Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 15, 2014 10:20 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Michael J. Stack |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Higher Education GI Bill Exclusions |
| In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation that would protect veterans by requiring them to use their college tuition benefits at only accredited universities and colleges. Specifically, this legislation would amend Act 51 (Military Affairs) to 'exclude for-profit, online universities’ in order to provide safeguards in the use of military educational benefits. This bill would NOT prohibit them from attending a brick and mortar or online community college, state-related, state system of higher education or any traditional accredited college or university in the Commonwealth. Recent articles have shown that some veterans spend over five times the amount of what a local and accredited college, university or community college would cost by attending an online for-profit university - but do not end up without a degree. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/carrie-wofford/2013/11/11/this-veterans-day-help-a-vet-avoid-a-gi-bill-for-profit-college-scam http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Substandard-colleges-rake-in-millions-from-GI-Bill-5603190.php The Federal Government has been battling with institutions such as the University of Phoenix for preying upon recent veterans looking for post-secondary education. In 2012, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, issued a scathing 5,000-page report detailing the practices of 30 large for-profit education firms and their impact on service men and women.* In many cases, these veterans or active servicemen/women have little to show for the investment made under the GI bill. In California, The University of Phoenix in San Diego has received $95 million in GI Bill funds since 2009. That’s more than any brick-and-mortar campus in America. Yet, the overall graduation rate at its San Diego campus is less than 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and more than a quarter of students default on their loans within three years of leaving school.* Please join me in helping our service men and women get the education they deserve. *Source: http://cironline.org/reports/gi-bill-funds-flow-profit-colleges-fail-state-aid-standards-6477 |
Introduced as SB1473