Attorney Generals Call For Help For Students Victimized By For-Profit Schools
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Top Democrats in Illinois said the Trump Administration is getting poor grades on protecting students victimized by unscrupulous for-profit colleges.
Ami Schneider said her for-profit school, the Illinois Institute of Art, misled students about job prospects, something that wouldn't happen under the Gainful Employment Law the Trump Administration is delaying. WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.
"My school was able to give recruitment documents that said over 92 percent of the students enrolled in my college were employed afterwards in their career field," Schneider said. "That is not true. In fact, when Gainful Employment actually came out, almost every single program at my college failed."
Senator Dick Durbin and Attorney General Lisa Madigan said protections are also being eroded for students like Schneider, who has $100,000 in student loans.
"The DeVos Department of Education has abandoned student loan borrowers, by eliminating those reforms that were absolutely critical," Madigan said.
Madigan said 100 days into the Trump Administration, the White House is reducing protections for students who attend for-profit colleges. She warns prospective students to make sure their schools are truly accredited. She and other attorneys general are trying to help. She said they have managed to close some schools.
"We have closed down numerous for-profit institutions. What we are looking at right now is a situation where we have students, former students who still have excessive amounts of debt," Madigan said.
One former student, Bobby Barnes, said he had high debt and couldn't find a job in his field.
"I was finally able to get it down to $96,000. I took a nontraditional route when I was not able to find employment, I actually went into the service," Barnes said.
And he said the financial squeeze has been hard on his family.
