Congressional Democrats tell VA to boost oversight of for-profit colleges
Politico
House and Senate Democrats today urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to step up oversight of for-profit colleges that enroll students under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and 26 other Senate Democrats wrote VA Secretary Robert McDonald, demanding the agency “do more to hold unscrupulous colleges accountable for providing a high-quality education and preventing high-pressure recruitment tactics.”
State attorneys general and federal agencies have piled up investigations of the for-profit sector, but the VA continues to allow funding to go to those institutions, the lawmakers contend. “VA has inexplicably asserted that it lacks the authority to limit or suspend Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits flowing to these schools,” the letter says.
The senators say the VA has “clear authority” to suspend or restrict a college’s access to GI Bill funding when another agency finds deceptive or misleading practices at a school. They want the VA to be more aggressive in reviewing for-profits that accept federal GI Bill benefits.
In a separate letter, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and 17 other House Democrats echoed those concerns and called on the VA to form a working group with other federal agencies to develop recommendations on improving federal oversight of colleges that serve veterans.
VA spokesman Terry Jemison said the agency would review the lawmakers’ concerns. He added in a statement that the “VA understands the importance of providing oversight of approved educational institutions to ensure students receive a quality education.”
