Kevin Carey: Why Do You Think They Are Called For-Profit Colleges

Dr. Keel English 1301 10 September 2012 Journal-Carey
1. Kevin Carey researches higher education matters for a group called Education Sector. Carey has done many publications for big time newspapers such as The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He was the Indiana State budget director, and currently teaches education policy at Johns Hopkins University.
2. Carey discusses the crunching debt for-profit schools bring to their students and their practically worthless degrees in his article, “Why Do You Think They’re Called for-Profit Colleges”.

Carey starts off by practically taking away the educational integrity of these for-profit “higher” education organizations. He basically describes them as get rich quick sales pitches to investors, with profit mainly relying on student government funding (Carey 217). Carey is relentless on exposing the fraud for-profits carry with them. He says” Without over-sight, the combination of government subsidies and financially unsophisticated consumers guarantees outright fraud” (Carey 217). Also, Carey states that these for-profit colleges offer virtually illegitimate degrees due to low standard.
He says, “there’s no doubt that the worst for-profits are ruthlessly exploiting the commodified college degree” (Carey 220). With these statements Carey presents a very clear opposition against for-profit schools, he is very clear in illustrating his argument against them.
3. Kevin Carey’s purpose in his article is to clearly expose the illegitimacy of for-profit colleges.
4. This article has added to the disliking I have had for for-profit colleges such as University of Phoenix, and DeVry. Personally Carey’s evidence has reinforced my assumptions that these organizations are fraudulent and do not offer decent door-openers for careers.
5. This can be applied to the business world because it is a perfect example of how greed from investing can take away the integrity of things. For-profit higher education should not be a publicly traded entity while they rip off students with illegitimate programs, while only about worrying profits for investors.
1. The main problem with for profit is their ridiculously high prices and debt they cause. A positive aspect of for-profits is the way they deliver their course work to students utilizing technology.
This article illustrates a negative view on for-profit colleges and it does a fine job in supporting its reasoning.
2. Carey focuses on the individual Michael Clifford, as a firsthand example to show how a get rich quick investment “entrepreneurial” attitude can dilute the integrity and benefits of a true college education.
5. In today’s economy a higher education is clearly worth the price, if the student can afford it. There are millions of employees with decades of experience being told to go back to school, and get a degree.
The economy has surpassed the industry standard for experience, replacing it with possession of a degree. I am currently attending a community college, and plan on transferring to a university next year, where I will study Accounting. Everything I am doing in my higher education will benefit me firsthand when I enter the workforce. In my opinion college life is much more accommodating than public high school education. College offers a new level of independence, it provides students with an environment to help nurture self improvement, while preparing them for America’s workforce.