Career Education Colleges and Universities

Career Education Colleges and Universities
Formation1991
TypeTrade association
PurposeRepresenting for-profit colleges
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Membership600+ for-profit colleges[1]
President
Jason Altmire
Websitewww.career.org

Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that represents for-profit colleges.

History

CECU as it is organized today was created in 1991 following a merger of the Association for Independent Colleges and Schools (AICS) and the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (NATTS). The combined association was called the Career College Association (CCA).[2] In 2010, the association changed its name to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU),[3] but today is known as CECU.

During the administration of President Barack Obama, a series of federal investigations and lawsuits were initiated against for-profit education companies. APSCU waged an extensive lobbying campaign[4] and filed a 2012 lawsuit against the United States Department of Education seeking to halt the department's regulations targeting for-profit colleges.[5] Judge Rudolph Contreras struck down the regulations, which he called "arbitrary and capricious".[6] In 2014, the association filed a second lawsuit challenging similar regulations (79 FR 64890),[7] but this time the regulations were implemented.

By 2015, some of APSCU's largest members were under federal and state investigation[8] and several subsequently left the association.[9][10] Some of the largest companies in the sector collapsed under the weight of the regulations, charges of impropriety, and related legal actions.[11] In 2016, APSCU changed its name to Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), a move association leaders said better reflected the evolving membership of the organization.[12]

President Donald Trump and his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos dismantled many of Obama's actions targeting for-profit colleges.[13][14] After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, CECU named former Democratic congressman Jason Altmire as its president.[15]

References

  1. ^ "APSCU Member School Listing". Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  2. ^ "The History of Career Colleges".
  3. ^ Blumenstyk, Goldie (9 June 2010). "Career College Association to Change Its Name". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  4. ^ Bidwell, Allie (14 March 2014). "Protecting Students or Waging War? New Rule Threatens For-Profits". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  5. ^ Dunn, Catherine (2014-11-07). "Two lawsuits set new battle over for-profit college regulations". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  6. ^ Breslow, Jason (2 July 2012). "Judge Blocks Key Provision of "Gainful Employment" Rules". PBS. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  7. ^ Hefling, Kimberly (November 6, 2014). "For-profit colleges aim to fight regulation with new lawsuit". PBS NewsHour.
  8. ^ "For-profit post-secondary sector goes through course correction".
  9. ^ Halperin, David (2015-07-14). "Big for-profit colleges quit trade group". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  10. ^ Fain, Paul (15 July 2015). "For-Profit Group and Big Chains Part Ways". Inside Higher Education. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Another for-profit giant collapses".
  12. ^ Fain, Paul (2016-06-07). "For-Profit College Association Changes Name". Inside Higher Ed. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  13. ^ Swaminathan, Aarthi (2021-02-02). "For-profit colleges brace for Biden". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  14. ^ Green, Erica L. (28 June 2019). "DeVos repeals Obama rule targeting for-profit colleges". The New York Times.
  15. ^ "For-profit colleges brace for Biden administration". Forbes.


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