Report calls for Department of Education to improve process for investigating misleading colleges

Report calls for Department of Education to improve process for investigating misleading colleges – WSB-TV Channel 2

WASHINGTON D.C. — From the price of tuition to the course necessities, incoming college students take into account loads of various factors when choosing a university that’s proper for them.

However that data isn’t at all times clear and even correct in some circumstances.

Now, a brand new watchdog report from the U.S. Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO) is looking on the U.S. Division of Training to enhance the way it investigates and penalizes deceptive faculties and universities.

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“Training has not accomplished written procedures for investigating faculties and has not up to date its written procedures for imposing penalties for substantial misrepresentation,” the report mentioned. “Having full and up to date written procedures will assist Training examine the highest-risk faculties and impose applicable penalties on these the company finds to have engaged in substantial misrepresentation.”

College students we spoke with mentioned data on price, particularly, can decide how a pupil prepares financially, and getting fallacious data can have long-lasting penalties.

“I really feel like they are often extra clear,” mentioned Howard College pupil Sydney Kates. “What you’re pondering you’re going to pay is correct right here and then you definitely understand oh wait that’s much more cash than I assumed. I don’t have that form of cash. I didn’t apply for this scholarship as a result of I didn’t suppose I wanted to.”

Melissa Emrey-Arras, a director within the Training, Workforce and Revenue Safety Crew for GAO, mentioned college students deserve the reality.

“College students and oldsters should be instructed the reality about school applications and the Division of Training must be held accountable for telling that reality to college students,” mentioned Emrey-Arras.

The report factors to considerations about faculties being deceptive about issues like “the character of their academic applications” and “the employability of their graduates.”

It mentioned the Division of Training imposed penalties on 13 faculties for “substantial misrepresentation” in FY 2016-2021.

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“If college students are lied to, they might not have the ability to graduate from their applications,” mentioned Emrey-Arras. “They could have bother getting a job they usually might have bother paying again their pupil loans.”

In response to the report, the Division of Training agreed with the really useful adjustments and mentioned it’s engaged on updating and revising its insurance policies for investigating and penalizing deceptive faculties.

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