College Inc., a powerful special documentary aired last night on PBS's Frontline, covers the hot topics in higher education and is just too compelling to miss: for-profit schools like Phoenix University and DeVry, how on-line is impacting higher ed, the challenges for-profits are creating for community colleges, why investors like Jack Welch are involved, questions as to efficacy for the students, how this affects government loans. . . . it's here in a comprehensive package via correspondent Michael Smith. It's a fascinating, must-watch program:
The full program below is 55 minutes yet do check out the website which includes some eye-opening interviews."Even in lean times, the $400 billion business of higher education is booming. Nowhere is this more true than in one of the fastest-growing -- and most controversial -- sectors of the industry: for-profit colleges and universities that cater to non-traditional students, often confer degrees over the Internet, and, along the way, successfully capture billions of federal financial aid dollars.
In College, Inc., correspondent Martin Smith investigates the promise and explosive growth of the for-profit higher education industry. Through interviews with school executives, government officials, admissions counselors, former students and industry observers, this film explores the tension between the industry --which says it's helping an underserved student population obtain a quality education and marketable job skills -- and critics who charge the for-profits with churning out worthless degrees that leave students with a mountain of debt. . . "
The Daily Riff will publish our riff on this in the coming days . . . In the meantime, do check it out ---
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