01.30.14

Durbin Applauds Effort to Better Track Military and Veterans Education Benefits

New online complaint system will help protect veterans and servicemembers from for-profit colleges that mislead students or use predatory tactics

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced the launch of a new online complaint system designed to collect feedback from veterans, service members and their families who are experiencing problems with educational institutions that receive funding from federal military and veterans educational benefits programs.

 

“For years, for-profit colleges have been aggressively recruiting veterans, servicemembers and their families in order to access millions in virtually unregulated taxpayer funding,” said Durbin.  “Instead of leaving with a quality education, all too often for-profit colleges leave students with worthless degrees and a mountain of debt.  I encourage veterans, servicemembers and families that have experienced any problems with for-profit colleges to take full advantage of this new online complaint system.”

 

Following a June 12, 2013 hearing he chaired in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Durbin called on the Defense Department to strengthen oversight of federal funds and increasing the quality of education within the department’s voluntary military education programs (Tuition Assistance for servicemembers and MyCAA for their spouses). In November, he introduced legislation with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) to eliminate the loophole that allows for-profit colleges to receive more than 90% of their revenue from the federal government.