For Immediate Release

June 17, 2015

Contact: Sarah Lovenheim, sarah.lovnhim@younginvincibles.org

The new FY2016 House appropriations bill could roll back $370 million of student aid dollars and dismantle an important consumer protection for students who attend career colleges.

Rory O’Sullivan, deputy director for Young Invincibles and lead student advocate at the Department of Education’s 2013 negotiated rulemaking on gainful employment, issued the following statement:

“The Gainful Employment rule is a hard-won protection for today’s students against predatory practices common in the for-profit college industry, and it’s baffling that Congress would attempt stripping it away. On the heels of Corinthean Colleges closing, Congress should work to enhance accountability at all institutions so that students, families, and taxpayers are not on the hook for poorly performing schools that leave students with worthless degrees and mountains of debt.”

“Make no mistake, the Gainful Employment rule actually saves money; the Congressional Budget Office estimates that GE would prevent $2 billion from being wasted in the next ten years at the worst for-profit college programs.”

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