Beware Of For-Profit Universities
For-profit colleges are no joke. Every semester students affected by such schools enroll into Miami Dade College depleted of their financial aid, in various states of student loan debt, and nothing to show for it but nontransferable credits.
A slew of students at Dade Medical College found out the hard way how dangerous for-profit schools can be. In late October, the school closed its doors unexpectedly, leaving students scrambling for answers.
Let’s break down an imaginary for-profit together based on real world situations. So here we go, Kaseras College is now open for business in the Miami-Downtown area. Go Hedgehogs!
To stay afloat, Kaseras College just needs to get students in a classroom and money from financial aid or loans. Having effective support systems for the significant underprivileged population of the school does not benefit Kaseras College. Things found at MDC–for example Single Stop, tutoring, recreation, student life–are important resources for students to succeed, and are marginal.
All Kaseras College needs are warm bodies in a climate controlled room chasing some sort of sense of education and opportunity.To get the warm bodies, Kaseras College runs an aggressive campaign to recruit students.
The college is not above fraudulently, claiming it is accredited to certify students in all the programs it offers. Getting students through the front door and enrolling them as soon as possible is key. It’s essential to process the student’s financial paperwork, the same day if possible.
This becomes crippling and ruins lives because for-profits are not cheap. After twelve semesters of coursework, Pell Grant money runs out. Students only have six years to get their bachelor’s degree together, and the approximate $5,000 a year grant is rarely enough to cover the costs per year alone, meaning student loans are needed.
After the proud Kaseras College alumni finds out the degree they’re pursuing is worthless, and their credits are not regionally accredited or transferable, the alumni may not have enough financial aid left to start over and finish a bachelor’s degree elsewhere.
On top of that, the student loans that the sad little hedgehog took to pay for the degree Kaseras College almost gave them, need to be paid back.
Florida is not a state that protects the terms “college,” or “university,” or “institute.” So long as Kaseras College has a business license, they’re good. Therefore, it should be understood that some businesses will take their customer’s money, gouge their eyes out, and tell them to be grateful. College is no different. It’s a business.
To stay safe, people seeking higher education always need to do their research. Sure, what the campus looks like or how rigorous the courses are, but some real hard math has to be looked at. If it’s a certification program, the student needs to research the percentage of students that graduate, how many find work, and how much will it cost. Above all, whether or not the university is accredited in the program the person is pursuing.
It also helps to keep friends and family in the know, never allow them to become alumnus of Kaseras College. Don’t be a Hedgehog.