For Profit College and Student Loan News

But are colleges overcharging students and parents? And if not, then why is a college education today so expensive that many can't afford it and others can do so only by racking up substantial debt?

Ronald Ehrenberg, Professor of Economics at Cornell University and author of "Tuition Rising: Why College Costs So Much" says there are rational economic reasons for tuition's constant creep upwards.

While businesses are structured to keep costs as low as possible, Ehrenberg maintains that colleges today operate on a starkly different model. They actually have an incentive to spend money.

"In private higher education, the quest is to be as good as you can," Ehrenberg told ConsumerAffairs.com. "Tuition increases in private higher education reflect increased expenditures per student, in real terms."

Public colleges and universities are raising their tuition as well, he says, because of reduced support from state governments. But there's also the supply and demand factor.

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The Spending Race

In his book, Ehrenberg concedes that as long as there are plenty of qualified applicants, no institution is going to end the spending race. And when tuition rises at one institution, others are more likely to raise prices as well.

"When you have the elite schools pushing tuition six, seven and eight percent higher, the next-level schools can follow," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors, a private forecasting firm.

Naroff, who taught economics at the University of Massachusetts and Northeastern University, says that for elite colleges, raising their tuition doesn't necessarily discourage applicants; in fact, it can increase an institution's perceived desirability.

"There is very little pressure of any kind to keep costs down at private schools," Naroff said. "For most of the private schools, especially the better and elite schools, the more expensive it is, the more elite it is, and the more having a degree from that school is a perceived value."

These days, all universities -- public and private -- are directing some of that spending to a bidding war for faculty members with reputations. As a result, salaries and perks for college professors have risen dramatically.

The bidding war also extends to students, with colleges erecting plush dorms, state-of-the-art health clubs, gourmet restaurants and other amenities, all designed to lure the brightest and most talented students, who desire creature comforts as well as a challenging education.

State universities that once had an open enrollment policy -- admitting any high school graduate in the state -- now screen entry using standardized tests, grade-point averages, and other factors to limit enrollment to a more elite group. However, they are finding they must compete harder to get those students.

Competition Raises Costs

As a result, colleges spend more money making their institutions attractive, and charge more to attend them. Normally, competition drives prices down but apparently not in academe.

Naroff makes an analogy to professional sports.

Forty years ago, players in the National Football League were poorly paid. They played in baseball stadiums and it cost very little for fans to attend games. Now, teams pay their players millions of dollars and the average fan might spend $200 for an outing at the team's multi-million dollar stadium.

"Basically, if you can pass on your costs, you don't care what your costs are," Naroff said.

Today, tuition at state universities is around $12,000 a year and $25,000 and up at private schools, but it may surprise some to learn that rapidly rising college tuition is not a new phenomenon. In fact, figures compiled by the College Board show that college tuition has risen at about twice the general inflation rate since 1958, when statistics first began to be tracked.

The rate of increase has been sharply higher in some years than others. For example, in 1964, when the first Baby Boomers headed off to college, tuition inflation rose 4.61 percent, which was more than four times faster than the overall inflation rate. Between the years 1980 and 1982, when raging inflation in the economy increased a total of 30 percent, tuition costs surged by 40.3 percent, and have been steadily rising ever since.

Increases in tuition since 1992 have been steady, but comparatively tame, never rising above six percent, as the overall inflation rate has hovered around 2.5 to 3.0 percent.

But all those yearly increases have taken a toll.

In 43 of the last 49 years, college tuition inflation has exceeded the nation's inflation rate, with the cumulative increase pushing the costs beyond many students' ability to pay.

Financial Aid to the Rescue?

As the cost of attending college has risen, so has the availability of student financial aid. Students and parents who can't afford the yearly cost of tuition, room and board, and books can apply for scholarships, grants and loans to make up the difference.

By the College Board's accounting, there was $105 billion in financial aid flowing into higher education in the 2002-2003 school year. Has all that money inadvertently fed tuition inflation?

"There is very little evidence that this has occurred," Ehrenberg said.

But others disagree. David L. Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, calls financial aid the driving force behind rising fees, claiming it is responsible for nearly one-third of all tuition increases.

Where does the financial aid come from? There are a variety of sources, but at many schools, scholarship and grant money comes directly from the schools themselves, paid for through endowments and, to a large degree, by the ever-rising tuition paid by other students.

And how is that aid distributed? Highly prized and recruited students are most likely to receive the scholarships and grants. Everyone else must take out student loans.

A 2003-2004 study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that more than 65 percent of students borrow at least some money to pay for education, with the average student graduating with more than $17,000 of debt. Many graduate with an even heavier debt load.

Rudy Arndt, a retired high school guidance counselor in the Toms River, New Jersey School District, witnessed the rising costs of college over the span of his career.

He said he first began to see high school seniors looking for college loans in the mid 1970s. By the time he retired in 1992, he saw students taking on dangerous amounts of debt to pay for their schooling.

"We've got to warn students not to get so overloaded with debt that it will affect their ability to live once they graduate," he said.

Ehrenberg shares that concern, and thinks it might unduly influence a student's choice of career.

"I am very much concerned and worry especially that it may preclude students from entering socially important but low-paying occupations," Ehrenberg said.

"Just as law schools have loan forgiveness programs to encourage law students to go into public interest law, states should consider loan forgiveness programs for public higher education graduates who enter socially important occupations," he suggested.

Buyer's Remorse

While many students graduating with $100,000 or more of debt often express "buyers' remorse," it's clear not all do.

"Craig," a 2005 graduate of an elite northeastern university who works in Washington, DC, pays $700 a month on his student loans, but has no regrets.

"I received an excellent education for a reasonable price," he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

He suggests high school seniors begin discussions with guidance counselors early about their financial needs, and focus on schools that offer what they want but that are also willing to offer the students financial incentives to attend.

"With good colleges it's a two-way street. Not only do you want to go there, but if you have the grades, potential, desire and experiences, they want you and will make monetary sacrifices to enroll you," he said.

Congress Gets Involved

The level of student debt has become such a sensitive issue that Congress has taken action to cut the rates on federally-guaranteed student loans. In New York, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo recently launched an investigation into charges some colleges have steered students to certain lenders in return for favors.

"My office is seeking to ensure that students are being steered toward lenders offering the most competitive rates, not those who offer the best perks to schools or financial aid administrators," said Cuomo.

Cuomo is looking into allegations that some lenders have offered trips and gifts to higher education officials with whom they do business. Cuomo says when people across the country are struggling to keep up with the cost of tuition, that behavior can't be tolerated.

Meanwhile, the news about college tuition is not all bad. Since 1996 a number of private schools have actually cut tuition -- some by steep amounts.

According to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio cut tuition 41 percent; North Park University in Chicago cut tuition 32 percent. For a complete list, see www.naicu.edu/news/TuitionCuts.htm.

More cuts may be coming.

"Private colleges and universities are launching -- and expanding -- initiatives to control operating costs and enhance efficiency," the association says. "These include outsourcing services, targeting cost reductions, streamlining staff while safeguarding quality, entering into collaborative cost-cutting arrangements with other institutions, and implementing new environmentally friendly systems that reduce energy consumption."

States are also investing greater amounts in their community college systems, which by and large maintain open enrollment policies and cost considerably less than four year schools. In many states, a student earning a two year associates degree at a community college may transfer as a junior to most public universities to receive their bachelor's degree.

"I think the community college system has been under-funded and under-valued," Naroff said. "It has helped millions of people earn a college degree and I think it should play an even greater role in education."

Another alternative emerging in recent years is the for-profit college -- institutions like the University of Phoenix and DeVry University.

Typically, their tuition is more -- often much more -- than community colleges but comparable to public universities and less than most private colleges. They don't need plush campuses because most of their students spend their non-school hours at a job.

Derided by many in traditional academia and often the source of bitter complaints by students, these colleges nonetheless have appealed to low-income, minority, and working students and adults in ways traditional colleges haven't, by offering courses in the evening and on weekends and pioneering the use of online and distance learning.

More importantly, while traditional colleges struggle financially, despite ever-rising tuition, for-profit schools do indeed turn a profit.

David Kird, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, acknowledges for-profit schools have their limitations. But he stunned a 2005 conference on higher education when he praised work being done by DeVry, noting that it "graduates more African-American engineers than any other institution in the United States."

But criticism of the for-profit schools, particulary University of Phoenix is mounting. Former students and the school's own staff and faculty complain that the relentless quest for profits has hurt the quality of the education that students receive, the New York Times reported in a front-page story today. The school has only regional accredition.

Prospective college students and their families would do well to consider community colleges and less expensive state schools rather than mortgaging their future to attend a supposedly more prestigious institution.

While a for-profit school may be the answer in some cases, students should investigate thoroughly to be sure they know what they'll be getting for their money. Check the ConsumerAffairs.com complaints about the University of Phoenix and DeVry University before plunking down money or taking out a loan. Chances are, a community college would be cheaper and would offer a better education for most students.

For a generation the cost of a college education has been rising much faster than the rate of inflation.

As a result, student loan balances are getting bigger and bigger, to the point that the total amount owed on student loans in the U.S. is well over $1 trillion. The search is on for a solution to out of control spending on higher education.

One possible solution might be speed. Instead of spending 4 or 5 years earning a bachelor's degree, running up thousands of dollars in debt each year, what if you could get that degree in a shorter period of time – maybe 18 months?

Sounds too good to be true, and you know what they say about things that sound like that. But a lot of serious people are giving this idea serious consideration.

In a speech on education President Obama said some colleges are already embracing new ways to provide education for less money.

Presidential example

“Southern New Hampshire University gives course credit based on how well the students master the material, not just on how many hours they spend in the classroom,” Obama said. “If you're learning the material faster you can finish faster, which means you pay less.”

Since Obama's speech a number of schools have begun offering accelerated undergraduate and graduate degree programs that can be taken online. And more of a student's previous work may count toward the degree.

In these accelerated program, schools are being more liberal about accepting credit from another school or educational program. That, in itself, can get them closer to their degree in a shorter period of time.

Credit where credit is due

Accelerate Degree, a Charlottesville, Va.-based organization, says if students bring something to the table before applying to a program – whether it be previous credit, work experience, or another way to receive transfer credit – they will likely find that any level degree can be completed in as little as one year.

While it may be difficult to finish a bachelor's degree in one year, there are a number of graduate degrees that may be obtained in that time.

Fast Track Program

Northeastern University, in Boston, calls it the “Fast Track Program.” It offers accelerated learning in select programs, allowing students to transfer credits and complete their undergraduate degree in 18 months.

Bellevue University, a private non-profit college in Nebraska, offers an accelerated bachelor's degree to students who have an associate's degree or close to 60 college credit hours. The school says students can complete their degrees in as little as 16 months.

“If you have fewer than 60 credits, we have many ways to earn credit beyond the classroom, including credit for training on the job or in the military,” the school advises.

Not right for everyone

An accelerated degree program is obviously aimed at adults who have completed some college but are now in the working world. In their present form these programs may be less suitable for incoming freshmen with no credits.

Beyond that, these programs might not work for everyone. It will take someone with a lot of discipline and willingness to put in the intense work to reach their goals.

That isn't exactly a description of today's college student. A 2011 survey found that most students at traditional colleges are taking longer to graduate – only 40% were completing the work within the traditional 4 years.

After the downfall of Corinthian Colleges, which declared bankruptcy earlier this month following years of legal troubles which included federal agencies ranging from the Department of Education (DoE) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), plus the attorneys general of several different states, all alleging that Corinthian-owned schools defrauded students in various ways, lawmakers and other public officials have turned a sharper eye to other for-profit schools dependent upon a steady stream of federally backed, bankruptcy-proof student loans to stay in business.

Today, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-California) released an open letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan urging the DoE to “conduct an investigation of and exercise increased oversight over the for-profit college operator ITT Educational Services, Inc.,” which has allegedly “engaged in deceptive and predatory lending practices, pushing students into high-interest loans they know cannot be repaid, at vast taxpayer expense.”

Speier's letter, available in .pdf form here, includes a list of complaints which sound depressingly familiar to anyone who knows Corinthian's story.

Predatory lending

Last year, for example, the feds sued Corinthian for “predatory lending practices,” and Speier's letter mentions similar practices from ITT: “The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges on May 12, 2015 alleging that that [sic] the CEO and CFO of ITT Educational Services covered up balloning loan obligations stemming from the company's …. predatory lending programs.”

Last November, a former ITT student in Pennsylvania wrote us to say “I was one of those students who signed for a private loan in order to continue my education. Unaware of the lies and deceit that was going on within the company. The program of study was electronics.... I was assured that upon graduation I would have a career, not a job.”

But after graduating in 2011, she discovered her degree was useless: “I am a temporary employee. My credit is shot and I make a little above minimum wage. I have gone on numerous interviews just to be laughed at and questioned about why ITT. … I am over $50,000 in debt because I believed I was getting a good education that would lead to a good future.”

And remember: that debt, like almost all student-loan debt, can't even be discharged in bankruptcy. But a former student who goes over his head in debt to attend a traditional, accredited state college or university at least has an authentic college degree (or credits to count toward one) to show for that outrageous debt load. ITT students say they don't even get that.

Good grades but ...

Mike from Oregon told us in January: “I went to ITT and I finally graduated with really good grades, 3.8 … in 1994.” A few years later, Mike wanted to enroll in a regular four-year school to earn a bachelor's degree, but learned that no reputable school would “transfer any credits at all from ITT, so I had to start over from scratch …. since it is not an accredited school if you ever plan to further your education and want to transfer to a real college you are much better off going to a real college from the start.”

Still, Mike says, his degree from ITT isn't completely useless: “you can hang it on the wall to cover up a hole or you can use it to cover a stain.”

Jay in Massachusetts made a similar observation from a different perspective. He spent one academic year – September 2013 through the following June – teaching at an ITT “Electronic Technology School.”

"Rot-gut shameless"

I have been a PhD electrical engineer for 25 years, mostly in the defense sector. But have never worked for such a rot-gut shameless enterprise, not even close. You need to understand [the] whole enterprise, ITT I mean, is a colossal nationwide profiteering scam. There are so many problems with ITT, I hardly know where to begin …. Recruiters routinely tell students that ITT courses will transfer should a student decide to complete a conventional 4-year program at another school after, say, completing an associates degree program at ITT. This is false. Credits will transfer to another ITT school (or possibly to another for-profit school like ITT) - that much is true - but not to an accredited state university.

In her letter to Education Secretary Duncan, Rep. Speier alludes to such complaints, and previous problems with the now-defunct Conrinthian schools, when she says:

The Department of Education has conducted increased oversight and exercised enforcement options in the past, as it did with the Corinthian Colleges [but] those investigations have been plagued with delays. In fact, Corinthian Colleges, Inc. was investigated by the SEC in June 2013 – a full year before ED opened their own June 2014 investigation …. This delay harmed students who continued to take loans on a worthless education, and taxpayers who footed the bill. I ask that in this case you take action quickly and responsibly.