There is a decadeslong history of underperformance and abuse by institutions and programs that make false promises to students who hope to earn a degree and participate in the labor market. These colleges exacerbate existing inequities in this country and often fail to meaningfully prepare students for the workforce. Too often, the current system fails to fulfill the purpose of higher education, which is to offer everyone in this country access to knowledge, job opportunity, and economic security. We are greatly encouraged by the department’s efforts to continue instituting strong oversight and accountability to better protect low-income students, students of color, women, and veterans, who are disproportionately targeted by low-quality programs seeking access to federal student aid dollars.
In response to the questions posed in the Department of Education’s request for information, the Center for American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, provides a set of recommendations for designing criteria for the proposed low-financial-value postsecondary programs list.
Click here to read CAP’s comment letter.