Page 2 - aruba-today-20190629

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 29 June 2019

DeVos revokes Obama-era rule policing for-profit colleges

By COLLIN BINKLEY Senate’s Health, Education,
AP Education Writer Labor, and Pensions Com-
The Trump administra- mittee, said the repeal is “a
tion on Friday revoked gift to predatory programs
an Obama-era rule that and for-profit colleges that
aimed to terminate federal want to take unsuspecting
funding to for-profit college students for a ride.”
programs that consistently “If Secretary DeVos had
left graduates with high stu- students’ best interests at
dent debt. heart, she would withdraw
Department officials an- this repeal immediately
nounced that the 2014 and reinstate the common-
gainful employment rule sense and effective con-
will be rescinded effective sumer protections put in
July 1, 2020. The agency’s place by the Obama Ad-
announcement said the ministration,” Murray said in
rule focused too narrowly a statement.
on graduate earnings and The chief of the National
unfairly targeted for-profit Student Legal Defense
colleges. Network said the decision
“The department’s rules proves that DeVos “only
should be designed to sup- cares about protecting for-
port all students and treat n this May 3, 2017, file photo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a school choice profit colleges, no matter
all schools fairly. The previ- event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. how many students they
ous administration’s rule Associated Press swindle.”
did neither,” Education strapped with debt, DeVos cational programs could cess to revoke it. A federal “Scrapping these common
Secretary Betsy DeVos said has promised to publish be cut off from funding judge ruled last September sense regulations will lead
in a statement. “All schools earnings data for all col- if the average debt ratio that the delay was illegal, to students racking up debt
should be clear and trans- lege programs as part of of their graduates stayed but the department never for worthless degrees, while
parent about their out- an update of the depart- above a certain limit for two took steps to enforce the DeVos props up failing and
comes and all students ment’s College Scorecard out of three straight years. rule, citing a dispute with predatory schools with bil-
should have a full range website. DeVos has said it’s It was created under Presi- the Social Security Adminis- lions of dollars from tax-
of information available. a fairer alternative that lets dent Barack Obama amid tration that has left the de- payers,” President Aaron
We’re committed to mak- students decide for them- widespread complaints partment unable to access Ament said. “There is sim-
ing that happen.” selves whether a school of fraud against for-profit earnings data. ply no sound rationale for
Instead of punishing meets their standards. chains including Corinthian Friday’s announcement eliminating these important
schools that leave students Under the rule, certain vo- Colleges and ITT Technical drew quick condemnation protections.”
Institute. Both chains col- from Democrats and bor- But the move was wel-
lapsed under pressure from rower advocates, which comed by the Career Edu-
Obama officials. had lobbied the depart- cation Colleges and Uni-
But before any schools lost ment to revise the rule rath- versities, a lobbying group
funding, DeVos moved to er than remove it entirely. that represents dozens of
delay the rule in 2017 and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., for-profit colleges across
a year later began the pro- the top Democrat on the the U.S.q

Additional U.S. fighter planes

sent to Gulf amid Iran tensions

By ROBERT BURNS and said this is the first time “troubling and escalatory
AP National Security Writer F-22s have deployed to al- indications and warnings”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Near- Udeid, which is a hub for and as a “message to the
ly a dozen Air Force F-22 U.S. air operations in the Iranian regime that any at-
stealth fighters have de- Middle East. F-22s, which tack on United States inter-
ployed to the Persian Gulf carry air-to-air missiles and ests or on those of our allies
state of Qatar, part of a can perform ground-at- will be met with unrelenting
force buildup requested by tack missions as well, had force.”
U.S. Central Command in previously deployed to al- At the request of Gen. Frank
May in response to what it Dhafra air base in the Unit- McKenzie, commander of
called heightened Iranian ed Arab Emirates, where Central Command, addi-
threats against American they were used last year in tional Patriot air-and-missile
forces in the region. support of U.S. and partner defense systems also were
The Air Force arm of U.S. forces in Syria. sent to the Gulf region in
Central Command on Fri- Four B-52 strategic bombers recent weeks. He also is
day said the F-22 Raptors were deployed to al-Udeid receiving additional sur-
arrived this week at al- days after a May 5 White veillance and intelligence-
Udeid air base to “defend House announcement that gathering aircraft to im-
American forces and inter- the USS Abraham Lincoln prove the military’s ability
Located at Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort ests.” It posted to its web- aircraft carrier strike group to monitor potential Iranian
J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 75, Palm Beach site photos of several F-22s also was being rushed to threats against shipping in
For more information call 586-6066 ext.7002 arriving there on Thursday the region in response to the Gulf area.q