Protect Students and Taxpayers – Support Gainful Employment
Rules
OPPOSE Kline-Foxx-McCarthy-Hastings Amendment to H.R. 1
February 15, 2011
Dear Representative:
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a diverse coalition of more than 200 national organizations working to protect and promote the rights of all persons in the United States, we urge you to oppose the amendment to H.R. 1 that would limit the Department of Education’s ability to issue or enforce regulations regarding “gainful employment.”
The Leadership Conference strongly supports Secretary Arne Duncan’s proposed and published regulations under the Higher Education Act regarding “gainful employment.” (See attached letter.) These regulations contain critical protections for students as well as taxpayers and were published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 43616 et seq.) and on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed Reg. 66832 et seq.). The Kline-Foxx-McCarthy-Hastings amendment would effectively nullify this provision of the law and thwart the Secretary’s much-needed efforts to enforce it.
These regulations are particularly important for: (1) students of color, who represent about half of the undergraduate students in for-profit programs; (2) low-income students, who make up 6 in 10 for-profit college students; (3) women, who comprise nearly two-thirds of for-profit college undergraduates; and (4) armed-service members and veterans, a growing target student body for many of for-profit colleges since the passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
Thank you for your consideration of our views. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Dianne Piché at Piche@civilrights.org or at 202-841-7622.
Sincerely,
Wade Henderson Nancy Zirkin
President & CEO Executive Vice President