[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 71 (Monday, May 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FOR-PROFIT EDUCATION COMPANIES

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, during my floor speech last Thursday on 
for-profit education, I neglected to insert a letter into the Record. I 
ask unanimous consent that the following letter from Apollo Education 
Group be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              Apollo Group, Inc. Statement for the Record

       Apollo Group, Inc. respectfully submits this response to 
     the statement delivered today by Senator Tom Harkin on the 
     issue of military educational benefits.
       During this statement, Senator Harkin cited a complaint 
     submitted by a student at the University of Phoenix in April 
     2009. As part of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor and Pension's investigation into for-profit 
     higher education, Apollo Group voluntarily produced this 
     complaint and the documents relating to its resolution, along 
     with tens of thousands of pages of additional documents on a 
     wide range of subjects. Apollo Group remains committed to 
     cooperating with the Committee's investigation.
       University of Phoenix is the largest private university in 
     North America, serving a current population of over 400,000 
     students. As with any institution of higher learning, the 
     University receives complaints from its students. It takes 
     those complaints very seriously and works hard to investigate 
     and address students' concerns in a timely, efficient, and 
     appropriate manner. The University's Office of Dispute 
     Resolution administers an industry-leading dispute resolution 
     process to investigate and resolve complaints like the one 
     referenced by Senator Harkin.
       Notwithstanding the charges cited by Senator Harkin, it is 
     important to consider the facts of this particular complaint 
     and how it was investigated and resolved by the Office of 
     Dispute Resolution. Specifically, the documents reveal that 
     this student was dissatisfied because he or she did not 
     receive a degree one year after enrollment. After diligent 
     inquiry, the Office determined that the student's grievance 
     stemmed from the University's denial of the student's request 
     to waive certain curriculum requirements based on credits 
     received from another institution fourteen (14) years 
     earlier. That denial was based on a determination that those 
     prior credits were outdated and not equivalent to the credits 
     required as part of the applicable curriculum at the 
     University. The Office did not find any evidence that the 
     student had been promised that he or she would complete the 
     degree program within one year, as the student alleged. 
     Further investigation has determined that the student did 
     complete the degree program at the University, based on 
     educational coursework that met current academic standards, 
     and received a degree within a year after filing the 
     complaint and within two years of entering University of 
     Phoenix.
       Senator Harkin pointed out that the student who filed this 
     complaint is a veteran who attended University of Phoenix on 
     the GI Bill. The University is committed to serving the needs 
     of its military and veteran students and believes that it 
     provides an accessible and flexible option for this segment 
     of its student population. The University has long served 
     military students, resulting in its recognition as a military 
     friendly school by GI Jobs, civilianjobs.com, and, most 
     recently, Military Advanced Education in their Third Annual 
     Guide to America's Top Military-Friendly Colleges and 
     Universities.
       University of Phoenix's service of military students is 
     driven by its mission to provide access to higher education 
     for historically underserved populations. The University 
     takes this mission extremely seriously and strives 
     continually to improve the experience and opportunities for 
     the many thousands of students who have put their trust in 
     it. The University's industry-leading dispute resolution 
     process is a critical component of its efforts in this regard 
     and demonstrates the University's commitment to the needs and 
     concerns of its student body.

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