For Profit Higher Education: It's All About the Money

We have all seen the commercials on television: Earn a degree in less time then you think in high demand fields such as medical, computer graphics, and computer information. The commercials promise a high quality education in half the time of traditional college and offers flexible class schedules to permit students to continue to work. The commercials fail to mention that you will pay four times the amount of money on tuition and only be eligible for low paying entry level positions upon graduation. Also, the fact that the credits earned while attending such schools have limited transferability is also conveniently left out. For profit higher education is big business and is spreading rampantly across the country preying on the most vulnerable members of the American population-the people traditional colleges usually pass by.

For profit higher education is a big money industry thanks to title four federal funding and alterative student loans. Many for profit institutions of higher education stopped offering certifications and quickly sought accreditation to offer associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and master degree programs in order to become eligible to receive federal financial aid. Federal financial aid does not cover the cost of tuition and cash strapped students are strong armed into applying for high interest alternative loans in order to attend. Since the typical programs offered are medical assisting, pharmacy technology, and graphic design, students graduate with entry level skills and often find themselves making far less income then they had been led to believe.

For profit higher education is all about numbers. In order to make big money, they set the bar extremely low for admission standards. There is no long process for admissions. It is possible to interview, enroll and start class on the very same day. The admissions assessment test of choice is the Wonderlic. It's basically an IQ test and is most notably used by the NFL. In order to have an average IQ, one must score between 26 and 30. Most programs offered by for profit institutes of higher education only require a score of fifteen to be admitted. Often, students are accepted with scores of nine. Students are never truly evaluated on whether or not they are academically fit for college level courses. But of course, all students are evaluated for credit worthiness. After all, it doesn't matter if you belong in college level classes, when it's all about the money.

For profit higher education admission counselors are really used car salesmen with bachelor's degrees. They are under constant pressure to pull good numbers and often persuade would be students to start their studies right away. They have weekly enrollment goals and their jobs depend on meeting them. During a bad week, if it's breathing and has a co-signer with good credit; it's college material. Pregnant unmarried nine-teen year old girls who are ready to pop are encouraged to sign up and take out large loans without thought. Low income people are encouraged to sign up even though they can not realistically afford the monthly alterative loan payments. The collateral damage is great but it doesn't matter, there is big money to be made in for profit higher education system. Traditional colleges create future leaders: For profit colleges make money.

For profit higher education lacks academic rigor. Most for profit schools claim to be career focused. Students start out in core classes that are not transferable to other schools. These core classes usually last a month or two and often bleed into each other. Course work is light and spoon fed. Students learn the minimums required by accrediting standards. After the core classes, students take a handful of short, light general education courses such as English Composition and Speech. They write a few symbolic papers and they leave without ever truly performing on a college level. This produces graduates with limited skills in their specialties since they have only tinkered in a broad range of skills and have mastered very few. It doesn't matter if a for profit school graduate can not pass the state boards: The for profit institute of higher education is a business and it has already made its money.

Many graduates from for profit higher educational institutions often have trouble securing meaningful employment in their majors. They often lack the educational background and experience employers expect from someone with an associate, bachelor, or master degree. Students are also shocked when they learn the incomes they expected to make are far from what they will be making in reality. Former students are left paying off huge loans for degrees that are worthless as far as job marketability. Since for profit institutes of higher education are businesses, they are modeled to make money and provide a service. The service is the college degrees. They have no interest in people building or ensuring students are prepared to compete with graduates from traditional colleges. After all, it's nothing more then big business and for profit higher education is all about the money.