For-profit colleges have been a growing sector in higher education in recent decades, but they have also fueled plenty of debate among educators and lawmakers. in 2010, for-profits launched an attack on community colleges, which are their main competitors, and community colleges vehemently fought back against the claims. While these for-profit schools tout their many benefits through expensive marketing campaigns, watchdogs of higher education claim these schools fail to deliver on their promises at a much higher rate than community colleges, public universities, and even some private institutions. A new report from Senator Tom Harkin indicates that these for-profit institutions are missing the mark in educating students and spending student and taxpayer dollars wisely - marking a wide divide between community colleges and these for-profit schools.
About the Harkin Report
The report, dubbed the Harkin Report after its primary author, is a voluminous write-up of nearly 250 pages that details the operations of 30 for-profit institutions around the country, according to Inside Higher Ed. The investigation, which took two years to complete, was headed by Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa. The Democratic Majority and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions issued the report.
Senator Harkin presented his findings at the end of July. Media, educators, and lawmakers have since scrutinized the Harkin report. While some agree wholeheartedly with the sometimes scathing report, others believe it is just another political ploy to run these institutions out of business.
