For-Profit Post-Secondary Schooling

In the education world, there is much debate on relatively recent influx of for-profit post-secondary institutions in American education. Everyone has seen ads for Phoenix University, and you probably know someone is who currently enrolled. In fact, Phoenix, the behemoth of the for-profit sector, currently enrolls more students than all of the Universities of California (e.g., Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, etc.) and the Ivy League schools combined (as cited in the Frontline piece below)! Thus, like it or not, for-profits are becoming pivotal players in our society.

Do these institutions fill a void in post-secondary education that 4-year schools and community colleges cannot cover?  That is, are they providing a much-needed service in our knowledge-based economy and our nation's endeavor of democratic uplift?

Or do these companies prey on people who are ill-equipped to succeed in college and leave them with seemingly insurmountable debt? Does their undying obligation of profit compromise the social benefit they provide? Specifically, do they exploit Pell Grants (tax-payer funded loans for students) for profit?

In my search for answers, I have come across three recent media pieces on this issue (For now, they will have to suffice until the peer-reviewed literature catches up). I think all three are illuminating and stoke the debate.

Frontline
College, Inc.

NPR: All Things Conidered

For-Profit Colleges Encouraged Fraud, Used Deceptive Marketing, GAO Reports

New York Times:
For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds

Through reading, hearing, and watching these pieces, the opponents' skepticism is well-outlined. For now, I tend to agree. To be fair though, we are still collecting facts. To be determined...