College Corner: Pikes Peak Community College

Location: Colorado Springs, Co


College/Tech Name: Pikes Peak Community College


Website: www.ppcc.edu/

PPCC is a two-year college offering associate's degrees and various certifications in Career and Technical fields. With more than 125 programs of study, PPCC has a proud tradition of helping people get a fresh start - a start toward completion of a degree, a start towards a better job, a start towards a better and more enriching life. Statistics has proven that PPCC students who transfer to local four-year colleges do better than students who start at the four-year college. Small classes taught by professors offer an unparalleled experience for undergraduate students.
PPCC offers several options for students who want or need alternatives to traditional on-campus classes: online, hybrid, interactive television and video-conferenced sections.

Pikes Peak Law Enforcement Academy


Accreditation

PPCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association
American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation

Tuition and Fees 2009-2010

Rates per credit hour

Course Type	Resident Rate without COF	Resident Rate with COF	Non Resident Rate	WUE Rate
On Campus	$ 156.30	$ 88.30	$ 393.90	$ 181.65
PPCC Internet (*N*)	$ 224.10	$ 156.10	$ 246.95	$ 246.95
CCC Online (C**)	$ 224.10	$ 156.10	$ 246.95	$ 246.95

College Corner: South Arkansas Community College

Location: El Dorado, Arkansas



College/Tech Name: South Arkansas Community College



Website: www.southark.edu

SouthArk offers a wide-range of degrees and certificates in health sciences, industrial technologies, liberal arts, and business. For students who want to obtain two years of education and transfer to a four-year college, SouthArk offers the Associate of Arts degree, the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree, and a number of associates degrees with professional emphasis. Programs include, but are not limited to: Nursing, Emergency Medical Technology, Health Information Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Surgical Technology.




Accreditation:
South Arkansas Community College is accredited by the North Central Association of College and Schools. The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college also holds institutional membership in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), and the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC). The nursing programs are approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. Allied Health programs are accredited by their respective accrediting organizations: the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services, Office of Long Term Care approves the Certified Nursing Assistant program, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) accredits the Occupational Therapy Assistant program; the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredits the Physical Therapist Assistant program; the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JCERT) accredits the Radiologic Technology progream; the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Pograms (CAAHEP) accredits the Emergency Medical Technician programs; and the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST) through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits the Surgical Technology program. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence accredits the Automotive Service Technology program.

Tuition
Per Credit Hour
In-District………………………$66
Out-of-District………………$74
Out-of-State…………………$135

College Corner: Mesa Community College

Location: Mesa, Arizona

College/Tech Name: Mesa Community College

Website: www.mesacc.edu

Mesa Community College is apart of the Maricopa County Community College District along with ten other colleges, 2 skill centers and numerous education centers. For over forty years, MCC has provided outstanding transfer, career, ad service programs to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. With an array of majors to choose from and three campus locations, MCC seems like a great option for any student.

Accreditation:
Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and a member of the North Central Association (NCA)
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on Accreditation
American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education

Tution Rates

	General Tuition	Out-of-County	Out-of-State including F1
1 - 6.5 credit hours (per credit)	$71.00	$96.00*	$96.00*
7+ credit hours (per credit system wide**)	$71.00	$312.00†	$312.00†

News: Career College Association Announces NEW Name

The Career College Association (CCA) Board of Directors has approved a motion changing the organization's name to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU). Over the next few months, CCA will complete the process of changing its name to better represent students, institutions and the sector overall.

"This vote culminates a rigorous, multistep review process," said CCA President Harris N. Miller. "In voting the change, the Board recognizes the evolution of career oriented education from its primarily trade school roots to a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, multi-modal philosophy of higher education delivery that directly responds to the demands of 21st century students, employers, and the larger economy. The phrase "private sector" is synonymous with innovation in virtually every walk of life, and the public's faith in private sector solutions to solve most of society's biggest challenges will carry over into the realm of higher education too."

The Career College Association (CCA) is a voluntary membership organization of accredited, private postsecondary schools, institutes, colleges and universities that provide career-specific educational programs. CCA has 1,800 members that educate and support over one million students each year for employment in over 200 occupational fields. CCA member institutions provide the full range of higher education programs: master's and doctoral degree programs, two- and four-year associate and baccalaureate degree programs, and short-term certificate and diploma programs.

Source: Career College Association

News: It Appears Reform Is Coming to the For-Profit Education Industry

Reported by: Peter Cohan for dailyfinance.com


A Senate committee will hold hearings on June 24 about the $20 billion in federal student loans that end up going to the for-profit education business. This industry induces many people to take out student loans they won't be able to repay: The students are stuck with the debt, but the money goes directly to the schools, which have been growing in profitably. The industry's revenues are up 26.4% a year, with an average return on equity of 33.5% during the last five years.

The exploitation of people who can't repay the loans is endemic. At the University of Phoenix -- with an enrollment of 400,000, it's the nation's largest for-profit university -- only 18% of students get their degrees in six years. The number drops to 6% at some campuses, and among online students, falls even further to a scant 4%. The many dropouts default on loans "as big as $100,000 for incomplete bachelor's degrees and up to $200,000 for advanced degrees," according to Business Insider.

How Strong is the For-Profit Education Lobby in Washington?

The Department of Education wants to change the regulations governing the for-profit education industry in ways that would seriously crimp that growth and profitability. According to Bloomberg News, those new regulations could be out for comment as soon as next week. Bloomberg reports that these regulations "would cut federal aid to for-profit colleges whose graduates' starting salaries make it difficult to repay their loans as well as tighten rules against tying recruiters' pay to the number of students they enroll."

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hiil, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will convene hearings on the subject before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that he chairs. "We need to ensure for-profit colleges are working well to meet the needs of students and not just shareholders," Harkin's statement said. "We owe it to students and taxpayers to make sure these dollars are being well-spent."

The for-profit education industry has worked with government officials to gain access to new markets. Bloomberg News reported on Apollo Group (APOL) and its efforts to use campaign contributions to influence New York state to let it open a campus there. Interestingly, that case reveals that the for-profit industry does not always succeed.

It's likely that by July, the nation will have a clearer picture of how Washington plans to change the rules governing for-profit education to a smaller, more slowly-growing business -- one that isn't permitted to thrive by taking on students who have no hope either of graduating or of repaying their student loans.

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/cDRoia

Video: The Corporatization of Higher Education by For-Profit Schools

This video is short, sweet and simple. It addresses the overly-expensive tuition, questions the quality of education and the debt burden by majority of students at these for Profit Schools.

For-profit colleges reap big benefit from stimulus

www.ajc.com Reports the following:

"Massage and beauty schools, online universities and other for-profit colleges in Georgia and across the nation are cashing in on federal stimulus spending, collecting $2.2 billion in tuition grants for low-income students, public records show.

That represents nearly a quarter of the stimulus money spent on these grants to date.

The taxpayer-funded grants are flowing to profit-making schools as the government is seeking to revise how those schools qualify for federal aid, partly because of concerns over how some saddle their students with substantial debt. The effort follows a federal report that cited abuses in the recruiting practices of some of the schools. "

Stimulus spending

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $17.1 billion in funding for Pell grants for low-income students. About $9.8 billion has been distributed so far. Here are the top five recipients of that taxpayer money.

1. University of Phoenix, $484.2 million

2. City University of New York Inc., $246.5 million

3. University of Puerto Rico, $98.3 million

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico, $89.2 million

5. State University of New York, $88.2 million

To View full article please go to: www.ajc.com/news/for-profit-colleges-reap-541761.html

My Thoughts: The effort follows a federal report that cited abuses in the recruiting practices of some of the schools.- Ah yes the unethical tactics used by recruiters. They will lie just to have you sign on that dotted line. Do my eyes deceive me? Is that University of Phoenix at number one? Why am I not surprised?

Options: Full Sail University What's the Cheaper Option?

Full Sail University (Winter Park Campus)

Tuition at Full Sail University:

B.S. is maximum $75,000

Or


Attend Valencia Community College for two years:
They have an Arts & Entertainment Programs.
http://www.valenciacc.edu/asdegrees/arts/default.cfm


* Digital Media for Video and Motion Graphics
* Entertainment Design and Technology
* Film Production Technology
* Graphics Technology
* Music and Sound Technology



Tution at VCC:

Florida Residents (beginning Fall 2009) $87.36 per credit hour
Out-of-State Residents (beginning Fall 2009) $330.88 per credit hour
http://www.valenciacc.edu/finanserv/fees.cfm

(Still Cheaper then Full Sail as a Out of State Resident)


Florida has a reputation for a strong statewide commitment to community college transfer. The state’s community colleges have historically been the primary point of access to public postsecondary education. Close to 85% of the state’s undergraduate enrollments are in public institutions, with 55% in 28 community colleges and almost 30% in 11 four-year institutions (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2000)From my research there is a local University in the Orlando area called UCF (University of Central Florida) That has a strong entertainment and arts program as well.


Scenario: If you attend Valencia for two years in Film Production as a resident.

Film Production= 60 credit hours (Amount needed to be awarded Associates) times $87.36 equals $5,241.60 in tuition alone. Let's throw in there 2,000 more for books and other school related needs.


So 2 years at Valencia CC: $7,241.60

Your transfer to UCF to join their BFA in Film or Cinema Studies: $7,000 for two more years in tution alone. At $105.85 per credit hour (60 credit hours) plus $10,000 for other school related needs
http://www.iroffice.ucf.edu/character/current_tuition.html

In this scenario the total cost for a Bachelors would be around $25,000.

STILL A MUCH CHEAPER OPTION THEN FULL SAIL.

College Corner: Central Alabama Community College

Every week I will be submitting information on local community colleges and Tech centers across America.


Location: Alexander City, Alabama

College/Tech Name: Central Alabama Community College

Website: www.cacc.edu

Central Alabama Community College was created by action of the Alabama State Board of Education on February 23, 1989. The College offers Adult Education and the Associate in Science, the Associate in Applied Science, the Associate in Occupational Technology, certificates, and short-term certificates. They have three campuses located in Alexander City, Childersburg and Talladega. They also offer on campus and online courses.


Institutional Memberships
Alabama Community College Association
American Association of Community and Junior Colleges
American Library Association
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

Accreditation
Central Alabama Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate in Science degree, Associate in Applied Science degree, Associate in Occupational Technology degree, and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Central Alabama Community College.

How Much Will It Cost? Tuition and Fees per Semester/Term Effective Spring Semester 2010
Credit Hours	In-State Student	Out-of-State
1	$104	$189
2	$208	$378
3	$312	$567
4	$416	$756
5	$520	$945
6	$624	$1,134
7	$728	$1,323
8	$832	$1,512
9	$936	$1,701
10	$1,040	$1,890
11	$1,144	$2,079
12	$1,248	$2,268
13	$1,352	$2,457
14	$1,456	$2,646
15	$1,560	$2,835
16	$1,664	$3,024
17	$1,768	$3,213
18	$1,872	$3,402
19	$1,976	$3,591
20	$2,080	$3,780

FRONTLINE (PBS) Documentary- College, Inc.

In College, Inc., correspondent Martin Smith investigates the promise and explosive growth of the for-profit higher education industry. Through interviews with school executives, government officials, admissions counselors, former students and industry observers, the film explores the tension between the industry -- which says it's helping an under-served student population obtain a quality education and marketable job skills -- and critics who charge the for-profits with churning out worthless degrees that leave students with a mountain of debt.- Introduction from PBS.com








Watch the FULL Documentary at: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/collegeinc/




Alexis Avila Founder/President of Prepped & Polished reacts to Frontline's recent episode, College Inc. The Business of Higher Education

Welcome! First Order of Business

"Say NO to For-Profit & Proprietary Schools" is a blog dedicated to covering specific information about relevant subject matters on For-Profit and Proprietary Schools and Education. I strive to provide our blogging community and readers with the most accurate news.

My Purpose of creating this blog was to create a haven for those who has been served a big fat plate of injustice by these For Profit institutes. It is also a place for my thoughts on the subject matter. Welcome and please feel free to contact me.

So what is an For Profit school?

For-profit schools are educational institutions that are run by private, profit-seeking companies or organizations.

What is a Proprietary School?

Proprietary schools are for-profit colleges and universities. They are operated by their owners or investors, rather than a not-for-profit institution, religious organization, or government. Because they are not funded by tax monies, their long-term sustainability is dependent on the educational value provided.

Why do you Say No to For-Profit and Proprietary Schools?

Wikipedia said it best:

One problem with for-profit schools is that, being quite new, there have been few systematic examinations of them.

the fundamental purpose of an educational institution should be to educate, not to turn a profit. In 2000, Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association, stated: "Educating children is very different from producing a product."

Others claim that because for-profit schools have never been a mainstream idea, no complete blueprint for running a for-profit institution really exists, which could lead school administration to make costly errors. For example, in order to maximize profit, valuable services and activities are often eliminated. Extracurricular activities such as sports teams or volunteer clubs are left with little or no budgeting in order to keep costs low. This loss of non-academic activities might hurt a child's ability to enroll in some colleges or universities later on. The two largest EMOs in operation today, Edison and Advantage, claimed to have high school juniors completing college-level coursework, but recent studies have shown that many of these students are performing at or below the 11th-grade level.

Many for-profit institutions of higher education have national accreditation rather than regional accreditation. Regionally accredited schools are predominantly academically oriented, non-profit institutions. Nationally accredited schools are predominantly for-profit and offer vocational, career, or technical programs. Many regionally accredited schools will not accept transfer credits earned at a nationally accredited school.

Did you Know?

There are more than 3000 for profit colleges operating in the United States.

This is an incomplete list of for-profit institutions of higher education.

Many for-profit institutions are subsidiaries of larger parent companies, such as the Apollo Group, Career Education Corporation, Corinthian Colleges, Inc., and Laureate Education.

• Academy of Art University (San Francisco, California)
• Allied College (Maryland Heights, Missouri and Fenton, Missouri)
• AMA Computer University (Quezon City, Philippines)
• American College of Education (Illinois)
• American InterContinental University (multiple locations)
• American Military University (multiple locations)
• American Public University System (distance education; offices in Charles Town, West Virginia, and Manassas, Virginia)
• Andrew Jackson University (distance education; based in Hoover, Alabama)
• Anhembi Morumbi (São Paulo, Brazil)
• Anthem Institute (formerly the Chubb Institute; multiple locations)
• Argosy University (multiple locations)
• The Art Institutes (multiple locations)
• Ashford University (Clinton, Iowa)
• Ashmead College (multiple locations)
• Banner College (Arlington, Virginia)
• Banner Institute (Chicago)
• Berkeley College (New York and New Jersey; not to be confused with University of California, Berkeley or the Yale University residential college)
• Blair College (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
• BPP College, Great Britain ^[1]
• Brooks College (California; closed in 2008)
• Brooks Institute of Photography (multiple locations)
• Brown College (Mendota Heights, Minnesota), not to be confused with Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island)
• Brown Mackie College (multiple locations)
• Bryant & Stratton College (multiple locations)
• Bryman College (multiple locations)
• Bryman Institute (multiple locations)
• The Bryman School (Phoenix, Arizona and Tempe, Arizona)
• California Southern University (online)
• Cambridge College (multiple locations)
• Capella University (online university)
• Capstone Career College (Tacoma, Washington)
• The College of Westchester (white Plains, New York)
• Collins College (Phoenix, Arizona area)
• Colorado Technical University (multiple locations)
• Crown College (Tacoma) (Tacoma, Washington) (lost accreditation in 2007 and closed)
• Cyprus College (Nicosia, Cyprus)
• Dana College (Blair, Nebraska)
• Daniel Webster College (Nashua, New Hampshire)
• Deaconess College of Nursing (St. Louis, Missouri)
• DeVry University (multiple locations)
• ECPI College of Technology (multiple locations)
• Everest College (multiple locations)
• Everest Institute (multiple locations)
• Five Towns College (Dix Hills, New York)
• Florida Metropolitan University (multiple locations)
• Full Sail University (Winter Park, Florida)
• Georgia Medical Institute (multiple locations)
• Gibbs College (multiple locations)
• Globe University/Minnesota School of Business (multiple locations in Minnesota)
• Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Grantham University (online)
• Hamilton College (Iowa) (now part of Kaplan University; formerly operated from multiple locations in Iowa and Nebraska; not to be confused with Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, or with the unaccredited Hamilton University)
• Harrison College (Indiana) (multiple locations)
• Hesser College (multiple locations in New Hampshire)
• High-Tech Institute (multiple locations)
• Heald College (based in San Francisco: campuses at multiple locations in California, Portland, and Honolulu)
• Interboro Institute (New York City; owned by EVCI Career Colleges Holding Corporation; announced on December 17, 2007 that it would close effective December 21, 2007.^[2]
• ITT Technical Institute (multiple locations)
• Kaplan Career Institute (multiple locations)
• Kaplan College (multiple locations)
• Kaplan University (multiple locations)
• Keiser University (multiple locations)
• Kee Business College (multiple locations in Virginia)
• Kendall College (Chicago, Illinois)
• Kitchen Academy (Los Angeles, California)
• Le Cordon Bleu (multiple locations)
• Las Vegas College (Henderson, Nevada)
• Maric College (multiple campuses in California)
• Medical Careers Institute (multiple locations in Virginia)
• Milwaukee Career College (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• Monroe College (multiple locations)
• Mountain West College (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Multimedia University (multiple campuses in Malaysia)
• National American University (multiple campuses including Mall of America)
• National College (multiple U.S. locations)
• National Institute of Technology (multiple locations, not to be confused with National Institutes of Technology in India)
• National School of Technology (multiple locations)
• Neumont University (multiple locations)
• NewSchool of Architecture and Design (San Diego, California)
• Northcentral University (online university)
• Ohio Business College (multiple locations)
• Olympia Career Training Institute (multiple locations)
• Our Lady of Fatima University (multiple locations in Philippines)
• Pacific Western University (San Diego, California)
• Parks College (multiple locations)
• Pioneer Pacific College (multiple locations in Oregon)
• Potomac College (Washington, D.C. area)
• Rasmussen College (multiple locations)
• Regenesys Management (Sandton, South Africa)
• Remington College (multiple locations)
• Rhodes Colleges, Inc (multiple locations, not to be confused with Rhodes College)
• Rochester Business Institute (Rochester, New York, not to be confused with Rochester Institute of Technology or the University of Rochester)
• Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Ross University (Medical School in Dominica and Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts)
• Salem International University (Salem, West Virginia)
• Sanford-Brown College (multiple locations)
• Sanford-Brown Institute (multiple locations)
• Schiller International University (multiple locations)
• School of Visual Arts (New York, NY)
• South University (multiple locations)
• Springfield College (Springfield, Missouri; not to be confused with Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts)
• Stevens-Henager College (multiple locations)
• Stratford University (multiple locations)
• Strayer University (multiple locations)
• Tooling University, Cleveland, Ohio
• TUI University (formerly Touro University International; online)
• Universidad de las Américas (Santiago, Chile)
• Universidad Europea de Madrid (Madrid, Spain)
• University of Advancing Technology (Tempe, Arizona)
• University of Atlanta (distance education only; not to be confused with Atlanta University Center or Clark Atlanta University)
• University of the Latin American Educational Center (Rosario, Argentina)
• University of Phoenix (multiple locations)
• Western International University (multiple locations)
• University of The Arts (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Vet Tech Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Walden University (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Western Business College (multiple locations)
• Western International University (multiple locations)
• Western State University College of Law (Fullerton, California)
• Westwood College (multiple locations)
• Wyoming Technical Institute (WyoTech) (multiple locations)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_for-profit_colleges_and_universities