[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Student Loans

  Madam President, it is that time of year again when students come 
back from their summer vacations to go to school. This year, some 
students are breathing easier. They were the victims of a for-profit 
university--so-called university--Ashford University.
  I have come to the floor so many times to state the obvious: These 
for-profit universities are generally a terrific waste of taxpayers' 
dollars and students' time.
  There are going to be two questions on the final, and the answers I 
am going to give you ahead of time are: 8 and 30. And the first 
question is: What percentage of high school kids go to for-profit 
universities? Eight percent. That is one of the questions.
  The second is: What percentage of student loan defaults involves 
students who went to for-profit colleges and universities? The answer 
is 30 percent. Eight percent of the students, 30 percent of the 
defaults. Why? Because they overcharge these students; they lie to 
them; pile them up with debt and turn them loose.
  Now, there comes a point when the students, burdened with debt, 
petition the government and say: We were defrauded and deceived. In 
Ashford University's case, that is exactly what happened.
  Last week, the Department of Education announced it is canceling $72 
million in student loan debt for more than 2,300 victims of Ashford 
University.
  Ashford is a prime example of the pervasive rot and abuse that exists 
in the for-profit college industry. An industry that enrolls 8 percent 
of the students, with 30 percent of the defaults tells the story. In 
investigating it, the Department of Education found that Ashford just 
lied to students about the cost of attendance by promising they 
wouldn't have any out-of-pocket costs when they graduate. Not only was 
this a lie, but many students reached their lifetime loan limits 
attending Ashford. And some students were forced to drop out, leaving 
them with debt and no degree.
  Ashford consistently misrepresented the ability to transfer credits 
from their worthless university to any other school. They misled 
students about accreditation and licensure status and lied about the 
length of its bachelor's degree program. It was all a disaster from 
start to finish for these kids fresh out of high school who thought 
they were going to college--a real college.
  Now listen to this. Ashford isn't disappearing. This is great. 
Despite Ashford's record of deceitful behavior, the University of 
Arizona acquired it in 2020, renamed it as the University of Arizona's 
Global Campus. But even with its shiny new name, this Global Campus was 
still the same predatory, low-life Ashford that focused on student 
recruitment and enrollment over students' success and outcome. In fact, 
Ashford brought over the same key staffers who perpetrated their deceit 
on these students for so many years.
  I urge the Department to do its job: discharge the student loans and 
recoup the funds from Ashford. For-profit colleges have been taking 
advantage of vulnerable students for far too long. It is time that 
these fraudulent institutions, not the taxpayers, be financially on the 
hook.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the vote begin.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.