Joe Biden, who pledged to get tough on predatory for-profit colleges, has just hired another person for a high-level job — at least the third so far — who previously worked for terrible, abusive for-profit schools. Alicia O’Brien, as the American Prospect reported today, has been named senior counsel and special assistant to the
Continue Reading >>>

Republic Report has obtained the second annual report of the lawyer hired to monitor the compliance of giant for-profit college company Perdoceo with its January 2019 $494 million settlement with 48  state attorneys general, plus the District of Columbia. The AGs alleged that the company engaged in widespread deceptive practices against students. For the second
Continue Reading >>>

Reflecting this Sunday, we noticed that recently a number of disclosures in Republic Report were rapidly followed by relevant actions undertaken by the targets of our articles — maybe minor, mostly cosmetic changes, but some progress. Were our targets feeling heat, or were these just coincidences? You decide. 1. We reported Friday that ultra-wealthy for-profit
Continue Reading >>>

Never forget we elected a criminal as president. Let’s never do that again.

There is ample evidence that controversial, ultra-wealthy for-profit college owner Arthur Keiser, a powerful figure in business and politics, has obtained dominant influence over tiny St. Andrews University, a non-profit liberal arts school in southern North Carolina. Florida-based Keiser University, the largest institution that Arthur Keiser controls, started making multi-million dollar contributions to St. Andrews
Continue Reading >>>

Yesterday, I was lucky to moderate a panel, hosted by the University of San Diego, on the subject “How Advocates Can Work with the Media to Effect Change and Protect Postsecondary Students.”   The panel included two journalists, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of the Washington Post and Erica Green of the New York Times, plus two communications officials,
Continue Reading >>>

Over the last few months, billionaire Charles Koch has done his best mea culpa publicity tour for his new book, perhaps hoping some “Boy, did we screw up,” sound bytes would cause folks to forget his legacy of funding and supporting climate misinformation, lax environmental regulation, tea party and ultra right wing politicians, the Citizens
Continue Reading >>>

The coronavirus relief bill under consideration by the House of Representatives includes a provision to correct a strange piece of law that has long motivated predatory for-profit colleges to target their deceptive and coercive recruiting at America’s veterans and military service members. The new bill would alter the federal 90-10 rule, which requires for-profit colleges
Continue Reading >>>