Kentucky House approves bill altering oversight of for-profit education

FRANKFORT — The state House approved a bill Thursday that supporters said should send a message to for-profit schools that the state thinks they need tighter oversight.

House Bill 125 cleared the chamber on a 57-38 vote and was sent to the Senate for its consideration.

The bill would transfer supervision of any private, for-profit postsecondary school offering an associate degree or higher from the State Board for Proprietary Education to the Council on Postsecondary Education.

The bill also changes the membership of the board to oversee for-profit schools from 11 to nine members and limits the for-profit schools to two seats, ending their majority control.

The for-profit education industry has come under scrutiny in the last year by Congress and states following complaints from students who say they went into debt — often using federally guaranteed financial aid — without getting the educations or subsequent job placements the colleges promised.

Attorney General Jack Conway is investigating for-profit schools. Meeks said Conway's office supports his bill.

This story was originally published February 25, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Kentucky House approves bill altering oversight of for-profit education."