For-profit “colleges” operate very differently from State sponsored community colleges.

I have often likened the experience of the for-profit education this way:

A low wage earning, single, ethnic female in her mid-twenties walks into an off-brand dealership looking for a car so she can start a new job. She has never driven a car before – it wasnt necessary until now. The sales person shows her a few models, explains how each one might help her achieve her dream of supporting her family with a brand new car. They assure her they will teach her how to drive and easily get a license. She decides on a car. The dealership sales department sends her off to the finance department. The finance department informs the nice woman that while these cars do in fact cost a little more than the brand name car, they can actually get her enough money not only for gas, but also for groceries and rent!

The woman is ecstatic. She’s going to drive a brand new car AND have enough money to support her family while she learns to drive it!

While she understands the concept of a loan and that she will have to pay it back, she doesnt have a full grasp of exactly how much she is borrowing. Nor does she understand if she doesnt pay it back, the bank, the one so generously loaning her the money for the car, will confiscate her tax returns for payment. The bank has the legal right to garnish her wages at her new job up to 30% of her pay if she misses too many payments. (they will say its less, but they refuse to consider things like cable, internet, and cell phone as necessities, so those do not figure into their calculations)

She goes through the process of getting the car.

But the dealership, in order to make a profit, has decided to cut some corners. The driving instructor was working at the local Dollar General a few weeks before. He has no experience teaching anyone anything.

The tires on the car are pull-offs (used).

The dealership wont pay for genuine parts, instead they use old, out of date replacements.

The mechanics were fired from the brand name dealerships for incompetence.

So instead of a brand new, fully operational car, the nice lady receives a ragged, barely street legal car with used tires and a loan thats five times more than the car is worth.

While this is not the experience every for-profit school student, it is for the majority of them.