May 27, 2015
By Ashley A. Smith
The U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have in recent years joined with states' attorneys general in cracking down on the for-profit college industry. Now the Federal Trade Commission is the latest agency to call for changes within the industry.
On Tuesday the FTC announced it has charged the Georgia-based online Ashworth College with misrepresenting the training and credentials students could earn there, as well as whether credits from Ashworth would transfer to other institutions.
"When schools promise students they can transfer course credits or get a better job after completing their programs, they'd better be able to back up those claims," said Jessica Rich, director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a news release. "Ashworth College didn't tell the truth when it made those promises to prospective students."
The commission found that some Ashworth degrees and programs "failed to meet the basic educational requirements set by state licensing boards for careers or jobs such as real estate appraisers, home inspectors, elementary school educators, massage practitioners and more. The FTC also alleges the institution claimed that its credits would transfer even though it lacked supporting data that other colleges and universities would accept their credits."
