Lake County Gazette

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin recently called for a Department of Defense investigation into the University of Phoenix after a report revealed the for-profit college had used deceptive practices to recruit former military service members.

The University of Phoenix has been put on probation as a result of the investigation because of its practices involving enrolling service members using their Tuition Assistance (TA) program.

“This is a decisive action by the Department of Defense to protect service members and taxpayers from a company that offers degrees of questionable value," Durbin said. "With below-average graduation rates and a student-loan default rate almost 40 percent higher than the national average, the University of Phoenix is going to have a hard time explaining why students should continue to enroll in this institution,” Durbin said. “I will be calling on the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to review the Defense Department’s findings and take appropriate action against the University of Phoenix to protect Title IV students and veterans using GI Bill benefits.”

Durbin held the first Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in June 2013 about the exploitation of service members. Durbin also has made closing the 90/10 loophole a priority. For-profit colleges such as the University of Phoenix receive more than 90 percent of revenue from the federal government.