In America, simply having a job is not enough. Nowadays, jobs are hard to find and most only offer part-time employment. It is near impossible to afford the cost of living while earning entry-level wages. The job market has become hostile, and it has gotten to the point that one must have formal training or a marketable education in order to obtain a stable position that offers decent wages. With this realization, many people have decided to go to college. Those that are in the market for a college education face many choices. The most common: community colleges, which do not make a profit, and technical schools or online schools, which are in the business to make a profit. These schools are called for-profit schools. Many people do not realize how important it is to shop around when debating which school to attend. Nowadays, one must get an education about their education. For profit colleges, such as Everest College, gain their profits by using high pressure sales tactics, manipulation, and fraud, and offer no benefits for college students.
First, I will explain how for-profit colleges use high pressure sales tactics to lure in students. We all are familiar with the late night advertisements for Everest College, Devry University, and the University of Phoenix. These colleges make, on average, six-hundred and fifty million dollars a year. Thirty-percent of all profits are put into advertising (Kirp, David L). Think about that for a second; billions of dollars are given to propaganda marketers that are professionals at getting consumers to dance like puppets on a string. Naturally, we dance or at least I did.
Recently, I was subjected to a tour of Everest Campus, in Vancouver Washington. To understand what I went through, one ...
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...ore making a crucial decision, be sure to do some investigating, and look into the local for-profit schools. Examine their graduation rate, and their student loan default rate. The numbers will speak for themselves.
Works Cited
Lewin, Tamar. "U.S. to Join Suit Against For-Profit College Chain.(National Desk)(Education Management Corp.)." The New York Times. (May 3, 2011): A10(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Clark College - Cannell Library. 28 May. 2011
Kirp, David L. "The 'for profit' college an educational alternative." Current. 457 (Nov 2003): 25(6). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Clark College - Cannell Library. 28 May. 2011
Marklein, Mary Beth. "As for-profit colleges rise, students question value.(NEWS)." USA Today. (Sept 29, 2010): 01A. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Clark College - Cannell Library. 28 May. 2011
To begin with, there are valid points made. For starters universities need to stop considering themselves as businesses and stop putting business first, and
After perusing the words of Kevin Carey in his work, Why Do You Think They’re Called For-Profit Colleges, it would be easy to assume that, in his mind, the downfalls overpower the threads of benefits found in for-profit institutions. After reviewing his article, this would definitely be the opinion of any reader; notwithstanding, his intent is to persuade his audience that for-profit colleges are a victim of unfair treatment. However, Carey exhibits a major flaw in his presentation: in an effort to justify his position he first lists known oppositions, but does not address them. Carey introduces a man named Michael Clifford—a successful entrepreneur with no college education.
In the essay, “College Consumerism Run Amok” authored by Kevin Carey describe how colleges are careless with their money. Throughout the essay, Kevin Carey explains why normal people think the average price of college tuition has risen across the United States. People believe college tuition is rising because students demand colleges to have “creature comforts”, such as luxury dorms, a fully operational gym, and a climbing wall. Also, that the creation for “creature comforts” in colleges has caused academic standards to decline. Yet, colleges market to students with these amenities instead of showing students comparable statistics: the quality of teaching, scholarships, and academic environment. Kevin Carey, in the end, sums up his idea with
What stands out about American universities today? Is it the academic opportunities offered to students, experienced faculty, or strong sense of community? Or...perhaps they have lost their focus. It is not uncommon for universities to focus their efforts and budgets elsewhere; by building state of the art gyms, for example, remodeling luxury dorms, grooming campuses, or creating more management positions. College students and professors alike are subject to the nationally occurring changes in higher level education. Colleges are becoming commercialized and tuition is rising, but is the quality of education improving? In “Why We Should Fear University, Inc.”, Fredrik DeBoer is able to provide a personal take on the issue of corporate domination
During the first part of the article the author writes that colleges use techniques to sell themselves to students just like any other product on the market. They advertise what they have to offer and tell students what they want to hear. Students choose a school because of recreational facilities, social reputation, or by what they have heard about the academic expectations. Students do not have the money to go to college in the first place, then they end up being unhappy when they get there. A feeling of sadness exists in colleges around the country. Students do not feel of sense o...
The advertisements are everywhere -- on local television stations it is Everest Institute, or Brown Mackie College. On South Florida highway billboards, it is the University of Phoenix. All are selling a quick, convenient college education, and the dream of a better life. In this economy, people are buying, and in the process the schools -- built to make a profit -- are thriving. What is less clear, though, is how much students actually benefit. For-profit colleges, many with night classes and entire degree programs available online, are built to fit seamlessly into the busy life of a working adult.
Everything revolves around money and the economy. Hunter Rawling stated, “Most everyone now evaluates college in purely economic terms, thus reducing it to a commodity like a car or a house.” (Rawling, 2015, paragraph 3) I agree with the author with this quote because I personally think that college is reducing the commodity and also bringing it back up. College is not a commodity, economic value is not all there is to college. “If we were to treat college as a commodity, and an expensive one at that, we should at least grasp the essence of its economic nature.” (Rawling, 2015, paragraph 4) I like this quote because, everyone thinks of commodity as something good. But, really in reality it is not. It makes you think twice and not want to discuss things that are important. The most important thing for
When people think of college, they often think of their education like they had when they were in high school and grammar school. But colleges and universities aren’t schools. They’re all businesses. College isn’t paid for through taxes or government funded. It comes from our pockets. But other countries like Australia, England, Ireland and Germany run their colleges and universities just like a high school. Every person goes to the same college and it’s paid for through their government taxes. A college education is no longer an option, but it’s vital. The competition of getting a decent job is increasing and it’s almost impossible to find a high paying job without a bachelor's degree, which means more money goes to the already rich universities. It’s going to take a long tim...
Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it, and there is no simple answer to this rising issue in an ever changing nation full of unique people. Any final decision would affect the United States in all factions- especially economically and socially. However, despite the many arguments against college, there is overwhelming proof that college is good for all students, academically or not.
Wolf, Patrick. "Lost Opportunities: lawmakers threaten D.C scholarships despite evidence of benefits." Unabridged version of article published in education next 9:4 (2009): 1-15.
These days, colleges are seemingly endless money pits. Did you know that in 1970 at a public university, tuition on average was only $2,710? Today, we could only dream of it being so low. Once you start looking at the actual average prices of attending a college or a university, you start to think it’s a joke with how expensive it is. It’s definitely no joke. The annual cost for undergraduate tuition, room and board is estimated to be $12,804 at public institutions and $32,184 at private institutions for the 2010 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. That means that even a modest education—a bachelor’s degree from a public university or college—will cost at least $50,000. You can find cheaper colleges for example if you attended a community college, but many of those you cannot get more than a two year degree with. There are also colleges with pr...
Sawhill, Isabel V., and Stephanie Owen. "Why We Still Think College Isn't for Everyone." http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/05/13-college-for-everyone-criticism-response-owen-sawhill. Web blog post. Brookings. The Brooking Institution, 13 May 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
Increasing concern has been drawn toward the fact of there being a consistent correlation between for-profit colleges that accept federal student aid, and the sharp increase in tuition that results from the acceptance of...
Carey’s article explains how for-profit colleges should be fixed by offering actually training to improve students education and to pursue their degree. Also how for-profits are all business, for example he used University of Phoenix and how he interviewed Michael Clifford, an investor, to explain what their goal was in for-profits and that was to make money. I believe that Carey’s argument improves and from the credible sources I found, it shows a lot how for-profits are a no good even just to be educated, it's just a waste of time and money. My first source that was used” Former Grand Canyon University investor: No future in for-profit education” by Angela Gonzales connects to Carey’s article building more effective by showing more valid and
As colleges’ funds dry up, colleges must turn to the public to further support higher education. By raising state taxes, colleges can collect funds to help improve the school’s budgets. The state provides funds from the taxes for colleges to receive a certain amount for each student currently enrolled. All community and traditional four year colleges collect these funds in order to maintain the school’s budget. As reporter, Eric Kelderman states, “less than a third of colleges’ budget is based from state taxes”. The school’s budget is how colleges are able to provide academic support programs, an affordable intuition, and hire more counselors. Colleges must now depend on state taxes more than ever for public colleges. Without collecting more funds from state taxes, as author, Scott Carlson explains how Mr. Poshard explains to senators “our public universities are moving quickly toward becoming private universities…affordable only to those who have the economic wherewithal to them” (qtd. in.) Public colleges must be affordable to anyone who wishes to attend. If colleges lack to provide this to students, it can affect dropouts, a student’s ability focus, and cause stress. The problem of lack of funding is that colleges have insufficient funds. Therefore, the best possible solution for the problem of lack of funding would be increasing and collecting more funds from state taxes.