Hmm Interesting found this article about Excelsior College

[Ace_King]

Seems that state schools are losing $$$. They see these for profit schools gradually increasing with online programs etc.. The government is probably sick and tired of these for profit schools attacking students. Seems like they want for profit schools to suffer....Even though the Big 3 aren't for profit, they still run the same as some online programs out there..I dunno folks.

[ryoder]

The government is made up of people who crave power and control over others. This is the purpose of the constitution. To limit those powers, especially the power of the federal government.

The greatest fear the founders had when creating the US federal government was that it might become a corrupt institution like England. This is why the Constitution is so short. It lists the enumerated powers of the federal government and those powers are purposefully very limited.

The constitution will protect us however.

[sanantone]

I actually think the Constitution is short and vague in order to give the government broad and flexible powers as a backlash to the Articles of the Confederation. If you want very limited government, look at the Texas constitution which is the longest in the country. The Texas constitution was written to be so restrictive, it needs an amendment for just about everything. We have over 400 amendments and our governor is still one of the weakest of all the states.

[ryoder]

A powerful central government, far away from the people it serves can be oppressive. Take a look at the healthcare legislation which forces people to purchase healthcare. This is power that is not granted to the feds anywhere in the constitution.

From wikipedia:

The enumerated powers are a list of items found in Article I, section 8 of the US Constitution that set forth the authoritative capacity of the United States Congress.[1] In summary, Congress may exercise the powers to which it is granted by the Constitution, and subject to explicit restrictions in the Bill of Rights and other protections found in the Constitutional text. The 10th Amendment states that all prerogatives not vested in the federal government nor prohibited of the states are reserved to the states and to the people, which means that the only prerogatives of the Congress (as well as the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch) are limited to those explicitly stated in the Constitution.

[marianne202]

My understanding of the Dept of Education changes is that they are getting too many complaints about for-profit schools offering degrees that are not accepted by other schools or employers, as well as charging way to much for these useless degrees. Yes, any education is good, but if you are promised a degree you can use to get a job, licensing or move into an advanced degree only to find out that they huge sum of money you spent was a waste and you have to start over, is a scam! We have a lot of these private schools all over the country doing just this. Those of us here are more educated about accreditation, transfer acceptance and fees, but most people are not. How many here have seen a for-profit school website indicate they are accredited, only to find out it is an obscure accreditation and nothing that an RA school will accept. These schools are taking FA from students and earning a quick buck, without given them anything valuable in return. This is very, very sad. Especially, with FA starting to get stricter, students need to be sure they are getting what they thing they are getting. Knowledge is key, but since everyone can't be as smart us those of us here, the DOE is trying to help level the playing field. I know my local schools don't run fancy TV ads like U of P, Walden, Capella etc. So students don't always know about their options. I have even heard the new FA guidelines may start to restrict FA to only RA schools or specialty schools like culinary schools etc. This is what we are hearing at the CC level from lawmakers. This may not be right or fair for NA accredited schools but the govt needs to be accountable for where all the FA money is being spent and that means it has to be spent in viable areas meaning legitimate degrees from legitimate schools. This may make more schools work to obtain RA accreditation or make them shut their doors. But I know the horror stories I hear almost daily from students means something needs done about this situation. I'm glad the government is stepping up to the plate and trying to resolve the situation and protect students and our federal money. Now if they will just address issue of FA abuse! I'm sick of people who live on FA for years and years without ever obtaining a degree or intending to obtain a degree, it is just their income along with other social service money. While students that need it can't get it. The FA system is broken and these are just the beginning steps to fix an age old problem. I expect to see many more changes in the coming years.

[emichele20]

@marianne202 well this tidbit is interesting. How is the government going to force alot of NA's to go RA when their degrees are considered to be acceptable for government jobs and promotions? What a double edge chocolate covered sword.... If this goes through I wonder if the feds will increase their hiring requirements.

I totally agree on reducing and preserving the FA but I think that this is a process that needs a bit more thought. This is the problem with our government. One person has a great idea and they fully do not think of the consequences. Why not make the tuition mandated at each institution to cut down on costs? Like how it is for the military. If the federal government won't pay more than $250.00 per course on most classes why not do the same for financial aid? That would cause schools to re-organize and provide more affordable tuition. Think about it the for-profit schools thrive on milking students financial aid. Schools like U of P and Capella etc will either get in line or close up shop.

It does make any sense to make DL schools to have to register in every state other than financial gain. They again are not doing this to benefit the students because even after a school would register they could essentially still charge the same or even more tuition. By making the DL schools register in every state that will be more tax dollars to the state who would in turn hand that over to the feds. This is just a game.

[SWarehouse]

It was announced back in April that the Department of Education was going to limit enforcement on the new act for another three years to give states and colleges time to work out details on the new requirement.Colleges Get More Time to Comply With New Rule on State Authorization - Government - The Chronicle of Higher Education

[CollegeStudent7]

Wow. This is scary. I guess I'm glad I'm finishing up at TESC sooner than later right? TESC and the big 3 have been such a fantastic option for SO many people. I cannot understand why this is being done..other than one motive--GREED. The USA's education priorities are f***d up. People can hardly afford to educate themselves here...many pass college because they simply cannot afford it. I'll never understand why it's SO expensive and SUCH a hassle to get a decent education here.

[CMOS]

The best solution to expensive education in the US is to end federally funding entirely (other than as a job benefit for federal employees and military since this is common in the private sector). So long as the government continues to subsidize the price of education it will continue to go up. As we on this board all know, an education does not need to cost more than a house.

[ryoder]

Cmos you are right on the money. The feds screw up everything they put their hands oj. You know what they say about the road that is paved with good intentions. I pay my ncu tuition with my money and my companys money not my neighbors and I am calm proud of that.
Federal funds come right out of my pocket. If you knew how mud taxes I paid last year. Its enough to pay for a whole family's expenses.