( en | de | ru )

 

  2. user
  3. @prophe
  4. Mar2017

bookmarks  76

  •  

    The government has suffered further defeats in the House of Lords on plans in England for the teaching excellence framework and the opening up of the sector to new private providers. Earlier in the week, peers defeated the government by passing an amendment that ensures the results of the TEF should not be used to determine the fees that an institution can charge. On 8 March, the House of Lords – where the government does not have a majority – inflicted further defeats. The government now has the choice of accepting the amendments, or bidding to force through its proposals with the backing of MPs. An amendment, proposed by crossbencher Baroness Wolf, Labour peer Lord Stevenson and Liberal Democrat Lord Storey, was passed that would severely limit the government’s flagship plans to bring in new providers to compete with universities. Critics backing the amendment had warned of risks from for-profit providers gaining degree awarding powers and university status. The amendment would ensure new providers either remain subject to the same requirement to pass through four years of validation before they can gain their own degree awarding powers, or had been granted permission to use such powers by a quality assessment committee. The government had wanted private providers to be able to award degrees on a probationary basis from the start of their operation and for England’s new regulator, the Office for Students, to take over the granting of degree awarding powers. The OfS would also have to be “assured that the provider operated in the public interest and in the interest of students” to gain degree powers, says the amendment, passed by 201 votes to 186. On the TEF, peers also backed an amendment that would ensure the government still creates “a scheme to assess and provide consistent and reliable information about the quality of education and teaching”, but prevents such an exercise from being used “to create a single composite ranking of English higher education providers”, as well as ensuring that its data a
    6 years ago by @prophe
     
      Mar2017privateUKEnglanddelayedEnglish
      copydelete
       
       
    •  

      The first class of students who went to community college for free under Tennessee Promise is graduating this spring. Some might go straight into the workforce, some plan to transfer to public universities — but private colleges are starting to make a concerted effort to recruit them, too. One of these efforts comes in the form of a scholarship, a potentially hefty one: Tennessee Promise students transferring to Lipscomb University will receive at least $10,000, making up more than a third of their tuition. The university announced the "Lipscomb Promise" scholarship last week. “A substantial amount of their education will be funded by this university," said university president Randy Lowry. "That, in partnership with state resources ... [and] with their own resources and work, should provide them with the opportunity for this kind of college experience.” This award is not actually new — Lipscomb already offered the $10,000-plus scholarship to transfer students, under a different name, in past years. Lebron Hill, a junior, says the "Lipscomb Pathways" award was an integral part of his deciding to transfer from Motlow State Community College last year. "The money was a main factor in my choice, so I'm glad I was able to get the scholarship," he says. So "Lipscomb Promise" is essentially a rebranding. But changing the wording is not insignificant — after all, the entire Tennessee Promise program showed that marketing makes a difference. The governor has acknowledged that a huge part of its success is the fact that it proactively labels community college as "free," even though it was already free for many students because they qualified for federal financial aid. Mike Krause, who oversees the Tennessee Promise program and the state's higher education commission, says he expects calling the scholarship "Lipscomb Promise" will make a difference. “I think this is a place where the brand matters. You’re able to tell a student who’s really gotten used to the Tennessee Promise message [that college is affordable for
      6 years ago by @prophe
       
        TennesseeMar2017Free_tuitionUSATennessee_PromiseEnglish
        copydelete
         
         
      •  

        Buoyed by the ascendancy of Donald Trump, America’s predatory for-profit colleges are renewing their multi-front fight to destroy a key measure to hold them accountable: the gainful employment rule. The new battle plan includes pushes in Congress and before the Betsy DeVos Department of Education, plus two new lawsuits aimed at the regulation, including one, in Arizona, that has not been previously reported. It looks like this harmful effort is rapidly gaining traction. It took the Obama administration nearly eight years of battling well-paid for-profit college lobbyists and lawyers to finally enact and implement this regulation, which has a simple, common sense premise: Career training programs that, year-after-year, leave graduates mired in overwhelming debt should lose eligibility for taxpayer-funded student grants and loans. Career education should make people financially better off, not worse off, and the rule aims to channel money away from programs that do harm — and channel it toward those honest, effective colleges that are genuinely helping students build careers. For decades, many for-profit colleges, through a toxic mix of high prices, low quality, and weak job placement, have promised more than they could deliver, and yet have been getting billions annually in federal aid, much of it spent on advertising and profits, rather than education. Many veterans, single moms, displaced factory workers and miners, and others struggling to build a better future have been deceived and abused by unscrupulous college owners, whose offices are in Wall Street suites as well as strip malls. The final gainful employment rule does not demand much; only the worst programs flunk its test comparing graduate earnings with debt levels. The first round of results, reported in January, showed that 98 percent of the flunking programs were at for-profit colleges. The for-profit colleges have never stopped trying to overturn the rule, even after federal courts decisively rejected two separate industry lawsuits. Now, however,
        6 years ago by @prophe
         
          for-profitMar2017USADonald_TrumpObamaEnglish
          copydelete
           
           
        •  

          Alums of a disgraced for-profit college chain have spent years trying to cancel their federal student loans. For three years in federal court, the Obama Department of Education told them to keep on paying. Improbably, the Trump administration is poised to say differently. Under a preliminary accord, the federal government would invite tens of thousands of former students, who more than 20 years ago attended beauty and secretarial schools owned by defunct Wilfred American Education Corp., to petition the Education Department to cancel their unpaid debt and receive refunds on past payments, according to four people familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing confidential settlement negotiations. The applications are almost certain to be approved, these people said, and the government would foot the bill. The deal-which is not complete and may change-would resolve a 2014 class-action lawsuit against the Education Department brought by seven former Wilfred students who claimed the feds for decades had been wrongfully collecting on debt that students needn't repay. Federal law allows borrowers to cancel their loans when their schools violate certain rules, and Wilfred routinely flouted the law by falsely certifying that its students were eligible for government loans, according to the complaint. The lawsuit claimed the department knew the loans were eligible to be forgiven, yet it made no effort to inform debtors of this right. If finalized, the settlement would represent one of the largest debt-forgiveness schemes undertaken by the Education Department. That it didn't happen under Obama, who championed student debt relief measures, and instead could happen under Trump, who in November agreed to pay $25 million to settle several lawsuits tied to his own foray into for-profit education, could upend expectations that a Trump-overseen Education Department would favor the interests of for-profit schools over those of allegedly defrauded students. Jim Margolin, a spokesman f
          6 years ago by @prophe
           
            Mar2017USADonald_TrumpObamaEnglish
            copydelete
             
             
          •  

            LONDON: Malaysian universities continue to improve in their world rankings based on subjects, with an increase in their overall share of places rising from 1.27 per cent to 1.51 per cent. In the just-released seventh edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject by Quacquarelli Symonds, three Malaysian university programmes rank in the top 30. They are University of Malaya's Electrical Engineering (at 23rd) and Development Studies (at 26th); and Taylor's University's Hospitality & Leisure Management (at 29th). University of Malaya (UM) continues to be the best-performing local institution, with five subjects ranked in the global top 50. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh congratulated the universities for their “stellar performance” in this year’s Rankings by Subject. “Having 11 subjects across four universities ranked within the world’s top 50 is a highly-commendable improvement from three subjects in 2016. “Furthermore, Malaysian universities have doubled the number of subjects ranked in the top 100 to 52. “Congratulations to UM, which achieved having five subjects placed in the top 50 and 19 subjects in the top 100. UM has excelled in various Engineering fields and for the first time, its education programme is ranked 41st. “USM has also done us proud, with four subjects in the top 50, notably with Hospitality & Leisure Management ranked 32nd and Mineral & Mining ranked 35th. “Speaking of firsts, we have a private university ranked in the world’s top 50, namely Taylor’s University, at 29th place, for Hospitality & Leisure Management; while IIUM also appears at 46th, for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies. “I am proud that our universities have excelled across diverse areas of knowledge, from Engineering to Education, Hospitality to Environmental Sciences. “As the higher education space becomes more connected, accessible and competitive, the ability to offer high-quality education in such subjects will enable our higher education institutions to stand out worldwide, and en
            6 years ago by @prophe
             
              Mar2017top_ranksMalaysiaEnglish
              copydelete
               
               
            •  

              "For-profit colleges have faced federal and state investigations in recent years for their aggressive recruiting tactics –– accusations that come as no surprise to author Tressie McMillan Cottom," NPR reports. "Cottom worked as an enrollment officer at two different for-profit colleges, but quit because she felt uncomfortable selling students an education they couldn't afford. Her new book, Lower Ed, argues that for-profit colleges exploit racial, gender and economic inequality. Cottom tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that for-profit institutions tend to focus their recruiting on students who qualify for the maximum amount of student aid. 'That happens to be the poorest among us,' she says. 'And because of how our society is set up, the poorest among us tend to be women and people of color.' Though for-profit colleges hold out the promise of a better future, Cottom notes that the credentials they offer tend to be 30 to 40 percent more expensive than the same credentials from a nonprofit public institution. What's more, she says, students at for-profit institutions often drop out before completing their degree, which means many students are left mired in debt and with credits that are not easily transferable. 'The system that we've come to rely on to increase access to higher education to the most vulnerable among us really only compounds their poverty and their risk factors,' Cottom says. 'That's the exact opposite of what higher education is supposed to do.'" NASFAA's "Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.
              6 years ago by @prophe
               
                for-profitMar2017USADonald_TrumpDepartment_of_EducationEnglish
                copydelete
                 
                 
              •  

                According to a Chronicle analysis of data released on Tuesday, 177 private colleges that grant degrees failed a U.S. Education Department test for financial responsibility in the 2014-15 academic year. That’s 18 more than the previous year. Of the institutions that failed, 112 are nonprofit, and the remaining 65 are for-profit. In the previous year, 93 of the 159 failing institutions were nonprofit. The department considers an institution’s debt and assets, among other factors, in giving it a score ranging from -1 to 3. Scores lower than 1.5 are considered failing. The department’s methodology in devising the scores has drawn sharp criticism in the past from some higher-education groups. The latest scores cover the institutions for fiscal years ending between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Several of the colleges have closed since the 2014-15 academic year. Some, like Dowling College, in Oakdale, N.Y., previously failed the financial-responsibility test, while others, like Saint Joseph’s College, in Rensselaer, Ind., passed it.
                6 years ago by @prophe
                 
                  for-profitMar2017USAFinancialDepartment_of_EducationEnglish
                  copydelete
                   
                   
                •  

                  According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 750 higher education institutions closed last year, including for-profit schools. Among these closing schools are private nonprofit colleges no longer able to fill the gaps between revenue and expenses and sustain operations while debt remains unpaid. While very few of the higher education institutions closing each year are private nonprofit schools, the annual number has tripled since the recession and is anticipated to remain stable or increase further, according to a 2015 Moody’s report. Many of the schools most at risk have fewer than 500 students and are affiliated with religious denominations. When a college or university goes bankrupt, what happens to its endowment? Most financially troubled schools have modest endowments, and some of the funds within the endowments are restricted by their donors to specific “for good, forever” purposes rather than immediate general support like debt relief. For example, Art Rebrovick, restructuring officer for Virginia Intermont College, which closed in 2014, said, “The endowment was on the books for $4 million, but it had been leveraged and used for faculty salaries so many times that there was just literally no money there.” If there is money left, there can be a fight between creditors, or between successor institutions taking up the responsibility of educating students. When Chester College in New Hampshire closed, it designated New England College as the recipient of its residual assets. This practice follows state and IRS guidelines that direct dissolving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to give remaining funds to other nonprofits with similar missions, services, clientele, etc. However, the New England Institute of Art challenged the decision because it said that it was taking 92 percent of Chester College’s students and that act should be supported by the college’s residual endowment. Ultimately, the New Hampshire courts decided that the funds would be split 60-40 between the two schools, with New England
                  6 years ago by @prophe
                   
                    Mar2017endowmentclosureEnglishnon-profit
                    copydelete
                     
                     
                  •  

                    WAXAHACHIE — Academic Excellence: two puissant words that all schools and university aim for and contend to be the best. Out of 47 private colleges in Texas that offer online courses, Southwestern Assemblies of God University has ranked in the top five of online colleges in Texas by Affordable Colleges Online for the 2016-2017 school year. According to AffordableCollegesOnline.org, "Texas is second in the nation in the number of institutions offering online degree programs. In Texas, online degree programs are designed to provide the same academic quality and rigor as their campus-based equivalents, but with the flexibility and convenience of 24/7 remote access. There are notable schools in the Lone Star State that merit recognition." With an overall high score of 98.71 for it's 53 online programs, 16:1 student-teacher ratio, and 73 percent financial aid assistance, SAGU ranked No. 4 in the poll and stood out amongst larger schools that include Dallas Baptist University, University of Houston-Victoria, and Wayland Baptist University. As stated by the website, "The colleges that made the list of the Best Online Colleges in Texas for 2016—17 have a demonstrated a record of excellence in delivering online programs and support to students at the post-secondary level." Affordable Colleges Online ranked the best online colleges in the state with information gathered by researchers and postsecondary experts. The organization's goal is to find colleges that offer a balance of academics, student support, and affordability concerning online education. Factors considered in the ranking process included in-state tuition and fees for undergraduate students, the percentage of students receiving scholarships or grants from the college, and availability of job placement services for students and graduates. Within SAGU's online programs, the school offers both bachelor and master's degrees in Education, Theology, and Psychology, continuing to grow in other areas of interest. Many of these programs are also available in fast-trac
                    6 years ago by @prophe
                     
                      Mar2017USATexasonlineEnglish
                      copydelete
                       
                       
                    •  

                      Seven Missouri private colleges and six from Kansas have failed a U.S. Department of Education test of their financial responsibility during the 2014-2015 academic year. The Chronicle of Higher Education this week released analyzed data that found 177 degree-granting colleges across the country failed the test, 18 more than had failed the previous year. Most of those failing were nonprofits. Only 65 of the failing schools were for-profit institutions. Among them was Wright Career College, a for-profit private school that was based in Overland Park and closed in April 2016 after going bankrupt. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that in determining whether an institution passes or fails, the Education Department considers an institution’s debt and assets, among other factors. Scores given range from negative-1 to 3, and any score below 1.5 is considered failing. These schools are subject to cash monitoring and other federally imposed requirements. A school could raise concerns about its financial responsibility and end up on the monitoring list for late financial statements, outstanding liabilities and accreditation issues. The scores are made public by the federal Education Department as some broad indication of the financial health of thousands of two- and four-year schools. The idea is to give tuition-paying students and parents a better look at what their money is buying and how it’s being used. “The department’s methodology in devising the scores has drawn sharp criticism in the past from some higher-education groups,” the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Among the schools in Missouri listed with a failing score for the 2014-2015 academic year is Westminster College in Fulton with a score of 1.1. But school officials said the college has subsequently improved performance and the reported score “does not reflect our college’s current financial conditions,” said Lana Poole, college spokeswoman. Poole said Westminster’s composite score for financial responsibility would increase to 2.7 fo
                      6 years ago by @prophe
                       
                        Mar2017USAMissouriFinancialKansasEnglish
                        copydelete
                         
                         
                      •  

                        For those that draw the line in the sand at $5.00 for a “penny stock,” Aspen Group, Inc. (OTCQB:ASPU) may be able to graduate out of penny-stock-land soon. Trading as low as $1.52 last July (and $1.21 in January 2016), the company has found a solid uptrend to tip the scales at $4.44 in December for its current 52-week high. After a pullback from that high, shares are moving up again, including a 7.7% climb in morning trading to $4.04 on Friday. Shares are being driven by the New York City-based post-secondary education company issuing two substantial pieces of news after Thursday’s closing bell. First, in the third quarter of fiscal 2017 (ended January 31, 2017), Aspen reported revenue of $3.74 million, up 73% from the year prior quarter. The company swung to a profit, with net earnings of $7,377 versus a net loss of $689,718 a year earlier. Aspen also had a record number 825 new student enrollments during the latest quarter, a 50% year-over-year increase. Separately, the company said it signed a letter of intent to acquire an unnamed regionally accredited for-profit university based in California for $9.0 million. Payment will come in the form of $2.5 million in cash, $2.0 million in convertible debt and $4.5 million in ASPU common stock. $900,000 of the $2.5 million cash component will be lent to a newly-formed entity controlled by the loan’s guarantor who owns 100% of the voting power of the university.
                        6 years ago by @prophe
                         
                          for-profitMar2017USAEnglish
                          copydelete
                           
                           
                        •  

                          Provincial minister for Higher Education Commission, Syed Raza Gillani, has announced that distribution of laptops among university students will start from 13th March. A total of 115,000 laptops will be awarded to deserving students from public sector universities. This announcement was made during a departmental meeting at Civil Secretariat on 8th March. Secretary Higher Education Department Naseem Nawaz and representatives of private universities and Punjab Higher Education Commission attended the meeting. Share of public and private universities According to Prime Minister’s Laptop scheme, only public sector university students were eligible to enroll in the program. This meant that around 110,000 laptops were to be distributed to deserving students enrolled in public universities. However, Punjab government has decided to award additional 5,000 laptops to students from private universities. Talking about this change in policy, Raza Gillani said that provision of laptops to private universities is another ‘first’ of Punjab government. He further added that this would help the students to improve their access to the latest knowledge-trends. Schedule of distribution Distribution of these laptops will start from 13th March. Public sector universities will be the first to get these laptops, with private sector universities coming later down the road.
                          6 years ago by @prophe
                           
                            Mar2017LaptopPakistanEnglish
                            copydelete
                             
                             
                          •  

                            All three of England’s for-profit universities owned in Netherlands Calls have been made for greater scrutiny of the ownership of for-profit higher education providers after it emerged that BPP University is owned in the Netherlands by its US parent. The disclosure means that all three of England’s for-profit universities are owned in the Netherlands, which is known for its attractive corporate tax regime. However, Apollo Education Group, which has owned BPP since 2010 and was recently bought by two US private equity firms, said it did not gain any tax advantage from Dutch ownership of the institution. BPP has benefited from £26.6 million in tuition fee payments via the public Student Loans Company over five years since 2011, according to SLC figures. Companies House documents show that BPP University is owned by BPP Holdings, which is in turn owned by Apollo UK Acquisition Company Limited, which is itself owned by Coöperatieve Apollo Global Netherlands UA (UA is the abbreviation for the Dutch-language term for “excluded liability”). England’s two other for-profit universities, the University of Law and Arden University, are both owned by Global University Systems, a company whose leadership is Russian and which is registered in the Netherlands as a “BV”, the Dutch equivalent of a private limited liability company. The government’s Higher Education and Research Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, aims to bring in more private and for-profit providers to compete with universities. Times Higher Education asked Apollo why BPP is ultimately owned in the Netherlands, whether or not Netherlands ownership conferred any tax advantages for Apollo, and whether the location of ownership is likely to change under the new owners of Apollo. A spokesman for Apollo Global, the group’s subsidiary for its non-US operations, said: “Apollo Global’s Dutch structure was put into place in 2011 in conjunction with the development of a new global learning platform. We do not gain any tax advantages related to the s
                            6 years ago by @prophe
                             
                              BPPfor-profitMar2017DutchprivateUKNetherlandsEnglish
                              copydelete
                               
                               
                            •  

                              Hungarian leaders continued their assault on civil society this week with philanthropist George Soros still squarely in their sights. Legislation proposed by the right-wing Fidsez government as part of their self-proclaimed “spring offensive” targets foreign educational institutions, like the Soros-funded Central European University, with tighter regulations. With further crackdowns planned on NGOs, will the European Union step in? Both Soros and U.S. leaders expressed outrage over the new proposal, although the Hungarian-born billionaire is a frequent punching bag of America’s conservative leaders and the current administration. “The United States is very concerned about the legislation proposed by the Hungarian government yesterday that would severely impact the operations of the Central European University in Budapest,” U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Hungary David Kostelancik said in a statement to Bloomberg. The U.S. “opposes any effort to compromise the operations or independence of the University,” he said. As NPQ reported, the U.S. commitment to protecting human rights at home and abroad was recently called into question when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson downplayed the release of the annual Human Rights Report. Soros is also a controversial figure abroad, where he has offices of his Open Society Foundations running in 37 countries. In the European Union, he has been particularly vocal about member states doing their part to relieve the international refugee crisis, which is at odds with the anti-refugee policies of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán, who has vowed to purse an “illiberal democracy” modeled on those in Russia and Turkey, is stepping up a campaign to sideline opposition voices, Bloomberg reported. One of Europe’s strongest advocates of U.S. President Donald Trump, the former anti-communist student leader has overseen the most extensive centralization of power in Hungary since the fall of the Iron Curtain after returning to office in 2010. Soros founded Central European Univer
                              6 years ago by @prophe
                               
                                politicsMar2017BudapestprivateHungaryclosureEnglish
                                copydelete
                                 
                                 
                              •  

                                An attack on African students in India this week has caused an uproar among students in the country and has sparked an investigation by India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who called the attack “deplorable”, while students said if the authorities failed to curb attacks, India’s aim to be an international higher education destination would be affected. Four students from Nigeria, and a Kenyan woman, were attacked by crowds on 27 March in a shopping mall in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi, which came to light when the incident recorded on a mobile phone by shoppers was circulated on social media. Most of those who came under attack were said to be students at the private Noida International University. One of the victims told local media he had been attacked with rods, bricks and knives and that no one had helped him. Enduranca Amalawa told journalists: "We kept crying for help, but no one came, not even the security marshals. I was running but they followed me and attacked me." Police say up to 600 people were involved in the mob violence, reportedly after an Indian student died of a drug overdose and African students were wrongly linked to the supply of drugs. The incident happened during a candle-lit march for the deceased boy. Police reviewing CCTV footage of the violence say they have identified 44 people involved in the attack and so far have arrested five of them. The Kenyan woman, who is still unnamed, had reportedly been dragged out of a taxi by the mob. The Association of African Students in India or AASI posted images on its Facebook page of the bandaged students in hospital. It said: “Considering the situation, these young men were amazingly calm and sensible.” “We are tired of the appeasement and promises made by the Indian government and therefore will be taking stringent actions,” said AASI President Samuel Jack this week. These could include protest marches. Investigation Minister Swaraj said on Twitter that Yogi Adityanath, the newly-installed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh
                                6 years ago by @prophe
                                 
                                  Mar2017AfricaattackEnglishIndia
                                  copydelete
                                   
                                   
                                •  

                                  The Trump administration’s plan to cut billions of dollars in research spending by eliminating indirect cost reimbursements would devastate university science, especially at public institutions, experts warned. [This is an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, America’s leading higher education publication. It is presented here under an agreement with University World News.] The US secretary for health and human services, Tom Price, told Congress this week that the idea is to save taxpayers money while giving them the same amount of research activity. Indirect cost payments are funds spent on "something other than the research that’s being done," Dr Price told a House of Representatives subcommittee on health appropriations on Wednesday. But university representatives made clear on Thursday that it simply does not work that way. Indirect costs reflect the legitimate expenses of providing scientists with labs and complying with a host of essential services that somehow will still need to be paid, the representatives said. Under current law, a researcher who receives a federal grant to conduct research cannot simply be billed by his or her university for those costs, said Tobin L Smith, vice president for policy at the Association of American Universities, which represents major research institutions. And universities absolutely won't force students to cover the difference, Smith said. "The reality is we don't have other revenue sources to pay for those things, because let's face it, we are not going to rob tuition to pay for those costs," he said. "It just is not going to happen." It's not clear what universities would do if Congress actually accepted the administration's proposal to end indirect cost payments, said David Kennedy, director of costing policy and studies at the Council on Governmental Relations, another association of research universities and affiliated medical centres. State institutions probably would suffer first and hardest, Kennedy said, because they would have virtually no ab
                                  6 years ago by @prophe
                                   
                                    Mar2017USAresearch_grantDonald_TrumpEnglish
                                    copydelete
                                     
                                     
                                  •  

                                    Remember when candidate Trump promised to make college affordable for everyone? Yeah, that’s not happening.  Instead, Trump is turning to the notorious corporateers who have been pouring McDiplomas on the nation’s steaming trillion-dollar student debt pyre to shake up higher education. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s controversial pick for a special assistant—for-profit college corporate lawyer Robert Eitel, may be a portent. As counsel for Bridgepoint, the parent company of the now-tainted brands of Ashford University and University of the Rockies, was forced by the Obama administration last year to refund $24 million in tuition and debt costs to students, plus civil damages, after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that its heavy marketing scheme for its online programs, and “deceived its students into taking out loans that cost more than advertised.” Bridgepoint is just one player in a sector of for-profit institutions that are known for exploiting millions in federal loans and grants, providing substandard academics and granting worthless diplomas. While many companies were reined in by regulators under Obama, the industry as a whole has survived, and is now poised for revival under Trump. In fact, even those companies penalized for defrauding students have not been held fully accountable over federal student debts; Bridgepoint’s sanction, for example, did not encompass federal loans, even though graduates are typically chained to about $33,000 in taxpayer-subsidized debt. But the for-profit college companies hobbled by financial crisis under Obama might see a major resurrection under Trump’s and DeVos’s deregulatory agenda. One tactic may be for belly-up for-profits to reinvent themselves as nonprofits, in order to skirt future regulations and wriggle out of liability for financial abuses. The Corinthian college chain, for example, following bankruptcy, was placed under the control of a nominal “nonprofit” called Zenith (which was later exposed for having compromising financial entangle
                                    6 years ago by @prophe
                                     
                                      for-profitMar2017USADonald_Trumpgrowthrise
                                      copydelete
                                       
                                       
                                    •  

                                      The vice-chancellor of the University of Nairobi has asked the government to review the budgetary allocation to his university after the treasury failed to meet public universities’ requisitions for the forthcoming fiscal year. The total allocation to all public universities, which is US$200 million less than the amount requested, has dashed the hopes of several institutions facing a crippling cash crunch. The government has allocated US$982 million to her public universities for the 2017-18 financial year in the budget to be unveiled in parliament on 30 March. University administrators say the allocation is over US$200 million lower than the amount they had requested for the period. At US$721 million, however, the amount is 36% higher than the allocation in the current financial year. The research and innovation kitty for public universities has been set at US$42 million, up from US$37 million – a 13% increase. However, the lower-than-expected allocation means the universities themselves will have to effect budget cuts at a time when they are facing a series of challenges. Public universities agreed last week to increase salaries for lecturers by 17.5% after a 54-day strike that paralysed the sector. The agreed increase means universities will have to seek more funds to finance the increment. Professor Peter Mbithi has asked parliament to reconsider a budget cut of US$17 million slapped on the University of Nairobi. “We acknowledge that we have been facing financial challenges like any other public entity due to declining budgetary support. We have asked parliament to review the allocation,” Mbithi told reporters two weeks ago. New funding model Defending the budget cuts to universities, treasury said they were based on the new financing model known as the differentiated unit cost model, in terms of which state funds are allocated on the basis of the courses being taught at specific universities. Under the new policy, subsidies for science courses are relatively higher than those for arts. Data shows th
                                      6 years ago by @prophe
                                       
                                        tuition_riseMar2017privatebudget_cutgrowth_KenyaEnglish
                                        copydelete
                                         
                                         
                                      •  

                                        Generally, prestigious private universities with hundreds of students don't get shut down over fairly minor, six-month-old technical issues that have since been resolved. But that is precisely the predicament facing the European University at Saint Petersburg, a bastion of Western liberal arts, which has been ordered closed by a district court after a furious conservative assault against it, writes Fred Weir for The Christian Science Monitor. The university’s problems began last June, when an ultra-conservative lawmaker from Saint Petersburg, Vitaly Milonov, lodged an official complaint against it, which under Russian law requires an official investigation to be launched. Milonov is a key author of Russia's "anti-gay propaganda" law. Reached by telephone, Milonov, now a deputy of the State Duma, insisted that he merely passed along complaints made to him by citizens, including a letter he allegedly received from five students of the university. The students "raised a bunch of issues about the quality and services of the school", he said. "I can't remember most of them, but one was the teaching of gender studies at the school. I personally find that disgusting; it’s fake studies, and it may well be illegal," he said. "But I'm not qualified to judge, so I handed it on to the proper authorities."
                                        6 years ago by @prophe
                                         
                                          Mar2017privateclosureEnglishRussia
                                          copydelete
                                           
                                           
                                        •  

                                          The Uganda National Council of Higher Education says it is being frustrated by the tendency of some private universities to seek remedy from the courts rather than engage with the regulator in the interests of preserving quality. The National Council of Higher Education, or NCHE, Executive Director Professor John Opuda-Asibo told University World News that some private universities seek to use "power plays", delaying tactics and tend to "politicise" matters instead of holding talks directly with the regulator to rectify faults. He said with increased engagement between NCHE and universities, it would be possible to adhere to the rules agreed in order to maintain academic quality as well as separate the interests of management from the interests of private owners. A recent example of institutions turning to the courts is that of Busoga University, a private institution founded by the Church of Uganda under the Busoga Diocese in eastern Uganda. Fraudulent graduations In December the NCHE revoked the provisional education licence held by Busoga University. Last month, the latter approached the Constitutional Court seeking orders to reverse the revocation. The NCHE clamped down on the university after investigations into fraudulent graduations. According to media reports, the university fraudulently graduated 1,000 students after only five months of study. Some of these were Nigerians, while the majority were South Sudanese government officials and army generals. It was claimed that some of the students did not meet entry requirements and were admitted under unclear circumstances and that some were enrolled in unaccredited courses. The students, eager to keep their jobs backed by academic qualifications, allegedly each paid US$1,000 dollars to get their degrees after five months, instead of paying the usual US$300 per semester. The students were transferred from Star University College in Juba, South Sudan, which is affiliated to Busoga University. Another 70 students from Nigeria who were stud
                                          6 years ago by @prophe
                                           
                                            politicslobbyMar2017EnglishUganda
                                            copydelete
                                             
                                             

                                          publications  

                                            No matching posts.
                                          • ⟨⟨
                                          • ⟨
                                          • ⟩
                                          • ⟩⟩