Michigan: stimulus funds pledged to community colleges go to for-profit institutions

[Hannah Bell]

In Michigan, where the official unemployment rate of 13.2 percent ranks second in the nation, enrollment in community colleges has reached the record level of 254,042 according to the Michigan Community College Network. At Oakland Community College in southeast Michigan the population count stands at a high of 75,000.

This increase has resulted in another first: Michigan community colleges are closing their doors to qualified applicants. During the last academic year, several community colleges were forced to turn away students. Wayne County Community College, which serves the economically depressed area of Detroit where the unemployment rate approaches 50 percent, has already announced that it cannot accept any more applicants for the upcoming fall semester.

From August 2007 through March 2010, of the $104.8 million in federal stimulus dollars received for retraining in the Metro Detroit area (these figures exclude Detroit proper, and include Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, and Monroe counties), $49.6 million went to proprietary (for-profit) schools, $31.3 million was sent to community colleges, and $16.3 million went to private colleges and universities (Detroit News, July 1, 2010).

The World Socialist Web Site interviewed Dr. David N. Nixon, president of Monroe County Community College in Michigan. We asked him why most of the federal stimulus money was going to for-profit institutions and what the consequences were for community colleges and their students. Speaking of the for-profit institutions, Dr. Nixon said, “Their lobbyists are more powerful due to the money they’re paid by the for-profit institutions. The Michigan Community College Association doesn’t have any money for lobbying, but they beg $1,000 from each Board of Trustees. Some of the boards don’t have the money either...Dr. Nixon added that shortly afterwards he asked Democratic Representative David Bonier why for-profit institutions were receiving federal stimulus funds, and Bonier told him, “for-profits are as eligible as public schools.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/aug2010/comm-a12.shtml

[jtuck004]

1. In Spokane they are turning students away as well, yet in Boston

they opened up classes till 3 a.m. more here...

But from the article above, I can't decide which is worse. The fact that "their lobbyists are more powerful" or a system in which for-profit schools are considered "as eligible as public schools". That our elected representatives can't tell the difference, or don't understand that by depriving the state institution they drive people to a likely more expensive solution, says a lot about what we have become as a people.

[Hannah Bell]

2. no, for-profit always *saves* money, doncha know?

the fact is, they're channeling gov't funds to institutionalize these private entities & destroy their public competition.

[midnight]

3. Mr. Chin, who took the midnight class because other writing classes were full, wants to become a

surgical nurse. I'm very impressed that this father is going to keep striving to do better. I wish our education system was more accessible for everyone at a public school level. There is no excuse for this disparity.