Veterans face hidden dangers in online learning By Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2024-10-15/veterans-face-dangers-online-learning-15516752.html Source – Stars and Stripes
"As veterans transition from military service to civilian life, higher education is the most common steppingstone to new career opportunities. The GI Bill and other educational benefits are designed to support this transition, offering veterans [...]
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 [...]
‘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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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,” [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans and COVID-19
"What you’re seeing within this population is similar to what you’re seeing in other student populations, especially for post-traditional students," said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success. Read the full story by Inside [...]
Chicago Sun Times: He’s fought for his country in the Army and FBI. Now, he’s fighting for himself, other vets.
Aniela Szymanski, senior director for legal affairs and military policy with Veterans Education Success, says vets should be able to use benefits from both GI Bills if their service qualifies them. “I don’t understand, from [...]
Chicago Sun Times: “GI Bill snafus still keeping veterans from tapping benefits to pay for their kids’ college.”
But for veterans’ families, “The consequences are huge,” says Aniela Szymanski, senior director for legal affairs and military policy for Veterans Education Success, a not-for-profit that helps vets. For some vets, serving longer so they [...]
Stars & Stripes: VA has lost GIBill.com rights, and some worry it could prompt scammers to target student vets
Some lawmakers and advocates are urging the VA to get the website back because they are worried the status of the site could prompt a group to try again to take advantage of student veterans. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
NPR: Trump Administration Clears For-Profit Colleges To Register Veterans Again
"The law says the secretary shall not approve GI bill enrollment at schools that use deceptive recruiting," says Carrie Wofford with Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. "It feels like yet another blow to veterans [...]
Inside Higher Ed: House Panel Advances Dems’ Education Spending Plan
"Veterans and military service organizations have named closing the 90-10 loophole as their top priority in higher education. We are pleased to see House Appropriators heeding the call of veterans and military service organizations. We [...]
Public News Service: VA Says Predatory Colleges Can Accept GI Bill Students
Ang says lawmakers have been active in their support of more oversight of for-profit colleges. "We have worked really hard with both sides of the aisle to find a bipartisan bill that would protect military-connected [...]
Video: Tasha Berkhalter’s Story
Hometown Stations TV Interview: "Tasha Berkhalter has traveled to Washington D.C. and been interviewed by big-city media in her mission to get veterans education that they need at no cost."
Public News Service: V.A. Green-lights Use of G.I. Bill Funds for Predatory Colleges
The move comes just a few months after the agency warned the schools they would be cut off from access to GI Bill benefits if they continued to use false data and predatory tactics aimed [...]
New York Times: The Students Are Victims of Fraud, but the Government Won’t Help
But the response received by David Boyer, a former ITT student, is more typical. It included a long list of evidence the agency said it had considered, including submissions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, [...]
Marine Corps Times: VA clears 5 schools to keep enrolling GI Bill students
But a veterans’ advocacy group says the VA’s decision amounts to an attempt to “ignore federal law in order to protect predatory colleges.” “The only winners today are the schools that used their money and [...]
Forbes: Veterans’ Group Slams Trump For Giving Predatory Schools A Pass
Veterans’ groups immediately slammed the decision. “The only winners today are the schools that used their money and political influence to evade the law and harm veterans,” said Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success, a veteran advocacy organization. “The GI Bill statute specifically [...]
Politico’s Morning Ed: Trump Administration: Reopen your Campuses or Lose Your International students
“The only winners today are the schools that used their money and political influence to evade the law and harm veterans,” said Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford. “We appreciate the staff at Veterans Benefits [...]
Inside Higher Ed: VA Drops Allegations Against Temple, Phoenix and Others
But Tanya Ang, vice president of the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, called the decision “disappointing at best, but not surprising given how much money and political power these schools have. Yet again, those who [...]
Connecting Vets: VA lifts GI Bill suspensions for colleges accused of ‘deceptive’ enrollment practices
As VA moves to lift those restrictions, advocates are arguing it could be entering murky legal waters. New students can again use GI Bill benefits to enroll at the five schools -- worth a potential [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Politico Morning Ed: GOP proposes suspending federal student loan payments, extending new powers for school waivers
CONGRESS PASSES COVID-19 FIX FOR GI BILL AND OTHER VA-FUNDED STUDENTS: The House passed the legislation, S. 3503 (116), Thursday by unanimous consent following Senate passage by voice vote on Monday. — “We are relieved military-connected students [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Maryland Closes 90-10 Loophole
“This groundbreaking legislation makes Maryland the first in the nation to stand up for veterans and stop predatory schools from cheating them out of their hard-earned GI Bill,” said Ramond Curtis, state policy manager for [...]
Education Dive: Maryland could be the first state to close a loophole on federal aid to for-profit colleges
Maryland's bill intends to pose new limits on for-profit schools by forcing them to include military and veteran benefits when determining how much federal aid they rely on for revenue. Many large for-profit chains, such [...]
Military Times: GI Bill benefits to continue despite college coronavirus closings after emergency fix rushes through Congress
“Today, military connected students are free from the burden of worry with their housing allowance and can concentrate on protecting their families and community,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success. “We are [...]
Washington Post: Veterans’ advocates urge Congress to protect GI Bill benefits as colleges move classes online
“We don’t want veterans on the street,” said Tanya Ang, vice president of Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. “They should know that the benefits they worked so hard for will be protected in times [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Will Trump’s Promise Really Help Borrowers?
But Mike Saunders, director of military and consumer policy for Veterans Education Success, said Education Department lawyers may feel bound by law to not allow interest to be waived. And Morabito, the department’s spokeswoman, didn’t [...]
Inside Higher Ed: More Help for Borrowers
Mike Saunders, director of military and consumer policy at Veterans Education Success, said waiving interest will only marginally help student borrowers. "We call on President Trump to ensure borrowers, as well as all Americans, have [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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: 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
Sacramento Bee: Veterans Affairs Moves to Strip California’s Power in Fight Over For-Profit Schools
“It’s hard to argue that the VA has the interests of veterans and taxpayers at heart when it allows things like Thomas Jefferson. Why would they rescind these actions?” said Walter Ochinko, research director for [...]
Military Times: VA Concedes its Debt Collection Systems Leave Veterans Confused, Frustrated
Officials from Veterans Education Success said one in four recipients of GI Bill benefits face some [sic] time of overpayment-related debt. Read the full article by Military Times, "VA Concedes its Debt Collection Systems Leave [...]
LAist: The Trump Administration Is Canceling California’s GI Bill Approval Power, But The State Is Fighting Back
But Carrie Wofford questions whether federal regulators can effectively oversee the entire college and university system in the state of California. "It's somewhat unrealistic," she said. "How is the VA sitting in Washington going to [...]
Politico Morning Education: Veterans Education Success is Out with Two Reports
Veterans Education Success this week released two new reports about federal and state oversight of colleges receiving GI Bill funding: "Overemphasis on Payment Accuracy Impedes More Effective SAA Oversight of Schools Participating in the GI Bill" [...]
The Scribe: Presidential Memorandum Streamlines Student Loan Forgiveness for Disabled Veterans
"Veterans Education Success, a non-partisan advocacy group for student veterans, outlined in a letter written to the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, the unfairness of making veterans with a total disability classification to complete paperwork [...]
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Proposed Amendment Scrutinizes For-Profit Schools Targeting Veterans
The 90/10 rule is supposed to be a “market test,” says Tanya Ang, policy and outreach director at Veterans Education Success, because a reputable school should be able to attract some non-government funds. For example, [...]
Comstock’s Magazine: Lobbying Blitz Stymies California’s Crackdown on For-Profit Schools
Ramond Curtis, the state policy manager for the advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said he felt outgunned. His group supported Assembly Bill 1343 by Asm. Susan Eggman, aimed at closing a loophole in federal law that [...]
Politico: Trump Administration Strips CalVet Regulation of For-Profit Colleges
Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, characterized VA's move as another instance of finger-pointing between Washington and California. "All they've been doing is fighting with each other," she said in an interview. "There's going [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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: [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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,' [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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: 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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: 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 [...]
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 among the world's wealthiest educational institutions, with an endowment north of $22 billion. Which made it all the more disturbing to Adam Behrendt that the university appeared to be shortchanging undergraduate veterans like [...]
New York Times: U.S. Crackdown on For-Profit Schools Is Said to Go Idle
The Education Department’s sweeping crackdown on fraudulent practices at for- profit colleges has stalled under the Trump administration’s appointees, several current and former department employees say. Current and former employees, who requested anonymity for fear [...]
Blue Voter Red State Blog: Kaplan Cheats Veterans and Uses Veterans to Cheat the Government
The reason I started blogging about the Purdue-Kaplan deal is that it’s so confusing. When I first learned about it, it’s like my brain just said, “Huh? . . . Better think about something else [...]
PJ Media: Veterans Groups Fear CFPB Gutting Will Harm Service Members
WASHINGTON -- Consumer advocates were furious Thursday after the House Financial Services Committee advanced legislation that would effectively dismantle an agency responsible for policing deceptive financial practices in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse.
The College Voice: Marketing or Merit? Campus Vets Like Services, but Questions Surround Source of #1 “Military Friendly” Ranking
An article in Mercer’s December 2016 issue of the Viking newsletter explained how the college had “been named the number one military-friendly school among all two-year collegesin the nation by Victory Media, a provider of informational resource material [...]
Trib Live: GI Bill a ‘Cash Cow’ for Some Pennsylvania Schools
Federal records show that from 2011 to 2016, the for-profit school that graduates just 3.6 percent of enrolled veterans reaped $65 million through the Post-9/11 GI Bill — making it the largest recipient of money [...]
USA Today: Loosening of For-Profit School Rules Worries Student Advocates
Concerned that for-profit schools that don't deliver on promises may come roaring back under President Trump, advocates for students, teachers and veterans urged Congress this week to refrain from rolling back regulations enforcing the industry.
Huffington Post Hillbilly Irony: The GOP’s Embrace of the For-Profit College Industry Clashes with their Bootstraps Myth
It’s unusual for a book to make it onto everybody’s recommended reading list. JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy, which relates his journey from distressed Middletown, Ohio to Yale Law school and Silicon Valley, is like the [...]
Economic Policy Institute: Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy (panel discussion)
In Lower Ed Tressie McMillan Cottom—herself once a recruiter at two for-profit colleges—expertly parses the fraught dynamics of this big-money industry to show precisely how it is part and parcel of the growing inequality plaguing the country [...]
Politico: Veterans Groups Request Changes from University of Phoenix
VETERANS GROUPS REQUEST CHANGES FROM UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX: A group of investors with ties to the Obama administration has completed their purchase of the University of Phoenix’s parent company, as Michael Stratford reported this week. [...]
Colorado Independent Veterans Feel Ripped Off by Colorado For-Profit College
Mark Glogouski has a bad heart. He relies on a pacemaker and defibrillator to keep it pumping. His doctors have repeatedly told him to avoid heavy labor if he wants to stay alive. So Glogouski, [...]
Here Are the Programs That Failed the Gainful-Employment Rule
For the first time, U.S. Department of Education on Monday released the names of programs and institutions that failed accountability standards for the new gainful-employment rule. Over 800 programs that failed the department’s standards risk losing federal [...]
Washington Post: Former Students Fight for a Stake in ITT Tech Bankruptcy
Veterans Education Success worked to help several hundred ITT Tech student veterans file claims in the ITT Tech bankruptcy. And we offered support to Harvard Law School as they represented the students in a "class" [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Bill Seeks to Guarantee Veterans Are Career-Ready
Last week's U.S. Senate-approved spending bill contained a provision that seeks to block student veterans from using their GI Bill benefits on career programs that won't help them land a job. The Career Ready Student [...]
Government Executive: Evidence-Based Policy Proponents Face Cost, Privacy, Political Hurdles
After three initial meetings, early hints are beginning to emerge on what may eventually become a package of recommendations from the congressionally authorized Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.
Washington Post: DeVry voluntarily dials back revenue from federal student aid
DeVry Education Group, one of the largest operators of for-profit colleges, said Tuesday that it will limit the amount of revenue it receives from federal student aid, including veterans and military tuition assistance, getting in front of a [...]
Washington Post: Everything ITT Tech students need to know now that the for-profit school has closed
The abrupt closure of ITT Technical Institutes on Tuesday left 35,000 students without degrees that many took on debt to complete. None of the options available to those students are simple and each comes with its [...]
New York Times: Downfall of ITT Technical Institutes Was a Long Time in the Making
Doors were bolted shut and parking lots emptied at ITT Technical Institutes around the country this week after the chain of for-profit colleges announced it was closing for good. At some campuses, though, this was [...]
Stars and Stripes: Troubled for-profit ITT Tech Institute closes its doors on thousands of student veterans
SAN ANTONIO — ITT Technical Institute said Tuesday it was immediately closing all campuses, more than 130 in all, throwing into doubt the future education of thousands of student veterans attending there. The troubled for-profit [...]
New York Times: Crackdown on For-Profit Colleges May Free Students and Trap Taxpayers
The Obama administration’s decision to bar ITT Educational Services, one of the nation’s largest operators of for-profit colleges, from using federal financial aid to enroll new students shuts off the cash spigot to the troubled [...]
Huffington Post: For A Day, Broke Students Win
In a world of mass shootings, Brexit, and a looming dramatic presidential election, the deliberations of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity would hardly seem to matter. But, yesterday, it did.
Inside Higher Ed: Fighting Access for For-Profits
Some for-profit institutions say they just wanted face-to-face access to their students on military bases like other traditional colleges that operate there. But veterans' groups and some Democratic senators are upset by a provision approved [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Weighing For-Profits’ Access to Military Bases
Nine states are now opposing an amendment the U.S. Congress is considering that would open up for-profit colleges' access to military bases. The amendment, proposed by West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, in the U.S. [...]
Politico: Vets Graduation Rates Get Attention
VETS’ GRADUATION RATES GET ATTENTION: Ponder this figure ahead of Memorial Day weekend: The federal government has provided $62.4 billion for nearly 1.6 million veterans and their families to go to college since the post-9/11 [...]
ProPolitico: Veterans groups slam amendment enabling easier access to military bases for-profit schools
Several veterans' groups want Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain and Sen. Joe Manchin to strip out an amendment from a defense policy bill that would enable for-profit colleges to gain easier access to military [...]
HuffPost Politics: Veterans Groups Oppose Manchin Amendment Giving For-Profit Colleges Unfettered Access to Military Bases
Just as America’s veterans organization are coming together to demand better government protection against deceptive and abusive practices by for-profit colleges, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) seems to want to move in the opposite direction, pushing [...]
Politico: Veterans groups slam amendment enabling easier access to military bases for-profit schools
Several veterans' groups want Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain and Sen. Joe Manchin to strip out an amendment from a defense policy bill that would enable for-profit colleges to gain easier access to military [...]
New York Times: Veterans Groups Seek a Crackdown on Deceptive Colleges
WASHINGTON — Some of the nation’s largest veterans and military organizations sent letters last week to the Veterans Affairs Department asking it to crack down on colleges that prey on veterans by charging exorbitant fees for degrees that mostly fail to deliver promised skills and jobs.
Military.com: Bill Would End Tax Penalty on Vets With Forgiven Student Loans
Permanently disabled veterans or survivors of veterans who have their student debt forgiven would avoid taxes on the "income" under legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. By law, forgiven student debt is counted as income by [...]
Yale Law School: Vets Clinic Highlights Need to Protect Veterans from Predatory Colleges
Senator Richard Blumenthal ’73 and the advocacy group Veterans Education Success have called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to act against the deceptive recruitment of veterans by predatory colleges citing a recent legal [...]
Buzzfeed News: Students Ripped Off By For-Profit Colleges Discover They Can’t Sue
Jacob was promised a lot by UEI College, a for-profit technical school in California. They told him he’d get hands-on training, a qualified faculty, state-of-the art technology, and preparation for the certification exam he’d need [...]
Politico: GI Bill Funds Still Flow to Troubled For-Profit Colleges
The Obama administration's crackdown on for-profit colleges has escaped the notice of one federal agency with an already poor management record: The Veterans Affairs Department takes little or no action when these colleges are punished [...]
Republic Report: Students Testify: For-Profit Colleges Stole Our Futures
After six years of engagement on the issue of America’s predatory for-profit colleges, I feel I’ve seen it all — every kind of account of students deceived and abused by cynical college operators who have taken billions [...]
U.S. News & World Report: 3 Steps to Take Before Using GI Bill Benefits at For-Profit Colleges
Sarah Serrano, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, got off to a rocky start when it came to pursuing a college degree. "Over the past 10 years, I have come and gone at University [...]
Media Matters: The Wall Street Journal Praises For-Profit Colleges That Prey On Veterans
Federal law allows for-profit colleges to access more federal funding by enrolling large numbers of military veterans, despite evidence that many of these schools do not prepare their students for the job market. In recent [...]
The Bulletin: With GI Bill Veterans Still Accrue Student Debt
Despite the generous benefits of the latest GI Bill, military veterans attending college are taking out substantial student loans, raising concerns among veterans’ organizations that they are unnecessarily diving into debt.
Military.com: Generous GI Bill Isn’t Keeping Veterans Out of Student Loan Debt
Despite the generous benefits of the latest GI Bill, military veterans attending college are taking out substantial student loans, raising concerns among veterans' organizations that they are unnecessarily diving into debt. For most veterans, the [...]
The Center for Investigative Reporting: University of Phoenix Probation Brings Calls for VA to Pull the Plug
Veterans groups today urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to follow the Defense Department’s lead in stemming the flow of federal education funds to the University of Phoenix, which was placed on probation this week by [...]
Phoenix New Times: Veterans Student Group Demand That University of Phoenix Drop Cardinals Stadium Sponsorship
A student advocate group for veterans is insisting that the University of Phoenix drop sponsorship of its namesake stadium in Glendale and spend the millions of dollars on educating students. The outcry comes at a [...]
The Center for Investigative Reporting: Defense Department Now Reviewing University of Phoenix Recruiting
Pressure continues to mount on the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs amid widening concern about the quality of education at for-profit colleges and unaccredited institutions, which together have siphoned billions of dollars in [...]
Fay Observer: Higher Education: Know the Pros and Cons of For-Profit Schools
Commercial schools have been around for centuries, providing training in fields such as accounting and construction that loftier educational institutions did not always offer. America’s first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller Sr., completed a course at [...]
Military Times: For-Profit Colleges: A Consumer’s Guide
Commercial schools have been around for centuries, providing training in fields like accounting and construction that loftier educational institutions did not always offer. America's first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller Sr., completed a course at one [...]
Center for Investigative Reporting: University of Phoenix Sidesteps Obama Order on Recruiting Veterans
Hundreds of soldiers and their families spread lawn chairs and blankets across the grassy parade ground at Fort Campbell, which straddles the state line between Tennessee and Kentucky. They’re here to see Big Smo, the [...]
Pittsburgh Business Times: EDMC, For-Profits Could Lose Major Funding Source Under Obama’s 2016 Budget Proposal
A proposal in President Barack Obama's 2016 budget that would close a loophole in G.I. Bill funding could spell trouble for for-profit education providers if approved by Congress.
Inside Higher Ed: Backed Into A Corner
As the Obama administration weighs public comment on its second proposal to more tightly regulate for-profit colleges, the industry is once again fighting in earnest to fend off the regulations.
U.S. News & World Report: Veterans Benefit From the ‘Power of the Pen’
CRITICS DERIDED AS “small stuff” President Obama’s announcement in his State of the Union address that he would focus less time on Congress (given its current ineffectiveness) and more time on his executive power, wielding the [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Following Student Veterans
Veterans and their families have a new website to use as they shop around for colleges and try to make sense of their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released the [...]
Stars and Stripes: Online complaints system will police colleges over GI Bill benefits
WASHINGTON — Federal officials on Thursday launched an online complaints system designed to root out colleges taking advantage of student veterans and their military education benefits. Complaints will be reviewed by the departments of Veterans [...]