2015 For-Profit College Issues

The Department of Justice announced today that they have finally reached a settlement with Education Management Corporation (EDMC) for charges of illegal recruiting, consumer fraud, and other violations. The for-profit education company has agreed to pay $95.5 million to settle these allegations.

The case against EDMC actually stretches back all the way to 2007 after two Education Management employees complained about the company's deceptive recruiting practices. One employee filed charges in federal court through use of the False Claims Act– a piece of legislation that allows a citizen to sue if they know that fraud has been committed against the government; in essence, the citizen would be suing in the government's name. By 2011, the Department of Justice, four states, and the second employee would join the case.

Unfair compensation and fraud

The primary charge that EDMC faced was their alleged practice of paying admissions personnel based on the number of students that they were able to enroll in the school, which violates the Higher Education Act's (HEA) Incentive Compensation Ban. Employees who had good enrollment numbers were able to reap bonuses like all-expense paid vacations with loved ones to destinations like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Las Vegas.

Additionally, the company faced numerous charges of consumer fraud involving deceptive and misleading recruiting practices. The company is charged with using “hyperaggressive boiler room tactics” to recruit students and collect tuition money. It is estimated that nearly $11 billion was collected by the company between July of 2003 and June of 2011 using these tactics.

“Companies cannot enrich their corporate coffers at the expense of students seeking a quality education, or on the backs of taxpayers who are funding our critical financial aid programs,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton. “Today's global settlement sends an unmistakable message to all for-profit education companies: the United States will aggressively ferret out fraud and protect innocent students and taxpayer dollars from this kind of egregious abuse.”

Historic resolution

The $95.5 million settlement was reached after examining EDMC's ability to pay and financial condition, which has declined as of late. However, the New York Times reports that if the case had gone to trial then the company could have been faced with paying a billion-dollar verdict.

Attorneys involved with the case believe, however, that justice has been carried out against EDMC and that it sets a good example. “This historic resolution exemplifies the Justice Department's deep commitment to protecting precious public resources; to defending American consumers; and to standing up for those who are vulnerable to mistreatment, abuse, and exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.  

Four members of the U.S. Senate, all Democrats, are backing legislation that would further limit the amount of revenue for-profit schools can get from federal aid.

The lawmakers – Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have introduced the Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act, that would prohibit for-profit colleges and universities from receiving more than 85% of their revenue from the federal government and change the calculation of federal revenue to include all federal funds.

Current law allows for-profit schools to receive up to 90% of revenue from federal programs, but the lawmakers say it contains a very large loophole, allowing these schools to receive a lot more.

Loophole

“Money from the new Post 9/11 GI Bill and from Department of Defense tuition assistance programs isn’t counted, which leaves hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars virtually unregulated,” Durbin said. “Consequently, these schools aggressively target veterans and servicemembers who too often don’t receive the quality of education they deserve. We can’t let this invitation to exploit our veterans continue.”

At issue is what students pay to attend for-profit schools and what they get out of it. After 2010, the U.S. government put rules in place to hold colleges accountable for students who couldn't get jobs after graduation. The high level of student loan default rates was another concern.

In July, the Obama administration enacted rules to choke off the flow of federal dollars to schools whose graduates don't do well in the job market. It was intended to save taxpayer dollars and protect students from running up debt for a degree doing them little good.

Protecting veterans

Warren said POST builds on that effort, while extending needed protections for military veterans.

“Too many servicemembers and veterans have been targeted by predatory for-profit colleges, and our men and women in uniform deserve better,” said Warren. “The POST Act will tighten the rules and help protect veterans by closing the loophole that permits for-profit schools to prey on our servicemembers.”

Earlier this year for-profit Corinthian College closed its doors after the U.S. government sued it for predatory lending.

The four senators point out another for-profit school, ITT Tech, is under investigation by at least 18 state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice and is being sued by the New Mexico Attorney General, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawmakers say for-profit institutions of higher education enroll about 10% of all college students, but take in 20% of the Department of Education’s federal student aid funds and account for 40% of student loan defaults.  

You read it everywhere: advice to prospective college students that they look first to public community colleges rather than for-profit schools, which can be five times as expensive.

Now a study by researchers at the University of Missouri finds that hiring managers show no preference for hiring people with for-profit college credentials compared to those holding comparable credentials from public community colleges.

"Tuition at for-profit colleges can be as much as five times higher than at two-year community colleges," said lead researcher Cory Koedel. "When people are weighing their higher-education options, tuition cost and the ability to gain employment after school should be considered heavily. This study shows that no significant difference exists with respect to generating employer interest between individuals with community college and for-profit degrees. For many people, community college may be the better option financially."

Random résumés

For their study, Koedel, Rajeev Darolia, an assistant professor in the MU Truman School of Public Affairs, and their co-authors, randomly generated thousands of résumés that included either a for-profit college credential, a two-year community college credential, or only a high school diploma. The researchers then sent the résumés to a number of job openings for open positions in fields including sales, customer service, information technology, medical assistance and office, and administrative assistance. T

They found that hiring managers called back to inquire about fake candidates at the same rate, regardless of whether the candidates held community college or for-profit credentials.

"It is clear that employers are not placing any kind of higher value on for-profit credentials relative to community college credentials," Koedel said. "While for-profit colleges may be a good solution for some people, they are expensive, and our study indicates that there are other, more cost-effective education options that are perceived similarly by employers."

This study was published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

The Department of Education is stepping up its scrutiny of ITT Educational Services, citing federal fraud allegations against two ITT executives and the company’s “failure of the general standards of financial responsibility.”

ITT had already been under heightened oversight, along with other for-profit schools that receive much of their revenue from federally backed student loans and the G.I. Bill.

The feds said they had found several discrepancies during the heightened scrutiny, including a failure to reconcile federal aid accounts promptly and conflicting information about Pell Grant awards.

“Taken together, these facts demonstrate a failure by ITT to meet its fiduciary obligations, to properly and timely reconcile Title IV program funds as per the regulations and Federal Student Aid guidance, and to meet the standards of administrative capability required of institutions participating in Title IV, Higher Education Act programs,” the department wrote in a letter to ITT.

Faces lawsuits

A company spokeswoman, Nicole Elam, said the company was in the process of straightening out the reporting and administration issues.

"While the additional requirements will result in an increased administrative burden, the company does not believe they will have a material negative impact on our financial results, or in any manner affect the timely award of financial aid to eligible students or the operation of our campuses," she said.

Among other things, ITT will be required to submit a monthly enrollment roster, as well as information about all federal aid funds it disbursed during the previous month.

ITT is facing several other legal challenges, including lawsuits filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and attorneys general in several states. The company enrolls about 50,000 studnets at its 135 locations.

Consumers hoping to advance in a career are often attracted by for-profit institutions that, even though they can be expensive, admit anyone who applies. But not all these school can deliver on promises.

In North Carolina, state Attorney General Roy Cooper has obtained a court order temporarily halting operations at a private, for-profit career school that Cooper maintains charged students hundreds of dollars for unlicensed, unaccredited medical courses and put them to work without proper training.

On Thursday, Wake County, North Carolina Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins, Jr., granted Cooper’s request to temporarily bar North Carolina Medical Institute and its owner, Sherita McQueen, from advertising, offering, or accepting payment for any educational products or services in the state.

Cooper is asking the court for a permanent ban on NC Medical Institute’s operation and refunds for students.

Keeping an eye on career schools

“Students seeking training to upgrade their job skills deserve to get what they pay for, and patients deserve care from properly trained employees,” Cooper said. “If you notice a career school taking advantage of students, my office wants to hear about it.”

Cooper claims that the school could endanger patients in his state by certifying some students as qualified nursing aides after completing course work, which Cooper claims is far less training than required by law.

The complaint alleges that McQueen used a former employee’s nursing license and Social Security number to enter 50 unqualified Nursing Aide II students into the State Board of Nursing’s electronic registry, permitting them to get jobs.

License yanked

Back in May the North Carolina State Board of Proprietary Schools and the North Carolina State Board of Nursing refused to renew NC Medical Institute’s license. It previously determined that the school advertised and enrolled students in unlicensed courses, employed unapproved teaching instructors, and presented misleading information to the State Board of Community Colleges.

Cooper said it didn't stop there. He says after losing required licenses, McQueen misled prospective students by telling them that the courses offered by her school were accredited. He said NC Medical Institute continued to charge fees as high as $800 per course for unlicensed medical training programs, including pharmacy technician, medical assistant, and first aid courses.

After completing the classes, students often found themselves unprepared or ineligible for jobs in their fields of study.

Illegal practices

Cooper further alleges NC Medical Institute engaged in illegal practices while licensed. According to an affidavit filed by a North Carolina Board of Nursing employee, the school continued to offer a Nursing Aide II program despite repeatedly failing to meet state requirements.

While this might seem scary and discouraging for someone who hopes to advance in the medical field, Cooper says it shouldn't. Consumers just have to be careful.

“Enrolling in a vocational program can lead to a brighter future, but make sure the school you select is legitimate before you pay any money to enroll,” he said.

He suggests checking out your local or regional community college, where he says students are much more likely to receive quality training at a fair price.

The Obama Administration today puts its foot down on the metaphorical hose through which federal funds flow to for-profit colleges, likely leading to another round of bankruptcies and campus closings.

Choking off the flow of federal dollars to schools whose graduates don't do well in the job market is intended to save taxpayers money and protect students from spending their time and money on degrees that do them little or no good -- and that often wind up costing much more than students expect.

"The student advisor said the degree I was interested in would be $16k total for tuition, with payments of $50.00. Upon graduation, the total for tuition turned out to be $34k with a combined payment of over $400.00 a month," a Payson, Utah, student said in a ConsumerAffairs review of Everest University last year. 

A growth industry

It was only a few years ago that for-profit schools were seen as a growth industry and were touted as more efficient and responsive than traditional nonprofit public and private colleges. But then a hard truth emerged: graduates of the for-profit schools were having trouble finding jobs.

Students found that many employers simply didn't equate a degree from a for-profit college with one from a public or nonprofit private school.

That was the situation Gina of Seattle encountered when she graduated from ITT: "ITT basically made many promises but never came true. I have a BA in criminal justice and can not find a job to save my life. None of my fellow students have either. It's been almost two years. My student loans are around $80,000," Gina said in a ConsumerAffairs review.

In October 2014, after issuing the new rules, the White House listed shortcomings of for-profit schools:  

• Students who attend a two-year for-profit institution pay four times as much as attending a community college.
• Eighty-eight percent of associate degree graduates from for-profit institutions had student debt, while only 40 percent of associate degree recipients from community colleges had any student debt.
• Students at for-profit institutions represent only about 11 percent of the total higher education population but receive 19 percent of all federal loans and make up 44 percent of all loan defaulters.

Gainful employment

The weapon being wielded by the Obama White House is the Education Department's "gainful employment" rule, which was upheld by a federal court last week. It requires colleges to track their students' success in finding jobs and shuts down funding for those with poor placement records.

The rule applies to nonprofit schools as well but in the vast majority of cases, graduates of traditional nonprofits have a much better record of finding jobs in the field for which they trained and also have a much better record of paying back their student loans. 

The department has estimated that the rule will result in the closure of 1,400 programs that enroll more than 840,000 students, nearly all at for-profit schools. 

Out of business

Many of the nation's larger for-profit chains have already severely cut back or gone out of business. Corinthian Colleges, which includes Everest College and several others, shut down in April. 

Besides the Education Department initiative, large for-profit schools like ITT are facing lawsuits by students as well as federal and state agencies. Just last month, Education Affiliates agreed to pay $13 million to resolve a Justice Department claim that it had submitted false claims to the Education Department for federal student aid.

In January, Kaplan Higher Education -- once owned by The Washington Post Company -- agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle a Justice Department suit that it employed unqualified instructors.

For-profit colleges lost a round in court this week as a federal judge dismissed an industry lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education's "gainful employment" rule.

The rule, scheduled to go into effect in July, cuts off federal aid to schools whose students graduate with high debt loads and low earnings. The schools' lawsuit said the rule violated their right to due process.

U.S.  District Judge Lewis Kaplan of New York ruled that the Education Department had the legal power to create the controversial rule in the first place and that it followed proper procedures in developing its second iteration of the regulations. The first version of the rule was thrown out in 2012 in an earlier lawsuit.

Dorie Nolt, press secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, said the department was pleased with the ruling.

"Every student deserves to graduate from higher education with a degree or certificate that equips them for success. These regulations will hold career colleges accountable for the programs they offer and promote improvements that protect students, benefit consumers, and honor taxpayers’ investment,” Nolt said.

"Steadfast conviction"

The lawsuit was brought by the Association of Proprietary Colleges, which represents 20 for-profit colleges in New York.

The group's executive director, Donna Stelling-Gurnett, said she was disappointed with the ruling.

“While we agreed with the department’s goals for this rule from the outset, we remain steadfast in our conviction that this regulation does not achieve those goals,” Stelling-Gurnett said in a statement.

In dismissing the suit, Judge Kaplan said that for-profit colleges don’t have a “vested right" to participate in federal student aid programs and they therefore don't need to be afforded due process protections.

“While for-profit colleges have become heavily reliant on federal student aid, that reliance is of their own creation, not of necessity,” he wrote.

Kaplan had sharp words for the association's argument that the rule infringed upon the states' role in overseeing colleges.

“This argument is quite surprising, but not for its merit,” Kaplan wrote. “It is surprising because it is at best ill-conceived and at worst misleading.”

The Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday that for-profit Ashworth College “agreed to settle” charges that Ashworth misled potential students about the value of an Ashworth education.

Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said that “When schools promise students they can transfer course credits or get a better job after completing their programs, they’d better be able to back up those claims. Ashworth College didn’t tell the truth when it made those promises to prospective students.”

Ashworth's settlement with the FTC includes an $11 million judgment — which is currently “suspended” due to Ashworth's “inability to pay.” In addition to not-paying this fine, Ashworth is also expected to not-make certain misleading claims to students. Or, as the FTC said:

The proposed stipulated court order prohibits Ashworth College from misrepresenting that:

• completing Ashworth’s program will qualify students to obtain vocational licenses without any additional training or experience;

• Ashworth’s programs provide all the training and credentials required to switch careers or obtain a job in a new field;

• there will be job security or steady employment for consumers completing its programs; and that

• course credits are generally recognized by, and accepted, by other postsecondary institutions.

For-profit schools

Ashworth is the latest in a series of for-profit schools to come under legal scrutiny for similar reasons. Corinthian Colleges, which operated schools under the Heald, Everest and WyoTech brands, had to cease operations and close its remaining schools late last month (and declared bankruptcy a week later), after years of legal troubles including multimillion-dollar fines, suspensions of federal student aid, federal lawsuits charging “predatory lending,” and more.

In mid-April, shortly before Corinthian closed its remaining schools and filed for bankruptcy, it was fined $30 million for misrepresenting its job placement rates to students.

ITT Educational Services also started coming under increased scrutiny this month. A couple weeks ago, Congresswoman Jackie Speier urged the Department of Education to investigate ITT for “deceptive and predatory lending practices, pushing students into high-interest loans they know cannot be repaid.”

A few days later, California suspended GI Bill benefits for ITT Technical Institute locations in the state.

Students at ITT and Corinthian schools both paid high tuition rates (or, more likely, went deep into bankruptcy-proof student loan debt) in order to get what turned out to be useless degrees: traditional four-year colleges or universities generally wouldn't accept course credits from these schools, and neither will state professional licensing boards.

No student loans

The FTC settlement with Ashworth suggests that Ashworth students have the same problem, but they do have one slight advantage (or one less disadvantage) than students of ITT, Everest and similar for-profit schools. The FTC says:

Tuition at Ashworth College ranges from hundreds to several thousand dollars. Ashworth College does not accept student loans, and students are required to pay tuition in full or make monthly payments. However, it does accept military benefits including GI Bill payments, and has directed some of its advertising to military servicemembers and their families.      

So Ashworth students may waste large amounts of money or squander their military tuition benefits on what turns out to be relatively worthless college-course credits — but at least they don't have bankruptcy-proof student-debt millstones weighing them down, too. By the sad standards of contemporary American for-profit higher-educational victims, that actually leaves Ashworth students ahead of the game.

Last week, California Congresswoman Jackie Speier urged the Department of Education (DoE) to investigate the for-profit college operator ITT Educational Services, Inc., which she said has allegedly “engaged in deceptive and predatory lending practices, pushing students into high-interest loans they know cannot be repaid, at vast taxpayer expense” at its ITT Technical Institute schools.

And this week, the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), which among other things oversees GI Bill tuition benefits for military veterans in the state, ordered 15 ITT locations to stop enrolling new or returning students who use the GI Bill for payment.

Military.com reports that “The suspension only stops future enrollments or reenrollments of Veterans, or their dependents, using the GI Bill,” but “does not affect current students.”

Financial statements

CalVet instituted the suspension because ITT apparently will not or can not produce audited financial statements, as required by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the DoE.

Speier mentioned something similar in her complaints to the DoE last week, saying in an open letter to the Secretary of Education that “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 ballooning loan obligations stemming from the company's …. predatory lending programs.”

But ITT responded to the SEC's charges by releasing a statement saying “We vehemently disagree with the SEC’s position and we are confident that the evidence does not support the SEC’s claims …. We are eager to have the court clear our reputation that has been unnecessarily endangered by the SEC’s action.”

Whatever the courts ultimately decide about ITT's financial activities, another problem shared by ITT students and graduates involves the school's lack of worthwhile accreditation. Speier said that even ITT grads who'd earned high grade-point averages discovered their degrees were worthless: no reputable four-year college or university would accept ITT transfer credits, and potential employers aren't impressed by ITT-generated credentials, either.

Grads' complaints

Last week, when we reported Speier's complaint about ITT, we also shared the stories of several ITT grads. One woman who studied electronics at an ITT school discovered just how little employers think of ITT: “I have gone on numerous interviews just to be laughed at and questioned about why ITT.”

Another man who had to start his four-year college degree from scratch after no school would accept his two-year ITT degree advised all potential students to stay away from ITT: “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.”

A two-year state community college will cost you much less than a for-profit “institute” such as ITT, and the credits you earn at an accredited state community college are far more likely to either transfer to other traditional four-year schools or be accepted by potential employers.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC) has issued a report that highlights what could be a very interesting trend. College enrollments are declining because fewer Millennials are attending.

This is an abrupt change from just a few years ago, when college enrollments shot up in the wake of the recession. With jobs harder to come by more people went back to school in hopes of making themselves more marketable.

Conventional wisdom holds that earning a four-year degree is necessary to increasing one's earnings power and enjoying a middle class lifestyle. But as we reported last week, there are plenty of solid careers that don't require a four-year degree.

Apparently, these jobs are attractive. Among the interpretations of the NSCRS report is young adults in their mid 20s are choosing to go to work rather than attend college. The report does not make clear whether these young adults are leaving school to pursue the workplace or not attending college in the first place.

For-profit schools big losers

The report does break down where enrollments are declining. The biggest decline has been in for-profit colleges, which also tend to be among the most expensive in terms of tuition and fees.

For-profit schools as a whole have been under closer regulatory scrutiny lately in the wake of complaints that many students who attended and ran up huge student loan debts couldn't find good jobs once they graduated.

Last year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued one for-profit school, Corinthian College, for what it called an illegal predatory lending scheme. Weeks ago, Corinthian College closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy.

Community colleges also lose ground

But bad press and market forces can't fully explain the drop in college enrollment documented by NSCRS. Because while for-profit enrollments dropped by 4.9%, enrollments in one of the better education values, two-year community colleges, declined by 3.9%.

Only four-year state-supported colleges showed any increase in enrollment, and it wasn't much – just 0.1%.

NSCRS points out the drop in college enrollment only covers young adults in their early to mid 20's, those who might have started their college careers late or are taking their time getting their degree. The report found no change in the number of students entering college right out of high school.

The intriguing question no one seems to have an answer for is what is responsible for the shift?

Is it because Millennials see more opportunity in the job market right now and are less convinced of the need of a degree and unwilling to take on debt to pay for it? Or is economic necessity – the need to produce immediate income – driving them into the workplace?

The answer, whatever it is, may say a lot about the real state of the U.S. economy.

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.

In recent years high school students and their parents have obsessed over the college admissions process.

Certain colleges have become like designer consumer products, a sign of status and announcing to the world that this young person is embarking on a meaningful and successful career. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way.

Some graduates of name-brand colleges flame out in their careers. Others fall into depression because they weren't accepted by the school of their choice.

In his book “Where You Go is Not Who You'll Be,” New York Times columnist Frank Bruni argues that the Ivy League has no monopoly on corner offices, governors' mansions, or the most prestigious academic and scientific grants.

His book is a recounting of the stories of highly successful people who didn't attend the most exclusive schools. In fact, he writes there are many great colleges and universities that aren't well known. You just have to be able to find them.

University Research & Review, which offers college placement advice, has issued a list of what it believes are the best colleges you've never heard of. Attending one of them, the company says, will offer a great education and set the stage for a successful career.

Here's their list:

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Located in rural Georgia this school, as the name implies, might be ideal for those pursuing a career in making things grow. The school offers a degree in, among other things, turfgrass management for those aspiring to a career in the golf course industry. They even have their own golf course where students practice what they learn.

Amridge University Flexible is one way to describe Amridge University. All of its courses are also offered online with live course lectures viewed in real time and optimized for mobile devices. The school's low tuition also makes it attractive.

Brandman University University Research & Review calls Brandman “one of the most progressive institutions in the country. It now embraces competency based education, meaning if you know the subject matter you are not held back by outdated seat time requirements. This could be a good choice for serious adult learners who want to get on with life and career.

Brescia University There are only about a thousand students at Kentucky's Brescia University, offering both classroom and online programs. Most of the school’s mostly female students are full-time and enroll in programs such as social work, teacher education, and business.

Kettering College This might be a good choice for someone planning on a career in health care. It wins high marks for a professional and committed faculty and a responsive administration.

Lincoln Memorial University Lincoln Memorial is also popular among those interested in health careers. Students can become a doctor of osteopathic medicine, or of veterinary medicine, or maybe earn one of several master’s degrees.

Special features

Park University, Patten University, Western Governors University and William Carey University all have attributes that set them apart. About 90% of Park's students are part-time and about half take their courses online.

Patten University tries to help students avoid taking out loans by developing an inexpensive monthly payment program where a student can take all the courses he or she can handle. All courses are available online.

Western Governors University is a pioneer in competency based education, meaning you can get a degree sooner than you might think. Its course offerings are also 100% online.

William Carey University has unique scholarship and assistance programs available for students. There are special assistance programs for low income families, and students with excellent academic records may qualify for full tuition and fees plus a room allowance.

If you're looking for a single recent anecdote illustrating almost everything dysfunctional about the modern American system of funding higher education, try this one: On Monday, one week after the long-embattled chain of for-profit schools abruptly closed all of its remaining campuses, Corinthian Colleges filed for bankruptcy.

However, Corinthian's former students lack the same opportunity to wipe out their bad debts and start over again at Net Worth Zero (plus an abysmal credit rating), because student-loan debt, for the most part, cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

What led to Corinthian's downfall? Like most for-profit schools, it was almost entirely dependent on federally backed student aid (especially those bankruptcy-proof loans) to function. The beginning of the end for Corinthian arguably came last June, when the feds temporarily halted all financial aid to Corinthian schools.

Federal agencies ranging from the Department of Education (DoE) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in addition to the attorneys general of several different states, have alleged that Corinthian-owned schools defrauded their students in multiple ways: inflating or lying about post-graduation job-placement rates, teaching courses whose credits were not accepted by reputable universities or state professional-licensing boards, even engaging in what the CFPB called “predatory lending scheme[s]” bad enough that in February, the DoE and CFPB announced $480 million in debt relief for certain Corinthian students.

Affected students could see their debt burdens reduced by up to 40% — which is another way of saying affected students are still on the hook for at least 60% of those “predatory” loans.

Debt strike

Meanwhile, a group of former Corinthian students went on “Debt Strike,” refusing to repay the federally backed loans they took out to pay for their Corinthian school attendance. The “Corinthian 15” (so called because they started out with 15 members) started their strike in February, by posting an open letter to the DoE saying, in part, that:

We wanted an education because we were driven to learn and to achieve a better life for ourselves and for our families.

We trusted that education would lead to a better life. And we trusted you to ensure that the education system in this country would do so. But Corinthian took advantage of our dreams and targeted us to make a profit. You let it happen, and now you cash in. … Corinthian’s predatory empire pushed hundreds of thousands into a debt trap. But even beyond for-profit schools, tens of millions of students are in more debt than they can ever repay. And you are the debt collector, with powers beyond a payday lender’s wildest dreams. …

“More debt than they can ever repay.” That's exactly the sort of person bankruptcy is supposed to help. So, of all possible subgroupings of Americans to be denied that second chance, why single out the indebted students, most of whom took on that debt when they were still teens or young twentysomethings?

$1.2 trillion

As of March, the total outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. surpassed $1.2 trillion. And of the former students who started repaying their federal student loans in 2011, 650,000 had defaulted by 2013. Average default rates were 19.1% for students at for-profit schools, and 7.2% at non-profit colleges.

College tuition rates have risen faster than inflation every year for at least a generation now. And the people – mostly young people – behind these depressing numbers can't even seek the protection of bankruptcy.

It wasn't always like that. Originally, student loan debt was pretty much like any other, where bankruptcy was concerned. But in 1976, Congress changed the bankruptcy code to bar the discharge of student loan debt within five years of graduation. In the 1990s, that limit was raised to seven years. Then, as Inside Higher Ed  said, “the 2005 code revision made it all but impossible to have student loan debt canceled.”

I've heard arguments saying that's only fair, on the grounds “Bankruptcy shouldn't apply to college debt, because a college education can't be repossessed.” Yet that's true of many kinds of debt: you can't repossess medical procedures, vacations, restaurant dinners, gambling debts, property value lost when the housing bubble collapsed – but if you go over your head in debt to acquire such things, you can declare bankruptcy and get a financial second chance. Over-their-head former students cannot.

Reminder to legal adults who are still under 21 years old: the federal government doesn't think you're responsible enough to buy or drink a beer — yet you can sign on for enormous amounts of bankruptcy-proof college debt with that same government's blessing and active encouragement.

Corinthian Colleges filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, shortly after the long-embattled chain of for-profit schools abruptly closed all of its remaining campuses.

Like most for-profit colleges, Corinthian was largely dependent on federal student aid – primarily bankruptcy-proof education loans issued to students. Last June, the feds temporarily suspended funding for Corinthian-owned schools, after the Department of Education argued, among other things, that credits from Corinthian schools often proved useless to students, since those credits were not accepted by regionally accredited state schools, nor by various professional licensing boards.

These and similar problems explain why last October, the attorneys general of 14 different states announced their support for a proposed Congressional measure to increase regulations on the for-profit education industry. (Remember, too, that student loan debt is much worse than other forms, because it can't even be discharged in bankruptcy.)

More recently, the Obama administration tried setting new standards on for-profit schools, standards slated to come into effect this July.

Unsurprisingly, for-profit schools are generally opposed to the newer, stricter regulations. But they have a surprising ally. ProPublica's Alec MacGillis yesterday published the results of an in-depth investigation showing that traditional colleges and universities are also working against the new regulations.

For years, the higher education establishment has viewed the for-profit education business as both a rival and an unsavory relation — the cousin with the rap sheet who seeks a cut of the family inheritance. Yet in a striking but little-noticed shift, nearly all of the college establishment’s representatives in Washington are siding with for-profit colleges in opposing the government’s crackdown. … The emerging alliance points to a new calculation by the higher education lobby. By throwing in with the for-profits, traditional schools might be able to capitalize on Republican control of Congress to limit the government’s reach into their own campuses. Among other things, colleges and universities would like to block the proposed new federal ratings system designed to help families choose institutions based on how of their many students graduate and where they get jobs.

Inflated job placement rates

Corinthian and other for-profit schools have long been accused of inflated or outright fraudulent job-placement rates. For example: in mid-April, only a couple weeks before Corinthian's bankruptcy declaration this week, the Department of Education levied a $30 million fine against Corinthian, alleging among other things that Corinthian-owned Heald Colleges paid companies to hire graduates for temporary positions lasting as little as two days, performing such basic tasks as moving computers and organizing cables, then counted those graduates as “placed in field.”

Heald also counted obvious out-of-field jobs as in-field placements, including one graduate of an accounting program whose food-service job at Taco Bell was counted as “in-field” work.

But why would reputable, accredited traditional universities oppose regulations intended to crack down on such fraudulent behaviors? As ProPublica said:

the higher education lobby represents an industry as self-interested as any other—the two largest of the its many trade groups reported spending $500,000 on federal lobbying last year—and it spies an opportunity in the deregulatory instincts of the Republican majority.

The gambit underscores one of the under-appreciated truths about lobbying in Washington in an era of divided government: Special interests are often as interested in preserving a favorable status quo as they are in getting government to take an action to their benefit. To that end, gridlock can be a feature to be encouraged, not a bug.

At stake in this case is the roughly $150 billion that the federal government shovels annually into colleges and universities in the form of Pell grants and subsidized loans for students. Current and former higher education regulators say the federal government is obliged to assure that taxpayers are getting results for that spending.

Tuition rising

Are taxpayers getting their money's worth? Higher education costs – at traditional universities, not even counting the for-profit schools – have risen considerably faster than inflation every year for at least a generation now.

(Personal anecdote: I attended Cheap State U at in-state rates for four consecutive years in the 1990s, and my senior year tuition costs were significantly higher than freshman year's. Adjusted for inflation, I paid $1,760 per semester as a full-time freshman, compared to $2,661 per semester as a senior. For Fall 2015, the in-state tuition cost will be just under $6,270 per semester. Of course, those cited tuition costs do not include the cost of textbooks, housing, food, parking fees, lab fees, student fees, or any other costs related to college.)

So a high school senior today who enrolls at Cheap State U will pay, in inflation-adjusted dollars, at least three times more money than I did for the same degree. Which wouldn't necessarily be a problem if the job market had similarly expanded, so that today's newly minted college grads can reasonably expect salaries two or three times higher than what I made at the same entry-level gigs.

But that hasn't happened. Wages have been stagnating or even falling, even as the cost of educational credentials continues to rise. Students – and, ultimately, federal taxpayers – are spending more money on education than ever. Are they [we] getting results for all that spending?

Perhaps that's a question the “higher education lobby” would prefer nobody ask.

Corinthian Colleges, the long-embattled chain of for-profit (and not necessarily accredited) schools, announced on its website that it would close all of its remaining campuses effective today. Those campuses include “Everest and WyoTech campuses in California, Everest College Phoenix and Everest Online Tempe in Arizona, the Everest Institute in New York, and 150-year-old Heald College -- including its 10 locations in California, one in Hawaii and one in Oregon.”

Take note: although Corinthian does – or did – operate schools under the Everest name, not all Everest schools were run by Corinthian, so not all of them will be closing. For example: when ConsumerAffairs called the Everest College campus in Woodbridge, Virginia, this morning, we were told that it was not shutting down since Corinthian did not own it.

The CCI website says, “The company is working with other schools to provide continuing educational opportunities for its approximately 16,000 students. Corinthian said those efforts depend to a great degree on cooperation with partnering institutions and regulatory authorities.”

Translation: Those efforts depend to a great degree on whether any reputable, regionally accredited educational institutions will accept transfer credits from Corinthian courses -- and Everest schools, Corinthian-owned or otherwise, have a poor track record in that regard.

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said Corinthian "continued to deceive its students to the end."

"Closure of these campuses should help students get out from under the mountains of debt Corinthian imposed upon them through its lies," Harris said. "Federal and state regulators rightly acted to prevent taxpayer dollars from flowing to Corinthian, which preyed on the educational dreams of vulnerable people such as low-income individuals, single mothers and veterans by misleading students and investors about job placement rates and course offerings."

Multiple troubles

In February 2013, for example, an Everest graduate sued the school, alleging that none of the credits he took at Everest were transferable to a state community college. Many consumers posting on ConsumerAffairs have complained of problems transferring their credits.

“I attended Everest here in Miami in 2010,” former student Lucy said in a ConsumerAffairs posting last summer. “At the time I had no high school diploma. I completed a test that qualified me for the pharmacy technician program. ... I passed with flying colors.”

But that hasn't done Lucy much good. “To make a long story short, I am $13,000 in debt and still no employment in my field of study,” she said. “We cannot transfer our education credits because it's not considered real.”

Last June, the Department of Education temporarily halted all federal student aid to Corinthian-owned schools. In September, the feds sued Corinthian on charges of predatory lending practices toward its students. (Remember, too, that student loan debt is far worse than other kinds, because student loans can't even be discharged in bankruptcy.)

Hefty fine levied

Less than two weeks ago, the Department of Education levied a $30 million fine against Corinthian, and ordered its Heald College schools to stop enrolling new students, after an investigation “confirmed cases” that the company misrepresented the schools' job placement rates to current and prospective students of Corinthian-owned Heald Colleges.

For example: the DoE's investigation found that Heald paid companies to hire graduates for temporary positions lasting as little as two days, performing such basic tasks as moving computers and organizing cables, then counted those graduates as “placed in field.” (In many instances, those temp jobs were actually on Heald campuses.) Heald also counted obvious out-of-field jobs as in-field placements, including one graduate of an accounting program whose food-service gig at Taco Bell was counted as “in-field” work.

Despite all of this, the closing announcement on the Corinthian Colleges website says that, “The Company said that its historic graduation rate and job placement rates compared favorably with community colleges,” and quoted Corinthian's CEO, Jack Massimino, as saying “We believe that we have attempted to do everything within our power to provide a quality education and an opportunity for a better future for our students.”

The Department of Education has levied a $30 million fine against Corinthian Colleges, Inc. after an investigation “confirmed cases” that the company misrepresented the schools' job placement rates to current and prospective students of Corinthian-owned Heald Colleges.

The DoE agreement also forbids Heald from enrolling any more students, and requires the school to help current students either complete their education or continue it elsewhere.

According to the DoE, Corinthian's deceptive practices include paying temporary employment agencies to hire graduates for on-campus jobs lasting as little as two days, so that Heald could then count those students as having found work in their field after graduation.

Nothing new

Such allegations against the company are nothing new. The DoE's fine is merely the latest in a series of legal actions taken against the embattled chain of for-profit colleges.

Last September, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Corinthian for predatory lending, the charges included allegations that the company would pay temp agencies to hire Corinthian grads to inflate the schools' placement rates, and also that the company promised good “career” options to graduates of Corinthian-owned Everest, WyoTech or Heald schools, yet Corinthian counted as a “career” any job lasting only one day, so long as there was the possibility of a second day of work.

In February, Corinthian students who'd taken out “Genesis” private loans got a collective $480 million in debt relief, resulting in debt reductions of up to 40 percent.

The schools' reputation among some groups is so unsavory that earlier this month, the attorneys general of nine states urged the federal government to forgive the federal debt burdens incurred by students holding the overpriced and worthless degrees.

And this week, when the Department of Education announced the $30 million fine against Corinthian, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement that “This should be a wake-up call for consumers across the country about the abuses that can exist within the for-profit college sector. We will continue to hold the career college industry accountable and demand reform for the good of students and taxpayers. And we will need Congress to join us in that effort.”

"Violent students' and taxpayers' trust"

The DoE's investigation found that Corinthian had badly mislead potential and current students of Heald Colleges, to the point where the students might not have enrolled in that school at all, had they known the truth.

U.S. Undersecretary of Education Ted Mitchell said in a statement, “Instead of providing clear and accurate information to help students choose which college to attend, Corinthian violated students' and taxpayers' trust. Their substantial misrepresentations evidence a blatant disregard not just for professional standards, but for students' futures.”

Among other things, the Department's investigation found that Heald paid companies to hire graduates for temporary positions lasting as little as two days, performing such basic tasks as moving computers and organizing cables, then counted those graduates as “placed in field.” Heald also counted obvious out-of-field jobs as in-field placements, including one graduate of an accounting program whose food-service job at Taco Bell was counted as “in-field” work.

In addition, the DoE said, “Heald College failed to disclose that it counted as 'placed' those graduates whose employment began prior to graduation, and in some cases even prior to the graduate's attendance at Heald.”

Like that Accounting graduate working at Taco Bell: she graduated from Heald in 2011 but had started at Taco Bell five years earlier, in June 2006.

A Corinthian spokesperson said in a statement that the Department of Education's conclusions were “highly questionable” and “unfounded,” and that “These unfounded, punitive actions do nothing to advance quality education … but would certainly shatter the dreams and aspirations of Heald students and the careers of its employees.” The spokesperson also said that Corinthian plans to appeal.

Once almost exclusively a feature of for-profit colleges, online degree programs have since flourished at non-profit private and public universities. As a result, a college education has recently become more flexible and more affordable.

More flexible in that a college student can work full or part time while completing their degree from the comfort of their living room, doing the course work at any hour of the day or night.

Affordable, in that the competition between colleges and universities for online students has kept tuition hikes in check.

Ranking online schools

So which online college is best? There are any number of ratings services but BestCollegeReviews.com has just reviewed 400 online colleges and picked its top 25.

It used three criteria to measure the colleges and universities – criteria that consumers might also use in selecting a school.

First, the reviewers looked at affordability, measuring the average cost of attending one semester, taking 15 credit hours.

Second, they assessed flexibility, counting the number of bachelor's degree-granting programs students may enter. A secondary consideration – the flexibility with which students may obtain a degree.

Finally, the reviewers measured academic rigor and support, looking at the strength and reputation of the online program’s parent institution as well as the range of support services for online college students.

$2,500 per semester

When all was said in done, Northern Arizona University topped the list. It won praise for its 45 bachelor’s level degrees that can be completed entirely online.

It was also one of the most affordable schools on the list with an estimated per-semester cost of only $2,500. Students may take an unlimited number of courses online for a six month period. There are no lab or course fees, and all materials required by the courses are available online.

Arizona State University was second on the list. It's far from the least expensive school, but won praise for its 47 bachelor’s degree programs that are fully online. There are 80-plus programs when specializations and non-bachelor’s level programs are included.

Value for the money

Degree offerings are comprehensive, ranging from art, business, communications, culture, education, engineering, health, language, to STEM. There are 6 start dates available per year, allowing students to start on their degree when it works best for them. The $7672 per semester tuition is considered a good value for the education and flexibility it provides.

Granite State College places third on the list, with 29 fully online bachelor’s level degrees that may be completed at full-time, part-time, or accelerated rates. Program offerings are comprehensive, ranging from digital and social media, to nursing, to education. Its tuition is the 10th most affordable, coming in at $4,675 per semester.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

4. University of Central Florida

5. State University of New York

6. Oregon State University

7. American Public University System

8. Ft. Hayes State University

9. Pennsylvania State World Campus

10. Grand Canyon University

Last summer the federal government started cracking down on Corinthian College, the for-profit chain behind Everest Institute, WyoTech and Heald schools. Corinthian was already under investigation in 20 different states by last June, when the Department of Education temporarily suspended all federal financial aid to Corinthian schools.

In July, Corinthian missed a deadline to reach an agreement with the federal government, and started selling off some of its campuses. In September, the feds sued Corinthian for predatory lending practices against its students, and only a couple of weeks ago, the Department of Education and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau jointly announced that certain Corinthian students would be forgiven a collective $480 million worth of private, high-cost “Genesis” loans.

Despite all of this, many former Corinthian students still find themselves saddled with enormous debts for worthless degrees — in many instances, their Everest or Corinthian credits won't transfer to other schools, and employers are rarely impressed by Corinthian-generated credentials.

Also, student-loan debt is worse than most other forms of debt because it is bankruptcy-proof, to ensure that teenagers and young 20-somethings who go over their heads in debt attending the wrong school face much harsher consequences than, say, middle-aged adults who go over their heads in debt trying to profitably “flip” a house, charging too many luxe vacations on their credit cards, or gambling all their money away at the legal casino nearest them – those poor financial choices can be forgiven in bankruptcy, but student debts cannot.

Student strike

Last week, 15 former Corinthian students associated with an offshoot of the Occupy movement known as the Debt Collective announced that they were staging a “debt strike” and refusing to repay their student loans in order to protest the government's legal and financial support of the company.

On the Debt Collective's “Student Strike” page, the “Corinthian 15” posted an open letter to the Department of Education saying that:

Who are we? We are the first generation made poor by the business of education.

We are people living paycheck to paycheck, single mothers, and young people just starting out. We wanted an education because we were driven to learn and to achieve a better life for ourselves and for our families.

We trusted that education would lead to a better life. And we trusted you to ensure that the education system in this country would do so. But Corinthian took advantage of our dreams and targeted us to make a profit. You let it happen, and now you cash in. … We are not alone in this fight. Corinthian’s predatory empire pushed hundreds of thousands into a debt trap. But even beyond for-profit schools, tens of millions of students are in more debt than they can ever repay. And you are the debt collector, with powers beyond a payday lender’s wildest dreams. …

Legitimate grounds

The Corinthian 15 might have legitimate legal grounds to demand the discharge of their loans. Even some U.S. senators think so.

Last December, six senators led by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, urging that the Department of Education “immediately discharge” the federal debt obligations of former Corinthian students.

The letter pointed out that such cancellations are allowed according to the DoE's own rules: when students sign the documents to take out a federal student loan, the fine print says that “In some cases, you may assert, as a defense against collection of your loan, that the school did something wrong or failed to do something that it should have done.”

Warren's complete letter to Duncan is available in .pdf form here.

The New Yorker spoke to Mallory Heiney, one of the Corinthian 15 who attended a Michigan branch of Everest Institute in hope of becoming a nurse. But, she said, her instructors stopped showing up for classes due to Corinthian's financial troubles.

Inside Higher Ed spoke to another member of the Corinthian 15, Makenzie Vasquez, who said she dropped out six months into an eight-month program because she could not afford payments on the private loan offered by Corinthian, and now owes more than $30,000 in debt.

The federal government does offer certain income-based repayment programs for low-income students burdened by excessive student loan debt. Vasquez says she knows about such programs but says that, as a matter of principle, she does not want to repay the loans: “I didn’t get anything for this money, so I don’t see why I should have to give them anything …. I was conned going into this school. They sold me a dream and I got a nightmare.”

Educators generally advise consumers thinking of enrolling at a for-profit school to consider their local community college instead. Almost all community colleges will allow you to take on a part-time rather than full-time courseload, if necessary, so you can still work while attending school, and even pay your tuition and other costs as you go, rather than take on a student-loan debt that can't even be discharged in bankruptcy.

For-profit colleges were the first to really jump on the Internet and start offering courses to students all over the country.

There had been “distance learning” programs in the past but companies like the University of Phoenix built a business model around it.

University of Phoenix was founded in 1976, long before the Internet came along. But it was always aimed at students who already had jobs and needed to work school in around their careers.

It's now owned by Apollo Group, a publicly traded company, and has more than 200,000 students, down from a reported 600,000 in 2010. These days, traditional public and private non-profit colleges have gotten into the online education game, giving University of Phoenix and other for-profit colleges some pretty stiff competition.

We reported last year on five traditional colleges that have made a name for themselves offering quality education at competitive tuition rates. It turns out there are a lot more.

Nonprofit options

Nonprofit Colleges Online, a website edited by Brett Gershon and Liz Robertson, singles out colleges and universities it says “put students before profits and education before the bottom line.”

The site recently recently singled out what it considers the top online graduate degree programs offered by non-profit colleges and universities.

Earning the top spot for its online MBA program is Amberton University of Garland, Texas. The cost of the 2-year program is $8,712 for out-of-state students.

Columbia College of Missouri was second and Mississippi State University was third. Both have 2-year tuition costs that come in below $13,000.

Valuable means to an end

"MBA programs are considered a valuable means to an end, intended to help employees advance their careers and contribute significantly to their respective workplaces,” Robertson said. “The networking students do in MBA programs is invaluable to their professional lives; friendships made in a competitive graduate school will likely serve as beneficial professional relationships throughout one's career. With so many accelerated programs available to the non-traditional, modern student - including online, distance programs - and the increasingly relevant and growing global economy, there has never been a more convenient, opportune time to apply for admission to an MBA program.”

And it goes without saying, earning such a degree for under $15,000 in many cases, doesn't saddle the degree recipient with crushing student loan debt.

Bachelor's degrees, which take at least four years to complete, cost more. The good news is Nonprofit Colleges Online can help here too.

Non-profit bachelor's degrees

When it recently rated undergraduate programs it singled out Eastern Oregon University as the best value for a bachelor's degree in business administration. The estimated tuition cost for the degree is $18,700.

Stephen F. Austin State University was second at $19,816 and Fort Hayes State University was third at $23,126.

For students planning to complete their degree online, non-profit colleges likely offer significantly lower costs than most for-profit institutions.

The savings may be even greater if an in-state non-profit school offers online degree programs, since in-state tuition is much less than for out-of-state students.

The lesson is pretty clear. When shopping for an online education, it pays to look beyond for-profit schools and consider the well-established and reputable non-profit schools offering online degree programs.