Data released by the Department of Education today show that while the official loan-default rate for students of for-profit colleges who entered repayment in 2008 was 11.6 percent, the rate would be more than double that, or 25 percent, under a stricter measurement standard that begins to take effect next year.
About one-quarter of students who took out federal loans to attend for-profit colleges defaulted within three years of starting repayment, according to a new federal analysis.
Newly-released internal training documents from several for-profit colleges illustrate a culture that encourages recruiters to increase enrollment by focusing on emotions such as "pain" and "fear" to attract low-income students who are struggling with adverse personal and financial circumstances.