetteville church accused of operating as a cult, targeting military members
Veterans Education Success is an advocacy group that has reportedly worked closely with former church members. "In some cases they actually target service members, coaching them on how to get out of the military with [...]
WRAL-TV (Fayetteville, NC): Fayetteville church accused of defrauding veterans, operating like a cult
House of Prayer Christian Church is less than two miles from Fort Bragg. Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group, says the church used that close proximity to prey on veterans, Eleven pages of concerning or [...]
Fox 21 News (Colorado Springs): Pending lawsuit would forgive student loan debt for veterans and other borrowers
Veterans were then deceived into enrolling in low-quality programs and taking out costly loans that accrue “mountains of debt,” according to Veterans Education Success. “This debt relief is sorely needed, and is the minimum due [...]
Army Times: Nationwide FBI raids target alleged ‘cult’ near five Army posts
It’s also not clear why authorities are investigating the organization, though non-profit Veterans Education Success wrote a letter to federal and Georgia authorities in 2020 that accused the church of operating “like a cult” and [...]
NPR: Debt relief for veterans who say they were cheated by for-profit colleges
"Well, what's the degree worth? It's not even worth the paper it's printed on. I've had an extremely hard time finding employment," says student veteran Jarrod Thoma. "This is a huge deal for many students [...]
Task & Purpose: The FBI Just Raided a ‘Cult’ Church That Allegedly Targets US Service Members
A 2020 letter from Veterans Education Success to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Department of Veterans Services detailed repeated instances of defrauding soldiers and veterans. This included misleading students enrolled in education classes at [...]
EdNC: Helping Veterans Succeed at N.C. Community Colleges
Nearly 5% of students at public community colleges are veterans, according to a 2019 report from the American Association of Community Colleges. Military veterans are more likely to complete postsecondary programs than their non-veteran peers, a 2018 [...]
ABC News 5 (Cleveland): Proposed settlement to provide relief for former for-profit college students
Nicole Wilson, an Akron native that is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Ohio National Guard, said the proposed settlement is a massive sigh of relief. “I have children and I don’t have to [...]
WTOC (Savannah, GA): Report compiled by Veterans Education Success claims House of Prayer church committed fraud
Veterans Education Success helps former service members find opportunities to further their education. In the fall of 2020, the organization compiled a report of wrongdoings of the House of Prayer church and sent a letter [...]
USA Today: FBI raids Georgia churches near military bases, sources say church was targeting soldiers
In August 2020, Veterans Education Success, an advocacy organization based in Washington D.C., asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Veterans Service to investigate alleged abuses of the GI Bill program by [...]
USA Today: Despite collapsed colleges and an evidently fake school, this agency still approves millions in federal aid
A college oversight agency that signed off several large for-profit colleges accused of defrauding students, and one seemingly without students or faculty, remains in business despite the federal government's repeated attempts to limit its power. [...]
Military.com: Veterans Swindled by Shuttered For-Profit Corinthian Colleges Get Loan Debt Erased
"When Corinthian shut down, all these veterans had collection agencies coming after them for loans" they were unaware of, Carrie Wofford, president of advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in an interview with Military.com. "Finally, [...]
University Business: Biden administration discharges $5.8 billion for defrauded loan borrowers
“This is huge news for countless thousands of students—many of them veterans—who were cheated by Corinthian College out of their GI Bill and loaded up with unfair student debt,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans [...]
Our Statement on the Corinthian Colleges Borrower Defense Relief News
For Immediate Release: June 2, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, Veterans Education Success President: Statement by Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford Borrower Defense Relief News - Department of Education Decision Today: “Great News for Half [...]
Our Press Release: Congress to Restore Rapid Retraining Assistance Benefits For Veterans of Disapproved Programs
Washington, D.C., May 19, 2022 – Last night, veterans advocates applauded congressional action to restore emergency education benefits of veterans who attended programs that were disapproved or closed. In March, the U.S. Department of Veterans [...]
Military Times: Last-minute fix allows major for-profit school to again receive GI Bill payouts
Officials from Veterans Education Success — a frequent critic of for-profit colleges — said numerous students reached out to them in recent weeks with complaints about how the situation was handled and the stress that [...]
The Hill: If you can buy a university for $1, you’ll likely get what you pay for
By Will Hubbard The following op-ed was published in The Hill. This past month, thousands of student veterans found themselves opening their email inboxes only to find out their school had lost eligibility for the GI Bill, [...]
The Washington Post: Student loan forgiveness program for military borrowers slowly improves
“The law made a promise to people that if they went into public service jobs, they would have their loans forgiven. And a lot of people went to school on that basis,” said Christopher Madaio, [...]
Higher Ed Dive: University of Arizona Global Campus regains access to GI Bill benefits
Some are concerned about UAGC regaining access. Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group, had asked the VA earlier this month to “clearly state that it will not entertain any other state approving agency’s request to [...]
Our Press Release: Student Veterans Advocate Calls on VA Review of UAGC Following AZ SAA Approval
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Despite More Than One Million Consumer Protection Violations, University of Arizona Global Campus Allowed to Resume Use of GI Bill Non-profit Student Veterans Advocate Calls on VA to Look More [...]
Our Press Release: Guidance for Student Veterans and Military-Connected Students at UAGC
Guidance for Student Veterans and Military-Connected Students at UAGC Veterans Education Success has been contacted by student veterans and other military-connected students attending the University of Arizona Global Campus seeking guidance about their options. We, [...]
Arizona Daily Star: Advocates: Students at risk as UA Global Campus’ problems mount
“The reality is that there are thousands of schools in America and none of them are facing this unique situation that is purely based on the decisions of UAGC,” said William Hubbard, vice president for [...]
Higher Ed Dive: University of Arizona Global Campus shouldn’t get federal student aid after court ruling, groups say
Although the university said it is working with federal and state agencies to resume the funding, Veterans Education Success, an advocacy organization, urged the Department of Veteran Affairs to permanently shut off UAGC's access to [...]
Our Press Release: Analysis/Reaction: University of Arizona Global Campus Lost Access to GI Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Analysis/Reaction: University of Arizona Global Campus Lost Access to GI Bill An Estimated 3,000 Student Veterans Impacted Non-Profit Advocate, Veterans Education Success, Urges Action to Protect Current & Future Student Veterans Chandler, [...]
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Lapse in GI Benefits Highlights a Rocky Start for U. of Arizona Global Campus
The Veterans Education Success advocacy group on Tuesday sent a letter to the Defense Department, asking it to follow the VA’s lead and end the university’s eligibility for student aid — in this case the [...]
Military Times: Thousands of student veterans left in limbo after school loses GI Bill eligibility
“Veterans rely on VA’s stamp of approval when choosing a school for their GI Bill benefits,” Jennifer Esparza, legal affairs director at Veterans Education Success, said in a statement. “We urge VA to put veterans [...]
Buchanan Bill to Help Student Veterans Approved by House VA Committee
William Hubbard, vice president for veteran and military policy at Veterans Education Success, said, "We thank Congressman Buchanan for championing this bipartisan solution for student veterans. When facing the difficult situation of a closed school, [...]
Higher Ed Dive: University of Arizona Global Campus loses access to GI Bill benefits
Still, it's possible that most students have already had their housing allowances dispersed this month, giving them a buffer, said William Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy [...]
The Washington Post: What the student loan payment pause has meant to Black women
Army veteran Alphi Coleman, 38, can relate. The stress of working unfulfilling jobs to get ahead was wearing her down before the pandemic. “All I was doing was working to pay my student debt,” said [...]
Our Press Release: University of Arizona Global Campus (formerly Ashford University) Loses Access to GI Bill Funds
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President Will Hubbard, VP for Veterans & Military Policy University of Arizona Global Campus (formerly Ashford University) Loses Access to GI Bill Funds VA must ensure veterans’ hard-earned GI Bill [...]
Phoenix New Times: University of Arizona Global Campus Loses GI Bill Funding
“Veterans rely on VA’s stamp of approval when choosing a school for their GI Bill benefits,” said Jennifer Esparza, the legal affairs director at Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan nonprofit Veterans Education Success. Esparza also attended Ashford [...]
Phoenix New Times: University of Arizona Bailed Out School Amid Losing Fraud Lawsuit, But Left Students in the Dust
“Veterans are targeted by predatory schools,” said Jennifer Esparza, the legal affairs director for Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan nonprofit Veterans Education Success, which referred more than 100 whistleblowers to Bonta for the recent trial. Esparza was [...]
Higher Ed Dive: The Ed Department brokered a deal on 90/10 rule changes. Here’s what’s inside
"The essence of the deal has to do with ineligible programs, such as corporate training programs," said Barmak Nassirian, a negotiator for student veterans. The department struck a deal with negotiators that would allow for-profit [...]
Our Press Release: First-Ever Consensus Reached on 90/10 Rule at U.S. Dept. of Education Rulemaking
Contacts: Will Hubbard VP for Veterans & Military Policy Veterans Education Success Barmak Nassirian VP for Higher Education Policy Veterans Education Success PRESS RELEASE: First-Ever Consensus Reached on 90/10 Rule at U.S. Dept. of [...]
Higher Ed Dive: Ed Department Warns Colleges Against Misleading Veterans
An advocacy group, Veterans Education Success, has been pushing regulators on issues at the center of the Ed Department's warning. The group published a report Wednesday highlighting complaints from military veteran students who attended several [...]
Our Press Release: For-Profit School—Future Tech Career Institute—Has Access Cut to Veteran and Service Members’ Education Benefits
Contacts: Will Hubbard VP for Veterans & Military Policy Veterans Education Success Dr. Joe Wescott Legislative Liaison National Association of State Approving Agencies PRESS RELEASE: For-Profit School—Future Tech Career Institute—Has Access Cut to Veteran and [...]
USA Today: Veterans may be tricked into taking out unnecessary student loans for college, Biden administration warns
Yet Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit advocacy group, has received reports from thousands of student veterans over the past eight years who said they were deceived into taking out student loans. “What is so frustrating to student veterans [...]
Statement by Carrie Wofford on Important Dept. Ed Bulletin And Release of New Veterans Education Success Report on Unwanted Student Loans
For Immediate Release: March 16, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success [email protected] (202) 422-6338 Statement by Carrie Wofford on Important Dept. Ed Bulletin And Release of New Veterans Education Success Report on [...]
Predatory Practices and Disproportionate Impacts on Student Veterans Is Revealed in New Report on College Transcript Withholding
For Immediate Release: March 14, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success [email protected] (202) 422-6338 Predatory Practices and Disproportionate Impacts on Student Veterans Is Revealed in New Report on College Transcript Withholding New [...]
CBS8 (San Diego) Interview with Our Legal Affairs Director, Jennifer Esparza
I was using tuition assistance at the time, and I thought this isn't even worth that money that was going to them [Ashford University]. I didn't want to spend the time doing it anymore because [...]
Our Reaction to the Court Ruling Ordering Ashford U To Pay $22.37 Million Fine To Defrauded Students and Vets
Media Advisory & Backgrounder: Higher Ed & Veterans Story Contact: Carrie Wofford, President, [email protected] Organization that Brought Whistleblowers and Defrauded Veterans to Fraud Case, Veterans Education Success, Applauds Court Ruling For-Profit, Ashford University, Committed Extensive [...]
Buchanan Introduces Bill to Help Student Veterans
William Hubbard, the Vice President for Veteran and Military Policy at Veterans Education Success said, "When a student veteran faces the collapse of their school, added layers of bureaucracy only serve to worsen an already [...]
ABC15 Arizona: For-profit schools accused of taking advantage of veterans
"We didn't know how to pay for college," said Alphi Coleman, an Army veteran who joined the military to help pay for college. "We didn't have counselors in our school to tell us how that [...]
The Florida Daily: Vern Buchanan Champions the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School Credits Act
Veterans Education Success is backing the proposal which was sent to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S. Senate and no co-sponsors in the House. Read [...]
Statement of Carrie Wofford on the Education Department’s Approval of $415 Million in Borrower Defense Claims
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success: [email protected] (202) 422-6338 Statement by Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford Huge News - Department of Education Decision Today: “Good News [...]
The Bradenton Times: Buchanan Bill Would Aide Vets on GI Bill When School Closes
William Hubbard, the Vice President for Veteran and Military Policy at Veterans Education Success said, "When a student veteran faces the collapse of their school, added layers of bureaucracy only serve to worsen an already [...]
USA Today: Online College Accused of Recruiting Unprepared Students, Pocketing Money – Despite Sanctions
The students interviewed by USA TODAY aren’t alone in their discontent with CTU. The advocacy group Veterans Education Success has collected about 500 complaints from veterans who attended Perdoceo schools as recently as 2021. Of [...]
Coffee Or Die: GI Bill Benefits May Soon be Less Appealing to ‘Predatory’ Schools
“It’s a very community-driven process,” said William Hubbard of Veterans Education Success, an organization that advocates for student veterans. Veterans Education Success and numerous veterans it represents have testified during the Department of Education’s rule-making process. [...]
The Capitol Forum: For-Profit Colleges Under CFPB Scrutiny for Lending Practices; Experts Expect Data Sharing with Education Department
“Essentially every for-profit institution we’ve looked at does [institutional loans],” said Christopher Madaio, vice president for legal affairs at Veterans Education Success. Depending on the circumstances, students may not fully understand that they are taking [...]
Spectrum News 1 SoCal: Veteran Says For-Profit Trade School Took His GI Bill Funds and Left Him Career-Less
The corporation was one of many for-profit institutions that Chris Madaio with Veterans Education Success believes took advantage of a federal loophole that allowed GI Bills not to count as federal funds. He says it [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Controversial Transfer Agreement Ends
“California never should have signed a contract with a predatory for-profit college that was sued by law enforcement for high-pressure enrollment tactics and failing to disclose job prospects to student veterans and military students,” Carrie [...]
Times Higher Education: Biden Crackdown Targets For-Profit Colleges
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, said the overturned by the California community college system — with 1.8 million students across 116 campuses — expects more public U.S. universities to reconsider adopting the “hunter-for-profit [...]
Statement of Carrie Wofford on the Cancellation of California Community Colleges’ Agreement with For-Profit School – American Public University System (APUS)
For Immediate Release: Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success: [email protected] Veterans Education Success (VES) Statement on the Cancellation of California Community Colleges’ Agreement with For-Profit School - American Public University System (APUS) Sacramento, [...]
EdSource: Community Colleges chancellor announces end to for-profit transfer agreement
“California never should have signed a contract with a predatory for-profit college that was sued by law enforcement for high-pressure enrollment tactics and failing to disclose job prospects to student veterans and military students,” said [...]
WTKR News (Norfolk): Virginia Beach veteran says she was scammed out of GI Bill benefits
"We have gotten complaints from many, many veterans from at least 10, significantly large for-profit institutions, that many veterans are not really being told the truth," said Chris Madaio, the vice president for legal affairs [...]
Our Letter to the Department of Education on the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
January 20, 2022 Dr. Herman Bounds Director Accreditation Group, Office of Postsecondary Education U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 RE: Call for Comments 86 FR 71251, Document Number 2021-27095 Submitted [...]
The Hill: For-profit colleges prey on veterans — the Department of Education must say ‘no more’
By Will Hubbard The following op-ed was published in The Hill. For decades, for-profit colleges have used deceptive marketing to recruit veterans into expensive, practically worthless degree programs and mountains of debt. Veterans and their [...]
Diverse: Will a Gainful Employment Rule for For-Profit Colleges Return?
Brian Whitehead served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2005 before he went to ITT Technical Institute, a for-profit college chain that later closed in 2016. At ITT Tech from 2006 to 2008, he [...]
Our Statement Honoring Senator Johnny Isakson
Honoring Senator Johnny Isakson (1944-2021) Veterans owe a debt of gratitude to Sen. Isakson for his many years of leadership -- frequently reaching beyond the politics of the day -- to improve the way in [...]
Statement of Will Hubbard on Congressional passage of the REMOTE Act
Statement of Will Hubbard Vice President for Veterans & Military Policy, Veterans Education Success on Congressional passage of the REMOTE Act For Immediate Release Contact: Will Hubbard, Vice President for Veterans & Military Policy: [email protected] [...]
Our Student Advice Column in Military.com: What Vets and Service Members Need to Know About Public Student Loan Forgiveness
By Jennifer Esparza The following blog was published by Military.com. Service members and veterans may be able to get their school debt forgiven because of temporary changes to a program designed to forgive student loans [...]
WCJT News (Jacksonville): Despite promises of relief, one Jax veteran still struggles to receive an education
According to Chistopher Madaio, vice president for legal affairs at Veterans Education Success, for-profit colleges often seek out veterans because of their GI money — federal dollars from the Post 9/11 GI Bill that funds [...]
Statement from Barmak Nassirian on President Biden’s Executive Order on PSLF and Student Loans
Statement from Barmak Nassirian Vice President for Higher Education Policy, Veterans Education Success on President Biden’s Executive Order Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government December 13, 2021 "We appreciate [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Ed: Tense Negotiations of Income-Drive Repayment Plans for Student Loans Continue
"They’re making every effort on every other front,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, a bipartisan advocacy and research group focused on improving higher education quality for veterans [...]
Veterans Scammed By For-Profit Colleges to Testify at Federal Hearings About Student Loan Forgiveness
December 8, 2021 VETERANS SCAMMED BY FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES TO TESTIFY AT FEDERAL HEARINGS ABOUT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR VETS RIPPED OFF BY DECEPTIVE PRACTICES SAN DIEGO VET TO TESTIFY - WEDNESDAY Given the number of [...]
KGTV News (San Diego): San Diego vets set to lose thousands of dollars in GI bill housing benefits
“I spent one entire year in Afghanistan,” student and Army veteran Dru Macasieb told ABC 10News. Macasieb added, “I don't like how veterans are being treated or the stigma of this is 'free money,' because [...]
Two Veterans Scammed By For-Profit Colleges To Testify At Federal Hearings About Unfair Student Loan Debts For Vets Ripped Off By Deceptive Practices
December 6, 2021 TWO VETERANS SCAMMED BY FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES TO TESTIFY AT FEDERAL HEARINGS ABOUT UNFAIR STUDENT LOAN DEBTS FOR VETS RIPPED OFF BY DECEPTIVE PRACTICES ORLANDO-BASED FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY INCLUDED IN GOV’T HEARINGS, PALM [...]
Military.com: Student Veterans Battle for GI Bill Benefits at MIT, Another School Fighting the VA
Will Hubbard, vice president for veterans and military policy for Veterans Education Success, a GI Bill advocacy group in Washington, D.C., told Military.com that the MIT and Howard situations are a bad combination of the [...]
Republic Report: California Opens Fraud Trial Against College Now Owned by Arizona
The advocacy group Veterans Education Success has received more than 100 complaints from Ashford students, with concerns covering recruiting, the quality of education, tuition costs, transferability of credits, and job placement. Read the full story at [...]
Lee Daily: Student Loan Forgiveness Education Department Erased $2 Billion in Debt for 30,000 Borrowers
The former director of military and consumer protection at Veterans Education Success, Mike Saunders said “As the burden of student loan debt has impacted ever-larger swathes of American society, the U.S. military has seen more [...]
The Los Angeles Times Editorial: USC tarnishes its reputation again, this time with for-profit recruitment tactics
Editorial: USC tarnishes its reputation again, this time with for-profit recruitment tactics BY THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD NOV. 12, 2021 It can be hard to keep up with the scandals and missteps at USC. In just the [...]
CNBC: Struggles for veterans with student debt continue under Biden administration
“We want them to get through the borrower defense backlog,” said Christopher Madaio, vice president for legal affairs at the nonprofit Veterans Education Success. Many other defrauded veterans need more guidance and support just applying [...]
The New York Times: Democrats’ Bill Would Deny For-Profit College Students Extra Aid
The problem of high debt and low wages is by no means limited to proprietary schools. But unlike other sectors, for-profit colleges are beholden to shareholders and have been found to hike up tuition to match [...]
Stories of How New Solutions Are Being Developed To Help Veterans Scammed By For-Profit Colleges
November 10, 2021 STORIES OF HOW NEW SOLUTIONS ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO HELP VETERANS SCAMMED BY FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES Following veteran Greg Engle’s forceful testimony, I’m writing to share elements of a compelling story I hope [...]
Press Release: AG Healey Secures Over $1 Million In Relief For Students Under Settlement With For- Profit School In Pittsfield
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2021 AG HEALEY SECURES OVER $1 MILLION IN RELIEF FOR STUDENTS UNDER SETTLEMENT WITH FOR- PROFIT SCHOOL IN PITTSFIELD The Mildred Elley School Resolves Allegations that it Failed to Follow [...]
Wall Street Journal: USC Pushed a $115,000 Online Degree. Graduates Got Low Salaries, Huge Debts
The nonprofit school used its status-symbol image to attract students across the country, including low-income minority students it targeted for recruitment, often with aggressive tactics. Most students piled on debt to afford the tuition, which [...]
The Arizona Daily Star: Accreditor: UA Global Campus’ Academic Improvement Plan ‘Seriously Inadequate’
Chris Madaio is vice president of legal affairs for Veterans Education Success, a national advocacy group for student veterans. He said the organization has received more than 100 complaints from veterans about Ashford and warned [...]
Our Media Advisory: CA Attorney General Trial Starts Monday 11/8 Against For-Profit College Ashford U For Defrauding Students – Especially Veterans
Media Advisory & Backgrounder: Higher Ed & Veterans Story Contacts: Carrie Wofford, President, [email protected] Christopher Madaio, VP for Legal Affairs, [email protected] CA ATTORNEY GENERAL TRIAL STARTS MONDAY 11/8 AGAINST FOR-PROFIT COLLEGE ASHFORD U FOR [...]
NowThis News: What the Student Loan Forgiveness Reboot Means For You
"My total principle balance was about, I think, $76,000 to get through my undergraduate degree. After all the payments and all of the time, I owe $104,000," says veteran Jeffrey Spencer. "Congress made a promise, [...]
Our Media Advisory: Veterans Organizations To Push Back Against For-Profit Colleges As Dept Of Ed Implements Closing Of Loophole That Incentivizes For-Profit Colleges To Prey On Veterans
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES AS DEPT OF ED IMPLEMENTS CLOSING OF LOOPHOLE THAT INCENTIVIZES FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES TO PREY ON VETERANS INDIVIDUAL VETERANS WHO WERE SCAMMED OUT OF GI BILL BENEFITS BY FOR-PROFIT [...]
Our Blog in Military.com: What to Do About Your GI Bill or Veterans Education Benefits If Your School Closes
By William Hubbard The following blog was published by Military.com. If you're a veteran and you just found out your school (or program) is closing, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has disapproved [...]
Inside Higher Ed: New Law Threatens International Recruiting Model
“Engaging in processes that we view as unacceptable or corrupt here in the U.S. just because those practices are taking place overseas will change the nature of the university itself,” said Barmak Nassirian, a longtime [...]
Our Interview on the Policy Vets Podcast with Former Secretary Shulkin
Our Vice Presidents, Chris Madaio and Will Hubbard, joined former VA Secretary David Shulkin and Policy Vets Executive Director Lou Celli on their podcast to talk about our work standing up for the GI Bill and [...]
Military Times: Feds Threaten Big Fines Against For-Profits Schools That Dupe Troops, Veterans
“Up until today, veterans and service members have been seen as a gravy train for some of the worst schools in America, exploiting grandiose marketing schemes and even outright lies to keep investors happy,” said [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Student Loan Reforms Stand on Horizon
“Every one of the issues on the table is critically important and quite consequential for specific segments of the borrower population,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, a [...]
News Nation USA: Student Loan Reforms Stand on Horizon in Negotiated Rulemaking
“Every one of the issues on the table is critically important and quite consequential for specific segments of the borrower population,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, a [...]
CNBC: Big Changes are Coming to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Instead, hundreds of thousands of people in public service jobs believe that they’re paying their way to loan cancellation only to discover at some point in the process that they don’t qualify for one technical [...]
60 Minutes: Military Members Promised Student Debt Relief in Exchange for Ten Years of Public Service say Promise is Often Broken
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was meant to erase student loan debt for borrowers who spent a decade as public servants. But the program has come up woefully short for members of the military. [...]
NPR: Troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Will Get Overhaul
A troubled student debt relief program for teachers, police officers and other public service workers will soon get the makeover that borrowers have been demanding. Next week, according to a source familiar with the plans [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Judging a Degree by the Program, Not the College
Two new studies examine which degree programs at which institutions offer graduates the best chance of recouping their costs and repaying their loans. Read the full Inside Higher Ed story here.
Inside Higher Education: The Debate Over Instructional Spending Policies
“The purpose of instructional expenditure policies was never to suggest that they (the authors of the report) -- either by themselves or in conjunction with outcomes -- would be adequate proxies for quality,” said Barmak [...]
Washington Post: Getting Educated While on Active Duty is Getting Harder as Military Limits Benefits
That means that many service members — including medics and others in fields in high demand — have to wait until they leave the military to go to college. Read the full Washington Post story [...]
Yahoo! Finance: Biden Administration Forgives $1.1 Billion in Student Loans for 115,000 Borrowers
The evidence against ITT was made possible due to investigations by partners at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Iowa Office of the Attorney General, as well as Veterans Education Success. Read the full [...]
Our Statement on the Department of Education’s Announcement Regarding Automatic Total and Permanent Disability Discharges
Earlier today, the Department of Education announced a significant policy shift that will automate loan discharges for borrowers with total and permanent disability through a data match with the Social Security Administration. This move will provide [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces Christopher Madaio as Vice President for Legal Affairs
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 August 16, 2021 Veterans Education Success Announces Christopher Madaio as Vice President for Legal Affairs Washington, D.C. – Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success, [...]
Military.com: Errors Cost Student Vets GI Bill Benefits. Now, Howard University Is Scrambling to Save VA Funding
Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that often lobbies Congress on GI Bill issues, told Military.com that Howard surely has issues with processing veteran benefits, but it's a relatively small [...]
Chicago Sun-Times: FBI Agent Who Fought VA for GI Bill College Benefits Wins Appeal; Case Could Help Vets Nationwide
The case has been watched by veterans and educational organizations around the country. The nonprofit organizations National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success filed briefs in support of Rudisill. Read the full story [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces Barmak Nassirian as Vice President for Higher Education Policy
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 July 7, 2021 Veterans Education Success Announces Barmak Nassirian as Vice President for Higher Education Policy Washington, D.C. – Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces the Addition of Will Hubbard
June 7, 2021 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford: [email protected]; (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Announces the Addition of Will Hubbard Washington, D.C. – Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success, announced today that Will [...]
The Highland County Press: Department of Education Announces Approval of New Categories of Borrower Defense Claims Totaling $500M in Loan Relief to 18,000 Borrowers
"These findings were made possible thanks to evidence provided by partners at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Iowa Office of the Attorney General, as well as Veterans Education Success. The Department looks forward [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Department of Education Cancels Loans for ITT Tech Students
"Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success -- an advocacy group that provided evidence to the department to aid in its decision -- applauded its decision in a release. “'So many veterans came to [...]
Washington Post: Biden Administration Delivers Debt Relief to Some Former ITT Tech Students
“The Education Department said that evidence, along with findings from advocacy group Veterans Education Success, serves as the basis for the approvals. "'So many veterans came to us about how ITT Tech cheated them,' said [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Education Success Applauds Department of Education’s $500 Million in Loan Relief to 18,000 Borrowers Scammed by ITT Technical Institute
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 June 16, 2021 Veterans Education Success Applauds Department of Education’s $500 Million in Loan Relief to 18,000 Borrowers Scammed by ITT Technical Institute The Department [...]
Navy Times: The 2021 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges Rankings Are Out. Is Your School On The List?
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, said there had been “loud consensus” from veterans organizations that Congress “had to remove the recruiting target from the backs of veterans.” The new regulations won’t go into [...]
NPR: Once Banned, For-Profit Medical Schools Are On The Rise Again In The U.S.
Two universities are eyeing the chance to be the first to build a medical school in one of the few states without one. The jockeying of the two schools to open campuses in Montana — [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Announces Will Hubbard as Chief Policy Officer
June 1, 2021 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford: [email protected]; (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Announces Will Hubbard as Chief Policy Officer. Washington, D.C. – Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success, announced the [...]
NBC News: Public Colleges in 49 States Send Students’ Debts to Collection Agencies, Imperiling Financial Futures
"Brendan Mullican, a former student at Sam Houston State, served in the Navy for four years, including in the Middle East during the 2003 Iraq War. Mullican, the first in his family to go to [...]
Our Press Release: Analysis of How the Defense Department’s Tuition Assistance Funds are Spent
For Immediate Release Contact Walter Ochinko May 25, 2021 Veterans Education Success Releases Analysis of How the Defense Department’s Tuition Assistance [...]
Important Update for MGIB-SR Students Using Tuition Assistance
By Michael Saunders On May 5, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a memorandum to the Department of Veterans approving concurrent usage of DoD Tuition Assistance (TA) and Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Education Benefit [...]
Filing a VA Claim is Free – Beware of Companies that Charge
Filing a VA Claim is Free – Beware of Companies that Charge Aniela Szymanski Filing a claim with VA is free and veterans should beware of companies that charge for it. In fact, VA prohibits [...]
Bloomberg Businessweek: Apollo Doubles Its Money in $1 Billion Bet on Tarnished Colleges
“We haven’t seen anything that would indicate a dramatic change in their behavior,” says Aniela Szymanski, a senior director at Veterans Education Success, a research and advocacy group. “It is kind of disappointing when we [...]
USA Today: A College Closed, Upending One Veteran’s Life. Two Years Later, He’s Still Rebuilding
"Harrison didn’t know the safeguards he’d depended on were not as solid as they appeared. For example, the Veterans Affairs Department doesn’t track how well a university prepares its students for the workforce, said Carrie [...]
Bloomberg: Senators Want More Transparency About Veterans’ Education Money
But without accountability on how the money is used, veterans have been preyed upon, especially by for-profit colleges, according to Walter Ochinko, research director at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. Legislation to improve the [...]
The Capitol Forum: Perdoceo Education Corporation: Data Shows that Deferral of $39M Title IV Funds in 2019 Saved Company from 90/10 Violation; Company Likely Needs to Find New Funding Sources Ahead of 2023 When New Law Closing 90/10 Loophole Takes Effect
"Perdoceo thought that its purchase of Trident University International would cure its problem with AIU’s nearly 90 percent 90/10 ratio as of 2019,” said Walter Ochinko, Research Director at Veterans Education Success. "However, Percdoceo failed [...]
Policy Makers Need Additional Data to Better Understand Postsecondary Outcomes for Undergraduate Veterans of Color
Source: National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, 2016. Blog Post By: Walter Ochinko May 2021 Our report, Postsecondary Outcomes for Veterans of Color, compares their outcomes to those of their white veteran counterparts using U.S. [...]
Yahoo Finance: Student loan forgiveness: New bill aims to help active-duty military service members
The fact that only 124 active duty service members had their loans discharged via PSLF "is a major warning sign," Mike Saunders, director of military and consumer policy at Veterans Education Success told Yahoo Finance. [...]
For-Profit Trade School Owner Guilty of Defrauding Veterans
April 19, 2021 - The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the owner of for-profit trade school Retail Ready was convicted of defrauding student veterans. Jonathan Dean Davis ran an HVAC training course and collected [...]
Bloomberg: Ex-Temple Business Dean Cheated for Prized Rank, U.S. Says
The former dean of Temple University’s business school fed false data to U.S. News & World Report for years to inflate the school’s ranking and attract students, federal prosecutors alleged, in their latest crackdown involving higher education. Read [...]
Marine Corps Times: Now is a great time for veterans to enhance their education
A recent bill, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, was unanimously approved by U.S. House and Senate just one month ago. The non-profit group Veterans [...]
Navy Times: Some soldiers may have to pay for spring classes after tuition assistance computer glitch
“The announcement from the Army last week that tuition assistance is temporarily suspended is concerning at best,” said Tanya Ang, vice president at Veterans Education Success. “The Army relies on TA for professional advancement and, [...]
Battle Borne: Trade School Scams, Trucking, and the Uncertain Future of Veteran Work
"One of the few available analyses into G.I. Bill-eligible trade schools comes from the policy non-profit Veterans Education Success (VES). In a 2019 report, they found that ten years after their trade schooling, less than half of [...]
New York Times Editorial: How to Stop Schools That Prey on Veterans
How to Stop Schools That Prey on Veterans Under Betsy DeVos, the Education Department sold out to predatory for-profit colleges. It’s welcome news that Washington is taking steps to protect students. By The Editorial Board [...]
Military.com: This GI Bill Rule Change Could Cost Veterans Thousands of Dollars a Semester
"That full-time status ensures their housing allowance remains steady, consequently helping them complete their post-secondary education," said Tanya Ang, vice president of advocacy group Veterans Education Success. "VA has been able to adequately address this [...]
Our Article in the Personal Finance section of Military.com: “Service Members and Veterans: Beware of Paycheck Advance Apps and Easy ‘Credit'”
23 Mar 2021 Military.com | By Mike Saunders Service members and veterans need to be wary of new forms of credit-like products that have popped up in recent years, especially "paycheck advance" products and Income Share Agreements. [...]
Joint Statement from 40+ Organizations in Support of AAPI Communities
We, the undersigned organizations committed to supporting service members, veterans, caregivers, survivors, and their families, write to express our strong condemnation of the recent wave of violence against individuals of Asian descent in our country, [...]
Forbes: Is $10,000 In Student Loan Forgiveness Next, After Biden Administration Cancels $1 Billion?
“We thank the U.S. Department of Education for rescinding its harmful borrower defense partial relief policy,” said Veterans Education Success, a veterans advocacy group, in a Tweet. “There is more work to be done... but [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Veterans’ Education Advocates Celebrate Closure of the 90/10 Loophole
“The schools have now been put on notice,” said Veterans Education Success Vice President Tanya Ang. “… The hope is that the schools [will] actually really use this time to change and address and fix [...]
Ed Source: California Agency that Oversees For-Profit Colleges to Face Critics
"It's protections like that that make robust oversight of for-profit schools a benefit to the state and a strong oversight agency vital, said Ramond Curtis, the state policy manager of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group [...]
Seattle Times: Big aid bill also aids students: making debt forgiveness tax-free, curbing for-profit schools
Military organizations and veterans groups voiced concerns that predatory schools will continue to target veterans, but they hailed the compromise.“ A bipartisan solution is always a stronger solution,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of the [...]
NPR: The Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill Includes A Provision That Will Help Veterans
"We have helped thousands of veterans apply for what's called borrower defense to repayment.' Carrie Wofford is with Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit. 'Which means a student who was defrauded should have his student loans [...]
New York Times: Congress Closes Loophole That Made Veterans a Target of For-Profit Schools
"The change won’t be effective until 2023, a delay that Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group, called 'a bitter pill to swallow.' But the delay was necessary to reach a [...]
MarketWatch: COVID-19 relief bill will close loophole that critics say created ‘a perverse incentive’ for for-profit colleges
Tanya Ang, vice president at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group, said that the economic devastation created by COVID risks a repetition of that history. Others have worried that the proliferation of online schooling during the pandemic [...]
U.S. News & World Report: Democrats Nix For-Profit Loophole That Targeted Veterans and Servicemembers
"After nearly a decade of requests from veterans and military organizations, we are grateful Congress is moving to finally remove the target from the backs of veterans and servicemembers by closing the 90/10 loophole," Carrie [...]
Washington Post: Congress Makes Student Debt Forgiveness Tax-Free, Limits Revenue that For-Profit Colleges Get from Enrolling Veterans
"Military organizations and veterans groups voiced concerns that predatory schools will continue to target veterans, but they hailed the compromise. 'A bipartisan solution is always a stronger solution,' said Tanya Ang, vice president of the [...]
90/10 Loophole Closure Is On its Way to the President’s Desk!
Congress’ Reconciliation Package Includes Provision to Close Loophole Long-Sought by Veterans Organizations March 10, 2021 3:00 p.m. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. Veterans Education Success hails the House of Representative's approval this afternoon of a [...]
Military.Com: New Law Finally Closes GI Bill Loophole Allegedly Used to Scam Veterans
"'After nearly a decade of requests from veterans and military organizations, we are grateful Congress is moving to finally remove the target from the backs of veterans and service members by closing the 90/10 loophole,' [...]
Military Times: GI Bill Vets May Be Less Attractive to For-Profit Schools Under New Law
"'After nearly a decade of requests from veterans and military organizations, we are grateful Congress is moving to finally remove the target from the backs of veterans and servicemembers by closing this loophole,' said Carrie [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Senate Approves $40 Billion for Colleges; Measure Also Would Tighten Up the 90/10 Rule on For-Profit Colleges
“'This is a game changer. Finally, after a decade of our asking, Congress is going to stop the ugly harassment of veterans by for-profit colleges,' said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success. 'Of course, [...]
Military.com: Vet Groups Make Final Effort to Kill GI Bill Loophole Through COVID Relief Package
"On Friday, 31 veterans advocate groups and military organizations penned a letter to the Senators stressing the need to close the so-called 90/10 loophole. Currently, for-profit schools must collect at least 10% of their revenue [...]
Republic Report: Independence University Operator Seeks To Conceal Record of Trial It Lost
"An additional brief supporting the AG office position was filed last week by lawyers representing Debbi Potts, a former CEHE employee who blew the whistle on the company to Colorado authorities; Nannette Wride and Katie [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Closure of 90/10 Loophole
Congress’ Reconciliation Package Includes Provision to Close Loophole Long-Sought by Veterans Organizations March 6, 2021 7:00 a.m. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. Veterans Education Success hails the Senate's approval, by voice vote, at 7 [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: NACAC Creates Committee to Improve Financial Aid and College Admissions Systems for Racial Equity
"The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has announced a committee to reimagine financial aid and college admissions in the pursuit of racial equity in postsecondary education. Members include... Kendra Allen, associate director of [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Tightening the 90-10 Rule; Provision in COVID-19 Relief Bill Would Ease Incentives for For-Profit Colleges to Target Veterans
"Instead, the GI Bill dollars count toward helping for-profits meet the 10 percent minimum requirement. To advocacy groups like Veterans Education Success, that incentivizes for-profit institutions to aggressively try to get service members and veterans [...]
Statement on the Senate’s Move to Close the 90/10 Loophole in the Reconciliation Package
STATEMENT FROM CARRIE WOFFORD, PRESIDENT OF VETERANS EDUCATION SUCCESS, ON CONGRESS' MOVE TO (FINALLY) CLOSE THE 90/10 LOOPHOLE "We are grateful Congress is moving to finally remove the target from the backs of veterans and servicemembers [...]
Our Black History Month Blog: Black Veterans and the GI Bill
Black History Month compels us to explore the experiences of Black WWII veterans with the G.I. Bill and the historical forces that, today, present obstacles to current Black college students. I. Economic Impact of the [...]
Military.com: VA is Asking DOJ for Help Getting Back GIBill.com After Losing Domain Rights
"Veterans Education Success, a nonpartisan veteran advocacy group, sent a letter to Biden last week urging him to take steps to expand GI Bill protections, including reclaiming the lost domain GIBill.com, which has in the [...]
Republic Report: The Monitor Insists Perdoceo is Doing OK. Whistleblowers’ Evidence Shows Otherwise
"Also not satisfied is Carrie Wofford, president of the group Veterans Education Success, which has carefully monitored abuses at and law enforcement probes of Perdoceo. After I shared the findings of McKenna’s report, Wofford said, [...]
Military Times: COVID Relief Package Includes Major Change in For-Profit Colleges’ Rules on GI Bill Benefits
“We are relieved and hopeful that this will finally remove the target from the backs of servicemembers, veterans, and military families,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, in a statement. Read the full [...]
Massachusetts AG Settles with PHEAA Following Allegations of Unfair and Deceptive Practices
February 10, 2021 AG HEALEY SECURES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND RELIEF IN SETTLEMENT WITH MAJOR STUDENT LOAN SERVICER Resolves Claims that PHEAA Made Errors and Misrepresentations in Administering Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program; More than 200,000 Massachusetts Borrowers [...]
Stars & Stripes: House Democrats aim to use coronavirus relief package to end GI Bill loophole
“Closing the 90/10 loophole has been the top higher education priority for nearly all veterans and military organizations for many years, and we are relieved and hopeful that this will finally remove the target from [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: A GAO Report Prompts Scrutiny of For-Profit College Conversions
"On Sept. 28, the nonprofit Veterans Education Success sent a petition to the Federal Trade Commission asking them to investigate Ashford University, a for-profit college. For-profit colleges, like Ashford, often pursue GI Bill funds because [...]
Our op-ed in Stars & Stripes: VA Should Rein in Predatory For-Profit Schools
McDonough Should Prioritize Putting An End to the Fleecing of America’s Veterans by Predatory For-Profit Colleges By Carrie Wofford As Denis McDonough prepares to take the helm as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he [...]
Senators raise GI Bill questions at nomination hearing for VA Nominee Denis McDonough
In case you missed our live-tweeting, Senators asked important GI Bill questions of VA Secretary Nominee Denis McDonough at his confirmation hearing on January 27, 2021. We are grateful that Senators on both sides of [...]
Our Letter To Congress Supporting the Promoting Advancement for Transit Help (PATH) to College Act
The Honorable Peter DeFazio Chairman U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Sam Graves Ranking Member U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure United States Senate Washington, [...]
Be Careful of Income Sharing Agreements
By Alex Kish At this point in the game, it might seem cliché to talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on higher education and how students have been forced online. But that doesn’t [...]
Public News Service: Sweeping Legislation Boosts Protections for Student Veterans
Listen to the audio here Public News Service January 11, 2021 RICHMOND, Va. -- Thousands of veterans in Virginia and across the nation now have additional educational support with the signing of landmark legislation that [...]
NBC-9 KTSM: U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act approved
The bill passed through Congress, gaining bipartisan support and endorsement from Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success and Student Veterans of America. It passed through the House of Representatives with a 400-1 vote. See [...]
Military Times: Women Veterans, Students Would See Expanded Services and Benefits Under New Law
After a lengthy wait, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a sweeping veterans policy measure that includes new protections for women veterans, student veterans and individuals struggling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.... The [...]
Veterans Education Success Celebrates Landmark Law Protecting the GI Bill
Veterans Education Success Celebrates Landmark Law to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges January 5, 2021 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford: [email protected] Veterans Education Success celebrates landmark legislation to [...]
Blog: We Must Increase Higher Education Attainment for Veterans of Color
As America confronts systemic racial injustice, it is more important than ever to look at how students of color are faring in their college education. Postsecondary education can be the “great equalizer” (as the Secretary [...]
New York Times: Clearing the Wreckage at the Education Department
Clearing the Wreckage at the Education Department The institution lies in ruins right when it’s needed most. By The New York Times Editorial Board Jan. 2, 2021, 3:00 p.m. ET The departing education secretary, Betsy [...]
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 [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Unanimous Passage of Landmark Legislation to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges
December 16, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford: [email protected] Veterans Education Success hails unanimous passage of landmark legislation to protect student veterans and ensure better oversight of GI Bill colleges Veterans Education Success proposed, [...]
Stars & Stripes: Congress passes sweeping end-of-year bill impacting ‘every corner’ of the veteran community
WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Wednesday that increases resources for homeless veterans, creates a Department of Veterans Affairs advisory committee for Native American veterans and mandates that every VA hospital hire a dedicated women’s [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans Group Hails Passage of Bill Protecting Students
“This landmark legislation will significantly weed out predatory colleges that seek to take advantage of veterans,” Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in a statement. Read the full story at [...]
Military.com: Act Now So You Don’t Fall Off the Student Loan Cliff on September 30, 2021
On January 21, 2021 President Biden directed the Education Department to pause payments and interest on all federally-held student loans until September 30, 2021. Read more about it here. This blog was originally posted [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Senate Passage of Landmark Legislation to Protect Student Veterans and Ensure Better Oversight of GI Bill Colleges
December 9, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford ([email protected]) and Tanya Ang ([email protected]) Veterans Education Success hails Senate passage of landmark legislation to protect student veterans and ensure better oversight of GI Bill colleges [...]
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 [...]
Maryland Wins $2.6 Million in Loan Forgiveness for Brightwood College Students
November 16, 2020 - The Maryland Attorney General reached a settlement with Brightwood College to provide loan relief to Maryland students. Any loans owed directly to the school by Maryland students will be cancelled and, [...]
Great News for Veterans Cheated By Their School! “Borrower Defense” Applicants Get a Win in Court
November 23, 2020 For information: Call (202) 838-5050 Great news for veterans who were cheated or misled by their school! The U.S. Education Department has voluntarily agreed to stop denying "borrower defense" applications from students [...]
Why Are So Many of Our Military Members Missing Out on Student Loan Forgiveness?
Originally posted here By Mike Saunders and Seth Frotman | November 11, 2020 In 2017, the CFPB reported that 200,000 servicemembers owe nearly $3 billion in federal student loan debt. As this debt looms over the lives [...]
Five Policies the Biden-Harris Administration Must Tackle to Protect College Students
Jointly authored by Carrie Wofford, Debbie Cochrane, Lanae Erickson, Antoinette Flores, Amy Laitinen, and Robert Shireman With the nation deep in a global pandemic that has forced an economic recession, the newly elected Biden-Harris Administration [...]
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 [...]
Our Remarks at Veterans Day Press Conference with California Attorney General Becerra
November 11, 2020 Press Conference with Attorney General Becerra Remarks of Carrie Wofford, President, Veterans Education Success Good day. We are pleased to join you today. Thank you, Attorney General Becerra. We are grateful [...]
Our Response to the California Proposition 16 Loss
By Isaac McMahan We were disappointed that Californians did not vote in favor of Proposition 16 on Tuesday. We had hoped for a different outcome because Proposition 16 would have repealed Proposition 209, which banned [...]
The Stakes are High for Military-Connected Students in this Election
By Tanya Ang Elisabeth is an Air Force veteran who attended Brown Mackie college using the GI Bill. As a first generation student, she believed all colleges were created equal. She chose Brown Mackie because [...]
How California’s Proposition 16 Will Ensure Veterans of Color Have Greater Access to High-Quality Public Education
By Isaac McMahan Approximately 45 percent of America’s enlisted Armed Forces identify as a person of color. We urge Californians to support Proposition 16. It will ensure that veterans of color and their families have [...]
Race-Conscious Admission Policies are Important to Closing the Opportunity Gap for Veterans but are Under Assault
By Isaac McMahaon Race-conscious admissions policies are essential to closing the opportunity gaps in higher education and are under assault. Now, more than ever, America must ensure equity and access to higher education for students [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Vets deserve proper info from DOD to avoid GI Bill debt
This article was originally published by Stars & Stripes on September 16, 2020. Vets deserve proper info from DOD to avoid GI Bill debt Aniela Szymanski is senior director for Legal Affairs and Military Policy [...]
The Tennessean: How Tennessee’s leaders can protect vulnerable veterans in higher education
America is navigating an era of uncertainty as we address COVID-19 and prepare for what will likely be the worst recession in generations. The COVID-19 pandemic will impact every sector of our economy, including higher [...]
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.com: Here’s Why Vets Need to Avoid Predatory Lenders More Than Ever
This article was originally published by Military.com on August 21, 2020. Here's Why Vets Need to Avoid Predatory Lenders More Than Ever Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army veteran and director of military and consumer [...]
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 [...]
What’s the Status of Reserve Component Duty Status Reform?
This article was originally published by Military Officers Association of America. By Aniela Szymanski and Cory Titus Since the spring, a number of news stories have looked at the pay and benefits of National [...]
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 Conference with Virginia Governor to announce new law for disabled veterans
We were pleased to join the Virginia Governor at his bill signing ceremony for SB 745, which ensures disabled veterans do not have to pay Virginia state income tax when their student loans are forgiven [...]
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, [...]
Our Press Release: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rescission of Ability to Repay Puts Servicemembers and Veterans at Greater Risk of Being Preyed on by Lenders
For Immediate Release Contact: Mike Saunders | Director of Military & Consumer Policy (202) 838-5050 July 9, 2020 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rescission of Ability to Repay Puts Servicemembers and Veterans at Greater Risk of [...]
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 [...]
Our Press Release Condemning the Trump Administration’s Decision to Give Deceptive Colleges a Free Pass
July 2, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC – Veterans Education Success condemns the Trump Administration’s decision today to ignore federal law in order to protect predatory colleges, when it notified 5 schools at risk of losing eligibility [...]
Washington Post: VA backs down from plan to suspend University of Phoenix and other colleges from accessing GI Bill benefits
VA backs down from plan to suspend University of Phoenix and other colleges from accessing GI Bill benefits “The only winners today are the schools that used their money and political influence to evade the [...]
Stars & Stripes: VA Allows Penalized For-Profit Schools to Enroll GI Bill Students; Advocates Say Move Breaks the Law
VA Allows Penalized For-Profit Schools to Enroll GI Bill Students; Advocates Say Move Breaks the Law Veterans Education Success, a veterans’ advocacy group in Washington, says the VA move violates a federal law that forbids [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
For-Profit K12 Online Schools Are Doubling Down on Their Sales Pitches to Districts. Beware of Pandemic Predators
This op-ed was published by The 74 Million on June 22, 2020, here. Wofford & Boulay: For-Profit Online Schools Are Doubling Down on Their Sales Pitches to Districts. Beware of Pandemic Predators Since the coronavirus [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The Capital Forum: VA Letter Gives Company Additional 30 Days to Provide Information Before Making a Determination Whether to Disapprove Enrollment of GI Bill Beneficiaries
"Walter Ochinko, Research Director at Veterans Education Success, was skeptical of the company's claims. 'In court documents, Perdoceo promised that it would cease deceptive recruiting and false certifications yet it was caught again and again, [...]
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 [...]
Baltimore Sun: Maryland First to Protect Veterans from For-profit Colleges
"Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly have made the state the first in the nation to pass important protections for veterans who often fall prey to deceptive marketing practices of failing for-profit colleges. [...]
Military.com: What Veterans Need to Know About Federal Debts During the Coronavirus Pandemic
This article was originally published by Military.com on May 14, 2020. What Veterans Need to Know About Federal Debts During the Coronavirus Pandemic Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army veteran and director of military and [...]
Supporting Veterans with Disabilities Pursuing a Postsecondary Education
Supporting Veterans with Disabilities Pursuing a Postsecondary Education By: Walter Ochinko May 2020 This week we published a new report on the impact of disability on first-time student veterans’ pursuit of a postsecondary credential. Our [...]
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 [...]
Press Release: Advocates and Veterans Groups Urge Financial Institutions to Follow Military Consumer Protection Law During Covid-19 Mobilizations
Advocates and Veterans Groups Urge Financial Institutions to Follow Military Consumer Protection Law During Covid-19 Mobilizations Financial Companies’ Track Record of Servicemember Violations Warrants Enhanced Protections Amid Pandemic May 1, 2020 | WASHINGTON, DC — [...]
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 [...]
What We’re Doing to Protect Your Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Ramond Curtis Here are some of the steps we've taking to serve you as we work hard to protect your rights during the crisis caused by COVID-19: You won’t face any change in [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
What Military-Connected Students Need to Know During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Mike Saunders is a U.S. Army Veteran and Director of Military & Consumer Policy at Veterans Education Success. Tanya Ang is Vice President of Veterans Education Success and has worked in higher education supporting military-connected [...]
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 [...]
Veterans Education Success Thanks Congress for Passing Important COVID-19 Fix for GI Bill and other VA-Funded Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tanya Ang, Vice President, (202) 838-5050 March 19, 2020 Congress Clears Important COVID-19 Fix for GI Bill and other VA-Funded Students WASHINGTON, DC: This morning, Congress cleared an important COVID-19 fix [...]
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 [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails Maryland as the 1st State in the Nation to Close the 90/10 Loophole
Veterans Education Success Hails Maryland as the First State in the Nation to Close the 90/10 Loophole FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANNAPOLIS, MD – As they prepare to adjourn over Coronavirus concerns, lawmakers in Annapolis, MD, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Reveal: Veterans Affairs Bans University of Phoenix From New GI Bill Enrollments
"Wofford said the trade commission’s $191 million settlement with the University of Phoenix left the VA little choice but to enforce the law. 'The law is clear,' she said. 'Colleges found to use erroneous, deceptive [...]
The Bellevue Leader: VA Will Suspend Enrollment of New GI Bill Students at Bellevue University, Other Colleges
"The president of Veterans Education Success, Carrie Wofford, praised Monday’s move by the VA. 'This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and taxpayers [...]
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 [...]
WTOP: 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 [...]
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 [...]
Arizona Republic: VA Plans to Suspend New GI Bill Enrollments at University of Phoenix
Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, said the organization is grateful the VA intends to suspend new GI Bill enrollments at these five schools. “This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating [...]
Inside Higher Ed: GI Bill Enrollment to be Halted at Five Universities
“This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and taxpayers will no longer tolerate schools that seek to defraud veterans and other military-connected students [...]
Washington Post: VA Plans to Suspend University of Phoenix and Other Colleges from Accessing GI Bill Benefits
“We’re grateful VA intends to suspend enrollment of new GI Bill students at these institutions,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. “This sends a powerful message … that the federal [...]
Stars & Stripes: VA to Suspend Some GI Bill Enrollments, Holding Back More Than $200 Million from ‘Deceptive’ Universities
“We’re grateful VA intends to suspend enrollment of new GI Bill students at these institutions. This sends a powerful message, one we’ve been advocating for VA to exercise since 2012, that the federal government and [...]
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 [...]
Politico: VA Plans to Suspend GI Bill Funding for New Students at 5 Universities
“'We’re grateful VA intends to suspend enrollment of new GI Bill students at these institutions,' said Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, who previously led investigations into the for-profit education industry in the [...]
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 [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Higher Ed Deal in the Works?
"'Chairmanship succession can be unpredictable, depending on the complicated Rubik's cube of committees and seniority and requests that Senator McConnell may face,' said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success and former Democratic senior counsel [...]
The Capitol Forum: Perdoceo Education Corporation: Department of Education Defers $39M of Title IV Money from 2019 to 2020 to Save AIU from Violating 90/10; Experts Expect Congressional Scrutiny
"Walter Ochinko, research director for Veterans Education Success, told The Capitol Forum he wasn't surprised to hear about Perdoceo's 90/10 manipulation strategies. 'For-profit schools closely monitor their compliance with the 90/10 Rule and resort to [...]
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 [...]
Our Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun: How to Stop For-Profit Colleges from Preying on Veterans
Our President Carrie Wofford's op-ed with Retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and Aaron Ament, President of Student Defense. By Wesley K. Clark, Carrie Wofford and Aaron Ament For The Baltimore [...]
Lima Veteran Goes to Washington
A terrific news story about a brave veteran, Tasha Berkhalter, whom we brought to Washington to tell Congress what they need to do to help veterans with student debt caused by college fraud. Lima Veteran [...]
Republic Report: FBI Raids For-Profit College Owned by Tennessee State Senator
"The school’s website... also states that students may be eligible for veterans benefits, and the organization Veterans Education Success tweeted documentation that the VA has approved the school for those benefits." Read the full story [...]
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 [...]
Politico: Ashford University Approved for GI Bill Eligibility
"Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group that focuses on student-veterans, said in statement that it learned "the leadership of VA decided to affirmatively approve Ashford for GI Bill and ensure Ashford's continued access to GI [...]
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 [...]
University to pay nearly $5 million to US government for role in veterans’ education scam
A private university in New Jersey has been ordered to pay the United States government almost $5 million to settle allegations that it defrauded the Department of Veterans Affairs by massively overcharging veterans for substandard online courses. [...]
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. [...]
Grand Forks Herald: Defunct Globe University, Minnesota School of Business pushed to liquidate assets and repay students
Grand Forks Herald "Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison wants a now-defunct chain of for-profit colleges to liquidate its remaining assets to repay the students it defrauded. Ellison’s office filed a motion in U.S. bankruptcy court [...]
New York Times: Protect Veterans from Fraud
On January 1, 2020, the New York Times ran a full-page editorial by the Editorial Board featuring Veterans Education Success' work: "Nevertheless, a 2018 report from Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that provides legal help [...]
Stars & Stripes: Let Protect VETS Act teach for-profit schools a lesson
Let Protect VETS Act teach for-profit schools a lesson by Mike Saunders I’ve seen a lot during my years in the Army and now working in veterans’ organizations for the past decade. I thought I’d [...]
Higher Learning Advocates: State of the Military-Connected Student Community in 2019
State of the Military-Connected Student Community in 2019 By James Haynes This year we’ve enjoyed enormous momentum in policy, advocacy, and legislation on issues important to military-connected students that sets up ambitious goals for 2020. [...]
The Spouse Angle Podcast: Controversial Changes to Education Benefits, Explained
This podcast was published by The Spouse Angle on December 4, 2019. The Spouse Angle: Controversial Changes to Education Benefits, Explained By Natalie Gross Think the Post-9/11 GI Bill is just for veterans? Some recent [...]
Military Times: Veterans Group Applauds FTC for Gaining $50 Million Settlement Plus $141 Million in Canceled Student Debt in University of Phoenix Deceptive Ad Case
The settlement was applauded by some education advocacy groups, including Veterans Education Success, which works to help military veterans. Carrie Wofford, the group's president, thanked the FTC for its work. “The FTC’s findings should shock [...]
Press Release: University of Phoenix Student Veterans Available for Media Interviews
Media Availability: Student Veterans from University of Phoenix February 13, 2019 What: This week the US Federal Trade Commission announced a legal settlement with the University of Phoenix for defrauding students - especially military students. The FTC found “UOP’s [...]
NBC News: University of Phoenix Settlement “Drop in the Bucket” for Student Debt, Advocates Say
"Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, called the settlement a 'really important step forward' in protecting veterans. 'The broader context of this case is for-profit colleges are incentivized by federal laws to target veterans,' [...]
Associated Press: The University of Phoenix to Cancel $141 Million in Student Debt
"The settlement was commended by some educational groups, including Veterans Education Success, which main advocacy is to help military veterans. The organization's president, Carrie Wofford, thanked the FTC for its work. She said that 'enough is [...]
PBS NewsHour & Hechinger Report: For-Profit Colleges that Get GI Bill Money Need More Oversight, Veterans Say
The VA has received at least 37 complaints about Ashford from GI Bill beneficiaries. An advocacy group called Veterans Education Success (VES) has collected 113 more from veterans and service members, many of which echo [...]
NBC News: University of Phoenix to Cancel $141 Million in Student Debt
"The settlement was applauded by some education advocacy groups, including Veterans Education Success, which works to help military veterans. Carrie Wofford, the group's president, thanked the FTC for its work. “The FTC’s findings should shock [...]
Air Force Times: Veterans Group Applauds FTC for Gaining $50 Million Settlement Plus $141 Million in Canceled Student Debt in University of Phoenix Deceptive Ad Case
"The settlement was applauded by some education advocacy groups, including Veterans Education Success, which works to help military veterans. Carrie Wofford, the group's president, thanked the FTC for its work. “The FTC’s findings should shock [...]
Reveal News: University of Phoenix settles for record $191 million on charges of deceptive advertising
“It would be hard to claim that the Federal Trade Commission suing a school and receiving $200 million is not evidence of deceptive recruiting,” said Carrie Wofford, director of the national nonprofit group Veterans Education [...]
Republic Report: FTC Nails University of Phoenix For Ad Whose Deceptions Reflect Disturbing Deal
The FTC investigation found that some companies asked by Phoenix to appear in the ads objected to the false portrayal. But other companies presumably did not object, since so many appear in the ads. And [...]
Forbes: University Of Phoenix Pays $191 Million For Deceiving Students
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, applauded the announcement and spoke to the findings. “The FTC’s findings should shock every patriotic American. Enough is enough. It's time to stop the fleecing of America’s veterans [...]
Washington Post: FTC reaches $191 million settlement with University of Phoenix in deceptive-advertising probe
“Enough is enough. It’s time to stop the fleecing of America’s veterans and service members by predatory colleges,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. “We thank the FTC for its [...]
The Trump Administration Is Going to Automatically Forgive the Student Loans of Severely Disabled Veterans – What Does that Mean?
by Mike Saunders You may have heard that the Trump Administration is now going to automatically forgive the federal student loans of veterans who have a 100 percent disability rating or who have been designated [...]
Chicago Tribune: University of Phoenix to pay $50M, cancel $141M in student debt to settle false-advertising claims
"The settlement was applauded by some education advocacy groups, including Veterans Education Success, which works to help military veterans. Carrie Wofford, the group's president, thanked the FTC for its work. “The FTC’s findings should shock [...]
Our Press Release on FTC Settlement with University of Phoenix
Press Release Embargoed until the FTC’s Announcement Goes Live (likely 11 a.m. December 10, 2019) Contact: Carrie Wofford (202) 838-5050 Federal Trade Commission’s Settlement with University of Phoenix Puts Pressure on VA and DOD to [...]
PBS NewsHour: University of Phoenix agrees to $50M settlement over false ad claims
"The settlement was applauded by some education advocacy groups, including Veterans Education Success, which works to help military veterans. Carrie Wofford, the group's president, thanked the FTC for its work. “The FTC’s findings should shock [...]
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 [...]
Wall Street Journal: Which College Graduates Make the Most
New government data shows which college degrees are instantly paying off and which ones leave graduates loaded with debt but skimpy income. Some of the examples are striking. Bismarck State College can now boast its business [...]
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 [...]
Higher Learning Advocates: Today’s Students: Inspiration for Higher Education
This post was originally published by Higher Learning Advocates on November 14, 2019. Today’s Students: Inspiration for Higher Education By Erica Hilton Today’s students are more diverse across multiple areas than any previous generation of [...]
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 [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is adding to its legal team
"Veterans Education Success is adding to its legal team. Lt. Col. Aniela Szymanski , a Marine Corps Reserve judge advocate general, will serve as senior director for Legal Affairs and Military Policy. Marine Corps veteran [...]
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 [...]
Voice of San Diego: Thomas Jefferson Law School was Temporarily Stripped of GI Bill Participation
“'It solves the Thomas Jefferson problem,” said Carrie Wofford, president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success. The bill, H.R. 4625, also addresses other issues the federal VA highlighted in explaining why it took over [...]
Politico Morning Education: A Report from Veterans Education Success Analyzes Veteran Student Loan Borrowing
"A report from Veterans Education Success analyzes student loan borrowing in academic year 2015-16, and compares undergraduate veterans who received GI Bill educational benefits to those who did not. It also examines the cumulative student [...]
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 [...]
Stars & Stripes: Some Guard Troops Deployed to US-Mexico Border Aren’t Earning Federal Benefits
“Our brave National Guard women and men deserve clarification now,” said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success. Read the full story from Stars & Stripes here.
California backs down from threat to fight VA for GI Bill oversight
California backed down from a fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs over a decision that restricts the state’s power to regulate for-profit colleges enrolling students with GI Bill benefits. California had used its authority [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is out with two new policy briefs
"Veterans Education Success is out with two new policy briefs: Weak Return on Investment at Trade Schools that Enroll GI Bill Beneficiaries and Proposed Short-Term Pell Safeguards Should Be Further Strengthened." Read the full Politico [...]
Lumina Podcast: Time to Recognize Lessons Learned in the Military
This post was originally published on Medium.com on October 7, 2019. Lumina Podcast: Time to Recognize Lessons Learned in the Military By Dakota Pawlicki This is adapted from our Lumina Foundation podcast, “Today’s Student / [...]
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 | [...]
Politico: How to fix education’s racial inequalities, one tweak at a time
PASADENA—Last fall, when introductory biology professors at Pasadena City College erased a rule banning late assignments or makeup exams, their colleagues joked that students would soon have imaginary grandmas perishing every weekend. In years past, [...]
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" [...]
Veterans Education Success releases 2 new reports on VA’s oversight of the GI Bill
VES released 2 new reports: VA’s increased Tasking of SAAs with Payment Audits is Impeding Quality Oversight of Schools; and Inconsistent Governing Statutes are Fueling Disagreements Between VA and the States Reports Shed Light on [...]
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 [...]
Press Release: We Respond to VA’s Decision to Suspend California’s Role as a State Approving Agency for GI Bill
September 6, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: CARRIE WOFFORD, PRESIDENT (202) 838-5050 VETERANS EDUCATION SUCCESS RESPONDS TO VA’S DECISION TO SUSPEND CALIFORNIA’S ROLE AS A STATE APPROVING AGENCY FOR GI BILL Washington, DC -- Today’s [...]
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. [...]
Stakes are High for Veterans as Congress Debates the Higher Education Act
The post was originally published by The Tennessean on August, 27, 2019. Stakes are High for Veterans as Congress Debates the Higher Education Act By Maj. Chris Davis, USMC What drew me and so many [...]
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 [...]
The Military Lending Act and You
This post was originally published by Military.com on August 13, 2019. The Military Lending Act and You By Mike Saunders, Director for Military and Consumer Policy, Veterans Education Success As an active-duty service member, you [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
The ’90-10 rule’ in higher education is a target on veterans’ backs
Note: This post was originally published by The Hill on June 24, 2019. The '90-10 rule' in higher education is a target on veterans' backs By Tanya Ang and Lauren Augustine For the past 10 [...]
On the 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill, Military-Connected Students Need The College Transparency Act
Note: This post was originally published by The Institute for Higher Education Policy on June 22, 2019. On the 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill, Military-Connected Students Need The College Transparency Act By Tanya Ang, [...]
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 [...]
Oregon Legislature should close for-profit college loophole, protect student veterans
Student veteran Jay Hernandez wrote an op-ed in the Oregon newspaper. "I became a U.S Marine because I wanted more out of my life. I was born into poverty and into a disability-stricken family: my [...]
HBO: Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas: The Cost of College
The HBO news show, Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas, worked with Veterans Education Success to expose for-profit colleges' targeting and fraud against veterans. They interviewed student veterans we are helping and whistleblower former college recruiters [...]
NBC Nightly News: Veterans Could Be First to Pay as DeVos Rolls Back For-Profit College Oversight
Veterans Education Success was honored to be interviewed by NBC News for their expose on how for-profit colleges target veterans with fraud. We also provided both whistleblowers and veterans to be interviewed. The full NBC [...]
Politico Morning Education: The group Veterans Education Success has released a brief
The group Veterans Education Success has released a brief that encourages the Education Department to consider lessons learned from GI Bill usage as it weighs regulatory changes. Read the full story: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-education/2019/02/25/gun-control-bill-heads-to-the-house-floor-this-week-399378
Military Times: Vet groups are blasting Trump’s education secretary. Here’s why.
Veterans’ education benefits are being undermined by the federal government, according to officials with two prominent advocacy organizations focused on student veterans.
Washington Post: Veterans Groups Ask VA Secretary to Keep GI Benefits Out of the Hands of Predatory Colleges
“The veterans we serve are understandably angry when they discover that the very consumer fraud they faced at a predatory school is one the VA knew about but approved for GI Bill benefits anyway,” said [...]
WaPo: Veterans groups ask VA secretary to keep GI benefits out of the hands of predatory colleges
Three dozen advocacy groups are calling on Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to intensify monitoring of college programs that enroll veterans after an audit found lax oversight could result in $2.3 billion in tuition benefits [...]
Here are Some Surprising Ways Troops and Vets Can Cut Their Student Loan Debt
Note: This advice column was originally published by Military Times on February 19, 2019 and can be found here. By Mike Saunders, Director of Military & Consumer Policy | VES Hundreds of thousands of veterans, [...]
Our New York Times op-ed: Betsy DeVos vs. Student Veterans
Our President Carrie Wofford authored an op-ed in the New York Times: "As the political makeup of the 116th Congress begins to congeal, the question of what, if anything, this divided government can do together [...]
Opening a Dangerous Floodgate: A Former For-Profit College Executive Says the Education Department Shouldn’t Weaken College Oversight
Thomas Corbett, a former for-profit college executive, speaks out against plans by the U.S. Department of Education to weaken requirements for oversight of college quality.
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, [...]
The Predatory Underworld of Companies that Target Veterans for a Buck
The recent law enforcement crackdown on for-profit colleges is well documented. These schools mislead students by promising a fast track to a brighter future and then loaded students up with mountains of debt for worthless [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Veterans Education Success announces new staff, promotions
January 14, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Barrett Y. Bogue, Senior Communication Advisor (202) 670-5587 Announcing New Staff and Key Partnerships to Better Support Military-Connected Students in Higher Education VES is expanding their team and [...]
USA Today and AZ Central: What Happens to Students When Private Colleges Close in Arizona?
Marta Villanueva enrolled in a culinary program at the Art Institute of Phoenix as a way to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety after leaving the Army. She used GI Bill benefits to pay for [...]
USA Today and AZ Central: Step by Step: What Students Can Do When a College Closes
Thousands of students have seen their educational ambitions cut short by the swift closures of private colleges in Arizona and nationwide. Several major private schools, most for-profit operators, have contracted or closed in recent years, leaving students out [...]
Connecting Vets Radio: Frustrated by Issues with Your GI Bill? Some Help is on the Way
Student veterans paying for school with the G.I. Bill have struggled with late payments, penalties and are sometimes forced to take out additional loans in order to ensure that they can attend classes on time. [...]
Republic Reports and Huffington Post Career Education Corp., Tied to DeVos Aides, Pays Millions to Settle State Claims of Illegal Practices
For-profit college chain Career Education Corp., a company closely tied to top officials of the Betsy DeVos Department of Education, announced today it has settled with the attorneys general of 48 states and the District [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is out with an issue brief examining the closure of Education Corporation of America
Veterans Education Success is out with an issue brief examining the closure of Education Corporation of America.
American Heroes Network: Veterans Education Success’ Mike Saunders explains severely disabled veterans’ right to student loan forgiveness
As the Director of Military and Consumer Policy, Mike leads Veteran Education Success’ consumer protection policy work, including servicemembers’ protections under the Military Lending Act and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Mike joined VES as Legal [...]
Military Times Rebootcamp: Could This Government Program Wipe Away All Your Student Loan Debt?
Until recently, if you were 100 percent disabled or had a finding by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of Individual Unemployability (IU) you could get your student loans forgiven, but with one expensive caveat: [...]
Understanding Student Outcomes at Newly-Shuttered Education Corporation of America Colleges and at its Sister School Members of the Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) Trade Association
In light of the December 5, 2018, announcement by the Education Corporation of America (ECA) that it is closing the 70 campuses it operated under the brand names Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Golf Academy [...]
Task & Purpose: The VA May Blow $2.3 Billion in GI Bill on Schools That Don’t Deserve It, the IG Says
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued the latest in a series of five audits charging that the Department of Veterans Affairs' oversight failures could potentially lead to $2.3 billion in GI Bill money [...]
Stars & Stripes: VA says it reversed course on underpaid GI Bill recipients, though lawmakers remain skeptical
WASHINGTON — After Department of Veterans Affairs officials admitted the agency had no plans to retroactively pay some student veterans who are likely to receive incorrect housing stipends during the next year, VA Secretary Robert [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success issued a new analysis today
Meanwhile, the group Veterans Education Success issued a new analysis today based on government data that found student veterans demonstrate stronger rates of persistence and completion of higher education goals compared with their non-veteran peers.
Creating Student-Centric Support Systems for Military-Connected Students
Prior to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, little focus was put on promising practices to support military and veteran students in their pursuit of higher education. With the passage of this comprehensive benefit in 2009, [...]
Newser: VA Won’t Repay Vets After GI Bill Snafu
(NEWSER) – A major snafu has hit benefit payments to student veterans under the GI Bill—and congressional aides tells NBC that they have been told the veterans are never going to be paid back. The [...]
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Unacceptable Delays in GI Bill Aid Point to Larger Problem
The deaths of three American soldiers in Afghanistan this week are a tragic reminder of why it’s so important for the nation to keep its promises to military men and women, Veterans, no matter where [...]
ConnectingVets.Com: VA Fix to Ongoing GI Bill Fiasco: Hurry Up and Wait
"I am encouraged by the steps Under Secretary Lawrence, and his staff are taking, but expect VA to correct student's monthly housing allowance from fall 2018 well before spring 2020, said Tanya Ang, director of [...]
UPI: Lack of info, fear causing thousands of U.S. vets to default on student loans
Earlier this year, tens of thousands of disabled U.S. veterans became eligible to have their student loans entirely forgiven -- but more than half are in default, new figures show. In April, the Education Department [...]
Politico Morning Education: Vets Groups Target Lead Generator Sites
VETS’ GROUPS TARGET LEAD-GENERATOR SITES: Twenty-eight veterans groups seek a greater push to target websites that appear to be official military recruitment sites but really lead a user to what they call a “bad actor” college. [...]
CNBC: Many disabled veterans eligible for student loan forgiveness are still paying
"The news comes out of a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit that provides free services to veterans, back in June that was answered around Veteran’s Day." Read the [...]
Politico: New Data on Veterans Eligible for Student Loan Discharges
More than half of the veterans with disabilities whom the Education Department has identified as eligible to have their student loans canceled are already in default on their debt, according to new federal data.
NBC: Veterans haven’t received GI Bill benefits for months due to ongoing IT issues at VA
“I don’t see that there is an immediate fix, and I don’t see how this is going to be addressed in the spring or summer semesters,” said Tanya Ang, the policy and outreach director of [...]
AP: How military service impacts student loan repayment options
Veterans tend to be older than traditional undergraduates and are likelier to be employed while in school, says Kathy Payea, senior research fellow with Veterans Education Success. They also may be supporting families.
ABC4 News: College of Charleston announces new scholarship for U.S. military veterans
The College of Charleston has announced the establishment of it's first endowed scholarship dedicated to veterans. Vietnam veteran Gerald "Jerry” Polis, a member of the college's Class of 1962, is establishing the Gerald D. Polis [...]
Advice for Accreditors
Recruiting practices by institutions of higher learning is an area fraught with deceptive and misleading practices, due to a number of competing incentives. While veteran recruiting practices differ from civilian recruiting in some respects – [...]
Military Times: Many student veterans risk eviction for late GI Bill payments. So this city is stepping in.
Student veterans in New York City who are at risk of being evicted from their homes because of delayed GI Bill payments from Veterans Affairs are getting a little extra help from the city’s government. [...]
U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) Meets with Washington Student Veterans about Protecting the GI Bill and Student Veterans
https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/1056993468558372865
Inside Higher Ed: New York City Sues For-Profit College
Cities rarely sue colleges, but New York has received so many complaints against for-profit institutions that it brought a complaint Friday against Berkeley College New York in state court. The New York City Department of [...]
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 [...]
Military Times: 8 Tips to Help Vets Pick the Right College
Like military planning, “prior planning prevents piss poor performance.” And the more you know about your life’s missions — your allies, potential enemies and the college terrain — the better your results will be in [...]
DIIHE: Analysis: ACICS-Accredited College Students Have Negative Outcomes
Students who attend schools approved by the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) are twice as likely as their counterparts at other schools to end up with unmanageable debt, according to a Veterans [...]
Politico: Veterans Education Success is out with a new analysis of student outcomes at for-profit schools that are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
The group finds that outcomes at the schools are worse now than they were in 2016 when the Obama administration terminated the accreditor. The Trump administration has recommended a one-year extension of federal recognition for [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Changes to College Scorecard Anger Veterans Groups
As they push forward with a plans to drop the accountability rule known as gainful employment, Education Department officials have talked up plans to expand consumer information as an alternative to the hotly debated regulations. [...]
New York Times: As Economy Roars, Army Falls Thousands Short of Recruiting Goals
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Army fell thousands of troops short of its recruiting goals this year, the first time it has done so since the height of the Iraq war 13 years ago. The shortfall [...]
The Hill: Protect the Military Lending Act
Standing with the troops requires more than lip service. It also requires action. When the Pentagon found that predatory payday loan shops and unethical car dealers were trolling military bases and aggressively targeting the troops [...]
The Hill: “Protect the Military Lending Act” by LtGen Dana T. Atkins and Joyce Wessel Raezer
Our president Carrie Wofford wrote this op-ed for the heads of the Military Officers Association of America and the National Military Family Association. Standing with the troops requires more than lip service. It also requires [...]
Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette: Global Concern: Kaplan Roll-Out Exposes Un-Purdue-Like Actions
On its face, Purdue University's acquisition of Kaplan University can be good for students. Purdue, part of the Big Ten and a major research university, has long-standing traditions of academic excellence. One would expect they would impose [...]
Press Release: Veterans and Military Service Organizations Urge Education Department Not to Rollback Student Protections and Quality Controls in Program Integrity Rules
September 14, 2018 For Immediate Release: Contact: Carrie Wofford, (202) 838-5050 Veterans and Military Service Organizations Urge Education Department Not to Rollback Student Protections and Quality Controls in Program Integrity Rules Veterans also Travel [...]
Press Release: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Rescission of Gainful Employment Fails Statutory Obligation to Stop Waste, Fraud, and Abuse and to Protect Taxpayer Dollars – and Knowingly Puts Veterans and Servicemembers at Risk
September 13, 2018 For Immediate Release: Contact: Carrie Wofford, (202) 838-5050 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Rescission of Gainful Employment Fails Statutory Obligation to Stop Waste, Fraud, and Abuse and to Protect Taxpayer Dollars – and [...]
Inside Higher Ed: For-Profit Chain Will Close Dozens of Campuses
Education Corporation of America, a for-profit higher education provider with locations across the country, plans to close 26 campuses -- a third of its current total -- by early 2020. The closures would affect almost [...]
Inside Higher Ed: FTC Shuts Down Scam Military Websites
The Federal Trade Commission has reached agreements to shut down several copycat military websites that targeted people looking to join the armed services and then used their personal information to market for-profit colleges, the commission [...]
Press Release: Our Full-Page Ad for the Military Lending Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 CONTACT: Dom Slowey, 781-710-0014 [email protected] Mike Saunders: 202-838-5050 [email protected] Veterans & Military Service Organizations Urge CFPB & DOD Not To Rollback Servicemembers' Protections Under the Military Lending Act WASHINGTON [...]
Military Times: Advocates launch $250K ad campaign to support protections for troops against predatory lenders
Nearly 40 military and veteran service organizations have launched a $250,000 advertising campaign urging the Defense Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to continue strong enforcement of a law that protects service members and [...]
Military.com: Vets Groups Urge Mattis to Keep Pressure on Payday Lenders
Nearly 40 veterans and military family organizations have joined in a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney urging them to keep in place oversight [...]
Politico: Military Groups Speak Out
Starting today, Veterans Education Success has taken out ads in news outlets across the country, including near military bases, featuring a letter from 38 military and veteran service organizations calling on the Consumer Financial Protection [...]
Press Release: Veterans Organizations Oppose DeVos’ Proposed Borrower Defense Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2018 CONTACT: Walter Ochinko, (202) 838-5050 VES Research Director and Borrower Defense negotiator representing military and veteran students on both the 2016 and 2018 negotiated rulemaking panels Twenty-Seven Veteran [...]
Flight Training Caps Will Save GI Bill $504 Million Over 10 Years, But Will They Cost Pilots?
New legislation, establishing a maximum tuition and fee structure for all VA-funded flight programs, will save the GI Bill $504.4 million over the next ten years, according to estimates from the Veterans Administration. A number of veterans [...]
Press Release: Resignation of Student Loan Ombudsman, Seth Frotman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2018 CONTACT: Tanya Ang, Vice President, (202) 838-5050 Yesterday, the Student Loan Ombudsman at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, (CFPB) announced his resignation in a letter to the Acting CFPB [...]
AP: For-profit colleges have allies now, but complaints persist
A lawsuit against Ashford University describes an admissions office with a cutthroat sales culture more akin to a used-car lot than a place of higher learning, peddling “false promises and faulty information” to lure students [...]
DIIHE: Possible Enforcement Changes to Military Lending Act Spark Outcry
Two letters containing 38 signatures of veteran and military organization service members are expressing concern about the enforcement of the federal Military Lending Act (MLA) have been sent to U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis [...]
Stripes: Mulvaney is Urged Not to Weaken Consumer Protections
Almost 30 military associations and veterans groups on Thursday sent a joint letter to Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, urging that he not weaken CFPB enforcement of the 2006 Military [...]
Military Times: Advocates to Mattis: Don’t waver in protecting troops against predatory lenders
Leaders from organizations representing millions of current and former service members and their families are urging continued strong enforcement of the Military Lending Act, in letters sent Thursday to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and [...]
The Washington Examiner: Don’t Lower Standards for Federally Subsidized For-Profit Colleges
Conservatives complained a lot about Barack Obama when he was president. But not everything he did was bad. One of the things Obama did that actually made a lot of sense was try to stop [...]
NYT Opinion: The Bane That is Betsy DeVos
Today let’s talk about the evil deeds of Betsy DeVos. We’ve been distracted, what with Omarosa and the Manafort trial and that $90 million military parade we were so looking forward to. At the same time, [...]
CNN: Betsy DeVos’ rollback of Obama’s for-profit college rules is almost complete
(CNN) Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is rolling back another Obama-era regulation that was meant to protect students from abusive practices by for-profit schools and colleges. On Friday, DeVos said she plans to fully repeal [...]
New York Times: DeVos Ends Obama-Era Safeguards Aimed at Abuses by For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos formally moved Friday to scrap a regulation that would have forced for-profit colleges to prove that the students they enroll are able to attain decent-paying jobs, the most drastic [...]
Press Release: Betsy DeVos Ignores Veterans on Gainful Employment
For Immediate Release: Contact: Carrie Wofford, (202) 838-5050 August 10, 2018 Betsy DeVos Ignores Veterans on Gainful Employment Education Department failed to consider veterans’ perspectives in gutting the Gainful Employment rule, which imposed accountability on [...]
NYT: Mulvaney Looks to Weaken Oversight of Military Lending
The Trump administration is planning to suspend routine examinations of lenders for violations of the Military Lending Act, which was devised to protect military service members and their families from financial fraud, predatory loans and [...]
Advocates Worry That Changes To GI Bill Will Make Pilot Crisis Worse
For example, in the Stars and Stripes article, Will Hubbard, vice president of Student Veterans of America is quoted as saying, "While some veterans choose to pursue a vocation in flight programs, these programs continue to [...]
Military Times: Vets Could Be Hurt by Proposed $13 Billion Cut to Student Loan Relief
Veterans and other students defrauded by their schools would have a harder time getting their federal loans erased under new rules proposed by the Trump administration Wednesday. The proposal, which aims to replace a set [...]
Press Release: Ed Department Proposes Rules to Help Predatory Schools Instead of Veterans
DeVos’s Proposed Borrower Defense Rule Rewrites Epitaph For Predatory Schools Like Corinthian and ITT July 26, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Walter Ochinko, Research Director, who served as a Borrower Defense negotiator representing military and [...]
CNBC: Thousands of Students Who Say They Were Defrauded by the Art Institute Awaiting an Answer From the Government
"Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit advocacy group, has said some for-profit schools do not explain to students that they’re signing up for loans. She has argued that the 'master promissory note,' [...]
Military Times: New GI Bill Transfer Restrictions: 7 Things You Need to Know
The Pentagon’s new rules on transferring GI Bill benefits to dependents, announced last week, have created a lot of concern and confusion among service members, veterans and military families. Will you still be able to transfer [...]
Military.com: How to Fight VA Debt
The Department of Veterans Affairs says you owe them money. You disagree. But how do you fight Uncle Sam when he comes for your cash? If there's one thing military members know, it's that when the Defense [...]
GOP Higher Education Legislation Will Hurt Service Members, Veterans and their Families
Note: This was originally published by The Denver Post on June 25, 2018. GOP Higher Education Legislation Will Hurt Service Members, Veterans and their Families By Jarrod Thoma After serving approximately four years in the [...]
The Denver Post: GOP higher education legislation will hurt service members, veterans and their families
After serving approximately four years in the U.S. Army, I was eager to pursue my lifelong passion for electronics by earning a degree in engineering. Following in the footsteps of my father and many of [...]
Military Times: Should VA Employees Be Allowed to Work at For-Profit Schools?
Traditionally, employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs haven’t been allowed to moonlight at for-profit schools or receive gifts, services or other financial benefits from such institutions, which enroll tens of thousands of veterans using the GI [...]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Deal under scrutiny as Art Institutes face accreditation setbacks
An email appeared in students’ inboxes on Jan. 23: “I am writing to share some very exciting news with you,” wrote Daniel C. Snyder, director of student services for The Art Institute of Colorado. The Denver school — [...]
Inside Sources: Higher Ed Reform Bill Stalled in U.S. House
A bill from the U.S. House education committee is a good start on tackling student loan debt, say supporters, but the legislation still faces hurdles in getting to the House Floor for a vote. An [...]
The Hill: Higher Ed Bill Fails its Mission to Protect Deserving Military-Connected Students
This past week, nearly a dozen national veterans and military service organizations assembled on Capitol Hill in a united front to voice their concerns about the House of Representatives’ Higher Education Act reauthorization, known as [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Seeking Votes on PROSPER, GOP Appears to Come Up Short
House leaders were mum on plans for the PROSPER Act after reportedly taking the temperature on members’ support for the bill earlier this week. College groups, student organizations and veterans' representatives meanwhile renewed pressure on [...]
New York Times: Betsy DeVos Reinstated College Accreditor Over Staff Objections
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos disregarded a scathing review by her own staff this spring when she reinstated the watchdog body that had accredited two scandal-scarred for-profit universities whose bankruptcies left tens of thousands [...]
The Hechinger Report: Military Veterans Decry Debt, Useless Diplomas from For-Profit Colleges
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — After serving four years in the military, John Andrews, 42, adjusted to civilian life by working at his local Walmart in Arkansas. Encouraged by co-workers, he also went back to school, hoping [...]
Toms River Patch: Man In $24M GI Bill Fraud Scam With Toms River Woman Get 5 Years
NEWARK, NJ – A Pennsylvania man who conspired with a former college assistant dean from Toms River in a scheme that stole more than $24 million from the Post 9/11 GI Bill was sentenced Monday [...]
The Hill: A Call To Service Without Debt
As a country, we have encouraged our children to strive for bright futures. We prod them to go to college, pursue apprenticeship programs, and otherwise climb the ladder of opportunity by seeking educational opportunities beyond [...]
Inside Higher Ed: For-Profit Tuition Rises as GI Benefit Grows
A long-held conservative viewpoint on financial aid goes like this: as government assistance gets more generous, colleges and universities simply respond by raising tuition, worsening affordability. A new working paper takes a look at the so-called Bennett [...]
Inside Sources: For-Profit College Conversions to Nonprofit Entities Attacked as Regulatory Shields
Opponents of for-profit colleges are warning that schools will use a conversion to nonprofit status to shield themselves from regulatory scrutiny. The verbal beatdown came during a three-hour hearing of a U.S. Department of Education [...]
Bloomberg: Student Debt Surprise: How Veterans Get Loans Without Knowing It
Jonathan Ngowaki was halfway through getting his undergraduate degree at DeVry University when he got a letter saying he was $15,000 in debt. The letter confused him not only because he’d told the school [...]
NYT Opinion: Predatory Colleges, Freed to Fleece Students
Try as they might, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress cannot disguise that they continue to do the bidding of the for-profit college industry, which has saddled working-class students with crushing debt while providing [...]
Republic Report: Inside a For-Profit College Conversion: Lucrative Ties, Troubling Actions
On the phone, Brent Richardson, the CEO and co-chairman of the new non-profit Dream Center Education Holdings LLC (DCEH), seemed to be losing patience. DCEH was now running the Art Institutes (Ai), Argosy University, and [...]
New York Times: Education Department Unwinds Unit Investigating Fraud at For-Profits
WASHINGTON — Members of a special team at the Education Department that had been investigating widespread abuses by for-profit colleges have been marginalized, reassigned or instructed to focus on other matters, according to current and [...]
Military Times: Pentagon: “Loan Forgiveness is a Recruiting Tool.” Lawmakers: “Cut it Anyway.”
Veteran education advocates are continuing to fight a controversial bill that would sunset a student loan forgiveness benefit for public-sector employees, including service members, hoping their efforts — and the Pentagon’s opposition — can keep it from [...]
Military.com: Why Aren’t More Vets Applying to Get GI Bill Restored?
"Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, is grateful for the VA’s efforts, but concerned about the response rate. She said some veterans may not be applying simply because they’re not opening mail from the [...]
Military Times: Why Aren’t More Vets Applying to Get GI Bill Restored?
Last year, about 8,000 veterans got a message in their inboxes telling them they may qualify for a new law that restores education benefits to GI Bill users whose schools have abruptly closed. Nine months later, Veterans [...]
CNBC: Trump Moves to Cancel Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans
"'Many disabled veterans are currently unaware that they can be eligible for student loan debt forgiveness,' said Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'It’s horrific,' Wofford said 'There are disabled [...]
The Washington Post: Trump administration streamlining student debt forgiveness for permanently disabled veterans
The Trump administration announced plans Monday to make it easier for permanently disabled military veterans to have their federal student debt wiped away.
Military Law Matters: Predatory For-Profit Colleges that Target Veterans who have the GI Bill
Learn how Veterans Education Success provides free legal services for veterans including college and career counseling to veterans, servicemembers, and their survivors and families who have faced college fraud or abuse in using their GI [...]
Task & Purpose: ‘They Didn’t Have To Kill Him’: The Death of Lance Corporal Brian Easle
The thing that everyone remembered about the man in the light gray sweatshirt was how composed he was, how polite and respectful. One morning this past summer, he quietly entered a Wells Fargo bank branch in the Atlanta suburbs in a desperate state. But he didn’t curse or even raise his voice. He just calmly relayed the litany of setbacks and obstacles that had led him to an extraordinarily reckless act.
Military Times: DOD Review: 0% of Schools Following TA Rules
Every single college that the Department of Defense examined last year, as part of a new tuition assistance review process, was found in violation of DoD rules ― but schools won’t be punished just yet. Marketing [...]
Inside Higher Ed: A Low Bar for Bar Passage
Nearly nine out of 10 law school graduates who sat for the bar exam within two years of graduating passed it, according to new data from the American Bar Association. But more than 10 percent of [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans Blast GOP Bill as Giveaway to For-Profits
Late last summer, President Trump signed into law a long-awaited update to the GI Bill -- a rare moment of bipartisanship in the first year of the Trump administration and a major victory for veterans’ groups.
Washington Post: VA Suspends DeVry University From a Key Veterans Program
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday suspended DeVry University from participation in a program that identifies schools doing a good job of serving former troops, in light of a federal lawsuit accusing the for-profit chain of misleading [...]
Military Times: Student Loan Forgiveness Benefit on the Chopping Block
A benefit that lets service members and other government workers write off student loan debt would vanish under a new proposal in Congress. Republican-backed legislation would eliminate a program that allows borrowers in full-time public [...]
Military Times: Student loan forgiveness benefit on the chopping block
A benefit that lets service members and other government workers write off student loan debt would vanish under a new proposal in Congress. Republican-backed legislation would eliminate a program that allows borrowers in full-time public service jobs to have their student loans forgiven after making payments for 10 years — a move that military and veterans groups say would hurt their members.
The Hill: A Law Connection
One nonprofit on the platform is Veterans Education Success, which provides free legal services to veterans who were taken advantage of by predatory for-profit colleges. “When Betsy DeVos came into the Department of Education, they started to [...]
Press Release: “Increasing College Success for Student Veterans and Today’s Students” | Student Veteran Panel Discussion
“Increasing College Success for Student Veterans and Today’s Students” Student Veterans Panel Feb. 22, 2018 On February 22, 2018, Veterans Education Success hosted a panel of student veterans who shared their experiences, ideas, and proposals [...]
The Chronicle: Ashford U. Faces New Setback in Battle Over GI Bill Funds
California regulators have shot down Ashford University’s request for GI Bill eligibility — dealing the for-profit college a significant blow that could reverberate nationwide. Under federal rules, colleges that serve veteran students are supposed to [...]
Marketwatch: Job-Training Programs at For-Profit Colleges Actually Make Students Worse Off
Students who attend programs at for-profit colleges with hopes of training for a career appear to end up worse off than if they never moved on to higher education at all. After attending certificate programs [...]
American Constitution Society: How a Growing Army of Lawyers is Helping Resist Injustice (and You Can Too)
After the 2016 presidential election, many progressive lawyers, including me, were asking, “What can I do?” We launched We The Action to help answer that question. We The Action is a platform that makes it easy for lawyers to [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Higher Ed Finds its Voice on PROSPER Act
With their attention occupied by tax reform last year, the higher education lobby had a muted response to the GOP's first crack at overhauling the student aid system and how it keeps colleges accountable. That’s [...]
Legal News Line: DeVry University Students Allege School Misrepresented Employment, Income Rates of Graduates
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Legal Newsline) – DeVry University students allege they were misled by the school's advertising and are seeking restitution. Luis Rangel, Seth Adomako, Christina Cabello, et al. filed a complaint on Jan. 25 [...]
American Heroes Network: Veterans Education Success
Veterans Education Success provides: • Free Help for Veterans: Free legal services, advice, and college and career counseling to veterans, servicemembers, and their survivors and families who faced college fraud or abuse in using their [...]
Military Times: Court Settlement for Former ITT Students Moves Forward
Former students of the bankrupt ITT Technical Institute are one step closer to seeing some compensation. A judge gave preliminary approval Wednesday for former students of the collapsed chain of for-profit schools to receive a [...]
Military Times: More Regulation Needed for ‘Predatory Schools’?
If the Veterans Affairs Department approves a school for GI Bill funding, does that mean it’s a good school? The answer should be yes, said Tanya Ang, policy and outreach director for the nonprofit Veterans [...]
Our press release on 49-state AG settlement with Career Education Corp.
Prior to 49-state AG settlement, Career Education Corporation took 5th highest amount of GI Bill Funds and had 3rd highest number of veteran complaints. Veterans Education Success provided the AGs with more than 400 veteran [...]
MarketWatch: New Film Exposes How For-Profit Colleges Exploit Veterans and Single Moms
A little bit more than an hour into “Fail State,” a documentary about the rise of for-profit colleges, Jennifer Wilson, a graduate from one of these schools, looks at the camera and distills the essence [...]
Military Times: Wasting Money? Most New Recruits Pay $1,200 for Lesser Education Benefit
A large majority of new service members are spending $1,200 on a veterans education benefit they will never use. Military service branches automatically enroll their recruits in a decades-old GI Bill either during, or soon [...]
For Students Swindled by Predatory Colleges, Relief May Be Only Partial
Thousands of students who say they have been swindled by predatory for-profit universities will soon learn whether their loans will be forgiven by the Education Department, but under a new Trump administration policy, some students [...]
Reveal: Senators Want to Examine Military Contracts with For-Profit Schools
Two U.S. senators have asked the Pentagon to hand over five years of sponsorship contracts between military bases and for-profit colleges, citing an exposé by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Records obtained by Reveal show [...]
Military Times: Military Advocates Want Details on Agencies’ Efforts to Stop Predatory Lenders
A consumer group and five military advocacy organizations have asked for information from six federal agencies about their enforcement efforts to protect service members and their families from predatory lenders. The organizations have asked for complaints the [...]
The Hill: The Real Tax on Troops
A recent blog post by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) highlights an alarming trend as recruits join today’s All-Volunteer Force. According to CFPB, during last fiscal year, 70 percent of new recruits paid into the Department [...]
New York Times: New Higher Education Bill Rolls Back Obama-Era Safeguards
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans began work Tuesday on an extensive rewrite of the law that governs the nation’s system of higher education, seeking to dismantle landmark Obama administration regulations designed to protect students from predatory [...]
Reuters: U.S. Not Granting Loan Relief to Defrauded Students: Inspector General
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Education Department under President Donald Trump and Secretary Betsy DeVos has stopped cancelling the student-loan debt of people defrauded by failed for-profit schools and those borrowers face mounting interest and [...]
Business Insider: For-Profit Colleges Target Military Veterans: Military veterans are being targeted by an industry ‘infamous for saddling people with debt and useless degrees’
The Department of Education began negotiations to change regulations related to the for-profit college industry in December, a move that some advocates say will harm students. "This proceeding is blocking a regulation that was carefully considered and [...]
Forbes: The Loophole That Helps Schools But Hurts Veterans And Taxpayers
According to the Veterans Education Success report, Apollo Education Group (which owns the online University of Phoenix) collected 96.2% of its 2013 fiscal year revenue from federal sources: $423 million from VA and DOD benefits and another [...]
New York Times: Exploiting Veterans for Profit
Editorial Exploiting Veterans for Profit By The Editorial Board Nov. 24, 2017 Despite efforts by Congress, the Obama administration and state attorneys general to stop the predatory practices of for-profit colleges, veterans and service members [...]
Military Times: What Will The Trump Era Mean for For-Profit Schools?
“It’s time for a regulatory reset.” With six words last June, Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s education secretary, ushered in a new era for schools that operate as businesses, putting a pause — and, some fear, [...]
Military Times: Ashford University’s GI Bill eligibility on the chopping block once more
Ashford University’s eligibility to enroll GI Bill users is once again in jeopardy. The Department of Veterans Affairs has deemed the school’s state-level approval “legally insufficient” and issued a notice to Ashford, a top enroller [...]
T&P: Beware: Military Dependents Can Be Forced To Repay Their Parents’ GI Bill
In 2012, Sgt. Desmond Watson’s daughter Jordan Bigbee turned 17, and he transferred his Post-9/11 GI Bill to her in the hopes that she’d never have to shoulder a student debt burden. “When you get [...]
Greenfield Reporter: Law Restores Education Benefits For Vets
A U.S. Navy veteran, Nyikos of Greenfield had exhausted 22 months of GI Bill benefits when ITT Technical Institute closed campuses across the country last September amid scrutiny of its accreditation and recruiting practices. He [...]
LinkedIn Blog: Is Transparency Really That Important in Public Policy? I’m Glad You Asked
Today was Day One in a series of sessions in the Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking on Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR), also known loosely as Borrower Defense, or simply BD. Typically, the first morning [...]
FOX59: VA To Begin Notifying Thousands of Veterans Who Lost Benefits When ITT Tech Shut Down
In the coming weeks, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will begin notifying thousands of veterans caught up in the middle of the abrupt closing of ITT Tech last year. As part of the Forever [...]
U.S. Representative Luke Messer (R-IN) Meets with Indiana Student Veterans About Forever GI Bill; New Law Will Restore Benefits to Veterans Attending ITT Tech When School Closed
Rep. Messer Press Release here Photos here Coverage by Fox59 TV Indianapolis: VA To Begin Notifying Thousands of Veterans Who Lost Benefits When ITT Tech Shut Down; Greenfield Daily Reporter: Law Restores Education [...]
Marketwatch: These Colleges Use a Loophole to Make Billions Off the GI Bill
Over the past few years, the for-profit college industry has experienced a reckoning of sorts as increased scrutiny and the recovering economy led to enrollment declines and in the case of some schools — full-scale [...]
T&P: The Emotional Challenges of Student Veterans on Campus
This Veterans Day, Americans will honor the heroism and sacrifice of the nearly 22 million men and women who have served in the U.S. military. Among them will be student veterans. Since 2009, nearly one million veterans [...]
USA Today: For-Profit Schools to Vets: Thanks for Your Service — and Taxpayer-Backed Tuition
This Veterans Day, for-profit institutions of higher learning across the nation are thanking soldiers for their service — and tuition checks. Struggling with declining enrollment, for-profit colleges, universities and trade schools are increasingly turning to [...]
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Inside the Scramble to Save Ashford U: How Political Maneuvering Kept GI Bill Funds Flowing to a For-Profit University
Ashford University’s future was hanging in the balance. The for-profit institution risked losing access to tens of millions of dollars in GI Bill funds. Over the summer, its lobbyists were scrambling.
The Economist: For-Profit Colleges in America Relaunch Themselves as Non-Profits: Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Secretary, May Not Be Able To Rescue Them
GOVERNMENT funds set aside for college aid have long been a favoured target for grifters. After the second world war, veterans flush on GI Bill funds would sign up for sham television-repair courses. After receiving [...]
Military Times: Vets Groups Renew Efforts to Limit For-Profit Schools’ Access to GI Bill Dollars
Veterans groups are redoubling their efforts to restrict how much money for-profit colleges can accept from student veterans’ tuition payouts after indications that the industry is becoming even more reliant on their education benefits to [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Releases New Report Showing 90/10 Loophole is Worse Than Previously Thought: Department of Education Data Shows Increased Targeting of Veterans and Servicemembers, Highlighting Urgency of Closing 90/10 Loophole
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2017 CONTACTS: Walter Ochinko, (202) 838-5050 Department of Education Data Shows Increased Targeting of Veterans and Servicemembers, Highlighting Urgency of Closing 90/10 Loophole Today, Veterans Education Success is [...]
Press Release: Ashford’s Fight to Maintain GI Bill Access
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Our Research Director was an official negotiator representing veteran and military students on the negotiated rulemaking panel on Borrower Defense
This Web page provides the public with background information regarding the Department’s negotiated rulemaking effort to make changes to the regulations for the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 [...]
New York Times: Revised Data Shows Community Colleges Have Been Underappreciated
A college degree is the key to unlocking many of the best careers in the modern labor market. But more than 20 million working-age adults in the United States are college dropouts, failed in some way by [...]
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) Meets with Oregon Student Veterans about Protecting the GI Bill and Student Veterans
https://twitter.com/RepBonamici/status/924055990164652032
DIIHE: Certain For-profit Colleges Leave Veterans in a Bind
Terry Jack will be the first one to tell you he has made his share of mistakes. By his own account, the Army veteran from Tucson, Arizona, has been twice convicted of a DUI. He says [...]
Huffington Post: FTC Slaps Wrist Of For-Profit College Marketer That Tricked Vets; Many Bad Wrists Remain
Last week the Federal Trade Commission announced it had reach a proposed settlement with a Pittsburgh-based marketing company called Victory Media. Victory had drawn attention for websites and print magazines that deceptively pitched a large [...]
Repayment Status for First-Time Student Veterans 12 Years After Enrolling
Veterans Education Success Releases Analysis of Veteran Student Loan Repayment and Default Rates FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Contact: Walter Ochinko (202) 838-5050 Kathleen Payea (202) 838-5050 October 23, 2017 - Today, Veterans Education Success [...]
The Trentonian: Mercer County Community College Received “Military-Friendly” Designation from Company Embroiled in Scandal
However, that honor may be tainted after the company, Victory Media, reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday over its alleged practice of allowing schools to be promoted as “military-friendly” if [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Crackdown on “Pay to Play” for “Military-Friendly” Colleges
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced a proposed settlement with a website whose "military-friendly" rankings of colleges and universities allegedly promoted institutions that paid to be included. Victory Media runs a number of magazines and websites [...]
Veterans Groups Praise White House Nomination of Rohit Chopra to US Federal Trade Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Carrie Wofford, Veterans Education Success: (202) 838-5050 Will Hubbard, Student Veterans of America Kelly Hruska, National Military Family Association October 19, 2017 – Today, the White House nominated former senior official [...]
Veterans Education Success Hails FTC Action Against Fraudulent “Military-Friendly Schools”
Veterans Education Success praises FTC’s Action Today Against Victory Media and GI Jobs Magazine for Defrauding Veterans with its Fake “Military Friendly Schools” Rankings and Promotions FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Contact: Carrie Wofford (202) 838-5050 [...]
Business Insider: VA Seeks “Narrow” Exemption to For-Profit College Ethics Law
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will proceed with a narrow waiver to a federal ethics law banning employees from receiving benefits from for-profit colleges. The move comes after VA abruptly [...]
Politico: What’s Next for the VA’s For-Profit College Ethics Policy?
The Trump administration, in today's Federal Register, is officially backing away from its plan to exempt all Department of Veterans Affairs employees from a federal law prohibiting them from having a financial interest in or [...]
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Meets with Connecticut Student Veterans about GI Bill Issues, the Forever GI Bill, and How to Protect Student Veterans
https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/918878116965175297 https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/918877328457043969
Inside Higher Ed: VA Drops Plan to Nix Ethics Rule
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday dropped a controversial plan to suspend an ethics law that prevents its employees from receiving pay or other benefits from for-profit institutions, The Associated Press reported. A recent inspector general report had [...]
Associated Press: VA Abruptly Drops Plan to Suspend Ethics Law
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs abruptly dropped plans Wednesday to suspend an ethics law barring employees from receiving benefits from for-profit colleges. The move comes after criticism from government watchdogs who warned [...]
Pro Publica & USA Today: For-Profit Schools Reward Students for Referrals and Facebook Endorsements
Lyla Elkins transferred to North Nicholas High School in Cape Coral, Florida, in 2016 with hopes of sailing through its computer-based courses and graduating early. She didn’t realize the for-profit charter school would also be [...]
Reveal: Senators Urge Trump Administration to Scrap Plan to Waive VA Ethics Rule
Four U.S. senators are demanding the Trump administration scrap a plan to waive a 50-year-old anti-corruption law that prevents officials who administer the GI Bill from accepting money from for-profit schools backed by taxpayer subsidy.
Task & Purpose: To Protect Veterans, Keep The VA Ban On Employees Working With For-Profit Colleges
On Sept. 14, the Department of Veterans Affairs quietly announced that it will waive a common-sense ethics law for all of its employees. For over 50 years, the VA has prohibited employees from receiving payments or having [...]
PBS NewsHour: For-Profit College Students Twice as Likely to Default on Loans, Report Says
WASHINGTON — Students who attended for-profit colleges were twice as likely or more to default on their loans than students who attended public educational institutions, according to a federal study published Wednesday.
The Daily Free Press: For-profit Universities: Fake, Fraudulent and Supported by the Federal Government
For-profit universities have been scamming and swindling unsuspecting students for as long as they’ve existed. Many of these schools are unaccredited — providing students with credits that can’t be transferred and degrees that can’t be [...]
Vox: How Betsy DeVos is Quietly Erasing Obama’s Education Legacy
US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos came into the Education Department with a bold vision: that parents should be able to send their kids to school wherever they wanted, by way of government-funded vouchers. Nine [...]
T&P: VA About to Scrap Ethics Law that Helps Safeguard Veterans From Predatory For-Profit Colleges
An ethics law that prohibits Department of Veterans Affairs employees from receiving money or owning a stake in for-profit colleges that rake in millions in G.I. Bill tuition has “illogical and unintended consequences,” according to VA, [...]
The Chronicle: To Lighten the Regulatory Load, Focus on For-Profits
Dear Secretary DeVos: From the testimony and interviews you have given, I gather that you believe strongly in providing taxpayer funds to colleges owned by for-profit companies. You believe that, relieved of the requirements and [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Return of the College Scorecard: Education Department Updates Higher Ed Consumer Tool, Adds New Comparison Feature
An Obama administration initiative that provided consumer information on colleges and universities has survived for another year and into the Trump administration. The Department of Education published updated information on the College Scorecard Thursday, including a new [...]
Huffington Post: Troubles Compound for Predatory CollegeAmerica Chain
In August 2016, the Obama administration delivered a powerful blow to the CollegeAmerica/ Stevens-Henager chain of career colleges. The chain, previously a for-profit company, sold itself in 2012 to a small non-profit organization called the Center [...]
New York Times: Veterans Agency Seeks to Scrap Ethics Law on For-Profit Colleges
The Department of Veterans Affairs is pushing to suspend a 50-year-old ethics law that prevents employees from receiving money or owning a stake in for-profit colleges that pocket hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Gainful Employment Failures Cluster in 10 States
An analysis from Third Way finds a high concentration of graduates who attended programs that failed the gainful-employment rule in just a handful of states. The Obama administration crafted the gainful-employment rule to hold career education programs [...]
Loyola Phoenix: Unregulated Universities Make Profit off Their Students
We’ve all seen the commercials before — the ones with successful members of the workforce raving about their experience at their respective for-profit institutions: Kaplan University, DeVry University, Everest University, ITT Technical Institute and a [...]
Fox 45 Baltimore (Video): What you need to know about for-profit schools
For-profit colleges have been the subject of controversy for leaving students without the skills promised. Marceline White from The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition joins us to talk about the potential dangers and give students alternative [...]
Inside Higher Ed Report: 20 University of Phoenix Campuses to Close
Phoenix New Times reported Monday that the University of Phoenix is planning to close about 20 campuses around the country. The campuses reportedly include both full-fledged campuses and smaller learning centers. The university did not confirm [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Wis. Governor Kills For-Profit Oversight Agency
After years of attempts, Scott Walker, Wisconsin's Republican governor, has successfully eliminated the state's Education Approval Board as an independent agency tasked with overseeing for-profit colleges. Walker's partial veto last week of a budget bill accelerated the timetable [...]
U.S. News & World Report: 1 in 3 ‘Career Colleges’ Saddle Grads With Limited Earnings Potential, Unmanageable Debt
ONE OUT OF 10 GRADUATES of so-called "career colleges" attended schools that were flagged for their students failing to make a high enough salary to sufficiently pay down their loans after graduating, according to data collected [...]
GQ: Betsy DeVos Accused Students Who Were Defrauded by For-Profit Colleges of Wanting “Free Money”
Betsy DeVos must love negative attention. You see, usually the secretary of education, though an important position, isn't an incredibly public one. I mean, sure, we all knew Arne Duncan played basketball, and were aware [...]
ABC 15 Arizona: Your college degree could be worthless if it isn’t from an accredited school
Most students are back in school. If you're supposed to graduate this year or next, or you're looking for a school, you may be concerned about the degree you'll be getting. In some cases, you [...]
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition launches campaign warning about risks of for-profit colleges
Nakia Trezevant spent a year studying information technology at ITT Technical Institute in Owings Mills. She said she has nothing to show for it but $12,000 in debt. The for-profit educational firm, which had two [...]
The Denver Post: DeVos Should Keep Rules Targeting For-Profit Colleges
For-profit colleges have their place in higher education, but too many operators have proved to be incredibly bad actors over the years, making reasonable rules meant to protect students the smart play.
Phoenix New Times: Getting Educated or Getting Schooled? Divergent Views of Grand Canyon University
The recruiter arrived during the lunch break. Lisa Coslett met him while she was working at the daycare center. An enthusiastic man named Russ McKee encouraged her to consider a master’s degree in special education. [...]
Military Times: Vet Organizations Back Obama-Era College Regulations
Dozens of military and veteran service organizations are pushing back against the Department of Education’s decision earlier this year to suspend enforcement of Obama-era rules aimed largely at for-profit colleges and universities. Leaders of 36 [...]
Student Loan Hero: Betsy DeVos’ Controversial Decision Could Make Kaplan University and The Art Institutes Nonprofit
Yesterday, BuzzFeed News reported Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education have cleared the way for two for-profit institutions — Kaplan University and Education Management Corp (EDMC), the parent company of Argosy University, South University, [...]
CQ Roll Call: Veterans Groups Decry VA Plan to Relax For-Profit School Ties
A new Department of Veterans Affairs proposal to relax current conflict-of-interest rules and allow employees to more easily become involved with for-profit colleges has veteran advocates concerned that the schools could have more influence within the [...]
USA Today: New questions raised about how for-profit colleges recruit the military
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Even reserve Army attorneys say that Fort Campbell "missed something" that allowed a prominent for-profit college to recruit active duty soldiers at dozens of events two years ago before the school was temporarily [...]
Buzzfeed: The Education Department Will Allow Two Large For-Profit Colleges To Become Nonprofits
The Education Department has offered its stamp of approval for the controversial sale of two massive for-profit colleges, Kaplan University and the Art Institutes, according to emails obtained by BuzzFeed News — allowing both schools [...]
The Nation: Betsy DeVos Is Helping Education Profiteers Rip Off Students
When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was confirmed, the major fear was that she would radically overhaul the public-education system and institute a broad school-voucher program. It turns out that requires congressional action that hasn’t been [...]
Inside Higher Ed: VA Seeks Broad Waiver of Rule Barring Payments from For-Profit Colleges
The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to grant employees a waiver of a rule barring receipt of salary or other benefits from for-profit colleges. The proposed regulation was published in the federal register Thursday and would take [...]
Reveal: Trump Administration Seeks to Legalize Payoffs to VA Officials by For-Profit Schools
The Trump administration is seeking to waive a 50-year-old anti-corruption law that prevents officials who administer the GI Bill from accepting money from for-profit schools backed by taxpayer subsidies. The proposed regulation, published Thursday in the Federal Register, [...]
Washington Post: Ousted college accreditor wants another chance, but will DeVos agree?
The new leader of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, once one of the largest national accreditation agencies, wants the council to resume its role as the gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars [...]
Vice News: These students are suing their for-profit school
For-profit colleges and universities have received increased scrutiny in recent years for their part in helping to drive up the level of U.S. student debt, which now tops $1.3 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve [...]
New York Times: Federal Inquiry of Charlotte Law School is Disclosed by Suit
Barbara Bernier arrived at Charlotte School of Law four years ago to teach constitutional and other law courses. But what she found at the for-profit law school was different from her prior teaching experiences, so [...]
Westfair Online: Sens. Blumenthal and Murphy reintroduce bill aimed at predatory for-profit colleges
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy are teaming with five of their Democratic colleagues in reintroducing the Students Before Profits Act, a bill designed to protect students who attended for-profit colleges from predatory lending [...]
Bloomberg News: Betsy DeVos Tells CFPB to Back Off on Student Loans: The Agency Has Survived the Trump Administration So Far; Will the Education Department Be the One to Kneecap It?
When federal policymakers killed banks’ ability to make government-backed student loans, David Bergeron should have been celebrating. A career official at the U.S. Department of Education, he had favored the move for years; it would save [...]
Reveal: University of Phoenix Gained Special Access to Military Base – For a Price
U.S. military commanders allowed representatives of the University of Phoenix to erect banners advertising the for-profit college on one of America’s largest military bases and permitted them to place promotional materials in high-traffic areas on [...]
Military Advanced Education & Transition: Cover Story: Carrie Wofford, President, Veterans Education Success Q&A: Protection From Predators: Shielding Student Veterans and Servicemembers From Fraud or Abuse
"We are a non-profit organization offering free services and advice to military veterans." Q&A with Veterans Education Success founder and president, Carrie Wofford.
Huffington Post: DeVos’ Embrace of Predatory For-Profit Colleges is Breathtaking
Betsy DeVos, whose interest in education prior to the Trump administration seemed mostly focused on K-12 schools, has made her mark as Secretary of Education instead with a remarkably blatant embrace of the worst demands [...]
Dallas News: Hundreds of veterans scramble after Garland for-profit college closes
GARLAND — Hundreds of veterans are scrambling to figure out what’s next for them after a for-profit college they were attending suddenly shut down Wednesday. The Texas Veterans Commission issued a news release Thursday evening [...]
Inside Higher Ed: New GI Bill Includes $75 Million for Non-College Providers of Technology Boot Camps
Last week President Trump signed into law a significant expansion of veterans' higher education benefits. The legislation, which has been dubbed the Forever GI Bill, received bipartisan support. Though its primary goal is to help more veterans get [...]
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Meets with Defrauded Louisiana Veterans, Hears How Some Colleges Target GI Bill with Consumer Fraud and Dishonorable Practices
https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/900752796726820864 https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/900753119268794368
Mercury News: Thousands of Former Corinthian Colleges Students Win Debt Relief
Approximately 13,000 Californians who attended now-defunct Corinthian Colleges will see some $51 million in debt relief as part of a settlement finalized Monday between the private equity firm Aequitas Capital Management and the state’s attorney general, [...]
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) Meets with Defrauded California ITT Tech Veteran at Veterans Town Hall, is Thanked for His Leadership Restoring GI Bill Benefits to ITT Tech and Corinthian Veterans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 22, 2017 Congressman Mark Takano meets with California Veterans about GI Bill Issues Active duty and former service-members earn educational benefits through Honorable service, but some schools target Veterans with [...]
Rep. David Young (R-IA) Meets with Defrauded Iowa Veterans, Hears How Some Colleges Target GI Bill with Consumer Fraud and Dishonorable Practices
https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/898211985866842113 https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/898216664407445505
Inside Higher Ed: The Slow Death of a For-Profit Law School: Abrupt Closure of Charlotte School of Law
Charlotte School of Law, a for-profit institution based in North Carolina, appeared to abruptly shut down Tuesday, just days after losing its license to operate in the state. No one associated with the law school publicly commented. [...]
Reveal: After Pushback, Trump Administration Says It Won’t Scrap Anti-Corruption Law
Faced with growing opposition from veterans groups, ethics experts and five U.S. senators, the Trump administration today abruptly abandoned its plan to suspend a 50-year-old anti-corruption law that prohibits for-profit colleges from enriching Department of Veterans [...]
Journal Sentinel: For-Profit College Shut Down in Wisconsin is Back Under New Ownership
A for-profit college shut down by the Obama administration in December is back in Wisconsin under new ownership, with four locations enrolling new students in career-education programs. Globe University had campuses in Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Appleton [...]
WKBN TV: Proposed Changes to GI Bill Gives Veterans More Education Options
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) - The GI Bill helps veterans pay for school after they leave the Armed Forces. Now, Congress has approved some major changes to give veterans more options. "This is primarily about giving [...]
Military Times: Ashford University Maintains GI Bill Eligibility, Blasts VA
An online university in danger of losing its eligibility to enroll GI Bill users, recently allowed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue such enrollments pending court appeals, is accusing the VA of disseminating [...]
Politico: Morning Education: For-Profit College Faces Off with the Feds over Vet Benefits
FOR-PROFIT COLLEGE FACES OFF WITH FEDS OVER VET BENEFITS: Amid its battle with a state regulator, Ashford University is now sparring with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over its ability to accept tens of millions [...]
Boston Globe: Thousands Paying for an Education that Failed to Deliver
Thousands of former students in Massachusetts and across the country continue to be hounded about private loans they took out to attend for-profit schools that many say failed to provide the education they promised and [...]
The Buffalo News: Students of For-Profit Colleges Struggle the Most Repaying Loans
Students who attended for-profit institutions struggled the most to pay down the principal on their student loans. For-profit schools also produced lower shares of students who earned annual incomes of at least $25,000. Nearly 85 [...]
WV Gazette: Stop Delaying Loan Help for Defrauded Students
Not all colleges are created equal. Many are stalwarts of their community and churn out thousands of qualified graduates yearly. Others are on much shakier ground and end up crashing and burning, dragging lots of [...]
Forbes: How The White House Is Harming College Borrowers
For more than a generation, the GOP trope with a nod and a wink was "I'm here from Washington and I'm here to help." Yet sometimes, government policies do help Americans -- especially those with crippling college [...]
Student Loan Hero: What Veterans Need to Know About the New ‘Forever GI Bill’
Seventy-three years after the GI Bill was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt — providing members of the military, veterans, and their dependents with educational assistance — Congress has decided it’s time for an upgrade.
Buzzfeed: How The For-Profit College Art Institutes Found A Savior With Christian Roots
Last year, with one of the country’s largest college chains on the verge of collapse, a tiny nonprofit with roots in the Pentecostal Church came to the Obama Education Department with an idea. The Dream [...]
Military Times: Vets Hurt by School Shutdowns Would Get Benefits Restored Under New ‘Forever GI Bill’ Law
Jason Nyikos was working a high-paying, high-stress job at an Indiana machinery company when he decided to quit for what he thought would be a more laid back life as a college student, pursuing a [...]
Lexology: “Forever GI Bill” Will Expand Post-9/11 GI Bill for Veterans, Service Members and Family
The bill makes several important changes to the current Post-9/11 GI Bill program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that directly impact future educational opportunities for eligible recipients. On August 2, 2017, the [...]
New York Times: With Rare Unanimity, Senate Sends G.I. Bill Expansion to Trump
This article is about legislation we spearheaded and features one of the students we assisted. WASHINGTON — Caleb Bennett was days away from starting the final semester of an associate degree at ITT Technical Institute [...]
Politico: Congress passes $3B expansion of GI Bill education benefits
The Senate signed off Wednesday on a sweeping expansion of GI Bill education benefits, sending the bipartisan legislation dubbed the "Forever GI Bill" to President Donald Trump’s desk. The bill, which would increase veterans benefits [...]
Stars & Stripes: Senate sends ‘Forever GI Bill’ to Trump’s desk
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation Wednesday that veteran advocates are describing as the largest expansion of veterans education benefits in a decade. With senators’ unanimous consent, the bill moves to President Donald Trump’s desk [...]
Military Times: New GI Bill passes Senate
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have unanimously passed legislation to make major changes to education benefits for military veterans. Now all that’s left is for President Trump to sign it into law — and the White [...]
New York Times: With Rare Unanimity, Senate Sends G.I. Bill Expansion to Trump
WASHINGTON — Caleb Bennett was days away from starting the final semester of an associate degree at ITT Technical Institute outside Indianapolis last fall when he got word that the school had unexpectedly gone belly [...]
Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) Meets with Defrauded Illinois Veterans, Hears How Some Colleges Target GI Bill with Consumer Fraud and Dishonorable Practices
https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/892853535485964288 https://twitter.com/GiBillRights/status/892852564294807556
Media Matters: Newspapers reveal human costs of Betsy DeVos’ abandoning defrauded students
AP: DeVos has not approved a single application for debt relief from 65,000 defrauded students. The Associated Press reported July 26 that the Education Department, led by Secretary Betsy DeVos, has not approved a single application for [...]
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 [...]
Dallas Morning News: For-Profit College Rules Get Reset by U.S. Department of Education, and it Starts in University Park
Last month, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put the brakes on two Obama-era regulations designed to protect student borrowers at for-profit colleges, saying it was “time for a regulatory reset.” That reset started [...]
Buzzfeed News: Colleges All Across The US Are Closing At An Accelerated Rate
More than 5% of American colleges closed or stopped being able to take federal financial aid last year. That's a significant increase from previous years and a sign of the sharp decline of the for-profit [...]
Inside Higher Ed: House Committee Moves Ahead on Ambitious Expansion of the GI Bill
Testifying before the House of Representatives veterans' affairs committee Monday, Will Hubbard, the vice president of government affairs at Student Veterans of America, said if student veterans sat down to write an update to the [...]
DIIHE: Veterans Groups’ Objective: Defend Educational Protections
After hearing that the Trump Administration is taking action to decrease students’ rights and protections, 33 veterans and military service organizations have been voicing their concerns of how badly these actions will harm veterans and their families.
Politico Morning Education: Restoration of Veterans Benefits for Corinthian, ITT Students Will Be Added to GI Bill Expansion Deal
THE FOR-PROFIT-COLLEGE-CHIEF-TURNED-CONGRESSMAN WHO’S FIGHTING FOR BETTER STUDENT DATA: Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) might be new to Congress this year, but he’s no novice when it comes to the political battles over for-profit colleges that are flaring again as [...]
NPR Marketplace Morning Report: Large GI Bill Expansion Provides a Big Boost for Veterans’ Education (radio interview)
House lawmakers yesterday announced bipartisan agreement on legislation to boost college aid for veterans. If passed, it would be the largest expansion of the GI Bill in nearly a decade.
Indianapolis NewsChannel 8: Veterans Await Help After ITT Tech Shutdown
WASHINGTON (WISH) -- When Carmel-based ITT Technical Institute shut down, thousands of the students impacted were veterans. Classes just stopped, and few other schools would accept their credits. Many veterans had spent their GI Bill education [...]
Christian Science Monitor: Students Caught in the Middle of For-Profit College Debate Ask, “What Now?”
On Sept. 6, 2016, Kevin Thompson switched on his car radio to the news that ITT Technical Institute was permanently closing its campuses nationwide. The Navy veteran was then 10 months into an 18-month bachelor’s program [...]
Associated Press: Lawmakers Reach Initial Deal to Expand GI Education Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans and Democrats unveiled legislation Thursday that would provide the biggest expansion of college aid for military veterans in a decade, removing a 15-year time limit to tap into benefits and [...]
Ed. Dept. Hearings | Cancel and Revise Student Protections: Testimony of Navy veteran Kevin Thompson
I am E-6/AWO1 (Ret) Kevin Thompson, I have served in the US Navy for 20 years, have over 3,500 flight hours, multiple tours to the gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield, OEF and OIF [...]
Greensboro News & Record: Opinion: Debt But No Degree
The Trump administration set out to reverse federal regulations developed by its predecessor, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is following that directive. Last month, she froze a rule that would help students get out of [...]
Los Angeles Times: It’s Betsy DeVos’ Job to Protect Students From Predatory For-Profit Colleges. She Should Do It
Given Donald Trump's frequent campaign promises to wipe out "job killing" regulations on Day One, no one should be surprised that the Trump administration is going after federal safeguards that protect consumers at the expense [...]
USA Today: Trump Administration Begins Re-Writing For-Profit Regulations
THE TRUMP administration on Monday began the process of overhauling Obama-era regulations meant to protect federal student loan borrowers, mainly from for-profit colleges, and to provide relief to students defrauded by them. Secretary of Education [...]
New York Times: A Bipartisan Congress That Works? Veterans Committees Show How Its Done
WASHINGTON — Magnanimous hearings. Bipartisan votes. Substantial legislation on its way to becoming law. This is Congress? Something strange is happening in the staid hearing rooms of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees here [...]
Akron Beacon Journal: Protect Students From Predatory For-Profit Colleges
The for-profit college industry has an ally in the federal Department of Education. The businesses would like few things better than the rewrite, or rejection, of two regulations crafted by the Obama White House. Betsy [...]
Boston Globe: Fighting Back Against For-Profit Universities
When Stephano Del Rose enrolled in the New England Institute of Art in Brookline, he had bold dreams of a future in Web design and filmmaking. Lured by promises of cutting-edge digital equipment, internships, and [...]
Politico: 18 States Sue DeVos Over Delay of Student Loan Protections
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia filed suit against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday over her delay of regulations meant to protect federal student loan borrowers defrauded by their schools. The lawsuit filed in Federal [...]
Dallas Morning News: For-Profit College Rules Get Reset by U.S. Department of Education, and It Starts in University Park
Last month, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put the brakes on two Obama-era regulations designed to protect student borrowers at for-profit colleges, saying it was “time for a regulatory reset.” That reset started [...]
The Leslie Marshall Radio Show: GI Bill Expansion (interview at minute 19:25, and photos here).
Our guest host during this hour is Maggie Thompson of 'Generation Progress', a national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges. (On Twitter: @maggiekthompson)
New York Times: DeVos is Discarding College Policies that New Evidence Shows Are Effective
In June, the secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, announced plans to dismantle a set of Obama-era policies devised to protect students and taxpayers from predatory for-profit colleges. Yet data released in the final days of [...]
Associated Press: Promised College Loan Forgiveness, Borrowers Wait and Wait
BOSTON (AP) — Danielle Ramos’ student-debt nightmare was supposed to be over. Like thousands of others who studied at failed for-profit colleges, she was promised by the U.S. Education Department under President Barack Obama that [...]
ABA Journal: Charlotte School of Law Receives State License Restrictions; Some Say End May Be Near
Charlotte School of Law is not in compliance with state standards regarding financial resources, planning or stability, according to the University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors committee, which handles state authorization and licensure for [...]
New York Times: U.S. Halts New Rules Aimed at Abuses by For-Profit Schools
The Trump administration is formally reconsidering — and may dismantle — two new rules that were a cornerstone of the Obama administration’s crackdown on predatory for-profit colleges. The announcement by the Education Department on Wednesday [...]
New York Times: U.S. Halts New Rules Aimed at Abuses by For-Profit Schools
The Trump administration is formally reconsidering — and may dismantle — two new rules that were a cornerstone of the Obama administration’s crackdown on predatory for-profit colleges. The announcement by the Education Department on Wednesday [...]
New York Times: Ending the Curse of Remedial Math
Can you simplify this square root?” Erica Fells asks her class, and hands wave in the air. All but one of the students believe that it’s impossible to do so. The dissenter, Leslie Alcantara, lays [...]
Harvard Law School Legal Services Center: Court Orders Department of Education to Consider Student Loan Relief Application, Calling Request for Further Delay “Frivolous and in Bad Faith”
The United States District Court for the Central District of California issued an Order today that directs the Department of Education to rule on the loan relief application of a former Corinthian student that has been pending [...]
USA Today: Feds Halt Alleged Student Loan Debt Relief Scam
Federal investigators have halted an alleged student loan debt relief scam that bilked more than $11 million from consumers nationwide. Strategic Student Solutions and several related companies falsely promised to reduce or eliminate student loan [...]
Stars & Stripes: Feuding Veterans’ Groups Find Agreement on Four Proposed Changes to the GI Bill
WASHINGTON — After their public disagreement stalled a congressional hearing last month, 35 veterans groups came together Thursday in Washington to reach some consensus on changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and restart their activity [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Advocates Prod Stanford for Better Treatment of Student Veterans
Stanford University is amon