Releases and Statements

CECU’s Statement on Technical School Post-9/11 GI Bill Fraud Scheme

9/22/2022

Arlington, VA – On September 16, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced guilty pleas by two men who ran California Technical Academy (CTA) in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits program.

“This is reprehensible behavior by an individual organization that impacts a program designed to support our nation’s service members and their families,” said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. “We condemn these actions and any illegal behavior. However, the actions of CTA should not be considered representative of an entire sector that has provided access and quality education for millions of students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.”

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About Career Education Colleges and Universities
Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) is the national association serving the proprietary higher education sector.

Please direct media inquiries to Jenny Faubert, VP of Communications, at Jenny.Faubert@career.org.

CECU Adds to its Communications Team with AIA, Stacey Abrams Alum

9/12/2022

Career Education Colleges and Universities, the national association representing private postsecondary career schools, has announced a new addition to its communications team.

Lauren Taylor is CECU’s new communications manager, where she will collaborate with CECU’s leadership team to amplify the association’s membership communications and advocacy priorities. She comes to CECU from the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), where she was responsible for informing stakeholders of AIA’s work and policy developments. She previously worked in Stacey Abrams state legislative office in Georgia.

Lauren graduated from Georgia State University with dual degrees in Economics and Political Science and recently obtained her Master of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

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CECU’s Statement on the Termination of ACICS Recognition

8/19/2022

Arlington, VA – Today’s announcement that Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten has terminated the U.S. Department of Education’s recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as a nationally recognized accrediting agency comes as no surprise to those that have been watching ACICS’s petition before the Department.

“This decision will have no impact on 99% of for-profit institutions, and thus should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the for-profit college sector,” said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. “We applaud the Department for extending federal student aid eligibility to ACICS-accredited institutions for 18 months so that those institutions have time to find a new accreditor. Now, the higher education community must work together to prevent students at ACICS-accredited schools from being adversely impacted by today’s decision.”

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Federal Judge Tentatively Rules Schools Can Intervene in Sweet v. Cardona

8/4/2022

Arlington, VA – Today, a federal district court in California held a hearing in Sweet v. Cardona, a long-running suit brought by student loan borrowers against the U.S. Department of Education, to address motions to intervene filed by both for-profit and nonprofit higher education institutions. The schools sought to intervene after the parties announced a proposed settlement that would automatically forgive the loans of students who attended over 150 schools without adjudicating their borrower defense applications under the Department’s own regulations.

"We are pleased that, today, Judge Alsup tentatively ruled that he will allow schools to intervene in Sweet v. Cardona to protect their interests. The parties’ proposed settlement has unfairly impugned the reputations of more than 150 schools, all without the basic procedural fairness to which these schools are entitled under the Department’s own regulations," said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. "We are confident that these schools’ participation in the case will ensure a more just outcome for everyone involved."

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CECU Request Records from Biden Administration onBorrower Defense

8/1/2022

Arlington, VA – CECU has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Department of Education seeking records pertaining to the Department’s decisions in its most recent rulemaking on borrower defense to repayment (BDR), as well as records related to the pending litigation in Sweet v. Cardona. A copy of CECU’s FOIA request is available here.

“Our request will increase transparency and assist CECU members and the general public in submitting informed comments related to borrower defense to repayment,” said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. “Additionally, our FOIA request will ensure the interests of both schools and students are adequately represented in the negotiations of any proposed settlement in Sweet v. Cardona.”

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Biden Administration Releases Proposed 90/10 Rule Impacting Proprietary Schools

7/26/2022

Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Department of Education published the unofficial version of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on 90/10, change in ownership, and Pell Grants for Prison Education Programs.

“The 90/10 rule set by Congress is a misguided policy. Although we fundamentally disagree with this flawed accountability metric, we commend the Department for adopting the consensus-based language agreed upon during the negotiated rulemaking process," said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. "We look forward to working with the Department to implement the rule so that it is fair for both students and institutions.”

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Career Education Schools Move to Intervene in Sweet v. Cardona

7/14/2022

Arlington, VA – Today, career education schools have moved to intervene in Sweet v. Cardona to ensure that their interests and rights, as well as the interests and rights of institutions, students, and taxpayers across the country, are represented and protected.

“The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed settlement would grant debt cancellation relief to hundreds of thousands of borrowers without providing a meaningful process for assessing those borrower defense claims, and without giving all stakeholders a seat at the table to ensure that the outcome is fair and just for students, institutions, and taxpayers,” said CECU’s President and CEO, Dr. Jason Altmire. “In those instances when students allege that they have been defrauded, there should be a careful and thoughtful process in place that addresses those allegations and seeks to fairly resolve any claims. A fair and transparent claims resolution process that involves all stakeholders will establish a helpful precedent for managing future borrower defense claims.”

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