Schwarzenegger Administration to Protect Students From Predatory Trade School Practices by Voluntary Compliance With Old Law Unt

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Carrie Lopez
Director
California Department of Consumer Affairs

The California Department of Consumer Affairs responds to yesterday's article "Tragic Collapse Of State Oversight Of For-Profit Career Schools In California With Assembly Defeat Of SB 823" and lists ways my Department will continue to provide protections in the face of failed legislation.

The Department of Consumer Affairs will continue to work proactively to help ensure student consumer protection in the wake of the failure of SB 823 on Monday. Since the Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act of 1989 sunsetted on June 30, 2007, the Department has worked to encourage schools to voluntarily agree to comply with the law as it existed prior to June 30, 2007. We are hopeful that schools will continue to do so.

The Department of Consumer Affairs stands ready to create a new bureau to ensure effective student protections and effective regulation of private postsecondary education, and expects legislation to do so will be drafted with clear expectations and direction for schools and students so they understand their responsibilities and their rights.

In the meantime, the Department of Consumer Affairs will continue to do all we can to ensure student protection. We will continue to take questions and complaints from students, and to work with schools to develop and refine best practices.

My Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has worked proactively to ensure student consumer protection during the sunset and will continue to do so while legislative action is still pending.

My department's record on PPVE:

* DCA has tendered voluntary agreements with 1,725 California schools.

These schools agreed to comply with the law that was in existence prior to June 30, 2007 and to make the agreement public for their staff and students to see. A complete list of all the schools can be found here.

* DCA has retrieved $4.7 million for students with grievances against private postsecondary vocational schools and worked with lenders to forgive 80 student loans.