This First Look publication provides price estimates for attending postsecondary education institutions using data from the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12), the most comprehensive, nationally representative survey of student financing of postsecondary education in the United States. The survey includes about 95,000…

While most in the academic community know about the attempt to rein in the for-profits, few are aware of its collateral damage. In October, the Department of Education (DOE) issued its Program Integrity Rules, intended to protect federal funds especially from those for-profit institutions with high student loan default rates. Well-intentioned…

For-profit, or proprietary, colleges are the fastest growing postsecondary schools in the nation, enrolling a disproportionately high share of disadvantaged and minority students and those ill-prepared for college. Because these schools--many of them big national chains--derive most of their revenue from taxpayer-funded student financial aid, they…

The growth over the last decade of the for-profit sector of higher education (also known as the proprietary sector) has been well documented. In 1999, for-profit colleges and universities enrolled approximately 629,000 students, or a little over 4 percent of the nation's 15.2 million students. By 2009, this sector had increased to 2.2 million…

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects institution-level data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and other U.S. jurisdictions (see appendix A for a list of other U.S. jurisdictions). This "First Look" presents findings from the provisional…

This First Look report presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) spring 2009 data collection. This collection included five components: Student Financial Aid for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2008-09 academic year; Enrollment for fall 2008; Graduation Rates…

Private for-profit institutions have been the fastest growing part of the U.S. higher education sector. For-profit enrollment increased from 0.2 percent to 9.1 percent of total enrollment in degree-granting schools from 1970 to 2009, and for-profit institutions account for the majority of enrollments in non-degree granting postsecondary schools.…

For the past eight years, the Babson Survey Research Group has conducted surveys of higher education institutions on their attitudes, beliefs, and practices concerning online education. This current report is a new analysis of this collection of data, focusing on the role of online education among private-sector colleges and universities. For the…

Once comprised of local, sole-proprietor ownership, the nation's for-profit institutions now range from small, privately owned schools to publicly traded corporations. Enrollment in such colleges has grown far faster than in traditional higher-education institutions. Moreover, during the 2009-2010 school year, for-profit colleges received almost…

Since President Obama took office, he has repeatedly called for the United States to significantly improve its postsecondary education performance. One goal in particular has gained wide attention: the President's declaration that in an ever more competitive global marketplace, the United States must once again lead the world in college…

For-profit schools--also known as proprietary schools--received over $16 billion in federal loans, grants, and campus-based aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act in 2007/08. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to determine (1) how the student loan default profile of proprietary schools compares with that of other types…

Since President Obama took office, he has repeatedly called for the United States to significantly improve its postsecondary education performance. One goal in particular has gained wide attention: the President's declaration that in an ever more competitive global marketplace, the United States must once again lead the world in college…

The "ability to benefit" provision in Title IV, Higher Education Act, and the Reagan Administration's proposal to eliminate it as a basis for student aid eligibility are discussed. Regulations and data related to the provision, pro and con arguments regarding "ability to benefit," and policy alternatives are described. (MLW)

A din of opprobrium rises from the academy against for-profit education. But a name like "The University of Phoenix" is not misleading to students, Richard P. Hassler argues, even though the dividends that that large public corporation pays its shareholders derive narrowly from career preparation, rather than from more rarefied…

The first of 17 hearings to take place outside of Washington D.C. on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 occurred in Kansas City, Missouri and included testimony by students and educational administrators from the area. The subcommittee heard testimony primarily concerning Title IV which provides loans to students to enable…