Five for-profit colleges in Florida are being investigated by the state’s attorney general for possibly lying about their financial aid, recruiting tactics, graduation rates and accreditation, according to a statement from the state’s Attorney General.
The five schools being investigated are Argosy University, Everest College, Kaplan University, the MedVance Institute and the University of Phoenix.
According to the statement, the current investigation is civil and not criminal at this time, meaning the investigations do not intend to prove the universities have broken any laws.
The Apollo Group, the company that owns the University of Phoenix, said in a statement they have not been notified by the Florida Attorney General’s Office of any investigation.
“We support efforts to enhance accountability within higher education, and we strive to play a leadership role in continuously improving and transparently reporting the outcomes and achievements of students served by our schools,” the Apollo Group said in the statement.
John Wiley, who was University of Wisconsin chancellor from 2001 to 2008, said he believed the district attorney is right to investigate the for-profit schools.
Wiley said there has been a growing number of complaints and abuses coming from the for-profit sector. He added there are a lot of ethical and honest for-profit universities, but there are some who are taking advantage of students.
The whole sector has seen a large amount of growth in the last five to 10 years, Wiley said. He added there is a conflict of interest for people investing in these colleges and the students who enroll in the colleges.
“It’s the elephant in the room. There is no denying a company is out to make a profit,” Wiley said. “They want as many students as possible that are paying tuition so they will relax the standards for admissions and go out and recruit students.”
Another problem with the for-profits, Wiley said, is they try to find students who are eligible for national education grants and have them bring that money to the schools, even if the student is not prepared for school or has no chance of graduating.
He added $27 billion in federal financial aid is spent on students in the for-profit sector, some of which is spent well on helping students get an education and some of which is wasted.
