abstract and bibliography

In today’s society, it is apparent that without a Bachelors degree, finding any job that allows one to be self-sufficient is growing slimmer. Thus the government acts as a middleman between most lower class citizens and for-profit colleges by offering up millions in aid dollars for them to pursue a degree. The reality is that the government aid is dropping people into enormous debt, which actually benefits for-profit colleges because nearly all of their revenue comes from government loans. This paper is motivated by the close relation that government and for-profits have in providing a new wave of enslavement, college debt. It clarifies the business model of for-profits and investigates the efforts done by legislators to undue any regulation on these colleges. There is a recurring sense that the government is working with for-profits to exploit the lower class to rid them of the political and economical power. 

Campos, Paul. "The Law-School Scam." TheAtlantic.com. 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com>.

In Higher Education 54.1 (2013): 1-29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Oct. 2014.

David Austen-Smith and John R. Wright

American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 25-44

Morey, Ann I. "Globalization And The Emergence Of For-Profit Higher Education." Higher Education 48.1 (2004): 131-150. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.

Press, David. "Government Books $41.3 Billion in Student Loan Profits."USA Today. Gannett, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/25/federal-student-loan-profit/3696009/>.

Kirkham, Chris. "For-Profit Colleges Owned By Wall Street Companies Fare Worst Under New U.S. Measures." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 June 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/for-profit-colleges-new-measures_n_1626286.html>.

Kingkade, Tyler. "For-Profit Colleges Spending Millions On Lobbying, Nearly $40 Million Since 2007." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/for-profit-colleges-lobbying_n_1842507.html>.

Mettler, Suzanne. Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream. Print.

O'Malley, Susan. "The Leading Edge Of Corporatization In Higher Ed: For-Profit Colleges." Radical Teacher 93 (2012): 22-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Oct. 2014.

Parker, Chris. "For-Profit Colleges Only a Con Man Could Love." New York News and Events. 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. <http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-08-01/news/For-Profit-Colleges-con/full>.

Tierney, W., & Hentschke, G. (2007). New Players, Different Game: Understanding the rise of for-profit colleges and Universities. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

L.R. #5

Mettler, Suzanne. Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream. Print.

The excerpts from this book i have read first background how for-profits made there way just after WWII. Also, in regards to the GI bill, it was a key role in allowing for-profits to gain an edge on the competition. However, the bulk of my reading was about the early work done by congress and policy makers to try and halt for-profits from retaining all of government aid. The little legislation they did do in the middle 20th century was rarely enforced even after reports were made on for-profits that showed how criminal they behaved as a business. After 1984, the for-profits just became an extension of the government. Incredible lobbying was done and to top it off a lobbyist for for-profits was hired as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. These two led to direct undoings of any regulation on for-profits and then spurred the boom of the for-profit sector. 

"Suzanne Mettler is the Clinton Rossiter Professor of American Institutions in the Government Department at Cornell University. Her research and teaching interests include public policy (including social welfare, tax, health, and education policies), American political development, political behavior and civic engagement, and inequality." This taken directly from a Cornell website, shows that she is well qualified.

 Bipartisan- In the book, this word describes the collaboration between Republicans and Democrats.

PAC is defined as Political action committee. This was created by many for-profits for obvious reasons.

“None of the Apollo group companies would exist without the ability to protect them from regulatory and political attack.”(100)

“If you cant tie a good knot, tie lots of bad one”.(99) 

Value- I wish she would have written this book months earlier! 

counter-argument

I see the only counter-argument to my topic as the government is trying to help its people. They see the government aid as a boost for under-privileged students to take the next step in education. What the government is lacking is aptitude to understand that their aid is exploiting the students that’s they are trying to help. Maybe Government can then blame this on the business style of for-profits but with strong lobbying from the for-profits it’s obvious to see that the government is choosing to turn their cheek. Also, I have begun to get the sense that the Government is in favor of a large part of their society to be indebted. This sounds absurd and a counter argument would be that the government sole purpose is to help its people and the aid shows that they are. But, any type of research shows the contrary. Government aid is only helping fuel the for-profit business and the larger the for-profit business becomes the more they will lobby to keep government off legislation.