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Kaplan University is in trouble. With Congress and the Obama administration continuing their scrutiny of for-profit education, Kaplan now faces internal changes, from its own parent company. According to an article by Tamar Lewin in the New York Times:
But the bad publicity, and growing scrutiny, have taken their toll. Since its recent high last spring, Washington Post Company stock has dropped by more than a quarter. Other for-profit education companies, including Corinthian Colleges, in which the Post owns an 8 percent stake, fell even further.
Earlier this fall Post Company Chairman Donald Graham announced a new plan under which people can drop out of Kaplan for several weeks after classes begin without paying tuition.
Graham is involved in a heavy lobbying campaign to try and prevent the federal government from cutting for-profit schools off of federal funds.
Kaplan derives more than 90 percent of its revenue from the federal government.
Florida is currently investigating several for-profit schools, including Kaplan, for deceptive financial aid practices and misleading statements by recruiters. Former students and employees have also sued the school, arguing that the school was deceptive and engaged in legally questionable activities.
As former Kaplan admissions officer William Wratten said:
[Abusive practices] are not outliers; they are in the middle of the field, the middle of the bell curve. Maybe not the exact same activities, but the mind-set was the same: Do whatever it takes to get the sale, to keep your job.
The Washington Post did not cover this issue.
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Tracy Fabro on July 25, 2011 7:41 PM:
Kaplan University took all the federal loan money that I applied for and then could not find a second clinical site to assign me to after assigning me to a questionable site with unprofessional staff. When I had a problem I was dropped by Kaplan, they wouldn't even talk with me for days! I was a straight A student and had completed all classes with honors. Now I have a loan to pay back that Kaplan took and no diploma to show for it! Kaplan does not have enough clinical sites under contract for students but fails to tell students or the federal government. Kaplan will not help their students they just take the governments money and ship you a lot of books. It's sad, I was a 4.0 student with Dean's and President's honors. I should not be responsible for this theft, Kaplan should.
None on August 05, 2011 10:09 AM:
I am almost in the same spot, among many other students right now. Not so much that they are kicking us out of Kaplan, but not giving us clinical sites. I am 3 classes shy of graduation if I had completed my site hours this term, but instead I am receiving an incomplete and have to wait until they can find me a site. Why do they have us fill out an application with 20 possible sites if they do not even try to get contracted with these facilities?! I am filing a complaint today with the school, possibly with who accredits them as well.