Despite the recent spate of stories regarding the for-profit higher education sector's track record for having students disproportionately represented in loan default numbers, American presidential candidate Marco Rubio is pushing for expansion in the sector. Rubio went out of his way to help one for-profit school — Corinthian Colleges — when California state regulators and federal education officials investigated it last year for false advertising, deceptive marketing and misrepresenting job placement rates. USA Today reports that Rubio has been talking up for-profit schools on the campaign trail, advocating a change to accreditation rules that would let more vocational schools and online institutions access federal student aid. The proposal comes as President Obama recently announced his plan to expand Pell Grants by $7.5 billion over two years, which will help pay for tuition at community colleges and four-year universities.
Despite the recent spate of stories regarding the for-profit higher education sector's track record for having students disproportionately represented in loan default numbers, American presidential candidate Marco Rubio is pushing for expansion in the sector. USA Today reports that Rubio has been talking up for-profit schools on the campaign trail, advocating a change to accreditation rules that would let more vocational schools and online institutions access federal student aid. The proposal comes as President Obama recently announced his plan to expand Pell Grants by $7.5 billion over two years, which will help pay for tuition at community colleges and four-year universities.