President Obama signing order today

Obama targets diploma mills that market to vets - Yahoo! News

"The main target of the White House action is for-profit colleges and universities that market heavily to military families because of the easy availability of federal loan money under the GI Bill"

I would think he is talking about NA or DETC...right? As far as I know, you can't use your GI benefits (or federal loans) to pay for an unaccredited university so who is the target (the Aspen, CSU's...etc)???

 

This will also affect RA schools. In fact, all online-only schools are the target of this "Presidential Order," because as Obama said, the "real value" of a degree from an online school is questionable. We've all read stories in this forum, where degrees from online schools are rejected as a qualifier for admission into degree programs at "real" (B&M) schools; especially at the doctoral level, and the fact that more companies are explicitly rejecting job applicants with degrees from online-only schools (companies like Google and Exxon Mobil are known to state in their job advertisements that applicants with degrees from online-only schools should NOT apply).

With that in mind, the goal of this "Order" is to ensure that veterans spend their tuition dollars at B & M schools that actually engage in teaching, not at online-only schools that many are beginning to conclude that making money is their main goal (not teaching or imparting knowledge). In my opinion, RA schools like Trident University International will be seriously affected by this "Order," as over 90% of their student body is made up of military students - both active and veterans. In fact, Trident's marketing efforts are aimed almost 100% at attracting military students; that means their main income target is aimed over 90% at military (or government, depending on how you view it) tuition sources.

 

Are you talking about SOLELY ONLINE-SCHOOLS (Capella, NCU, Trident, Jones Int'l, Walden, and etc.) or including B&M Schools offer online degrees?

This is the primary reason I dropped out Capella University's Ph.D in Information Technology. Even though now I am with Colorado Technical University, but I am still nervous. I really want to attend Nova Southeastern University, but I want to move to Denver. Besides, NSU requires two residencies per semester, that costs lot of travels.

 

Coming from him, a Harvard law grad, that type of snobbery comes at no surprise. But he's not qualified to make such an assessment in the first place. He was never qualified to be President either, but that's a totally different discussion...

I haven't seen any indication of the trend you mention there. I know nothing about Google's or Exxon's job postings, but I'm sure what you say about them specifically is true, and that's a real shame. But to the other larger issue, I just haven't seen anything like that and I have dealt heavily in recruiting for quite some time, so I'm really interested in seeing some job listings like this if can you point to any examples currently online.

On the subject of job listings, Obama should be focusing on stopping employers from automatically denying applicants because they don't have a job (which in and of itself is completely ridiculous). It's an inhumane way of doing things considering the dire unemployment problems and the economy, and it shouldn't even be allowed.

The farce is the idea that most schools really truly care about whether students learn or not, or that they aren't concerned with making money. We're all adults, we know better.

This all sounds like the old boys network got together, cried to the group leader, and now punishment is being handed down. Unfortunately, none of this will benefit students, it will only benefit the old boys network, send education backwards, and once again take opportunities away from people.

This is all a crock. I'm beyond fed up with the U.S. Government, they can't run their own affairs properly and yet maintains the unwavering condescension that they know how to run everyone else's.

 

The title of the article seems suspect to me. It suggests that all for profits are diploma mills. That is NOT correct and certainly undermines both RA and NA accreditation of those institutions. I imagine enrollment would plummet at many universities. Wonder who will be left standing?

 

You can read the actual Executive Order here. If you do, you will see that :

(1) it does not distinguish between NA and RA schools;
(2) it does not distinguish between DL and B&M schools;
(3) it does not distinguish between non-profit and for-profit schools.
(4) it does not use the terms "degree mills" or "diploma mills".

The EO refers to "some educational institutions" where "there have been reports of aggressive and deceptive targeting of service members, veterans, and their families."
No names or details are specified.

The new rules apply equally to all schools that market to the military, regardless of accreditation, mode of delivery, or for-profit/non-profit status.

 

I didn't see much of anything in the order. Unless this is just giving blanket power to the Dept of Education to make the rules.

 

I think the bill might target vocational and trade schools more than it would actual degree granting for-profit schools. Who knows, we'll soon find out.

 

I just read that 29.1 percent of current Excelsior students are active servicemembers.

 

What ever happen to free choice and buyer beware? I know buyer beware sounds bad but you can't protect people from being stupid. If you don't shop around, check references and think about your choices before you make them then you get what you deserve.

I think all students should have to pay some portion or a larger portion of their tuition upfront so they have more skin in the game. then they'll think twice and do more investigation.

 

If you are using your own money, then those principles still apply.

But if you are a member of the military using taxpayer-subsidized educational benefits, then the government may have an interest in the way that those dollars are spent.

 

The percentage is even higher if you count veterans. A 2010 Excelsior press release stated:

 

Like Hillsdale College, which famously made the free choice not to participate in Federal financial aid programs so they wouldn't be subject to Federal regulation?