Bill in Arizona Would Give Millions in Tax Breaks to For-Profit Colleges

March 14, 2011, 2:48 pm

Even as they struggle to close a major budget gap, Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill that could give millions of dollars in tax breaks to the parent companies of the University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University, and to other companies, The Arizona Republic reports. Phoenix’s parent company, the Apollo Group, has been a major contributor to political campaigns of state legislators and, along with other businesses, has lobbied for the bill.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

E-mail

scrisp

What a ridiculous idea!! We should be working to get rid of these institutions not making it easier for them. There prices are ridiculous and the education they provide in most cases is sub-par to what students could receive at a state funded school. I would also argue that these institutions should be eligible for fedreal financial aid but I guess that is another topic for another day.
11272784

There is as pure an example of political groveling and payback as I’ve seen in years.
http://twitter.com/Neynaber Stephen Neynaber

While some of the for-profit so-called colleges are offering excellent accelerated learning and formidable degrees, many more are diluting curricula and making a mockery of the college diploma! Our world of political correctness has evolved into an entitlement mentality that translates into getting by with the least amount of effort. In an entitlement paradigm, college can no longer be considered a privilege, but has instead become a right…for students who cannot read and critically think. Unfortunately, many for-profit “diploma mills” that are more accurately defined as vocational preparation centers lead students to believe they are able avoid accountability for their incompetence, and/or rebellion, and/or laziness in their first 12 years of schooling. We might spend our time more wisely by applying the “board of education” to the accrediting agency officials who dare to approve the watered down curricula of these pseudo-colleges as diploma qualified. For-Profits and non-profits are not equal in the tax code, nor should they ever be!
swish

Oh, America. When corporations defraud people, we reward them. And when a terrible shooting occurs, it prompts legislation to ensure that people may carry concealed weapons in public places, on school campuses, and in private businesses like bars, for heaven’s sake. Comical.
iduhpres

The taxpayers of the US already pay for their profit with Pell Grants and Stafford Loans. Without these taxpayer supported monies they’d all be out of business. When is enough enough? They have a terrible record of graduating students. Their graduates cannot get the jobs they were promised. They use deceptive practices to lure students. And these are both for-profit and not tof profit. The whole system is screwed up whether they work on a cash accrual accounting system (for-profits) or fund accounting (not for profits). I guess since not for profits get tax breaks and screw over students the for-profits have a right to screw over students and the public plus get tax breaks. Or maybe none of them deserve the tax breaks.
cwinton

Arizona seems to specialize in things that are non-sensical. At least this explains why. Their elected politicians are for sale to the highest bidder.
willynilly

Just more concrete evidence of how very stupid legislators are, and how misguided their reasoning is as it pertains to these educational scams called “For-Profit Colleges”.
11274135

Yep, our zany Zonie legislators never met a corporate tax break they didn’t like. It is hard to live in this beautiful state while it is being run by the mean spirited, ethically arid, and stony hearted people in our legislature. Big tax breaks for U of P, 20% cuts in support for ASU, U of A, and NAU (that’s on top of a 20% cut last year).
ssaulvolk

Oh for God’s sake. How much more do people have to hear to realize that this is not about “balancing budgets,” but about rewarding friends and punishing those who disagree with you?
iris411

Thanks these cases can come in handy next time when US blame China, Africa or Mid-East government for wide-spread corruption.
In US we do NOT have corruption, instead, we legalize and protect them!
nampman

The same state that cut Medicaid coverage of transplants resulting in at least 2 deaths so far. Political patronage is worth more to them than human life.
missoularedhead

This enrages me, but not because it’s about for-profits. It’s about what they are doing, at the same time, to the schools IN ARIZONA. I teach at a CC here, and we are slated to lose 78% of our state funding next year. Apollo & UOP are getting tax breaks, and we had to let people go? I really don’t get it.