Carper Statement on Education Corp. of America Closures

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Education Corp. of America will close its more than 70 for-profit college campuses across the country.

“Here we go again. First it was Corinthian Colleges. Then it was ITT Tech. Now, we learn that Education Corp. of America (ECA), which operates more than 70 for-profit college campuses across the country, will be abruptly closing its doors. These closures will leave more than 4,000 student veterans in the lurch. Once again, too many taxpayer dollars have been wasted, and too many veterans have been robbed of their time and hard-earned GI Bill benefits. Enough is enough.

“These student veterans have fought hard to protect our country, and now we have an obligation to fight hard for them and protect them when their schools collapse through no fault of their own. In the days to come, the Department of Veterans Affairs must work closely with the Department of Education to ensure that ECA student veterans have the resources and guidance they need to continue their studies at high-quality institutions of higher learning, including community colleges.

“Congress also has work to do. The Forever G.I. Bill, which Congress passed last year, took important steps forward to protect student veterans affected by school closures, but the legislation does not provide the same breadth of protections that are available to federal student loan borrowers. And, if we’re serious about preventing future school closures and protecting student veterans and taxpayer dollars, Congress must close the 90/10 loophole once and for all.”