Durbin Continues To Warn High School Students Against Predatory For-Profit Colleges

Press Release

With the Class of 2016 ready to graduate from high schools across Illinois, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) once again wrote today to principals, counselors, and teachers throughout the state asking for their help in the fight to protect students from being lured into enrolling in a for-profit college and all too often "[finding] their dream has turned into a nightmare when they end up with a worthless degree that employers don't even recognize, credits that don't transfer, and almost twice the average debt of their fellow students who attended traditional public schools."

"In recent years, widespread fraud and abuse by for-profit colleges has been exposed and gained national attention. Nearly every major for-profit college is facing increased scrutiny from federal and state agencies for a variety of abuses including fraudulent marketing and recruiting practices, falsifying job placement rates, and predatory lending practices," wrote Durbin. "What's more, when students are misled or taken advantage of, a tactic called mandatory arbitration -- widely employed by the for-profit college industry but unheard of in traditional higher education -- prevents them from suing the school in court. Instead students are forced into a secret dispute resolution process where the deck is stacked against the victim and which hides the school's wrongdoing."

"We appreciate Senator Durbin's focus on protecting students as they make their college selection this spring," said Jason Leahy, Executive Director of the Illinois Principals Association. "It is important for students and families to use caution when selecting a college as some institutions are organized as for-profit and may not result in an accredited degree. We support Senator Durbin's effort to inform Illinois students about more affordable alternatives among our accredited Illinois community colleges and not-for-profit institutions."

Durbin has written previously to principals in Illinois with a similar plea and received an outpouring of support from educators who share his concerns regarding the dangers of the for-profit college industry. In his letter today, Durbin also noted that community colleges often offer similar programs as for-profits and at a fraction of the cost with credits that will transfer to other schools.

"Finally, it is important that students understand there are alternatives to for-profit colleges. Unfortunately, a recent survey by Public Agenda found that 75 percent of for-profit college students didn't consider public or non-profit colleges before enrolling in a for-profit school," said Durbin. "I encourage you to work closely with your local community colleges and other not-for-profit institutions and organizations to ensure students have information on quality, low-cost higher education options."

In addition to the Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, American Federation of Teachers, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling distributed Durbin's letter to their membership.

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