For-profits schools receive nearly half of military education benefits

BusinessWeek reports that for-profit schools get nearly half of all federal dollars aimed at assisting veterans in pursuing education after their military service.

According to BusinessWeek:

"For-profit colleges are getting almost one of every two military Tuition Assistance dollars, according to data from the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The for-profit college industry received $279.8 million of about $563 million spent last year on the program, according to analysis released today by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Public colleges received $163.5 million, while nonprofit private schools got $119.4 million.

"Congress and states’ attorneys general have been reviewing sales practices and student debt loads at for-profit colleges, which get as much as 90 percent of their revenue from federal programs. Schools solicit troops partly because their government tuition programs are excluded from that 90 percent cap. Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa, has proposed legislation that would include those funds to remove the extra incentive for signing up soldiers.

"'Today’s news that the DOD is paying more to for-profit colleges than public and nonprofit institutions is highly troubling,' the majority staff of the committee said in the report, which cited misrepresentation of programs and tuition costs, aggressive recruiting strategies and high drop-out rates as 'significant problems' in the industry.

"Six of the top 10 tuition assistance recipients are for- profits -- American Public Education Inc., Bridgepoint Education Inc., TUI Learning LLC, Apollo Group Inc., Columbia Southern University and Grantham University -- according to the report.

"Tuition Assistance lets active-duty members of the military take college classes, capped at $4,500 per year."