Georgia Commission Struggling To Regulate For-Profit Schools

Career College Central Summary:

A review of a state commission tasked with evaluating for-profit schools has raised questions about Georgia’s oversight of the institution, and the commission’s director say the organization would likely be more effective with more resources.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday that the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission has certified that for-profit schools and institutions met state standards despite some schools providing incomplete or inaccurate information about their finances, enrollment and more.
The commission is responsible for sending staff members to evaluate for-profit schools and institutions throughout the state at least once a year. A sample of the commission’s evaluation records showed that administrators didn’t regularly verify the schools’ student job placement rates, according to the newspaper’s review.
The brief visits were announced to school administrators beforehand and the newspaper reported that short, handwritten notes about each institution’s evaluation were recorded on a single form. Last year the state auditor issued a report saying the commission’s process for evaluating schools’ financial stability is vague and determinations on the schools’ financial viability are usually based on self-reported information, not audited information.
Auditors also said the commission has no way of knowing whether students are benefiting from attending schools the commission authorizes to operate in the state, so prospective students can’t make informed decisions before enrolling in them.

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THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE