Are degrees from Profit Colleges worthless?

<p>I have been in touch with several For Profit Colleges and they all seem to offer things that sound too good to be true. I talked to one who offered a Dental Hygienist class and they said the time of completion for that would be 2 years. When it would normally take a lot more time from a community college. The price of course was around 54,000 but they made it sound as though it was all worth it. Are degrees from these type of schools looked down on ?</p>

<p>I don’t think so but I’m not sure. You should call up some random dentists and ask how they would feel about employing someone from a for profit school.</p>

<p>Krystal $54,000 for a dental hygienist degree? That’s an absurd amount of money! A community college will cost a fraction of that. </p>

<p>SOME for-profit schools are looked “down” on, but not because they don’t offer a decent education - many do - but because many of them are a bit of a scam. Many aren’t upfront about the real costs and real job opportunities for their graduates; investigations have uncovered some for-profits practicing fraud and encouraging their students to lie on financial aid forms; recruiters complained of having to lie/pressure and use other predatory practices to enroll students. </p>

<p>I would encourage you to do a lot of research before signing up with a for-profit school. And remember - if it sounds “too good to be true” - your own impression - it usually is.</p>

<p>Heavy sales tactics, unwilling to allow you to speak to recent grads, pressure for students to sign off on high amounts of debt (which leads many to default and ruined credit), commission and bonus levels set for their admissions officers – all have brought many States’ attorneys to clamp down with mixed results.</p>

<p>But since this is their business plan, why do you want to even risk it? They entice the unwitting and graduate few.</p>

<p>For-profit colleges are looked down on and “looked down on” is but an euphemism.</p>

<p>The quality of the “for-profit” degree granting process is questioned by most employers. For-profit colleges are known for partaking in recruiting low income, incapable students who they realize have no realistic means by which they can actually pass the courses and earn a degree. The for-profit colleges will enroll them anyways and collect federal federal loans and grants. They will then, literally, hand out passing grades to all students regardless of the standard/completion of their work.</p>

<p>I have read a number of accounts from students of for-profit colleges who cannot find employment, amassed intensive debt, and have been told by employers that their degrees are worthless. The for-profit college system is now under heavy scrutiny from the federal government. There was recently a number of probes regarding the illegal recruitment practices of for-profit colleges and the stocks of many for-profit colleges have plummeted.</p>

<p>[For-Profit</a> Colleges’ Deception Uncovered by Probe - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)
<a href=“http://www.ripoffreport.com/adult-career-continuing-education/itt-technical-instit/itt-technical-institute-ripoff-c754j.htm[/url]”>http://www.ripoffreport.com/adult-career-continuing-education/itt-technical-instit/itt-technical-institute-ripoff-c754j.htm&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/18/itt[/url]”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/18/itt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The government is currently considering a number of laws to fix the for-profit college industry.</p>

<p>In a word, yes. This is a documentary about for-profit univeristies that is both deeply fascinating and quite disturbing:</p>

<p>[College</a> Inc. | FRONTLINE | PBS Video](<a href=“http://video.pbs.org/video/1485280975#]College”>http://video.pbs.org/video/1485280975#)</p>

<p>I know it’s long, but I suggest that you watch it if you’re considering going to a for-profit.</p>

<p>Also note to whom and when they market themselves. Day time television (think Jerry Springer and his ilk) and Cartoon Network (I’m not kidding).</p>

<p>They toss out their sales pitches to the poor and poorly educated and poorly employed with dreams that they are a stepping stone out of dire circumstances. Instead, they prey on them by straddling them with few credits, fewer diplomas and fewer jobs created through their attendance of the school. What follows is millions in defaulted loans (and the subsequent trashing of many peoples’ already weak finances and credit). Who pays for these defaulted loans (which went into the coffers of these for-profit schools)? The American tax payer.</p>

<p>One of these schools in my area promotes themselves to video game playing slackers – sad but I’m not joking. They purport to be a means for video game lovers to become game designers and artists through their program. As if playing video games equates to computer graphics and art skills. I know a real designer and he got his job when he was 16 due to the fact that he’s a great artist. Each time I see that commercial, I feel angry.</p>

<p>If I could have my way, they’d all disappear.</p>

<p>Check out the graduation rates,abysmal…makes some lower state school look worthwhile…</p>