President of the Hispanic Leadership Fund Commentary: Obama’s Gainful Employment Rule

Career College Central Summary:

Assessing schools based on the amount of debt the average student incurs compared to their income, rather than the quality of the education they provide, their accreditation or graduation rate, for example, is just not a fair measure of a program's worth.
The amount of debt students undertake is not an issue colleges control — they may suggest a student take out less than their maximum eligibility, but ultimately it is the student's decision.
Lower-income students tend to borrow more and make less money immediately after graduation, so colleges that serve them are most at risk under the proposed regulation.
The easiest way for them to comply would be to simply stop serving low-income students.
The Obama administration and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan would deny nearly 3.4 million students access to career programs of their choice through the remainder of this decade.
This includes over 209,000 veterans, nearly 631,000 African-Americans, more than 623,000 Hispanics, and more than 1.8 million Pell Grant-eligible students.
These are the nation's most vulnerable students, yet the Obama administration seeks to limit their educational opportunities, rather than multiply them.
This in turn, hinders these students' chances to secure better jobs.
The fact is that for-profit colleges offer unique opportunities for students who have very few opportunities in the higher education system.
They cater to students who have been unable to transition directly from high school to college and offer career and academic services to help them succeed in school and beyond.
For-profit colleges and universities are training the very people our country's employers need most.
Their graduates go on to jobs in high-growth, high-demand fields, such as healthcare, technology and business.
They also train people for jobs in critical public-sector areas, including law enforcement and education.
Community colleges and other non-profit programs do not have the support programs and other resources to educate the students potentially displaced by the proposed gainful employment rule.