(2) U.S. Congress. Government Accountability Office. FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES: Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud and Engaged in Deceptive and Questionable Marketing Practices. (1-27) Washington: Government Printing Office, Aug. 2010.
(3) The GAO conducts a study in which their agents visit 15 for-profit colleges in an effort to uncover the enrollment process of for-profit schooling.The study finds that for-profits use deceptive tactics to enroll students and also falsify student information to maximize their financial aid award.
(4) The GAO is part of the legislative branch of the US government. It serves to audit, evaluate, and investigate the use of public funds. The GAO makes reports in order to maximize efficiency in public spending.
(5) FAFSA - free application for federal student aid
Federal student aid - helps students pay for college with free grants, work study programs, and loan programs
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Federal student aid - helps students pay for college with free grants, work study programs, and loan programs
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(6) "Within a month of using the Web sites, one student interested in business management received 182 phone calls and another student also interested in business management received 179 phone calls" (14).
As soon as students sign up for websites affiliated with for-profits, they are immediately targeted, receiving calls from unrelenting recruiters.
"Three colleges required undercover applicants to make $20–$150 monthly payments once enrolled, despite the fact that students are typically not required to repay loans until after the student finishes or drops out of the program"(13).
For-profit recruiters would use deceptive tactics to persuade students to pay fees, which sometimes did not even exist.
"At the same Florida college, multiple representatives used high pressure marketing techniques, becoming argumentative, and scolding our undercover applicants for refusing to enroll before speaking with financial aid" (12).
Students are pressured to enroll in for-profits and if they are not complying, recruiters would often become aggressive.
As soon as students sign up for websites affiliated with for-profits, they are immediately targeted, receiving calls from unrelenting recruiters.
"Three colleges required undercover applicants to make $20–$150 monthly payments once enrolled, despite the fact that students are typically not required to repay loans until after the student finishes or drops out of the program"(13).
For-profit recruiters would use deceptive tactics to persuade students to pay fees, which sometimes did not even exist.
"At the same Florida college, multiple representatives used high pressure marketing techniques, becoming argumentative, and scolding our undercover applicants for refusing to enroll before speaking with financial aid" (12).
Students are pressured to enroll in for-profits and if they are not complying, recruiters would often become aggressive.
(7) This study shows the harshness of the for-profit recruitment process. Students, such as those in the minority population, are easily taken advantage of by these schools. Desperate for an opportunity for schooling, students are often misled into paying more for education, enrolling into for-profit schooling without taking the time to research the educational institution.
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