Keith Hampson’s Higher Education Management Group blog, “And now, we hear from the defense.” (For-Profit Higher Education) brings together some of the arguments for and against for-profit higher education in the USA.
See also his personal post on this topic: For-Profit Higher Ed: Notes By A Sympathetic (But Impatient) Traditionalist
One of the most interesting aspects for me in this discussion are the detailed cost figures provided, especially regarding Federal government financial aid to students across both public and private sectors.
Although not focused specifically on online education, it should be noted that for-profits have a much higher proportion of online than face-to-face students in the USA (see The online higher education market in the USA). My point here is that we need to look at new models of public post-secondary education that provide better value for tax dollars, and although not advocating private for-profit higher education, there are useful lessons to be learned from that sector.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
