In all probability, if the Latino student is aware of this category, it is because of heavy advertising by the University of Phoenix, not because the for-profit college area was brought to the student’s attention by his high school guidance counselor. And yet it represents about 13% of all college students.
Small, proprietary (privately-owned) schools offering limited curricula in the marketable skills area have been around for decades without getting politicians and educators excited about their business practices. In contrast, the relatively newer, predominantly on-line for- profit colleges have been embroiled in controversy from day one. This reflects a combination of factors: (1) an image that making money is mission number one, (2) high- powered advertising and marketing techniques, (3) heavy ownership by Wall Street firms or public stockholders, (4) low graduation rates, and (5) high debt default rates. Initially, its mostly on-line method of delivering education was under attack as well, but this is no longer possible without a heavy dose of hypocrisy by the conventional collegiate establishment, which increasingly is going on-line itself.
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