On for-profits’ horizon: more regulatory uncertainty, closures

Education Dive

By Ben Unglesbee

When it comes to regulating for-profit colleges, Steve Gunderson, who heads the sector’s leading trade group, and the Center for American Progress’ Ben Miller disagree on a lot. But they are of the same mind on one thing: Regulatory “ping pong” doesn’t help anyone.

“Ping pong” was a phrase Gunderson used, speaking on a panel Wednesday at the Center for Higher Education Accreditation’s annual meeting in Washington, to describe the stark difference between how the Obama and Trump Education Departments have approached the sector. And as different as the last two years have been from the eight that preceded them, there’s no guarantee of continuity from here.

“You tell me what’s going to happen in 2020, and I’ll tell you what will happen (to the sector) in the next five years,” said Gunderson, who is president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU).

Even through the remainder of the current Trump administration, there is little regulatory certainty. Betsy DeVos’ Ed Department has delayed and looked to kill key Obama-era rules for the sector, including on borrower defense and… (continue reading)