We push for high quality and integrity for colleges and accreditors, and we expose lax accreditors.
OUR WORK
We submitted a formal “Third Party Comment” regarding the accreditor ACICS to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
We ask you to please review the following two letters regarding ACICS. The concerns of Veterans and Military Service Organizations regarding ACICS still stand:
Opening a Dangerous Floodgate: A Former For-Profit College Executive Says the Education Department Shouldn’t Weaken College Oversight
Thomas Corbett, a former for-profit college executive, speaks out against plans by the U.S. Department of Education to weaken requirements for oversight of college quality.
Advice for Accreditors
Recruiting practices by institutions of higher learning is an area fraught with deceptive and misleading practices, due to a number of competing incentives. While veteran recruiting practices differ from civilian recruiting in some respects – [...]
Press Release: Veterans Education Success Finds ACICS-Approved Schools Remain Among Nation’s Worst
October 12, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | (202) 838-5050 Veterans Education Success Finds ACICS-Approved Schools Remain Among Nation’s Worst Discredited agency receives failing marks after temporary reinstatement; Students continue to fare worse [...]
Student Outcomes at Colleges Approved by the Accreditor ACICS
Veterans Education Success analyzed the most recent U.S. Department of Education (Department) data to determine student outcomes at the approximately 100 schools still accredited by the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS [...]
Our Letter Requesting Oversight of For-Profit College Conversions
VES public comment regarding oversight of college accreditors to US Education Department's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity
30 Veterans and Military Organizations Ask the Education Department Not to Reinstate ACICS
30 Veterans and Military Service Organizations ask the Education Department not to reinstate Accredited Council for Independent Colleges and Schools https://vetsedsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/feb-2018-acics-vso-letter.pdf
Our 2nd Submission to Ashford’s Accreditor
In Februrary 2018, VES submitted additional information to Ashford's accreditor.
2021 Education Department Hearings
We mobilized individual veterans and veterans leaders to testify at the Education Department’s public hearings in 2021 about key accountability and quality issues in higher education.
- Testimony of William Hubbard, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here; photo here)
- Formal Written Submission by Veterans Education Success
- Testimony of Wesley Wilson, Higher Ground Veterans Advocacy (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Nicole Wilson (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Patricia Chang (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Jarrod Thoma (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Chris Wolfla (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Antonio Luna (written testimony here; photo here)
2018 PUBLIC HEARINGS ON EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S RULES ON INTEGRITY AND QUALITY STANDARDS FOR COLLEGES
September 2018
- Public comment from 28 veterans and military service organizations urging the Department to maintain strong integrity rules against waste, fraud, and abuse, and to expand competency-based education (Sept. 14, 2018)
- Public Comment by VES against the Education Department’s proposal to completely rescind the requirement that career college programs meet minimum Gainful Employment metrics (Sept. 13, 2018)
- Find out which colleges “fail” the minimum gainful employment standards:
- Visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/node/274, then click on “Download the debt-to-earnings data spreadsheet,” then filter the column that has PASS/FAIL/ZONE in it to show the failing programs.
- Find out which colleges “fail” the minimum gainful employment standards:
- Testimony at Education Department public hearings:
Washington, DC (Sept. 6, 2018)
- Testimony of VES Vice President Tanya Ang (photo here) (video here)
- Testimony of Army veteran Jarrod Thoma (video and tweets here)
- Testimony of military spouse Mindy Thoma (video and tweets here)
New Orleans, Louisiana (Sept. 11, 2018)
- Testimony of VES Director of Military and Consumer Policy Director Mike Saunders (photo and tweet here; video tweet here)
- Testimony of Army Sgt Renee Seruntine (video and tweets here)
Sturtevant, Wisconsin (Sept. 13, 2018)
- Testimony by Veterans Education Success (video and tweets here)
June 2018
Today, 28 veterans and military service organizations filed a public comment urging the Education Department to maintain strong integrity rules against waste, fraud, and abuse, and to expand competency-based education. #VetsEdSuccess https://t.co/MHGearGLZh pic.twitter.com/0MQSvbbxa7
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) September 14, 2018
OUR LETTERS TO ACCREDITORS
Our legal team provides submissions to college accreditors, documenting our findings about specific colleges, including our research findings, student veteran complaints, and whistleblower concerns.
- Our Third Party Comment to Higher Learning Commission regarding University of Phoenix | Nov. 2018
- Our memo outlining HLC’s standards and the ways UOP has violated those standards
- Yale Law School memo describing hundreds of student veteran complaints received by us
- Affidavit from Veterans Education Success President Wofford regarding the concerns expressed by, and documents received from, four UOP whistleblowers
- Letter from a UOP whistleblower sharing concerns
- Our Third Party Comment to WASC Senior College and University Commission regarding Ashford University | Dec. 20, 2017
- Our Submission of Additional Information to Ashford’s Accreditor| Feb. 22, 2018