Support the Brown Amendment to NDAA to Stop Unscrupulous For-Profit Schools from Harming Veterans

Recipient: U.S. Senate

Dear Senators:

On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations, we urge you to support the amendment introduced by Senators Brown, Warren, Blumenthal, and Durbin to strip Senator Manchin’s “academic advising on Department of Defense (DOD) installations” amendment, which was adopted during the Armed Services Committee consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Manchin amendment is unnecessary, as DOD already sets guidelines for colleges to have adequate access to military installations, especially for academic advising. Also, the Manchin amendment undermines the DOD’s goal of ensuring members of the military are able to perform their duties without being subjected to harassment by aggressive college recruiters, a practice often performed by for-profit institutions.

The civil rights community has become increasingly concerned about the rise of the for-profit educational industry, and adoption of the Manchin amendment would lead to an increase in misleading and aggressive recruiting by for-profit schools on military bases. People of color represent a significant portion of the military, and oftentimes, they are recruited to enroll at for-profit institutions. Research suggests that for-profit institutions are undermining rather than enhancing economic opportunities for African-American and Latino students. Students attending for-profit institutions have comparatively worse performance outcomes than those at public and private non-profit institutions. Data show that students at four-year for-profit institutions are less likely to graduate and more likely to default on their student loans. At the same time, students attending for-profit institutions borrow significantly more money to cover college costs.

Students of color who enter programs of study with virtually-guaranteed poor outcomes are left with crippling debt, few prospects for repayment, and compromised future opportunities. We urge you to help strip the Manchin amendment in order to hold preda­tory colleges responsible for their fraudulent and abusive tactics. If you have any questions, please contact Josh Porter at [email protected], or Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President, at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Wade Henderson
President & CEO

Nancy Zirkin
Executive Vice President