1250 H Street NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005

 

January 7, 2020

 

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

(005R1C) VACO

Washington, DC 20420

Via email: [email protected]

 

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I request that a copy of the following documents be provided to Veterans Education Success:

  • Any and all records and communications Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) possesses regarding any meetings, interactions, emails, or other correspondence between VA and Career Education Corporation (CEC) or its subsidiaries American Intercontinental University and Colorado Technical University, or any other owner or representative acting on behalf of CEC or its owners, between January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2020.
  • Specifically, we seek records of interactions and communications pertaining to any actual or potential adverse actions (such as sanctions, suspensions, fines, preliminary findings from the FTC) by the VA, or any other federal agency, as well as any discussions regarding CEC schools’ eligibility for VA educational benefit programs. This includes interactions and communications with VA’s Office of General Counsel.

Veterans Education Success requests a waiver of all fees for this request. Disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operation of the government and is not primarily in our commercial interest as we are a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of military-connected students. The information sought would illuminate how the VA interacts with a company whose schools took in more than $60 million in GI Bill funds in FY18, and this information would help the public understand better how the VA administers education benefits.[1]

If the waiver of fees is not granted and fees exceed $25, please contact me immediately. If you need to discuss this request, you can reach me at (702) 234-5956, or by email at [email protected]  Thank you for your consideration of our request.

 

Sincerely,

Aniela K. Szymanski

Senior Director of Legal Affairs

 

[1] Durbin, Takano: VA Must Protect Veteran Students In Wake Of FTC Settlements With For-Profit Colleges, Office of Senator Dick Durbin (Dec. 20, 2019), https://bit.ly/39xjF3o.

 

VES FOIA CEC