A perspective on for-profit universities and student debt

Student Debt and For-Profit Institutions

June 20, 2011, 4:06 am

By Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson

The debate about for-profit institutions and student debt is too often framed in ideological terms. Free-market conservatives tend to be on the side of the for-profits. They complain that critics are trying to prevent market forces from working and are apologists for the inefficient nonprofit sector of higher education. Politically liberal voices tend to weigh in on the other side, sometimes arguing that the intrusion of the profit motive into the education arena is incompatible with the interests of students.

One of us, Sandy, in her response to an invitation from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to testify on the subject, attempted to recast the debate in terms of analysis and evidence rather than ideology. What follows is the summary of the testimony she presented.

More:http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/student-debt-and-for-profit-institutions/29686?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en