We push VA to protect veterans from colleges’ deceptive recruiting. We helped bring to VA’s attention a Vietnam-era statute, 38 USC 3696, that requires VA to cut off GI Bill funding to schools that engage in deceptive recruiting, and in 2020 we strengthened that statute to cover 21st-century advertising methods and lead generator companies and by requiring VA to act within strict timelines and ensure students are protected.
OUR WORK
Yale Law School: VA’s Failure to Protect Veterans from Deceptive College Recruiting Practices
In 2015 and 2016, Veterans Education Success contracted with Yale Law School's Veterans Legal Clinic to analyze VA's failure to adhere to a federal statute. This analysis proceeds in two parts. First, it explains the [...]
Our Statement for the Record: Senate Hearing on Career Ready Student Veterans Act
Veterans Education Success (VES) appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective on the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act (S. 1938). VES is a non-profit organization focused on protecting the integrity and promise of the GI Bill [...]
Our Statement for the Record: House Hearing on Career Ready Student Veterans Act
Veterans Education Success (VES) appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective on the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act (H.R. 2360). VES is a non-profit organization focused on protecting the integrity and promise of the GI Bill [...]
The Corinthian Sale: Lessons Learned & Dealing With Future Challenges
The February 2015 sale of about half of Corinthian campuses to Zenith Education Group—a brand-new subsidiary of the student loan guaranty agency and debt collector ECMC—provides an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned and prepare [...]
Why For-Profit Schools are Targeting Veterans Education Benefits
Why For-Profit Schools are Targeting Veterans Education Benefits “We’ve got to make sure you’ve got every tool you need to make an informed decision when it comes to picking a school…. Right now, it’s not [...]
Former DeVry military recruiter/whistleblower testimony
Chris Neiweem, a former DeVry military recruiter, testified before the US Senate Committee on Defense Appropriations for its hearing on the Defense Department's Voluntary Education programs. The full hearing link is here (https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/hearing-on-voluntary-military-education-programs) Chris Neiweem's [...]
MORE NEWS & INFO
.@VetAffairsOIG audit report says @VAVetBenefits is failing to properly regulate State Approving Agencies (SAAs) and without significant change billions of tax dollars meant for veteran education/reintegration will be wasted. https://t.co/IiVCK4xHe4 pic.twitter.com/GqY8FdGutl
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) December 4, 2018
- VA’s policy advisory to State Approving Agencies to not change a school’s approval based on accreditor probations and other interim government actions (Aug. 30, 2018)
- VA’s 2018 agreement with US Federal Trade Commission (updating its 2015 agreement with US Federal Trade Commission)
- FTC’s response to FOIA request for documents regarding any school recruiting activities referred for review by VA to FTC under the agreement (Nov. 14, 2018)
- Letter to the US Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 23 veterans and military organizations, led by VES, demanding VA adherence to the law and better oversight of college recruiting and protection for veterans from deceptive recruiting (May 16, 2016)
- New York Times coverage: Veterans Groups Seek a Crackdown on Deceptive Colleges (May 21, 2016)
- Report by Yale Law School, with VES (and commissioned by VES) outlining VA’s obligations under the law: “VA’s Failure to Protect Veterans from Deceptive College Recruiting Practices” (2016)
SPECIFIC SCHOOLS
We stand up for student veterans who were ripped off by predatory bad-actor schools.
Ashford University
Veterans Education Success is closely monitoring Ashford University’s attempts to maintain GI Bill access in light of Ashford’s significant consumer fraud against students and attempts to deceive VA:
- 2021 Update | February 2, 2021
- Decision of the US Federal Circuit Court to Dismiss Ashford University’s Lawsuit against VA | March 3, 2020
- California’s assertion of authority to continue approving and disapproving schools, regardless of VA’s suspension | Sept. 10, 2019
- VA’s suspension of California as a State Approving Agency, based in part on California’s refusal to act on Ashford and California’s disapprovals of other schools | Sept. 6, 2019
- California’s response to VA’s letter requiring it to act on Ashford’s application | Jan. 15, 2019
- VA’s letter to California requiring it to act on Ashford’s application | Jan. 2, 2019
- California declines to act on Ashford’s second request for approval to serve GI Bill students | Dec. 14, 2018
- Ashford petitions US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for an extension of time to file a motion while negotiations with VA continue over state approval | Dec. 7, 2018
- VA’s letter to California regarding its contract performance and disagreements with California’s disapprovals of some schools | Aug. 24, 2018
- California response to VES’ FOIA request showing US Department of Veterans Affairs employees who have a conflict of interest because they are also on payroll at Ashford | April 4, 2018
- California declines to act on Ashford’s request for approval to serve GI Bill students | Feb. 21, 2018
- California Attorney General sues Ashford for deceptive recruiting and marketing and abuses of students in financial products | Nov. 29, 2017
- Ashford sues VA | Nov. 21, 2017
- Senators’ Letter urging Defense Secretary Mattis to warn Servicemembers attending Ashford and to cease new enrollments | Nov. 21, 2017
- Senators’ Letter urging VA Secretary Shulkin to warn GI Bill students attending Ashford | Nov. 21, 2017
- Student Veterans of America cautions students about continued enrollment at Ashford University | Nov. 20, 2017
- VA Announces Potential Probation of Ashford | Nov. 9, 2017
- VA Letter to Ashford Denying Arizona as “main campus” | Nov. 9, 2017
- VA Notice to GI Bill Students at Ashford | Nov. 9, 2017
- VES Report: Ashford’s Fight to Maintain GI Bill Access Raises Questions about the Enforcement and the Adequacy of Statutory Requirements | Nov. 9, 2017
- VES Compilation of a Sampling of Ashford Student Veteran Complaints
- Chronicle of Higher Education expose: “Inside the Scramble to Save Ashford U: How Political Maneuvering Kept GI Bill Funds Flowing to a For-Profit University” | Nov. 9, 2017
- Bridgepoint Company response to VA action | Nov. 9, 2017
- Bridgepoint SEC filing | Nov. 14, 2017
- VA Letter to Ashford re: Iowa and Arizona facility codes | Sept. 13, 2017
- VA Letter to Arizona SAA denying approval of Ashford | Aug. 3, 2017
- VA Letter to Arizona SAA continuing to deny approval of Ashford | Aug. 17, 2017
- Arizona SAA approval of Ashford | July 6, 2017 | and VA’s response
- Arizona’s Application Form for an Out of State License | Arizona’s licensure procedure and requirements
- VA Alert to Students: Ashford University Update — You can continue to attend Ashford beyond August 16th | Aug. 4, 2017
- Ashford e-mail to students | July 26, 2017
- VA Alert to Students: Critical Information for Students Attending Ashford University on the GI Bill | July 20, 2017
- Iowa District Court Rejects Ashford University’s Claims, Effectively Pushing it Out of GI Bill | July 17, 2017
- VA Alert to Students: Information for Students Attending Ashford University on the GI Bill | June 6, 2016
- Ashford CA SAA Application | table of contents
- 2015 Consent Order by US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for Ashford’s deceiving students about its institutional loan scheme
American InterContinental, Colorado Tech, and Trident – owned by Perdoceo (formerly Career Ed Corporation)
- 2021 Update (February 2021)
- 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 (March 2020)
ECPI
- Virginia Department of Veterans Services Withdraws GI Bill Approval for Medical Careers Institute (MCI) – School of Health Science of ECPI University, Virginia Beach Campus | Dec. 2015
- ECPI’s pass/fail rates on the Nursing exam
- Irene Coons, University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Use of Standardized Tests Within Nursing Education Programs
Grand Canyon University
- 2021 Update (Feb. 2021)
- Education Department’s denial of non-profit status to the for-profit college Grand Canyon University (Nov. 2019)
ITT Tech
- VA Notice to ITT Students re: Loan Forgiveness Options | Nov. 2016
- Important Announcement for Students Using the GI Bill at ITT Educational Services, Inc.
- CalVet Suspends GI Bill Approval for ITT
DeVry
University of Phoenix
Purdue Global/Kaplan
Other Schools
- VA Notice: Safeguarding the Integrity of the GI Bill | March 2017
- College of Beauty and Barber Culture owners sentenced to jail and to pay $4.5M in restitution)
Good news for #Veterans. If you attended #ITTTech and you still owe #ITT money, that's now erased. If you paid ITT after it declared bankruptcy in Sept. 2016, you'll get that back. Others, please stand by. This is just the first step.
Free help: [email protected] https://t.co/NySN7nWl2b— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) November 28, 2018
“VA’s approval of a program to accept education benefits communicates to potential students that the school is deemed a quality school.” – Our VP @TanyaMAng https://t.co/Io5uH1oZzV
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) January 27, 2019