<p>"For-profit colleges are facing a tough test: getting new students to enroll.</p>
<p>New-student enrollments have plungedin some cases by more than 45%in recent months, reflecting two factors: Companies have pulled back on aggressive recruiting practices amid criticism over their high student-loan default rates. And many would-be students are questioning the potential pay-off for degrees that can cost considerably more than what's available at local community colleges.</p>
<p>'People are just frozen or deferring, delaying decisions to go to school,' said DeVry Inc. Chief Executive Daniel Hamburger in a conference call earlier this month. 'The average person in the U.S. has become much more risk-averse and cautious when it comes to spending or committing to anything. It's unrealistic for us to think that education would be immune from this.' " ...</p>