U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., Is the senior Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee.
Under the bill, a college could not receive GI Bill tuition and fee payments if it provides a “commission, bonus or other incentive payment” for recruiting a student or arranging financial aid for a student to enroll at the school. The bill is aimed in part at for-profit career schools that pay recruiters based on their success, although the measure would apply to all post-secondary institutions.
“This legislation would improve the ability of GI Bill users to choose the school that best meets their educational needs,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., vice chairman of
the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
The bill, The Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act, gained endorsements from the higher education community, including the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities that represents for-profit institutions.
“This is a bill that APSCU has supported from its inception,” said Steve Gunderson, the association’s executive director.
Also known as H.R. 4057, the bill has support from the University of Phoenix, a major player among for-profit schools. Among other provisions, the bill would “help rein in bad actors across all of higher education,” said Mark Brenner, senior vice president at the Apollo Group, the university’s parent company.
