Senate Subcommittee To Hold Hearing on For-Profits Colleges and Veterans on Thursday

A U.S. Senate subcommittee will address issues with the for-profit education industry and its role in the education of America’s veterans during a hearing today.

The 1:30 p.m. hearing of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security will “examine how to improve educational outcomes for our military service members and veterans,” according to a release.

Watch the hearing live and follow us on Twitter @campusprogress for updates.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) will chair the hearing, which will feature testimony from Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and officials from the Department of Veteran Affairs and the American Military University.

“Reports have described troubling stories of how some schools have exploited our student veterans and military personnel,” Carper said a statement. “We have a moral imperative and a financial imperative to ensure that the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education are doing everything they can to prevent these kinds of abuses.”

Earlier in the day, former Army Staff Sgt. Jon Elliot will speak with media about his experiences attending a for-profit college after serving for 16 years. According to a statement, Elliot was “falsely informed by a recruiter that the program was eligible for benefits” but continues to be contacted by a collection agency asking for $9,000 in tuition.

Campus Progress has reported on problems with the for-profit sector and its dealings with veterans, including calls by elected officials to increase oversight of the schools after a Government Accountability Office report revealed that oversight of programs like the Military Tuition Assistance Program and some educational programming was subpar.

Brian Stewart is the communications manager at Campus Progress.

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