U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5th), the chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, apparently believes that for-profit colleges are more efficient and effective than real colleges.
According to a piece at Inside Higher Ed:
For-profit colleges have done a better job of being mindful about efficiency and effectiveness than their nonprofit peers, [she] said during a panel discussion on Monday. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools [an accreditor for many for-profit colleges] hosted the event, which was on workforce training. Representative Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, also said the federal government has not scrutinized nonprofit colleges with the same vigor as for-profits, noting that “accountability hits the new kid on the block hardest.”
The graduation rate at for-profit colleges is about 19 percent (it’s 22 percent at community colleges). The average student loan debt of students at for-profit colleges is $33,050 (it’s about $20,000 for public colleges).
How is this sector more effective?
Also, one would think Foxx would know better; she used to be the president of a North Carolina community college. [Image via]
