college, inc.

related resources

Students should be aware that websites often present only one side of an issue. Encourage students to think about and question websites as they are reviewing them. Some guiding questions they can use are: What did you learn from this site? What didn’t you learn from this site? Who sponsors this site? What bias might the sponsor have? How current is the site?

Additional Background:

• “College Students Squeezed by Rising Costs, Less Aid”
  This December 2008 PBS NewsHour report looks at the struggle more college students and their families are experiencing to afford college tuition.
• “The Allure of For-profit Universities Grows”
  This NPR story explains that as higher learning becomes increasingly expensive, students are taking a greater hand in where and how they get an education.
• “For-profit Universities Want Some Respect”
  This article from Fast Company magazine looks at the booming for-profit education industry and asks the question, “Can market-driven schools award online diplomas that graduates can be proud of?”
• The Gainful Employment Rule
  “Pushback on Gainful Employment,” April 22, 2010
  This April 2010 article from Inside Higher Education examines the Department of Education’s gainful employment proposal and a study commissioned by the Career College Association that examined the proposal’s potential consequences.

Purchasing the Film:
College, Inc. can be purchased from PBS Educational Media.