College, Inc. (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Thank you student loans for helping me get through college. I don't think I can ever repay you.

They should do a doc next on the millions of Americans who got worthless degrees from "reputable" universities and are now in massive debt. Our entire higher education system is a scam.

I hold a PhD in mathematics from a traditional research university; I taught at Devry University for a few years, but quit after witnessing their high pressures recruitment of students who clearly lacked the basic skills that are required to be successful as students. Essentially, the only entrance requirement is a pulse ...

He really asked "What makes education so special?" That right there said it all.

As someone that worked for one of the four federal student loan servicers, I really hope this goes into detail about the complete back scratching between the schools and the Govt. Its a complete sham

I remember when this first aired on PBS. My heart goes out to those students who got stuck in mountains of debt and hope they eventually found fulfilling careers.

I remember this came out when I entered community college. Everest College and University of Phoenix were aggressively trying to recruit students through cold calls and the classifieds. I am so grateful that I only had interest in attending public local colleges. This was the way to graduate without debt. Now, 20+ years later, students can earn a degree online from a reputable public college.

I am a child of Asian immigrants who made it to the middle class. Because I’m not “poor” I didn’t get any financial aid but qualified for loans. I went to a public college for four years and have now acquired $100k of student debt. The first job I could get out of college only paid me $36k a year and my student loan payments were $1100 a month. Companies these days don’t want to hire anybody without a degree but still want to pay you like you didn’t earn one. That’s what’s messed up… it’s all messed up.

This happened to my mother. She went back to school to get her Real Estate license, graduated, and even got hired on to a job with a reputable Real Estate Agency, but during the hiring process, they found that the school she attended wasn't accredited, and rescinded the offer. She had already had her picture published in the paper as an up and coming Agent and all. Poor woman.

My son is 14, straight-A student, noted that he is surrounded by adults who spent many tens of thousands of dollars for degrees we don’t use, and asked me how I felt about his going to community college. I told him I support him 100%. There’s no guarantee that fancy degree will land you a fancy job; maybe a 50/50 shot, at best. It doesn’t matter what the degree is in, either, before the “just be smart picking your major 🙃” crowd shows up. If someone’s taking out the equivalent of a mortgage in debt, the odds of it working out had better be north of 95%, and they just aren’t. Get a two-year degree and see what jobs you can land. That’s the best advice. 👍

I work with LA County Sheriff’s deputies. They now have to have a bachelor’s degree in order to be promoted to sergeant. Some of them enroll in on-line university programs and their spouses do the coursework and take the exams.

This video needs to be sent to all high school counselors so they can warn all their students about these for profit colleges.

Worked at a for profit tech school as an IT personnel, I can honestly tell you that even teachers and faculty all jokingly called it "Grade 13". Not somewhere Id drop my money and expect employers to take me seriously.

How can a 17-18 year old kid find a loan for school, but can’t find a personal or business loan? 🤔

31:22 - 31:39 My jaw dropped listening to this. He doesn't seem to realize just how evil it is to manipulate the most vulnerable and desperate people in society into pursuing expensive endeavors that they don't need. People who are recovering from addiction, ex-gang members, prostitutes, etc. need to get a trade (mechanic, EMT, construction, etc.) so that they can get a job immediately to take care of themselves.

This is so sad. I have a niece who went to Heald finished and graduated with thousands of dollars in loans. She didn’t get a decent job and had to go to junior college. Those loans from heals has effected her financial aid. That education was worthless, it couldn’t be transferred to the local junior college. Don’t go to these schools. Just attend your local junior or state college. My niece has since graduated junior college and transferred to a state college. But heald had her take out so much in student loans it’s effecting her Financial aid at the state college. It’s really sad something needs to be done.

As someone who has attended a for profit college, an ROP/CTE program through an adult school, and traditional public schools/community college, I can tell you that the public school is much better quality. I felt like people in charge of my program at the for-profit didn’t know what they were doing running a program and it showed that they only knew how to run a business. It showed. The turnover of instructors was ridiculous. In the public schools I saw that they were held to a standard and would face significant consequences for not meeting expectations for the state.

Make no mistake about it, Clifford’s “passion” isn’t education, it’s making money and it sounds like it’s coming from us, the taxpayers.

The interviewer asking the right questions is excellent

My community college cost $1000 tuition for my associates degree. You can get into welding, construction, water treatment, mechanics, nursing and biotechnology at a California community college. Today tuition is around $4000.