In tough economic times, people tend to look for new jobs. Usually against their will, as their old job is no longer there for them. With an increased emphasis on education, these people will likely go back to college to earn a degree. Others go to community college for speed and to learn a trade. But as long as there are those who look to better themselves, there will be those who prey on them. These people are the for-profit colleges and trade schools.
To help differentiate between trade school and community college, think of those commercials that offer to give you a degree in a year or so. What they don’t tell you is the problem, namely the cost of about $30,000, and the fact the education they give you doesn’t usually help.
The New York Times states, “For–profit trade schools have long drawn accusations that they overpromise and under deliver, but the woeful economy has added to the industry’s opportunities along with the risks to students, according to education experts. They say these schools have exploited the recession as a lucrative recruiting device while tapping a larger pool of federal student aid.”
Culinary institutions seem to be the biggest waste, as the food industry is primarily concerned with in-business experience rather than written achievements. No matter the industry though, these snake-oil salesman are taking advantage of the unemployed or future unemployed and ruining the credibility of higher education. Not only do students accrue massive debt, that debt can take years to pay off, as the jobs obtained fresh from the schools are often not the high-paying jobs advertised by the schools.
Angry yet? Well it gets better: Those schools can draw loan and Pell money from the rest of us. Now, yes the people at these schools who receive that money need it. Except that the schools are a sham and the money is a waste. The people who attend these trade schools not only end up in debt and with a low-paying job, they can also divert federal money from other college students and two and four-year schools. So it’s no surprise the only winners here are the schools themselves, which are making so much money they can provide their own loans for students in some cases.
In tough economic times it’s only natural to want a better job or secure the job you have. But it seems no matter what the situation, there will always be someone willing to exploit those in need. For-profit trade schools take advantage of people trying to get a better job through false promises and leave those people with debt they can barely pay off. That is not an education, that is a slap in the face. For-profit trade schools and colleges are just another scam; and like any other scam, there are always those desperate enough to believe it.
