Education Documentary
Please watch the following documentary about for-profit Universities. If the link does not work then google “college inc Frontline”. Now answer the following questions:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/collegeinc/ (Links to an external site.)
Watch closely the montage of commercials at the beginning of the video segment. Describe the images you see and audio messages you hear. What messages do for-profit colleges want you to get from these promotional clips? What types of people are most likely to respond to these commercials?
For-profit colleges spend 20 to 25 percent of their total revenue on getting people to come to the college and only about 10 to 20 percent on instruction once the student is there. How would you allocate funds if you run a for-profit college?
How do federal grants and loans benefit both students and for-profit schools? Why do many graduates find it difficult to repay student loans? Do you feel the for-profit schools that arrange for these loans are partly responsible for the problem? Explain.
For-profit colleges have been criticized for their high-pressure recruitment and enrollment practices. What do you think about them? How do for-profit institutions answer these criticisms?
Consider the case of Anne Cobb. At 35, Anne made less than $7,000 a year but was able to apply for a student loan. She graduated with more than $30,000 in debt and has struggled to pay back her loans. What do you think about Annes situation? Do you think students at other higher-education institutions face similar problems? Explain your answers.
Is there a significant difference between for-profit colleges and public universities?
