Question the College Con

Choosing the right college can be a very long and strenuous process. Between filling out applications and weighing out the tuition expenses, credit transfers and the proximity factors, there’s a lot to deal with.
 
How do you know which school is the right choice? Will you even fit in at your selected college? Is the tuition affordable? Is the cost of attendance actually worth it? There are certainly a lot of things to consider before you even step foot on campus.

Students have many decisions to make to say the least, and can often feel like they are in way over their heads. Well… unfortunately I have some bad news… all of this is about to get a lot worse thanks to the work of some colleges.

It was once believed that if you actually took time out to visit the college, and talk to different students and representatives it would give you a good sense of what you’re getting yourself into.

However times have changed, and what’s been discovered is that some of the most persistent for-profit colleges have ampted up their tactics to eradicate the indecisiveness of their prospective students, and to increase the class size of their student body.

Deceptive, swayed and down right misleading data is targeted at potential students upon their slightest recorded interest in the school. Constant phone calls, and emails, and letters meant to be “informative” bombard the curious college attendee and border on the side of harassment.

As mentioned in Rose Garrett’s article “Fraudulent Tactics Lure Students to For-Profit Colleges,”  as well as pointed out in a government survey it’s the accreditation, tuition cost, and applicant’s earning potential that seem to be the areas of the most blatant misleading and false data that for-profit colleges have employed.

What’s even more frightening is the loan repayment plan that goes into effect after your graduation. So… you’ve just graduated, and then realize you have to pay back your hefty student loans, particularly high since you went to a “highly-accredited” and “recognized university”.

The problem is your flat broke and haven’t found a job that the all too “famous and accredited university” guaranteed you’d have by now. How are you ever going to pay back these loans if you are jobless, and making no where near the salary that your university promised you’d make?

The Obama administration has proposed a cut off of financial aid to some of these programs that weigh in heavily on expense but aren’t likely to follow through on the job market’s potential earning power as once nearly guaranteed.
There’s a valuable lesson to be taken away from all of this. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is…If you’re certain some of the figures and promised quirks that come along with your degree seem a little off, always question it.

Speak to alumni not associated with promoting the college. Figure out facts about your school of interest from various sources, and notice when your prospective school’s recruitment team has become a bit burdensome and intrusive.

These may all too well be serious warning signs and indicators that there is a potential problem. The institution of higher learning may be all too interested in what’s in your pockets rather than the quality of your education.
Melissa Lyons

2 years ago  /  14 notes