Protect Students and Taxpayers – Support Gainful Employment Rules

Recipient: U.S. House of Representatives

OPPOSE Kline-Foxx-McCarthy-Hastings Amendment to H.R. 1

Dear Representative:

On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a diverse coalition of
more than 200 national organizations working to protect and promote the rights of all persons
in the United States, we urge you to oppose the amendment to H.R. 1 that would limit the
Department of Education’s ability to issue or enforce regulations regarding “gainful
employment.”

The Leadership Conference strongly supports Secretary Arne Duncan’s proposed and
published regulations under the Higher Education Act regarding “gainful employment.” (See
attached letter.) These regulations contain critical protections for students as well as taxpayers
and were published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 43616 et seq.) and
on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed Reg. 66832 et seq.). The Kline-Foxx-McCarthy-Hastings
amendment would effectively nullify this provision of the law and thwart the Secretary’s
much-needed efforts to enforce it.

These regulations are particularly important for: (1) students of color, who represent about
half of the undergraduate students in for-profit programs; (2) low-income students, who make
up 6 in 10 for-profit college students; (3) women, who comprise nearly two-thirds of for-
profit college undergraduates; and (4) armed-service members and veterans, a growing target
student body for many of for-profit colleges since the passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Thank you for your consideration of our views. If you have any questions about this letter,
please contact Dianne Piché at [email protected] or at 202-841-7622.

Sincerely,