For-Profit Institutions of Higher Learning-What you need to know before you enroll

I have personally never been a fan of For-Profit Colleges such as Everett, University of Pheonex, and Keiser College. Their ads plague day time television convencing people that they can simply enroll, some even offer enrollment without a High School Diploma or GED. They tell you that once you graduate you will earn up to $25.00 per hour in nursing, or have a business degree, or working in so field that is gurenteed to be considered to be high paying. What they fail to mention is the cost of attendance. On adverage, For-Profit schools charge 3 time the tutition rate as a Private College, Community College or a reguar 4 year college.

Whats worse is that many of the students who attend these for-profit institutions either graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt or they don't finish yet still have the mounting debt from attending the schools. Please educate your self on the cost of these schools before enrolling. I know it may seem good to take classes online that work around your schedule however mostly all community colleges offer the same classes online and for a fraction of the cost. Something else to consider is the accreditation. Many of these schools are not fully accredited, meaning you cannot transfer their credits to another school such as a 4 year college (UF, UCF, FSU) or a 2 year college. This usually traps a lot of students into staying and completing their program at the school while continuing to have more and more student loans to cover the cost of attendance. 


Please take a moment to watch this video that Front Line did on For Profit Colleges.




College Inc.

The business of higher education is booming. It's a $400 billion industry fueled by taxpayer money. But what are students getting out of the deal? Critics say a worthless degree and a mountain of debt. Investors insist they're innovators, widening access to education