InvestigateTV+ Weekend: For-profit schools not as promised
(InvestigateTV) — Some for-profit schools promise a faster path to better jobs. But some students say the real cost is years of debt and broken promises.
Plus, when schools don’t provide required support families can be left fighting districts for years.
Ed, Borrow, and Steal
For those seeking better jobs and higher wages, a college degree can be the difference maker. But typical four-year universities aren’t for everyone. So instead students across the country turn to for-profit colleges, taking out federal loans to pay private companies for educations they’re told will give them a leg up.
But our national investigative team discovered many for-profit career colleges, technical schools and certificate programs have sold them a bill of goods – misleading students with false promises about high graduation rates, enviable salaries and enticing corporate ties – charging tens of thousands of dollars for credits or degrees that we’ve learned in some cases are essentially worthless.
Everyone from the FTC to attorneys general has warned about problematic for-profits that won’t deliver. Those who get scammed by unscrupulous schools have the option to ask the feds to forgive their loans - more than a million students already have through a special program - but court battles and red tape have left many in limbo with ballooning debt and bills that don’t stop coming even when the school is long out of business.
We dug through the federal data, looked at advertising for more than 100 for-profits and uncovered stunning cases where students’ lives have been ruined just trying to achieve the American dream.
Senior National Investigative Reporter Joce Sterman talks with a U.S. Senator who’s written his state’s principals directly 12 years in a row – warning against for-profit schools, an attorney who’s taken them on in court, and a former student who has battled homelessness and cancer – all while trying to pay the monthly loan bill for a school that went belly up.
Complaints over special educations services
A free public education is a right in America and for more than 50 years, federal law has required schools to meet the needs of children with disabilities. But in Georgia, state records show complaints about special education services are rising.
Andy Pierrotti introduces us to one father who says his family was retaliated against after fighting for his daughter’s education.
Teens are using AI for friendship
AI chatbots are becoming part of how some teens study, play and even look for emotional support. But mental health experts warn those digital conversations can blur the line between tool and companion.
Kari Beal looks at how chatbots keep users engaged – and what parents can do.
Product recalls surge
Take a look around your home – from your kids’ toys to small appliances to phone charges. A new consumer report finds hundreds of products were recalled last year, with injuries linked to those items nearing 900.
In this Watching Your Wallet, Consumer Investigator Caresse Jackman breaks down what’s driving those numbers and what you can do to stay safe.
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