Fapsc11summary.Pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FAPSC 2011 PUBLIC RELATIONS RECAP 1 - 2

FAPSC RESPONSES PUBLISHED 3 - 27

CLIP REPORT 28 - 55

PRESS RELEASES CARRIED 56 - 59

FAPSC PRESS RELEASES 60 - 72

LEGISLATIVE PACKET 73 – 75

MEDIA TRAINING 76

Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges 150 South Monroe Street, Suite 303 Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 577-3139, phone ● (850) 577-3133, fax www.FAPSC.org

Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges Public Relations’ Report – Recap 2011 By Wragg & Casas Public Relations

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) media relations project started this year by engaging media outlets in a variety of ways including editorial board meetings, news releases and an increased online presence. That momentum continued and grew throughout the year to include a network of trained ambassadors as well as proactive placements and outreach to Florida opinion leaders. Here are some highlights from the year in PR:

EDITORIAL BOARD & MEDIA OUTREACH Across the state, our teams (including Kathy Mizereck, Wayne Slater and Jan Schoonmaker) met with editorial boards for more than a half-dozen newspapers, including two trips to the Orlando Sentinel, which also shares content with the Sun- Sentinel and who had published multiple staff editorials urging more regulation. Within these meetings with the opinion page editors, we shared our key messages about FAPSC issues, which evolved from Gainful Employment earlier in the year to more proactive education on issues such as student debt and financial aid as the year progressed.

In addition to meeting with editors, we also submitted our own opinion pieces with Kathy Mizereck’s byline to respond to issues or clarify the untold FAPSC part of stories that were overlooked. In total, there were nine responses published including three feature columns with a photo.

A staple of the PR efforts this year included our outreach strategy we called, “no free shots.” Whenever a reporter or editor published something, especially if it was one-sided or the facts were not correct, we immediately contacted the responsible party and let them know we were paying attention and began the process of what the best next step would be to correct the facts or become a resource next time.

Further, our efforts included interviews and being sourced for stories about the sector. These stories came from around the state and ranged from large publications like The Tampa Tribune and Florida Times-Union to business publications like the Orlando Business Journal and Daily Business Review (S. Fla.) and wire services like the News Service of Florida, which were picked up by various markets across the state.

In addition, as needed, we devised statements for the media in advance of issues making national news we knew would have a Florida angle and made those insights available for beat reporters to use in their coverage.

Finally, a highlight includes being engaged as a speaker on a panel along side other experts for “Critical Conversations” about higher education, which was produced by the South Florida Business Journal and also resulted in a published article that documented the dynamic forum.

1 In all of these efforts, our overarching goal was to provide education and information. On all efforts, we assessed that our professionalism and knowledge left a positive impression that we believe helped diminish the negative impact of subsequent news stories that were already in development.

FLORIDA TREND ADVERTORIAL A paid placement, we strategically chose to write, edit and place this print and digital advertising package in the Florida Trend advocacy issue in March. The advertorial “Career Colleges: Hard at Work for Florida” was factual and included easy-to-read charts showing where funds are allocated to show the healthy return on investment to lawmakers and opinion leaders.

Following publication and through the assistance of Mitch Talenfeld’s team at MDT Direct, more than 500 reprints were mailed to targeted individuals across the state with a thank-you letter for their hard work and support.

This piece was additionally utilized by the Florida Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., during ASPCU’s Hill Day and in November for the annual FAPSC Day with state lawmakers in Tallahassee.

FAPSC WEBSITE NEWS CHANNEL A pivotal resource in the PR campaign included creation and updates to our online resources on the homepage. The effort, with the assistance of Wanda Minick, started with a link on the homepage, “FAPSC Launches Multi-Faceted Campaign to Highlight the Benefits of Career Education” and three new landing spots where any website visitor can find materials. Later in the year, these efforts included launching an online blog and providing content as well as administrative counsel as needed.

MEDIA / SPEAKER TRAINING As part of the PR outreach, we determined there was a value to training a cadre of FAPSC members armed with the message, talking points and demeanor necessary to make influential presentations before editorial boards of local newspapers and community groups. These interactive training sessions, where those being trained practiced on-camera, were held at three sites and trained 20 people over the course of the year. Overwhelmingly, participants surveyed after the training gave high satisfaction marks to the course, which they also thought would help them within their own positions at their schools. Presently, there are two small papers scheduled and more opportunities being identified to place these speakers.

NEWS MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS We wrote and distributed a series of news releases throughout the year on proactive news items including the FAPSC Hottest Jobs Scholarship program and the annual conference awards program (including 14 drafts schools could personalize). In addition, we issued releases to show support of actions taken by groups fighting the Gainful Employment rule at the national level. The news releases, based on the content, were sent to reporters across the state to continue to brand the presence of FAPSC in Florida.

FAPSC RESPONSES PUBLISHED

Summary 2011

January 9, 2011

Letters to the Editor Sunday’s Letters: Criticism of colleges misses mark

Taxpayers get a lesson in Greed 101 | Dec. 25, 2010, editorial

The Times missed crucial elements in its Dec. 25 criticism of career colleges. It's all of higher education that's on the chopping block as the federal government questions its value in relation to rising student debt and the ability of graduates to repay their loans.

Much attention in this regard is unfairly focused on private career colleges. Our association represents Florida's 900 licensed, private career schools and colleges, serving 370,000 students annually.

Most career college students are working moms and dads with children who need flexibility and found the traditional college path wasn't for them. The so-called gainful employment rule proposed to curb student debt would harm students like these, the very ones it purports to help: low-income individuals seeking to improve their lives.

Financial aid goes to the student, not the school. Pundits, regulators and educators pursuing their own agendas point to career college students as having higher loan default rates. They cleverly ignore that when student debt is analyzed based on the student's income level and other risk factors, as it should be, the default rate is substantially the same across all types of colleges.

The gainful employment rule is based on what the association considers a flawed report issued by the Government Accountability Office. Several members of Congress have also criticized the report for its carelessness. Even so, the report is the basis for attacks against all career colleges, including those in Florida, which are highly regulated. The rule would negatively impact any institution's program where indebted graduates' first salaries fall below that defined by an arbitrary formula set by the U.S. Education Department.

It's time for structural changes to student loan programs, but let's make sure the rules are played fairly across the board.

Kathy Mizereck, executive director, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

4 5 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE MAGAZINE: MIAMI

January 2011

Career Colleges Offer Choice for Students with Technical, Vocational Goals If you dream of designing computer animation for a living, joining a law firm as a paralegal, helping people in the health field, or becoming a gourmet chef, then a Florida career college may be for you.

A career college will prepare you to reach your career goals with focused hands-on training and real-life experience. These schools exist in convenient locations across the Florida, and offer courses and electives that complement your field of study, whether it’s criminal justice or massage therapy.

Degrees are generally earned after two to four years, depending on the extent of training required, and many programs grant certificates and diplomas that take less than a year to earn.

From building custom cars like Cameron Diaz’s character in the 2010 Tom Cruise movie “Knight & Day” to actually working as crew on films like “The Social Network,” you can find a college in Florida that specializes in almost any career. More than 200 fields of study are available, whether it’s recording engineering, Web design and development, medical insurance billing and coding, entertainment business, graphic arts, pharmacy technician, medical sonography, accounting, fashion design, culinary arts, film production, nursing or many more.

“Florida’s career colleges are helping students earn higher education degrees and practical training in areas like business, nursing, and computer science that will put them in the position to jump-start their careers,” says Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC). The association works on behalf of 370 degree granting and 550 non-degree granting schools across the state.

For many students the best way to learn something new is to do it. For example, schools like the Florida College of Natural Health in Miami offer massage therapy training with clinics and other opportunities for hours of hands-on training to make graduates more marketable to potential employers.

6 Full Sail University in Orlando, which has a focus on the video gaming, music and entertainment business industry, recently opened a new sports lab powered by ESPN, where students create sports-based content and intellectual property. The results will be tested in the lab for potential use across the sport network’s websites, television programs and mobile applications.

Career specific programs such as these keep students connected to their goals, encouraging a high rate of graduation, Mizereck says. The U. S. Department of Education reported two-year career colleges graduate 59 percent of their students.

The job placement level is tracked, and career placement assistance is provided at career colleges.

“Eighty percent of graduates from Florida’s career colleges are placed in jobs, join the military or continue with higher education,” Mizereck says.

Each college must meet state regulations, with many answering to regional or national accrediting agencies, before it can award diplomas, certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees. Some schools require placement exams and standard achievement scores while others do not. Most will require a high school level diploma.

To find the career college that is right for you, be sure to consider cost, requirements, faculty and student body, and location. Campuses are often built with students in mind and have facilities that are attractive, well equipped and near public transportation or in areas where parking is plentiful and convenient.

Most career colleges are intended for commuters and do not offer on-campus living or sports teams. If living at home isn’t in the picture, pencil in living costs along with tuition and fees when planning your budget. If you already have a job, career colleges offer flexible schedules for people looking to improve and expand their skills. Look for night and weekend classes as well as on-line courses.

It is important to research your college choices closely to determine if they offer exactly what you desire for your career training. Your criteria should include the school’s accreditor, if any, and whether your earned credits will transfer if you decide to continue at another school or public university. Find out if the school is licensed by the state before you sign any papers. Ask a lot of questions. What are the

7 qualifications of the instructors? Will the school coordinate externships? What are classes like and what is the teaching style? How much hands-on training is offered?

Cost can be a factor in pursuing any educational program. Find out the price of tuition, books, fees and commuting. Research what types of scholarships and other financial assistance the school offers. In Florida, FAPSC schools annually offer more than $1.5 million to eligible students through FAPSC-funded scholarships provided by member institutions, Mizereck says.

Your career counselor and college websites should be valuable resources when making a decision.

Plan to visit a career college campus to get a feel for whether it will be the right fit for you. Speak to students and faculty members while you are there and sit in on a class. The more you know about your choice, the more you will appreciate it and get the most out the experience.

Editorial provided by Wanda Minick, deputy executive director for member services, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC).

8 9 10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011

11 12 13

14 The Bradenton Herald

June 25, 2011

Letter to Editor

For-profit career colleges play key role in workforce

The June 16 Herald story “Students, lawmakers question value of for-profit colleges” begs for a balanced example of the tens of thousands of Florida career college graduates who are moving ahead in full-time occupations, whether in the booming health care and technology fields or the entertainment, media and arts industry.

Career colleges have an important role in education and continue to be appealing choices for many students. In Florida, more than 370,000 students attend 900 licensed schools because they offer flexible schedules and real-world applied learning.

In the health care field alone, more than 60 percent of the state’s credentialed graduates in 2009 -- nurses, technicians, medical assistants -- came from career colleges.

Career college two-year degree programs successfully graduate 59 percent of their students compared to the 23 percent graduation rate at community college degree programs.

Higher education is costly, and when student debt is analyzed based on income level, default rates are substantially the same across all institutions -- whether public or private, nonprofit or for-profit.

The higher percentage of defaults at career colleges is due to the population of students served: working adults with minimal family support seeking to improve their lives. It may cost less to attend taxpayer-supported public schools, but career colleges do not receive taxpayer subsidies.

Students who choose to enroll in career colleges do so because they want to be trained and job-ready when they graduate.

Our career-focused programs play a vital role in Florida’s postsecondary education system and are the chosen path to independence and advancement for hundreds of thousands of Floridians every day.

Kathy Mizereck, President, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools, Colleges Tallahassee http://www.bradenton.com/2011/06/25/3300798/letters-625.html

15 16

Date: Friday, August 12, 2011, 6:00am EDT Critical Conversations: Education Budget cuts drive schools’ need for entrepreneurial approach

Kevin Gale Editor In Chief

Tight budgets are prompting public schools to get more creative, providing business opportunities for private schools, our Critical Conversation panelists say. Tests scores in public schools are showing progress, but they explained how many students are still falling short of being prepared for college or to make a career choice. The discussion is part of the Business Journal’s ongoing Critical Conversations series, which has covered topics including health care, banking, manufacturing and the economy. What follows is an edited transcript of the discussion, which was moderated by senior reporter Brian Bandell.

Q: What is the biggest issue and challenges for your institution? A: Cecil Kidd, Pembroke Pines campus president, Keiser University: The biggest challenge for all of us is funding issues – finding resources for students to attend. That’s not only their tuition, but working adults are trying to maintain their job and take care of their families. D. Michael Fields, dean and professor of marketing, Nova Southeastern University ’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship: Responding to a changing corporate marketplace – the fact that industry is more demanding in the skill sets they want students to have and making sure we better meet those expectations. J. David Armstrong, president, Broward College : Having enough facilities to accommodate all the students who want to go to Broward College. I’ve been here four years and enrollment is up 30 percent. Our penetration is much less than Miami-Dade and the state average, but we have the highest utilization rate of any of our state institutions. In our downtown Fort Lauderdale center, we have classes that start at 6:30 a.m. [Days after the panel discussion, BC said it might need to tear down the center to build a more modern facility.] Kathy Mizereck, executive director, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges: Making the most efficient and effective use of the

17 resources out there – state, federal, local, whatever – to make sure students have access to higher education. Roberto C. Blanch, chairman, Mater Academy, and attorney, Siegfried Rivera Lenrer De La Torre & Sobel, P.A.: Funding is No. 1. In addition, we have the means and ability to locate some facilities, but we run into roadblocks – be it neighbors that don’t want schools in their backyard or some political or government resistance. Jeffrey J. Hernandez, CEO, National Academic Educational Partners: Developing the leadership and the instructional staff that is going to be preparing students for postsecondary education. The way we were taught is not the way students need to be prepared and taught these days. Amy Padolf, director of education, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Funding challenges and space challenges. We sit on 83 acres, but most of that is a botanic garden. We are building a science village. [A news release says Fairchild’s five-year vision is to support the Science Village with 10 Ph.D. scientists, 20 Ph.D. students and 40 undergraduate research students.

Q: The Legislature has been cutting funding for education. Has the quality of schools suffered as a result? A: Fields: I think the running joke is state institutions are going from being state supported to state assisted to state located. It is forcing state institutions to act more like private institutions. They have to be more concerned about endowments and making sure there is a reason to drive a certain program. Armstrong: I think our quality continues to rise. Our state universities and colleges, like Broward College, are measured in so many different ways, such as SAT scores of freshmen, number of books in the library and endowment. Harvard and the usual ones tend to pop up high on the quality list. We measure by how well we are able to prepare students to assume a career. We have had to become more entrepreneurial to backfill some of the cuts. So you see UF coming into the community with an executive MBA program. As state funding is cut, it limits the opportunities for STEM [science, technology, engineering, math] programs at universities or other opportunities. We have a list of programs that we’d like to start to help our local businesses. Kidd: Private-sector schools can fill those voids. We just built a 78,000-square- foot campus off I-75 in Pembroke Pines, and opened a newly relocated facility in Miami. We have the ability to raise private funds, now that we are a not-for-profit. Mizereck: Our members use private capital to build, lease or buy space and staff, equip it and open programs. Because they are not state supported, they are not as affected by cuts. Our students get financial aid, so we try to stay vigilant. The universities are beginning to be entrepreneurial and creative. One of the things the University of Florida has done is create a new spring-summer academic year. Students enroll and go in spring and summer, but they won’t be there in the fall. It’s a way to stretch resources better. Blanch: As far as our schools go, I don’t think there has been a negative impact on quality of education measured by test stores, graduation rates and getting into colleges. But I am worried about how many more cuts you can take and run a

18 good program that assists the kids. Hernandez: I think, by nature, educators always do more with less. Our tests scores across Florida continue to increase, but the funding has been reduced in all districts. I think we are reaching the point where we have gone as far as we can to streamline things for students. It could cut into opportunities to enrich their academic programs. More students have to take remediation when they reach college. Closing the achievement gap in high schools is expensive. Padolf: We have the opportunity to act and help in these situations. At the undergraduate and graduate levels, we offer opportunities such as interacting with our scientists or doing postsecondary education work with scientists in our garden. We created the Fairchild Challenge for environmental education based on STEM learning [a concept championed by President Barack Obama]. It allows schools to add to what they are doing. We had students create concepts for LEED- certified classrooms – they did drawings and specifications. There are performing arts, debate and culinary experiences. We are working with universities to offer internship and resident assistantships. This year, we have one of our partnerships with the FDA and FIU. Students work with scientists and botanists to learn more about these subjects so they are more focused when they go off to college. Hernandez: This education funding [situation] has asked educators to think outside of the box. I work with Mater and they have started a virtual school. They can’t provide the level of instruction they used to provide in the classroom, with the same teacher/student ratio. In the past, you could have five students taking Advanced Placement physics. You can’t maintain that.

Q: Does the funding situation sometimes penalize these high-achieving students? Blanch: You are right, and I think the legislators are the ones who have to answer that. They are the ones who have to find a way to not undercut education funding – and I am calling them out. Kidd: We need to be creative as educators, and not be stuck in the previous century. Think about airplanes and engineering. In World War II, they had to build the airplane and fly it to see if it would fly. Today, it’s all designed by computer. When it hits the runway, it can fly. Can you teach students to do the engineering virtually? Absolutely. There are some who believe 20 years from now we will see very little brick-and-mortar education. We can’t even build enough buildings fast enough to accommodate demand. Our online program is growing rapidly, and it’s about access. Hernandez: I’m optimistic about online, and we are proponents of that. My message is that the innovative thinking you are alluding to should not come as a response to the undercutting. We, as educators, have that obligation, irrespective of budget cuts. Kidd: It takes money to roll out online. Mizereck: I think the lack of resources have forced people to accelerate some

19 programs. Advanced Placement has been a long-time problem. A small school may have only one AP student in chemistry. You try to provide differentiated curriculum. More of us are seeing those situations. Hernandez: Educators will always do more with less because it’s about the kids. Despite the beatings we take every year, as educators, we continue to do our jobs. Scores are up amid one of the worst years in budgetary history. Padolf: There needs to be a happy balance between online and the experience. There is an important piece that is missing: problem solving and critical thinking.

Q: Is there a disconnect in South Florida between the skills employers are looking for and skill sets universities are able to teach? Kidd: At our university, there is not. We employ advisory committees in each of our disciplines. We work closely with the business community. We call ourselves Florida’s statewide career institution for a reason. Thirty years ago, if you came out with a degree, you had many mid-management opportunities. Today, employers need to get people up and running quickly, and they need them with specific skills sets. Fields: I think we have to respond more quickly to marketplace needs and employment needs. We did research and asked the major employers, ‘If there was one new skill set, what would it be?’ These companies filled in the blanks, and that has driven our response. We are very involved with marketplace-based education and driving value more quickly. Fifty to 70 percent of CEOs are saying in surveys that they are doing no or limited hiring next year. Not only are the typical outlets not hiring, but there is this tremendous backlog of displaced professionals who are willing to take entry-level wages to get a job and get benefits. The last thing we all want, as educators, is to have our graduates come out and not be able to find jobs. Armstrong: [At] the Fort Lauderdale Alliance, we do hear there are gaps. There are potentially lost opportunities if our universities and colleges don’t have the funding to start up or enhance programs, such as in technology, biotechnology or science. What happens then is Research in Motion, or one of the networking or IT companies, has to reach out to the Northeast or the West Coast to attract Ph.D. software engineers to fill the gaps they have. We are hosting roundtables with businesses to ask: What are those emerging trends? What are the gaps? Where can we, as colleges, work to create a track and support you? Mizereck: I don’t think programs and institutions focused on careers have a skill gap because they are constantly checking. It’s their mission. More generally, there are some programs that don’t prepare students for jobs. Some may choose a program that they are passionate about. Armstrong: A lot of students have bachelor’s degrees in psychology, and they make very good waiters. Then we get yelled at in Tallahassee. Some do go on to get advanced degrees and become clinical psychologists. You see things like ‘time to degree’ legislation. The state will only pay for a certain number of hours, and then they are going to start charging more. Students are becoming smarter consumers: What is this going to do to me?

20 What is this going to do to me if I rack up a lot of debt? We try to discourage them from using debt at all. We try to encourage them to get merit aid. We try to give them Personal Finance 101 and tell them the government will track you down to your grave to get repayment. Hernandez: Students are growing up a lot faster, and they are making those decisions at a much younger age. I remember a lot of contemporaries when I was in school, and they didn’t have a clue what they wanted to do. And that persisted through college, and then it was ‘Sorry buddy, it’s too late.’ Mizereck: A second question that needs to be asked: To what degree should the taxpayer subsidize that choice? One of the discussions in the Legislature in the past is, if David wants to offer psychology on his campus, the student is going to have to pay full fare. That’s a legitimate policy discussion. That’s when people get very upset. I used to work with K-12, and you don’t want to fight with the arts teachers. They believe there is a legitimate public interest served by the arts programs. Padolf: The issue is we want students to find their interests before they get to the university – before they start spending their money and get into debt. We want to expose them to a lot off different things. We want to know what their interest is, but find opportunities within that interest. If they spend eight-plus hours a day at a job, they have to love it. You want them not doing what I did – I was a psych major for a minute and a half, and a sociology major for a minute and a half, and I ended up with an undergraduate degree in rhetoric – so I have a B.S. in B.S. Fields: NSU’s Fischler School has a National Institute for Educational Options. It’s designed to drive referendums that give students more choice and to know better what their options are and where they can go and what they can study. Armstrong: There is a relatively new Junior Achievement facility on our north campus. For every fifth- and eighth-grader, we are trying to expose them to career opportunities – getting them to think about entrepreneurship and what it’s like to take out a bank account and pay for things. More could be done, but they are becoming more career savvy.

Q: Is the average Florida high school graduate prepared for college coursework? Hernandez: A large majority of students graduating from all districts across the nation are taking remediation in reading and mathematics when they get to college. Our work is changing because of the student population we are serving. We are getting students in 10th grade who speak no English, and when they graduate from the 12th grade, they are expected to be a proficient learner. Blanch: Empirically, there is data that they are not ready. As educators, we need to answer that. As do parents. We have had a hard time at Mater with some parents who look at the rigorous demands placed on students, which we feel are needed to place them in college. Some parents say, ‘Don’t do that, not to my little baby.’ Mizereck: I don’t think there is such a thing as an average Florida high school

21 graduate. Some take advantage of dual enrollment and AP. They are amazing and well prepared. Then, there are kids who are barely making it out of high school. Then, there is the big group in the middle. I don’t want to throw K-12 under the bus. There are a lot of high school graduates who don’t know what they want to do. They try college a little and they don’t like. They go to work for a while and realize they don’t want to work at a minimum-wage job. When that attitude or maturation occurs, they approach learning and studying differently. Hernandez: Teaching in the absence of learning is just talking. Mizereck: In kindergarten, 99 percent of the responsibility of learning is on the teacher. In high school, it’s 80 percent student and 20 percent teacher. A lot of teachers work their butts off, and there are kids who don’t pay attention. Padolf: It’s important for us to be able to assess if students are getting it or not to make sure the way we are teaching is not just a memorization for an exam. So, they get it in multiple ways – not just through the textbook, but through experiential learning and technical learning. So students who may not be getting it one way can get it another way. Armstrong: Here’s the good news: A lot of progress is being made; 25 to 30 percent of student in public and private high schools are getting a fabulous education and can succeed. We know what is needed and we have teachers who know how to do it. Unfortunately, the majority of students beyond the 25 to 30 percent don’t get the access, don’t get the support. It’s a family issue or a lot of social issues in their community. Policies implemented by the Legislature and government are starting to show progress. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAPE) scores are trending in the right direction. Policy change, such as increasing math and science curriculum requirements as core requirements, is a challenge because we don’t have adequately prepared math and science teachers. Fields: The more you are an open-access institution, the greater the need for remediation. You need to get those students up to speed and emotionally ready to be in college. If not, you need to help them exit the process – sometimes voluntarily and sometimes involuntarily. You put an instructor in an impossible situation when there is such a wide variation. If you have great students, you are doing to do a disservice to them because the class has been dumbed down. Kidd: About 60 percent of Keiser’s population is over 25. We are seeing a lot of students who weren’t ready to go into college in the first round. We are seeing more and more adult workers ready to take on a collegiate workload. Fields: We have working professionals who made some poor choices in undergraduate degrees and come out with poor GPAs. That doesn’t prohibit them from pursuing a graduate program if they demonstrate that they are ready to step up. Hernandez: I’m a very proud Floridian because our education program is very, very rigorous and robust in providing the students the preparation they need to

22 move forward. Educators are held to a very high standard. A prepared high school graduate four years ago might not be one now. We have to be very sensitive to that. I might need an intervention. Maybe the skills I acquired are not preparing me for the new expectation of the workforce. Our Florida Department of Education has created a venue of being aware of where public education is now. Armstrong: Policies have been put in place. If funding is put in place and we can get trained teachers and implement these policies, I think five years from now the answer would be yes. The foundation is there. The framework is there.

23 24 25

Career colleges play key role in state education

By Kathy Mizereck and Brian Moran October 7, 2011

We agree with your recent editorial that student loan defaults are a serious matter. But students default for many reasons. Those attending private-sector colleges and universities often start farther back in life's pack economically. Now, they must cope as harsh economic conditions constrain jobs and upward mobility.

We urge a variety of steps to bring down default rates, including student education about loans, borrowing obligations and effective budgeting; limiting lending amounts to costs related to tuition, books and fees; and full disclosure on the costs and potential rewards of pursuing a given career field.

While effective regulatory oversight is part of that solution, playing the blame game with the Commission for Independent Education is not. The commission has no authority regarding student loans, but does have a long-standing record of effective oversight. In the past three months alone, the commission has:

Conducted 131 visits to institutions to gauge compliance

Issued four notices of non-compliance to institutions that appeared to be operating illegally

Referred one institution to the Office of the Attorney General for unlicensed activity

Responded to 92 percent of student complaints within seven calendar days of receipt, with an average of 24 days to case closure

We are confident the economy will improve and default rates will decrease. Both federal laws as well as U.S. Department of Education- recognized accrediting agencies will continue to serve as a check on abuses. And common sense steps that institutions can take can go a long way to improving the situation now and in the future.

26 Kathy Mizereck is executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, and Brian Moran is interim president and CEO of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.

Comments (2) sentinelsucs at 9:21 AM October 07, 2011

It would be interesting to find out what percentage of their tuition payments comes from federal dollars.

Community colleges and county tech schools provide a much better value for the students dollar. losopapa at 8:44 AM October 07, 2011 nothing is worse than fake schools that run ads on hip hop stations with a guy rapping about making more money! these fake schools are set up to rip off student loans and take advantage of uneducated people who do not know any better!

CLIP REPORT

Summary 2011

For-profit colleges leave many with debt but no jobs

By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune Published: March 27, 2011

Related Links * All college default rates * Talk careers on Facebook * Inside USF * Latest education news

TAMPA - Westwood College representatives questioned Becky Loring about her hopes for the future. And when she wavered — worried about whether she could afford the $45,000 program — the recruiter used Loring's own words to seal the deal.

"If you don't do this," she recalled the representative saying, "you're never going to get what you've always wanted."

Loring, 32, now owes the government and private lenders more than $100,000. Working in sales, she is far from the graphic design job she studied for, barely able to make her college loan interest payments.

"When I think about it, I just feel nauseated," she said. "How did I let this happen?"

Students such as Loring are borrowing billions from the government every year to attend for-profit career colleges, where enrollment nationwide has tripled in 10 years.

Loring is working with her lenders to keep from defaulting, but she's on the edge, she said.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of others have gone over, a recent federal report showed.

Of the career college students whose federal loans came due in 2008, nearly 25 percent quit making payments in the three years that followed. Taxpayers are ultimately responsible for paying off bad federal loans.

Default rates for some local colleges were even higher. The report showed Everest University in Largo with a three-year default rate of more than 41 percent. The Tampa branches of ITT Technical Institute and Concorde Career Institute were at nearly 30 percent.

By comparison, the rate for private nonprofit colleges and universities was 8 percent. For public institutions, it was 11 percent.

People have poured into the for-profit colleges in the past few years on federal student loans, searching for new careers in a weak and changing economy. But as the loan defaults rise, government regulators are trying to rein in the rapidly expanding schools — and facing protests from the industry.

* * * * *

People who are close to the issue disagree about what a high default rate means.

To critics of the for-profit college industry, it's a sign of a poor-quality school that will say anything to snag new students, manipulating their hopes and shading the truth about accreditation and job prospects.

To industry defenders, it shows these schools open their doors to people who have trouble in traditional colleges, who are often poor and struggle to pay their bills, especially during a recession.

29 The report on default rates is preliminary. Congress established the calculation in 2008, saying colleges with loan default rates of 30 percent and above for three years would risk losing their federal aid eligibility beginning in 2014.

Students are required to start paying back loans after they graduate, though many appeal to lenders to delay repayment. The recent report looked at students with repayment dates starting in 2008 and counted those who defaulted on those payments over the next three years. The number was more than 457,000.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, held hearings last year into what taxpayers get back from the billions the government gives to for-profit colleges. The figure was nearly $30 billion last year.

For-profits enroll about 11 percent of all college students but account for about 45 percent of all student loan defaults.

"Serious questions have to be raised about the taxpayer investment in these companies," Harkin said.

Nationwide enrollment in for-profit colleges is about 1.8 million students.

A stretch of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard west of Interstate 75 tells the story. On one corner is Rasmussen College. A mile west is a branch of Southwest Florida College, next to a branch of Everest University.

Complaints have grown with the numbers. Witnesses at Harkin's hearings last year told of colleges exaggerating job prospects, fudging financial- aid applications and leaving graduates with heavy debt and few opportunities.

* * * * *

In October, the U.S. Department of Education released new industry regulations scheduled to go into effect in July. A trade group has gone to court to stop them.

The dozens of changes include requirements to:

•Cease paying admissions representatives on the basis of how many students they enroll.

30 •Provide easy-to-find job placement statistics by program, using methods verified by an outside agency.

•Require states to regulate all colleges with any students in the state, regardless of whether they have a branch or employees in the state.

For-profit representatives aren't happy with how the rules came about.

It was "the most biased process I have ever seen," said Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. The group's 900 for-profit schools and colleges have about 370,000 students.

The Harkin hearings were stacked with opponents of the for-profit college industry, she said. And bad things happen in every school, she said.

"I got a call the other day about a community college student who had $90,000 in debt and had nothing to show for it."

The most controversial proposal to emerge last year, the so-called gainful employment rule, has yet to be released in final form.

It's a process intended to ensure students can repay their loans, taking into account the students' income, debt load and potential employment. The complex calculation also includes the loan repayment rate by students from each college.

A low score could limit a college's federal loan eligibility.

The industry is lobbying hard to modify the final rule, which is expected to come out any day.

"We've been told there's going to be a very, very big revision," said Kent Jenkins, vice president of the Everest College parent company, Corinthian Colleges, based in Santa Ana, Calif.

* * * * *

Florida has imposed its own new rules, said Samuel Ferguson, executive director of the Commission for Independent Education, which monitors for-profit colleges.

Admissions representatives, for instance, have to go through a training program in what they can and can't say to prospective students, he said.

But students also have a responsibility to ensure that a program is accredited and meets their needs, he said.

Cassandra Perry, 24, learned her lesson when she attended ITT in Virginia and couldn't get other colleges to accept the credits she earned there, she said.

After she and her husband moved to the Tampa area, she chose the University of Phoenix, partly because it had a more widely accepted accreditation.

She worked during the day and went to class at night.

"My classes were small. It's like we were a family," she said. "This has worked out perfectly for me."

Graduating in June with a bachelor's degree in psychology, she has applied to the University of South Florida's graduate program.

It's selective, so she doesn't know if she will make it, but she's counting on USF accepting her University of Phoenix degree, she said.

Becky Loring thought she did her homework when she picked Westwood when she lived in Seattle in 2006.

The admissions representative assured her Westwood, owned by Alta Colleges Inc., based in Denver, Colo., was accredited by a national agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Loring had always loved design and liked the description of Westwood's visual communications program, which she could complete online.

But the $45,000 price tag made her nervous.

She said the admissions director told her not to worry, that she would make at least $70,000 a year no matter where she lived because she could easily work from home.

Loring got a federal loan for $60,000, but that wasn't enough to cover her college costs and living expenses, she was told, so Westwood helped her apply for private loans.

32 The school refused to accept several credits from an online college she attended earlier, contrary to what the Westwood representative had told her.

Her costs continued to rise when she had to buy expensive equipment and software, and pay online fees, so she borrowed more money and pushed on, committed to finishing.

She moved to Sarasota and graduated from Westwood in 2009 with mostly A's. She built what she thought was a solid portfolio, including fliers, brochures and booklets with logos and other elements she had designed.

"I was so excited," she said. "I did not take advantage of my education in high school, so in college I was determined to apply myself and do my absolute best."

She put out dozens of résumés, she said. No response.

Maybe she needed more education, she thought. But when she began looking into the state universities, she realized she was in trouble. Admissions representatives told her the Westwood degree didn't count for them.

Though Westwood was accredited, it wasn't accredited by an agency they recognized.

* * * * *

"I had a clear path and I thought I knew where I was headed," Loring said. "Now it's like I'm swimming in murky waters."

She contacted Tampa law firm James, Hoyer, Newcomer, Smiljanich & Yanchunis after seeing a television news report about problems at Westwood. The firm is suing Westwood.

A Westwood spokeswoman, Emily Port, questioned Loring's assertion that she was told she would make $70,000 a year.

A company website shows that 77 percent of its visual communications graduates are employed in their field of study, but the average reported salary is $35,000 a year.

Port also said the company informs students about program costs and the risk that not all colleges will accept Westwood's credits.

Loring stands by her recollection of the assurances she received regarding credit transfers and job prospects, but she blames herself for believing them.

She is one of nearly 1,200 students who have contacted James, Hoyer with complaints about Westwood. Most of them are struggling with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, said attorney Jonathan Cohen.

The firm also has received hundreds of complaints about other for-profit colleges. Their stories are often the same.

"They start out so proud and end up buried in debt with a piece of paper that doesn't mean anything," Cohen said.

More than 180 Florida students have complained to the state attorney general about their experiences at for-profit colleges.

"I was counting on a degree to help with a promotion in my career and I got nothing but debt," wrote Kimberly Bramblett of Crawfordville about her experience with a Kaplan online program.

"Please help me," wrote Janet Ayala, who borrowed $8,000 for the medical assistant program at Everest in Lakeland and can't find a job. She was wary of taking on the debt, she said, but Everest representatives were persistent, calling her every day at one point.

Jenkins said Corinthian has become more cautious about enrollments. It has stopped accepting students who don't have a high school diploma, and its short-term default rate is declining.

It was not an easy decision to start saying no, he said.

"These are students who have nowhere else to go."

COMMENTS Posted by (djoyce) on 03/26/2011 at 08:11 pm.

This is Dennis Joyce, an editor at TBO. Are you one of the many people who have enrolled in for-profit colleges in recent years? Do you know someone who has? I'd like to hear about your experiences and how they compare with the trends Lindsay Peterson reports here.

High demand for ‘middle-skilled’ jobs driving education Premium content from Jacksonville Business Journal - by Amy Wimmer Schwarb , Correspondent Date: Friday, August 26, 2011, 6:00am EDT

When Marisol Agloro lost her job as the office manager at a real estate company in 2008 — just as it was becoming clear that the housing market’s burst bubble was taking the rest of the economy down with it — she wasn’t too worried at first. The real estate job had been a departure for her anyway, and she figured she could return to working on the business side of a hospital. After all, she had a four-year degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida and had worked in the field for six years before taking the real estate job.

35 Agloro looked for months for a position that used her degree and experience. And as her confidence waned, she began rethinking her options. “It was taking me forever to find anything, so that’s when I decided to go back to school for nursing,” Agloro says. “That was what I had wanted to do a long, long time ago, and I thought that would be a better career for me.” Eighteen months after starting training at Florida State College of Jacksonville, Agloro was a registered nurse with a job. She now works the night shift at St. Vincent’s Hospital, and with her career path laid out before her, she has already established her next goal: moving to the day shift. Across the United States, the loss of manufacturing jobs has led some observers of the economy to opine that the American middle class is shrinking, with manufacturing jobs replaced by growth in industries that require extensive higher education. At the other end of the spectrum are service-oriented positions that require nothing more than a high school diploma. “There is a perception that going to college is the highest expression of success,” said Candace Moody, vice president of communications at WorkSource, a federally funded program that connects Northeast Florida workers with training and jobs. “But actually, the demand for four-year and beyond degrees is shrinking. The growing swath of jobs is in those ‘middle jobs.’ ” The difference, of course, is that the type of jobs available for those who have an associate degree, a training certification or some college — but not a bachelor’s degree — are different than they were 20 years ago. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the manufacturing sector has been on the decline since hitting its peak in 1979, but the health care and computer fields continue to grow. In other words, the middle class isn’t shrinking; it’s just changing.

36 “There’s been a lot of emphasis on bachelor’s degrees because if Florida wants to remake its economy, if it wants to be less dependent on housing and tourism, you have to look for industries that are clean and offer high-skilled types of jobs,” said Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, which represents Florida’s 900 private higher education institutions. “Many of those are in science, energy, mathematics. But even in those environments, you also have to have a host of technicians available to make any of those industries come to Florida.” A study done in 2007 by The Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., noted that while the need for these “middle-skills” employees has decreased over the past two decades, they still comprise about half of all American jobs. Additionally, some job opportunities in this sector increased dramatically. Health technician jobs numbered 400,000 in 1986 and 1 million in 2006. One of the study’s authors, Harry J. Holzer of Georgetown University, appeared before the Senate Joint Economic Committee this summer. Holzer explained that too often, the skills Americans have do not match the needs of employers, partly because of a lack of communication between the education and business sectors. As an example, Holzer points to the manufacturing industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even this struggling sector had a high ratio of vacancies to new hires, indicating that employers are having difficulty finding people qualified for the jobs. “Too many students obtain credentials that are not highly rewarded in the labor market,” Holzer told the panel. “At least partly, this is because our education and workforce systems largely operate in isolation from one another, with too few students gaining access to career counseling and other employment services. Not all workers can attend or succeed in college, and many need other forms of job training that prepare them for good-paying occupations and sectors.”

37 WorkSource tries to bridge the gap between education and business, helping fill employers’ needs. Beyond investing in qualified students such as Agloro, WorkSource partners with local businesses to retrain workers — helping to keep those businesses in Northeast Florida rather than risk them relocating to areas with more skilled workers. “Our job is to help people understand that education can be a series of training steps,” Moody said. “Graduating from high school is a moral imperative for our children. Beyond that, you can get some post-secondary education in an area that provides opportunities. “One of the reasons health care is such a priority for us is because it does offer those opportunities,” Moody said, explaining that about 70 percent of the students WorkSource helps right now are planning careers in the health field. “You can work in the field for a while, and once you’ve decided which direction you are interested in going, you can seek more training.” When Florida State College studied which of its graduates were earning the most money, Moody said, it discovered that those who earned an insurance certificate — a training that takes just a few months — had the highest income potential. And Mizereck noted that even jobs that might be considered old- school can be needed and vital in a particular economy. The 62-year- old Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, for instance, fills an important need. “Welding sounds like something that’s old and no one’s doing anymore,” Mizereck said. But actually, in a port city, it’s very important.” Agloro worked through WorkSource to get funding for school at Florida State College. And the program came with something else, too: some personal guidance that helped her with interview skills. She found a nursing job fairly quickly and easily, earning $22 an hour and fulfilling a childhood dream that she had abandoned in college. “At UCF, I had a little bit of doubt about myself that I could do it, so I

38 kind of backed off it,” Agloro said. “But now I’m doing it — and I was really, really prepared for this job.” And Agloro’s experience isn’t unusual, Mizereck said. Programs that tie the graduates they’re producing to the needs of the community successfully place students in jobs. “The proof’s in the pudding,” Mizereck said, “and these students are going to work.”

RPOF Chairman Dave Bitner Praised for Courage, Professionalism By: Kenric Ward | Posted: September 8, 2011 2:04 PM Statements of praise and condolence poured in from longtime allies and even political foes Thursday as word spread that Republican Party of Florida Chairman and veteran of Florida politics David Bitner has passed away after a months-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

He was 63.

The former state representative died at his Monticello home a week after he announced he would be stepping down at the upcoming Presidency 5 summit.

RPOF Vice Chairman Lenny Curry announced the news in a statement Thursday morning.

"With sadness and a heavy heart, I must report that Florida has lost a great leader and public servant," Curry wrote.

Asking "all Floridians to join me in offering our thoughts and prayers for Dave and his remarkable wife Wendy," Curry wrote, "I watched as Wendy was the embodiment of love and compassion. I pray that Dave enjoy the peace that comes from our God, and that Wendy feel God’s love and strength in this time of grief."

As for the state Republican Party, Curry said it has been "the honor of a lifetime to work by Chairman Bitner’s side," since the two were elected at the party's annual meeting last winter.

"Not only was Dave a born leader, he was an exemplary man in every sense. In honor of his example, I am committed to ensure that the

40 Republican Party of Florida continues its tradition of service to our beloved state," Curry said.

Others saluted Bitner's professionalism and courage in battling the illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, stated: “Today our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy, Jennifer and the entire Bitner family as they mourn this great loss.

“Chairman Bitner led our party with great distinction. His courage in the face of tremendous personal pain and suffering is the mark of a man of great character and the embodiment of a heart of service to a cause greater than self.

“Chairman Bitner touched the lives of so many Floridians during his many years of public service in the Florida House as well as during his tenure as the leader of our party. While we all share in this loss, we can take comfort in our faith that a loving God has ended Dave’s suffering and called him home to rest in peace.”

Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando: “The impact of Dave Bitner’s life will remain in the hearts and minds of the countless people he touched in his lifetime. I’ve admired Dave since meeting him in the Legislature when I served as a young aide. He was a true friend and has always been a man of great character and integrity.

“As his health declined, Dave’s dedication to his role as party chairman took remarkable courage and resolve. His loss leaves a hole in our hearts, and I pray that his family finds strength and comfort at this time. I feel blessed to have known him and will miss him deeply.”

Doug Guetzloe, a longtime Republican Party activist and consultant: "I join my Republican colleagues in saluting the courage and integrity of Dave Bitner. His battle was a profile in courage and an inspiration to anyone who has faced similar challenges.

"Godspeed, Dave Bitner."

Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith: “Throughout his entire career, Chairman Bitner was a tireless advocate for the people of Florida and the state and party he dearly loved. His strength of character and dedication were respected by all who knew and worked with him, even those of us on the opposing side. His memory will not be forgotten. With a heavy heart, we send our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

Born in Hagerstown, Md., Bitner grew up on a farm and graduated from North Hagerstown High School. Even late into his life, Bitner prided himself on keeping “farm hours” by reporting to work early and staying late.

Bitner relocated to Southwest Florida and served for many years as the general manager of the Port Charlotte-based Charlotte Sun-Herald.

“Dave came to work with the free weekly when we had only four employees,” said Derek Dunn-Rankin, chairman of the Suncoast Media Group. “He was the key player in building it into a significant daily newspaper.”

In 1990, Bitner sold his interest in the newspaper and joined Wendy in starting Sun Specialties, a provider of company promotional products and business gifts. In 1992, he was elected as a state representative from District 71.

As a lawmaker, Bitner helped pass tort reform bills, stricter penalties for criminals, and tax cuts.

One of his key legislative accomplishments was sponsoring Florida’s “name change” law, ensuring the record of prisoners incarcerated under one name and released under another reflected their complete criminal record.

In Charlotte County, Bitner remained active as president of the Charlotte County Cultural Center, president of the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Charlotte County chapter of Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the YMCA. He was also involved in local high school booster programs.

During his first two terms in the Florida House, Bitner served in the minority, but helped the Republican Party gain the majority in the Florida House in his third and fourth terms under Speakers Daniel Webster and John Thrasher.

In 1994, Bitner was honored by the Florida Homebuilders Association as “Legislator of the Year.” The Florida Economic Development Council followed suit, naming him "Legislator of the Year" in 1997.

He was also recognized by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges as an “Outstanding Legislator” and by the University

42 of Florida for his “Dedication, Leadership and Support of Higher Education.”

In 2000, Bitner was asked by then-Gov. Jeb Bush to travel the state and campaign for "George W. Bush for President." Throughout the campaign, Bitner traveled across Florida to knock on doors, attend rallies and make phone calls, playing a critical role as a liaison between the Bush campaign and the 67 Republican Executive Committee members throughout Florida.

Following his tenure as a state representative, Bitner, joined by Wendy, relocated to the Tallahassee area and founded the government consulting firm Bitner & Associates.

While Bitner’s love for politics drove him to serve as a lawmaker, baseball was his second passion. While at Bitner & Associates, he represented major league teams, including his beloved Baltimore Orioles.

Bitner is credited with helping keep several major league baseball teams in Florida for spring training and also helping to lure the Tampa Bay Rays to his former home of Port Charlotte for spring training in 2008.

Since leaving the statehouse, Bitner remained active in Republican Party politics as a Jefferson County precinct committeeman and a member of the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee.

During his brief tenure as RPOF chairman, Bitner traveled the state extensively, meeting with local Republican clubs and helping to unify the party. He also worked to honor Florida’s nearly 250,000 military veterans through the “Greatest Generation Tour” across Florida.

In addition to Wendy, his wife of 20 years, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Blackburn of North Port; three sisters, Debbie Poff of Sarasota, Darlene Muse of Winter Haven and Dawn Lewis of Hagerstown; a brother, Don Bitner of Tallahassee; mother-in-law, Sandie Checchia of Port Charlotte and father-in-law, Damian (Lisa) Wojdula of Englewood; brother-in-law, Steven Wojdula of Venice; grandchildren, Kelly Plueger, Dylan Hixson, Amanda Blackburn and Bob Blackburn; and a great grandson, Phoenix Plueger.

Service is pending. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to JOY (Jefferson Outreach for Youth Inc.), P.O. Box 206, Lloyd, FL 32337. Friends may visit online at www.robersonfh.com to sign the memory book and extend condolences

43 to the family. Arrangements are under the direction of Roberson Funeral Home & Crematory, Port Charlotte Chapel.

Contact Kenric Ward at [email protected] or (772) 801- 5341. printsend

Posted: 7:03 PM Sep 12, 2011 Florida Student Loan Defaults Rise More Florida students can't afford to pay their student loans and are defaulting at higher rates than a year ago, due to the economic crisis. Reporter: Lilly Rockwell, The News Service of Florida

Tallahassee, FL -- September 12, 2011 --

More Florida students can't afford to pay their student loans and are defaulting at higher rates than a year ago, due to the economic malaise, higher interest rates and the rise of for-profit colleges, which often charge higher tuition than public colleges.

Florida's federal student loan default rates for the fiscal year 2009 were 10.5 percent, a big increase over the 8 percent default rate reported the previous fiscal year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This puts Florida in the top 10 states for highest student loan default rates in the nation, and is seen as an indication of the state's larger economic woes. Florida's community colleges, for-profit colleges, and historically black colleges had higher default rates with some as high as 25 percent - than traditional state universities.

Proponents of those schools say the higher default rates are a reflection of their bigger populations of low-income students, who take out more loans and don't have family financial support, than any perceived weakness in their programs.

45 Nationally, the number of students defaulting rose from 7 percent to 8.8 percent, the highest rate since 1997. Arizona had the highest student loan default rate at 16 percent, with North Dakota and Montana the lowest at 3.4 percent.

Typically a student who doesn't pay back a federal student loan that was taken out to pay for college classes is unemployed or doesn't make enough money to afford student loan payments.

"Borrowers are struggling in this economy," said James Kvaal, the deputy undersecretary of education. He said the rise in the number of students who can't pay their loans is a direct reflection of the high unemployment rate.

To be counted as in default, a student had to have been at least 270 days past due by the end of September 2010. The default rate doesn't include all borrowers, just those with loans that came due in the fiscal year 2009.

Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of FinAid.org, a resource for financial aid information, said poor job opportunities for new graduates and higher student loan interest rates are to blame for the rise in defaults.

The federal government changed the interest rates on federal student loans in 2006 to a flat rate, versus the variable rate that students had been paying. That flat rate for most loans now about 6.8 percent was higher than the variable rate many students were previously paying, causing minimum monthly payments to rise.

"Every year since then, students have been graduating with more and more fixed rate loans and the average interest rate has been going up," Kantrowitz said. Still, unemployment is a bigger driver, he said.

Florida's community colleges typically saw higher loan default rates than most four-year public universities. State College of Florida, Manatee- Sarasota, for instance, had a 16.3 percent student loan default rate for fiscal year 2009.

"Community college students, for the most part, live a lot closer to the edge financially than university students do," said St. Petersburg College President Bill Law. The default rate at his school was 12.5 percent.

Law said students who attend St. Petersburg College may also take out more student loans because some are not eligible for Bright Futures scholarships, which are awarded by grade point average and test scores.

Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, said students who attend Florida's for-profit colleges and technical schools have greater financial need.

"The students who attend our institutions tend to be older, working adults who have little or no support from family," Mizereck said.

Some of the schools with the highest federal default rate came from for- profit colleges that focused on career training, such as cosmetology. For instance, over a quarter of students who had to repay loans in fiscal year 2009 taken out to pay for classes at Orlando-based Centura Institute were not able to, according to federal data.

Centura offers training in massage therapy, nursing, and medical billing.

Nationally, Kvaal said for-profit colleges are partially driving the increase in student loan defaults. The default rate for all for-profit colleges rose from 11.6 to 15 percent in the fiscal year 2009.

One reason the government tracks this data is that schools with default rates of 25 percent or higher for more than three years in a row lose their ability to offer federal loans to students. No Florida schools met these criteria.

For-profit colleges sometimes charge higher tuition than community colleges or state universities. Mizereck noted that is because they receive no state funds and are largely supported by student tuition.

Kantrowitz said for-profit schools do cater to low-income students. "The student who goes to for-profit colleges are almost guaranteed to graduate with debt 96 percent do," he said.

But the school's for-profit status also adds to the debt load, he said.

"A few thousand dollars of that debt is due to the profits," Kantrowitz said. He did a study that indicated as much as 10 percent of a student's loans from a for-profit college are attributable to its profit.

"For-profit colleges are charging a little bit too much compared to other institutions," he said.

Students who cannot pay student loans back are not given a free pass. Their accounts are typically passed to a collection agency, and in the most severe cases wages and tax returns can be garnished.

Florida student loan defaults rise

Submitted by Matt Dixon on September 12, 2011 - 6:34pm PolitiJax

This puts Florida in the top 10 states for highest student loan default rates in the nation, and is seen as an indication of the state's larger economic woes. Florida's community colleges, for-profit colleges, and historically black colleges had higher default rates - with some as high as 25 percent - than traditional state universities.

Nationally, the number of students defaulting rose from 7 percent to 8.8 percent, the highest rate since 1997. Arizona had the highest student loan default rate at 16 percent, with North Dakota and Montana the lowest at 3.4 percent.

Typically a student who doesn't pay back a federal student loan that was taken out to pay for college classes is unemployed or doesn't make enough money to afford student loan payments.

Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of FinAid.org, a resource for financial aid

49 information, said poor job opportunities for new graduates and higher student loan interest rates are to blame for the rise in defaults.

The federal government changed the interest rates on federal student loans in 2006 to a flat rate, versus the variable rate that students had been paying. That flat rate - for most loans now about 6.8 percent - was higher than the variable rate many students were previously paying, causing minimum monthly payments to rise.

Florida's community colleges typically saw higher loan default rates than most four-year public universities. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, for instance, had a 16.3 percent student loan default rate for fiscal year 2009.

"The students who attend our institutions tend to be older, working adults who have little or no support from family," Mizereck said.

Some of the schools with the highest federal default rate came from for-profit colleges that focused on career training, such as cosmetology. For instance, over a quarter of students who had to repay loans in fiscal year 2009 taken out to pay for classes at Orlando-based Centura Institute were not able to, according to federal data.

Centura offers training in massage therapy, nursing, and medical billing.

50 One reason the government tracks this data is that schools with default rates of 25 percent or higher for more than three years in a row lose their ability to offer federal loans to students. No Florida schools met these criteria.

Kantrowitz said for-profit schools do cater to low-income students. "The student who goes to for-profit colleges are almost guaranteed to graduate with debt - 96 percent do," he said.

But the school's for-profit status also adds to the debt load, he said.

"For-profit colleges are charging a little bit too much compared to other institutions," he said.

Students who cannot pay student loans back are not given a free pass. Their accounts are typically passed to a collection agency, and in the most severe cases wages and tax returns can be garnished.

Florida ranks high on student loan defaults, new report shows

By Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel September 16, 2011

They hoped to find good jobs after college, but in many cases have found insurmountable debt.

The number of Florida residents defaulting on student loans is skyrocketing, according to figures released this week by the U.S. Department of Education. Of those required to start repaying their loans two years ago, 10.5 percent have defaulted, compared to 8.8 percent nationwide.

"There's no surprise there. Florida has been particularly hard hit by the economy. College costs are going up. Students are more in debt. They can't find a job, and they're staying in school longer," said Billie Jo Hamilton, director of financial aid at the University of South Florida, which saw an increase in defaults.

Defaulting hurts a person's credit rating, which could also hurt job prospects. And they're still on the hook for the money, as the government has the power to garnish wages, tax refunds and Social Security checks. Taxpayers are on the hook if the federal government can't collect, although experts say the student loan program is profitable, even with the defaults. Surveillance Video: Subway double shooting near Lauderhill: Warning: Graphic video

Jeanne Tholl, 47, of Lake Worth, said she is on the verge of defaulting on her $11,000 student loan. She graduated from MedVance Institute in Palm Springs in 2009 with a massage therapy degree.

But she hasn't found work in her new field and she lost her job at Albertson's after the grocery chain closed its Palm Beach County stores.

"Even though the economy was shaky, I thought the job prospects would still be there," she said. "It's really difficult to have this debt hanging over my head."

The new figures show 19,279 people defaulted in Florida, up nearly 5,000 from last year and more than twice as many as 2005, when Florida

52 ranked in the middle of the country for default rates. This year, it has the ninth worst rate in the country.

The U.S. Department of Education said it has taken steps to help people manage their student loan debt, including a plan that allows them to repay based on income. And it implemented a regulation called "gainful employment," which can prevent schools with continued high default rates from receiving federal dollars.

The agency also developed a website, collegecost.ed.gov, showing the "net cost" of college, which is how much students can expect to pay after financial aid is factored in. Colleges will be required to have this information on their websites, starting Oct. 29.

Students entering USF must now take a financial literacy course, which deals with budgeting, student loans and credit cards, Hamilton said. She said feedback from students has been good, although the school won't know for a few years whether it had any effect.

Several for-profit schools, including the University of Phoenix and Kaplan Unviersity, are allowing students to try out the school for several weeks before making a financial commitment.

The national default rates were up in all sectors, with the lowest rates at private non-profit colleges (4.6 percent) and the highest at for-profits (15 percent). Public colleges, which includes universities and community colleges, averaged 7.2 percent. State breakdowns were not available.

Florida A&M University had the highest loan default rate among public universities, while the University of Florida, where most students qualify for Bright Futures and other scholarships, had the lowest. Everest University, which has several campuses in Florida, had the highest default rates among the large private for-profit colleges, ranging from 17 to 24 percent.

"The 2009 rates reflect a number of very serious issues, including a weak economy and high overall unemployment rate, and clearly are not where we want them to be," Everest spokesman Kent Jenkins said.

He said the company has spent $10 million for employees and technology to improve its default prevention program and expects the default rates released next year to drop to about 9 or 10 percent, he said.

Some say the high defaut rates at the for-profits are a reason for alarm.

53 "The weak economy does not explain the tremendous variation in default rates by type of school," said Debbie Cochrane, program director at the Institute for College Access & Success, a non-profit group which follows student debt issues.

But officials from the for-profit sector say the rates are a reflection of the types of students they serve – generally older and lower-income. Many don't have the help of parents to repay the loans, said Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools, which lobbies for the industry.

"The increase is across the board," she said, "and it's more a reflection of the economy than anything else." [email protected] or 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421

54 55

PRESS RELEASES CARRIED

Summary 2011

Anthem College Instructor Receives Top Award Anthem's Jeff Walters Named FAPSC Faculty Member of the Year Orlando, Fla. (PRWEB) August 25, 2011

Jeff Walters, an instructor for Anthem College-Orlando, received top honors from the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC), which named him Faculty Member of the Year.

Walters teaches in Anthem College’s Basic X-ray Machine Operator and X-Ray Technician programs.

“Jeff Walter’s day doesn’t begin and end with his classes,” says Kathy Mizereck, executive director of FAPSC. “This man cares and it shows. He goes the extra mile.”

“He has assisted a student with funeral arrangements for his mother. He

56 identified vision impairment in a student and helped obtain funds to pay for glasses. He works late to tutor. He has a consistent retention record of more than ninety percent of his students.”

Anthem College-Orlando offers hands-on training in several healthcare fields and in Computer Networking & Security. In addition to the Basic X-ray Machine Operator and X-Ray Technician program, it also offers education and training in Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing & Coding, Pharmacy Technician, and Surgical Technologist. Programs prepare students to compete for entry-level positions in their chosen fields.

FAPSC is a statewide organization that represents more than 200 career- oriented schools. It works on behalf of all of Florida’s degree-granting and non- granting career schools and colleges. FAPSC members are licensed by the state and educate and prepare more than 379,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields.

About Anthem College-Orlando Originally established in 1998, Anthem College- Orlando is part of Anthem Education Group (AEG), a Phoenix, Arizona-based family of schools and colleges that provides career-focused training and education programs at 23 accredited institutions in 15 states as well as online. The AEG family of schools includes Anthem College, Anthem College Online, Anthem Career College, Anthem Institute, Morrison University, and The Bryman School of Arizona. For more information, visit http://anthem.edu. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at http://www.anthem.edu/disclosures.

57 Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Scholarship steers high school seniors, G.E.D. recipients to "Hottest Jobs"

High school seniors and G.E.D. recipients have until March 11 to apply for the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges' "Hottest Jobs" scholarship.

The scholarship aims to provide career options for many who would otherwise join the 1.1 million people already seeking jobs in Florida.

Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000 to full tuition and can be used for programs ranging from short- term diplomas to four-year college degrees at participating career colleges in Florida.

“Students can get assistance for training in a wide variety of Florida’s fastest-growing careers from the healthcare industry like surgical technologists and sonographers to computer science as network administrators programmers and technicians,” says Wanda Minick, deputy director of FAPSC.

FAPSC, in partnership with member schools and colleges throughout the state, will offer more than 400 of the scholarships, totaling over $1 million.

In addition to healthcare and computer technology, the group named digital media, culinary arts and paralegal services as Florida’s hottest fields.

Visit www.FAPSC.org to download an application and find a list of participating institutions to contact directly. You can also e-mail [email protected] for more information.

About the photo: Culinary arts student Tara Leister of Palm Bay makes Cherries Jubilee at Keiser University in Melbourne. (2011 FLORIDA TODAY file/Craig Bailey) Posted by Keyonna Summers at 7:05 AM

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 Pasco school events

By Michele Miller, Times Staff Writer

College bound/scholarships

• Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, will host College and Career Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Representatives from more than 55 public and private colleges and universities, vocational and technical trade schools, and the military will answer questions and provide information to parents and students. Open to students attending any Pasco high school, as well as students from Freedom and Wharton high schools. For information, call Jennifer Larimore at (813) 794-8722.

• George W. Jenkins Scholarship to Florida Southern College, the deadline is March 15. Covers tuition, room and board, and books. For an application, go to flsouthern.edu/finaid/pdf/Jenkins.pdf.

• FAPSC Scholarship Program for $1,000, $5,000 and full tuition to specific career schools and colleges. Postmark deadline is Friday. Go to FAPSC.org.

• Times2 Outfitters' BUFS (Businesses Unite For Seniors) Scholarship. $500; the deadline is April 1. Go to times2outfitters.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article1156057.ece

FAPSC PRESS RELEASES

Summary 2011

Submitted to: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Date: May 12, 2011

Dear Editor:

We applaud the recent action of Attorney General Pam Bondi in filing suit against JLF University, accused of defrauding nursing students. The Sentinel article failed to note that JLF is not licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, the state regulatory body. In fact, commission staff referred JLF to the Attorney General’s office years ago.

This action mirrors our Association’s strong commitment to ethics and integrity among our sector. Florida career colleges enroll over 372,000 students and employ more than 85,000 staff in 900 licensed schools.

Our institutions graduate more than 100,000 job-ready students each year in fields as wide-ranging as information technology, cosmetology, health care and criminal justice. We support and encourage appropriate regulation of all educational sectors, and we urge prospective students to always validate the licensing and accreditation of schools they attend.

Kathy Mizereck Executive Director Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

150 S. Monroe St. • Suite 303 Tallahassee FL 32301 • Tel. (850) 577-3139 • www.fapsc.org 60

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Wanda Minick (850) 577-3139 [email protected] May 15 Deadline for “Hottest Jobs” Scholarships Nears

FAPSC scholarship program helps offset increasing cost of college for students

TALLAHASSEE, FL – May 5, 2011 – The application deadline for the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) “Hottest Jobs” Scholarship program for high school seniors and G.E.D. recipients is May 15, 2011.

FAPSC, in partnership with member schools and colleges throughout the state, offers scholarships totaling more than $1 million to help students seeking to further their education at many of Florida's leading private career schools and colleges.

Students still have time to take advantage of the scholarships that range from $1,000, $5,000 to full tuition and can be used for programs ranging from short-term diplomas to four-year college degrees at participating career colleges in Florida.

“With the rising costs of college, we’re proud to be part of the solution for those who are looking for careers in Florida,” says Wanda Minick, deputy director of FAPSC.

“We give out more than 400 scholarships each year to help students who want an education with hands-on training that will set them apart as graduates. They will enter the workforce ready for careers in high demand jobs like surgical technologists and sonographers in the healthcare field, or as network administrators, programmers and technicians in the information technology field,” Minick says.

Visit www.FAPSC.org to download an application, find a list of participating institutions to contact directly, or e-mail us at [email protected].

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges works on behalf of Florida’s 360 degree granting and 550 non-degree granting career schools and colleges. Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare over 379,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields. For more information, visit www.FAPSC.org

# # #

MEDIA STATEMENT

June 2, 2011

TOPIC: Final gainful employment regulations issued today by the U.S. Department of Education

Statement from Kathy Mizereck, executive director, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges:

“The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges will work hard to provide information to our members to make sure schools comply with the final gainful employment regulations released today by the United Department of Department of Education.

We especially will be following the new regulations to see how they affect students and their opportunity to pursue higher education and a better life. Students are attracted to Florida career colleges for their innovative course offerings and adult-oriented, flexible schedules.

In the end, this is about jobs and the future of our state’s economy. Our schools are important to local economies. Their promise of job-ready graduates with real-world learning is important in attracting new employers into their areas.”

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Melissa Lichtenheld 305-372-1234 [email protected]

State Association Honors the Best Among Career Colleges in Florida During 2011

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Aug. 19, 2011 – While Florida’s career colleges excel daily at providing quality education for some of the top job markets, the best from these schools were recently honored by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC).

FAPSC has a long history – more than 55 years – of representing Florida’s postsecondary colleges and schools. In total, 14 awards chosen from more than 100 nominations were presented during a ceremony at the FAPSC 2011 annual conference in South Florida.

From a stellar Graduate of a Year, awarded to Everest University-Kendall’s Sadie Fox, a Publix pharmacy technician who overcame great odds to succeed in her career, to the 2011 School of the Year – central Florida’s Full Sail University, a leader in entertainment media training – the awards represented the best of what Florida’s career colleges have to offer.

“Our schools have great talent within their campuses, and this was our opportunity to showcase and applaud some of those successes from the past year,” said Kathy Mizereck, executive director of FAPSC.

Additionally, Full Sail also garnered the Administration & Management Administrator of the Year honors.

Other schools honored included staff members from American Institute in Margate, Anthem College in Orlando, Career Path Training Corp. in Tampa, Concorde Career Institute in Tampa, Everest University-Tampa, Florida Career College in West Palm Beach, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Ultimate Medical Academy in Tampa. Additionally, Associate Member MDT Direct in Fort Lauderdale was recognized.

For a complete list of winners, go to: http://fapsc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=178

# # #

63 About FAPSC The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) works on behalf of all Florida’s degree granting and non-degree granting career schools and colleges. Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare more than 379,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wanda Minick (850) 577-3139 [email protected]

‘Hottest Jobs’ tuition awards make higher education possible for students across Florida Scholarships, totaling over $215,000, awarded to 38 high school seniors, G.E.D. recipients to pursue career education

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Sept. 6, 2011 – The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC), in partnership with member schools and colleges throughout the state, awarded over 215,000 in scholarships for 38 students in Florida.

From diploma programs to bachelor’s degrees in areas ranging from culinary arts to film production and healthcare, Florida’s leading private career schools and colleges provided a full-range of awards through the annual ‘Hottest Jobs’ scholarship program, from a minimum of $1,000 up to full tuition.

“We were pleased to be able to provide this assistance to students across the state,’’ Wanda Minick, FAPSC deputy director, said.

She additionally thanked the schools for their continued support of the program. “The unwavering support for this program and its mission to help students train for careers has been very beneficial for both the schools and the well-deserving applicants – it’s very rewarding and a win-win for all involved,” she said.

Now in its second decade, the FAPSC “ Hottest Jobs” Scholarship Program annually provides an option for high school seniors and G.E.D. recipients to submit applications, essays and transcripts in the spring. Since its inception, more than $6 million in scholarships have been awarded.

For a full list of the 2011 winners please go to: www.FAPSC.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wanda Minick (850) 577-3139 [email protected]

Scholarship Program from Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges Seeks Scholarship Applicants for 2012

Majority of funds available left untapped, online option makes applications easier for Florida high school graduates and G.E.D. recipients to apply

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Nov. 7, 2011 – The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) has begun seeking applicants for more than $1 million in scholarships provided by member schools and colleges throughout the state.

For the third year, more than $1 million is being offered to high school graduates and G.E.D. recipients to further their education through the 2012 scholarship program. Last year, only 8 percent of available scholarships were awarded.

“We are fortunate that our schools and colleges provide these opportunities for students to further their education, however, in recent years, resources were left unused because candidates were not matched with scholarships,” Wanda Minick, FAPSC deputy director, said. “Students who do apply have a good chance of earning scholarships to help with higher education costs. Forty-two percent of applicants received scholarships last year,” she added. Entering its third decade, the program has become a signature program offered by FAPSC member schools.

Ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to full tuition the scholarships can be used for programs ranging from short-term diplomas to four-year college degrees in a variety of programs including healthcare, cosmetology, computer information technology and culinary arts.

The 2012 FAPSC Scholarship Program is now accepting applications. Visit www.FAPSC.org or www.FLCareers.org to fill out an online application, find a list of participating institutions to contact directly, or e-mail us at [email protected]

The deadline for high school seniors and G.E.D. recipients to submit their applications, essays and transcripts is April 6, 2012.

66 educate and prepare over 379,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields. For more information, visit www.FAPSC.org # # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wanda Minick (850) 577-3139 [email protected]

March 11 is deadline for “Hottest Jobs” college scholarships

TALLAHASSEE, FL – March 4, 2011 – Students wishing to qualify for the “Hottest Jobs” Scholarship program must submit their applications, essays and transcript by March 11, 2011.

Scholarships range from $1,000-$5,000 to full tuition and can be used for programs ranging from short-term diplomas to four-year college degrees at participating career colleges in Florida.

“We’re proud to be part of the solution for those who are looking for careers in Florida,” says Wanda Minick, deputy director, Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC). “With more than 400 scholarships available, students can get assistance for training in a wide variety of Florida’s fastest-growing careers from the healthcare industry like surgical technologists and sonographers to computer science as network administrators programmers and technicians,” Minick says.

Visit www.FAPSC.org to download an application, find a list of participating institutions to contact directly, or e-mail us at [email protected].

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wanda Minick (850) 577-3139 [email protected]

Deadline for “Hottest Jobs” college scholarships extended FAPSC extends deadline to allow more students opportunity to further education

TALLAHASSEE, FL – March 14, 2011 – Students wishing to qualify for the “Hottest Jobs” Scholarship program now have until May 15, 2011, to submit their applications, essays and transcript.

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) is offering scholarships in some of today’s “Hottest Job” career fields.

“We decided to extend the scholarship application deadline to give as many students as possible the opportunity of obtaining assistance in furthering their education,” says Wanda Minick, deputy director, FAPSC.

FAPSC, in partnership with member schools and colleges throughout the state, offers scholarships totaling more than $1 million to students seeking to further their education at many of Florida's leading private career schools and colleges.

Scholarships range from $1,000, $5,000 to full tuition and can be used for programs ranging from short-term diplomas to four-year college degrees at participating career colleges in Florida.

“In this tough job market, we’re proud to be part of the solution for those who are looking for careers in Florida,” says Minick. “With more than 400 scholarships available, students can get assistance for training in a wide variety of Florida’s fastest-growing careers from the healthcare industry like surgical technologists and sonographers to computer science as network administrators programmers and technicians.”

Visit www.FAPSC.org to download an application, find a list of participating institutions to contact directly, or e-mail us at [email protected].

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 21, 2011

Contact: Melissa Lichtenheld, FAPSC, (305) 372-1234 Phil Singer, SASC, (202) 670-3041

Student Access Student Choice Coalition Responds to Inaccurate Department of Education Default Rates

Washington, D.C. – The Student Access Student Choice (SASC) Coalition today released the following statement in response to the Department of Education admitting its default rates issued in February, which garnered significant press coverage, were faulty. This comes on the heels of the Government Accountability Office admitting this summer that its previous report on career colleges and universities also contained numerous factual errors ultimately unfairly penalizing career college students' access to post-secondary education.

“It’s troubling that the Administration appears to be making policy decisions and setting Federal rules based on inaccurate information. It appears there may be a pattern of government agencies releasing erroneous data to attack career colleges and universities and then being proven wrong after the fact,” said Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC). “America’s students should not have their access to education jeopardized or denied by substandard and disproven government assessments that don’t relate to quality educational outcomes. The facts prove that student choice is essential to real gainful employment, rebuilding our economy and creating jobs.”

Department Of Education Admits Mistake In Default Rates:

“After calculating the FY 2008 unofficial trial three-year CDRs in February, we discovered an issue that affected our calculation of those rates. Specifically, we inadvertently included loans on which borrowers defaulted after the September 30, 2010 end date. The additional loans were incorrectly included in the numerator of the trial CDR calculation. As a result, in some cases, a school’s trial rate was incorrectly inflated.” (Press Release, “Recalculated FY 2008 Unofficial Trial Three-Year Cohort Default Rates,” Department Of Education, 4/21/11)

“Revised” GAO Report From Summer 2010 Is Currently Under Investigation:

“House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., is making trouble for the Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan government watchdog. Issa has started his own committee’s investigation of GAO’s Forensic Audit and Special Investigations Unit after GAO revised a report issued in the summer outlining alleged fraudulent recruiting practices at for-profit career colleges. The GAO’s revisions raise concerns about the investigative unit, Issa said in a letter to GAO Chief Quality Officer

Timothy Bowling. The for-profit college lobby has accused the GAO of fabricating information and misleading lawmakers in the report. GAO is undertaking its own review of the situation, including potential culpability of team members.” (Fawn Johnson, “Issa Investigates GAO Investigators In Battle Over For-Profit Schools,” National Journal, 1/18/11)

About FAPSC: The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges works on behalf of all Florida’s degree granting and non-degree granting career schools and colleges. Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare more than 379,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Lichtenheld (305) 372-1234 [email protected]

Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) supports 113 Congress members asking U.S. education agency to rein in gainful employment rules

TALLAHASSEE, FL – April 29, 2011 – The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) today released the following statement in support of the 113 bipartisan members of Congress, including Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Ileana Ross-Lehtinen (R-FL), who wrote Wednesday to President Obama asking the U.S. Department of Education withdraw the proposed gainful employment regulation that arbitrarily targets career colleges.

The regulation would hinder student choice and access to career colleges through a complex formula based on student debt and income levels upon graduation.

“The gainful employment regulation set to go into effect in July could have a very negative effect on over 300 of Florida’s licensed career colleges,” Kathy Mizereck, executive director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC), said. “Our career colleges enroll 370,000 students each year and are working with many economically disadvantaged and non-traditional students, trying to support them in their determination to earn a college education. The regulation would punish students and cost our state jobs.”

Mizereck went on to say, “We support equal and fair oversight and look forward to seeing meaningful ideas for positive reform across all institutions of higher education.”

The gainful employment regulation was proposed by the U.S. Department of Education purportedly as a way to control student debt. Simply put, if a pool of graduates in a particular program, such as nursing or information technology, has an average debt load that is high related to the average first-year earnings of the group, the federal government will not make loans available to students in the program. The federal government also could deny loans to students in programs where graduates default on their loans at a high rate.

About FAPSC: The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) works on behalf of all of Florida’s degree granting and non-degree granting career schools and colleges. Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare more than 370,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields.

# # # 72

LEGISLATIVE PACKET

Summary 2011

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Career Colleges: Hard at Work for Florida Schools of choice for more than 370,000 students seeking to improve their lives

Preparing Floridians for New Careers The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) works on behalf of more than 900 career schools and colleges. Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare more than 370,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields. Degree-Granting Institutions • Estimated enrollment: 302,500 • 369 degree-granting institutions • 325 (90%) schools are accredited Non-degree Granting Institutions • Estimated enrollment: 77,200 • 552 non-degree granting institutions • 142 (23%) schools are accredited To learn more about career colleges and programs, write to Kathy Mizereck, executive director, at [email protected]. You may also visit the FAPSC website at www.fapsc.org.

areer colleges are hard at work for Colleges (FAPSC). “We are the taxpaying Meets workforce needs: For Florida, educating students for jobs schools. Our association works on behalf employers, the schools annually Cin many of the state’s top-growing of the 900 schools licensed by the state graduate more than 100,000 skilled, occupations. that provide an array of career training job-ready students for careers as wide Even in today’s challenging economy, and advanced education. You can find our ranging as court reporters, radiology they are held accountable by accreditors graduates in many of Florida’s workforce technicians, computer animators and and regulators to find students jobs growth occupations.” sea captains. Among higher education with placement rates ranging from 60% Career colleges provide significant providers, career colleges are the source to 80%. In the healthcare field alone, economic benefits for students, of the largest share of graduates for these Florida schools are producing 60% employers and the state jobs in Florida’s most in-demand sectors, of the state’s credentialed workforce. Pays off for graduates: Education including information technology, Career colleges help Floridians achieve and training lead to better-paying jobs legal assistance, transportation and their dreams, from world-class chefs to that add up to substantially higher allied health sciences, according to the law enforcement officers, from business earnings over a lifetime. For many National Center for Education Statistics. managers to nurses. graduates from lower income households, Delivers economic benefits: Career “Career colleges are Florida’s higher a certificate or degree will boost annual colleges offer choices for students who education business partners,” says Kathy incomes by an average of $8,000, then become a significant portion of Mizereck, executive director of the Florida according to a recent study by the Florida’s workforce. The annual bottom-

Association of Postsecondary Schools and Parthenon Group. line value for the state is significant, says Thinkstock Photographs:

FL Trend mailing reprint.indd 1 5/4/11 5:41 PM S P O N S O R E D R E P O R T

“Career colleges are Florida’s higher education business partners.” – FAPSC Executive Director Kathy Mizereck

a report by Mangum Economic Consulting, Keeping the focus on students including: Career colleges are collaborating • $765 million resulting from the higher through their membership on the new Putting workforce productivity of employees with Higher Education Coordinating Council advanced education (HECC) to achieve the overall objectives Floridians • $131 million in local, state and federal of employability, productivity and access income taxes paid by Florida’s career schools for all of Florida’s students. to Work • $1.6 billion in savings of the estimated Chief among the policy issues cost for the state university system to advanced by career colleges are Career colleges lead the way educate the 370,000 students annually accountability and transfer of credit. in producing graduates for attending career colleges. Mizereck encourages development of the most in-demand jobs: a higher education report card on key Evolving with the marketplace measurements, such as graduation For more than five decades, Florida and retention rates, using common Health & Allied Health Sciences employers have relied on career colleges definitions and calculations toward better 5.87% as a primary resource for postsecondary 10.66% accountability across all institutions. Also, 9.5% education for the state’s front-line workers. improvement to the system that manages 59.94% Schools offer certificates, diplomas, credit transfers is critical for all students 14.03% associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, at all schools, she says. master’s degrees and doctorates. “Any time a student repeats a course “Career college programs have adapted at a public institution it costs the student Total Graduates: 70,373 over the years — evolving along with and the taxpayer,” Mizereck says. Florida’s economy, collaborating with The end goal is for students to be Computer Science & IT employers to include real-world applied able to choose the programs they want, 7.03% learning in our curriculum, and expanding graduate in a timely manner and get to 15% 2.46% programs to offer the most choice possible work for Florida. to meet students’ goals,” says Wayne A. “In the new decade and in the face of 66.87% Slater, president of the FAPSC board of a changing economy, the leadership of directors. Florida is focused on getting Floridians 8.63% The student population at these schools is back to work. Higher education plays a Total Graduates: 9,382 diverse — with 51% ethnic minorities. The critical role in achieving those goals, and average age is 27. Many are working moms our schools are ready to work with the and dads who need flexibility as they go to state and other institutions to get there,” Business/Management (MA/MS-PhD) school to upgrade and refine on-the-job she says. skills. 30.91% 33.29%

35.81% Funding Total Graduates: 10,490 HOW CAREER COLLEGES Where State Financial Aid Goes ARE FUNDED (08-09) Legal Court Reporter, Paralegal Schools: - Receive no direct 11.04% 18.01% taxpayer subsidies 60% - Pay more than 55% 44.36% $131 million annually 50% 24% in local, state and federal taxes 40% 2.59% Students: 30% - Pay the full cost of their Total Graduates: 1,621 22% 20% education 20% - Many participate in federal Career Colleges & Schools ﬁnancial aid programs 10% State Colleges - Receive $20.4 million – 3% or just 3 percent – of the state 0% Technical Centers State ICUF State Career State University System ﬁnancial aid budget University Colleges Schools and System Colleges Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida

FL Trend mailing reprint.indd 2 5/4/11 5:41 PM

MEDIA TRAINING

Summary 2011

Media / Speaker Training April 28, 2011 Rasmussen College Tampa, Florida

TEAMWORK: Otis Wragg leads the training session attended by Kristy Croom of Rasmussen College, Eva Hutson of Heritage Institute and FAPSC Deputy Director Wanda Minick.