Zacks Equity Research: DeVry to Offer Nursing Scholarships

May 29, 2013

by Zacks Equity Research

Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC, which is a unit of DeVry Inc. (DV - Analyst Report), has recently declared that it will offer Honoree Scholarships to more than 35,000 DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award nurses.

The DAISY Foundation is a non-profit institution that recognizes nurses with extraordinary dedication and skills and awards them The DAISY Faculty Award. The scholarships from Chamberlain College of Nursing help these talented nurses to further pursue their profession through programs and grants for nursing research.

Through the scholarships offered by Chamberlain College of Nursing, eligible DAISY Award nurses will be offered an education partner tuition rate for Chamberlain’s Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online degree completion option, RN-BSN to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) online option, MSN degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program and graduate certificates. The scholarship program will come into effect from Chamberlain’s new session commencing Jul 8, 2013.

Despite overall decline in revenues in third quarter 2013, DeVry's Medical and Healthcare segments witnessed strong revenue growth on the back of increasing demand for medical courses.

Like DeVry, another education company Capella Education Company (CPLA - Analyst Report) have been witnessing year-over-year decline in revenues due to volatile enrollment growth for the past few quarters.

As such, DeVry has been making efforts to boost enrollment, which resulted in better quality enquiries and improved conversion and retention rates. The company also invests in scholarships in order to support students to achieve their academic goals. In fiscal 2013, the company expects its scholarships to be in the low $50 million range, up from $42 million in fiscal 2012.

DeVry carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Education stocks such as New Oriental Education & Technology Group (EDU - Snapshot Report) and Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE - Snapshot Report) are currently performing well and are worth considering. New Oriental carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas Grand Canyon Education holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Direct link to article: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/100333/devry-to-offer-nursing-scholarships

The Chronicle of Higher Education: U.S. Won’t Appeal Decision on Controversial Gainful-Employment Rule

May 22, 2013

by Nick DeSantis

The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities said on Wednesday it had received word that the U.S. Department of Education has elected not to appeal a federal judge’s decision last year that blocked key parts of the agency’s controversial “gainful employment” rule before the regulation took effect.

Instead of continuing with litigation over the rule, the department this week convened the first of four hearings that it will hold in advance of a second round of rule making focused on fraud in the student-aid system, which is expected to begin in the fall. The rule-making process will revisit the gainful-employment issue.

The original rule would have cut off federal student aid to career-oriented higher-education programs whose graduates had high debt-to-income ratios and low loan-repayment rates, but a judge blocked key parts of the rule after the association, which represents for-profit colleges, challenged it in court.

“With the Congress expected to undertake Higher Education [Act] reauthorization in the coming months, we hope Congress will help all institutions of higher education, and the department, determine where and how we create appropriate protocols to determine outcomes for all students at all institutions,” said Steve Gunderson, Apscu’s president, in a written statement. The department did not immediately confirm that it decided not to appeal the decision.


Direct link to article: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/u-s-wont-appeal-decision-on-controversial-gainful-employment-rule/60783

Inside Higher Ed: Concerns on Loan Denials

May 22, 2013

By: Libby A. Nelson

WASHINGTON -- Since the Education Department changed its underwriting standards for loans to students’ parents in 2011, 400,000 parents have been denied the loans. The denials have fallen disproportionately on historically black colleges and universities, whose leaders pleaded with the Obama administration Tuesday to reconsider the policy.

“Our students and families are in crisis now,” Michael Lomax, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, told Education Department officials Tuesday. Lomax spoke at a hearing at which department officials sought input in advance of a new round of negotiated rule-making, which will consider underwriting standards for PLUS loans, among many other topics.

Through the federal parent PLUS loan program, parents of college students can borrow up to the cost of attendance at a student's college -- often tens of thousands of dollars. Unlike other federal student loans, parent PLUS loans require a credit check. But until recently, it wasn’t particularly stringent: Before October 2011, borrowers would be approved if they didn’t have any accounts that were more than 90 days delinquent, or any foreclosures, bankruptcies, tax liens, wage garnishments or defaults within the past five years. During the 2010-11 academic year, 72 percent of PLUS loan applicants were approved.

Then the department, attempting to limit defaults on the loans, changed the rules so that unpaid accounts in collections, or charged off but unpaid balances, from the past five years would also count against a prospective borrower. Denials spiked.

Only about 28,000 of the 400,000 denials since the standards were tightened have been at historically black colleges, but officials at those colleges have been the most outspoken about the effects of the change. Lomax called the change a “terrible policy shift,” and said it stunned officials at historically black colleges, since institutions were given no warning of the change.

Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Education, which represents historically black and predominantly black institutions, urged the Education Department to return to the former underwriting criteria. “Parent PLUS was not broken,” Baskerville said, describing the change as a “debacle.” “The criteria were working effectively for most students at the time.”

Many of the 28,000 students at historically black colleges whose parents were denied loans dropped out -- parents who aren’t approved for a PLUS loan, even with the tighter criteria, are unlikely to be approved for private student loans -- and the UNCF has been unable to find out whether they enrolled at other, less costly institutions.

Representative Corrine Brown, a Florida Democrat, also commented at the hearing Tuesday, saying denials under the newly stringent PLUS loan underwriting criteria were “worse than under the banks” and criticizing the Education Department for not addressing black colleges’ concerns.

“I know the president could not know about this,” Brown said.

Another Go at ‘Gainful’

When the Education Department convenes negotiated rule-making panels, which is expected to occur this fall, the stakeholders who help write new regulations will also deal with one of the biggest controversies in higher education in recent years: the “gainful employment” regulation that attempted to punish vocational programs whose students weren’t able to get jobs and repay their loans.

The rule was aimed at reining in for-profit colleges but also applies to vocational and certificate programs at public and private nonprofit institutions. Those programs had to successfully pass one of three tests, one based on loan repayment rates and two on graduates’ debt-to-income ratios. A judge struck down the rule in 2012, saying the repayment rate wasn’t sufficiently justified as a way to judge programs.

A series of consumer and advocacy groups on Tuesday urged the department to rewrite and strengthen the rules, saying for-profit colleges mislead students and abuse the federal financial aid system.

Groups representing for-profit colleges, including the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, argued that the Education Department should postpone writing new regulations until the Higher Education Act is reauthorized. The law expires at the end of 2013, and members of Congress have indicated they want to begin renewing it soon -- which would mean that just as the Education Department publishes final rules based on the expiring version of the Higher Education Act, legislators would be putting the finishing touches on the next one.

“If I were a member of Congress, whether a Democrat or Republican, I would say, ‘Give us our chance first,' " said Steve Gunderson, APSCU’s president, after urging the Education Department to put off rule-making.

A former Congressional staff member, though, urged the Education Department not to wait. For-profit colleges know they have a better chance of influencing members of Congress than a rule-making committee, said Bethany Little, formerly the chief education adviser to Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Little, now a managing partner at America Achieves, a group focused on K-12 education, said for-profit colleges had the “most intense, pervasive and manipulative lobbying” she saw during her career on the Hill.

Other for-profit-college groups, and some representing nonprofit institutions, echoed Gunderson’s call for a postponement.

But whether reauthorization will occur on schedule is unclear. The Obama administration has indicated it intends to pursue an aggressive regulatory agenda through the rule-making process. In addition to the issues discussed Tuesday -- which range from the effects of the Violence Against Women Act on campus to debit cards for financial aid refunds and the gainful employment and state authorization program integrity regulations -- the department also intends to convene rule-making committees on college affordability and value, according to the initial Federal Register notice.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/22/education-department-hears-comments-plus-loans-gainful-employment-and-profit#ixzz2U1ing97G
Inside Higher Ed

4-Traders: Career Education Corp. : Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Launches Advertising Campaign to Answer the Question, "What is Bleu?"

05/20/2013

New series takes viewers inside the kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu

Bleu is...pouring your heart into every pot and pan; Bleu is...wearing your passion on your sleeve and everywhere else; Bleu is...a badge of honor. It is these experiences that take place in the kitchens at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts that are the focus of the culinary school's new advertising campaign, "Bleu is." Launching May 20, the new campaign provides viewers with an inside look at what drives so many students to pursue the unique culinary experience Le Cordon Bleu offers.

In a series of TV ads, current students and chef instructors capture the essence of the Le Cordon Bleu brand by learning the way in the culinary and pastry arts in industry commercial kitchens chopping, sautéing, decorating and plating dishes. Beyond the foundational culinary skills, the ads show how in today's world of fast-paced kitchens and contemporary cuisine, there's much more to Le Cordon Bleu. Le Cordon Bleu is a place where students can follow their passions, develop their creativity and work to become cream of the crop.

"Bleu is built on a more than 100 year-old tradition from the original school in Paris. As the number one culinary school in America*, Le Cordon Bleu is known as a standard for culinary excellence," said Brad Lundblad, group manager brand marketing for Le Cordon Bleu. "Bleu is so much more than foundational skills - it's a modern culinary school that appeals to today's creative students. What Bleu is demonstrates pride, honor and discipline -- our brand characteristics."

The new ads were shot in the Technique Restaurant kitchens at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland and feature Le Cordon Bleu chefs and students.


"Today's culinary industry demands trained culinarians who are skilled in the fundamental techniques and prepared to enter the field," said Certified Master Chef Edward G. Leonard, vice president and corporate executive chef of Le Cordon Bleu. "That's what Bleu is all about and it's what we are teaching at Le Cordon Bleu. This new campaign highlights the passion of the profession, the energy and what students will experience at our 16 campuses across the country."

The "Bleu Is" campaign, created in conjunction with Fathom Communications' Chicago office, will drive both brand-building and direct-selling efforts, including multiple direct response TV ads, and digital ads, as well as re-designed collateral. The campaign will launch in eight markets, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Orlando, Portland and Sacramento.

"The Le Cordon Bleu experience fosters dedication, passion and a thirst for learning," said Mark Wiegard, creative director at Fathom, Chicago. "We developed a campaign to showcase these aspects and challenge the current perspective of Le Cordon Bleu."

Le Cordon Bleu offers an array of culinary education opportunities, from the Culinary Arts program to the Baking & Pastry Arts and online culinary arts degree programs. For food enthusiasts, Le Cordon Bleu's Bleu Ribbon Kitchen workshops offer a variety of non-professional cooking classes. To find out more about any of the 16 Le Cordon Bleu campuses, visit chefs.edu.

About Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the leading provider of quality culinary arts education. Our network of 16 schools in the United States offers culinary students a hands-on education with faculty dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills, knowledge, support and guidance to pursue fulfilling career opportunities in the culinary arts.

Le Cordon Bleu is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. For more information about Le Cordon Bleu, go to www.Chefs.edu.

* Le Cordon Bleu in North America had more culinary graduates in the USA than any other national network of culinary schools, for the years 2006 to 2011. Source: IPEDS.

Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.Chefs.com/disclosure. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.

The Boston Globe: For-profit colleges seek larger debate on overall system

May 17, 2013

Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, APSCU

Your story on private-sector colleges and universities failed to highlight the need for a larger conversation about the very nature of higher education (“A costly lesson,” Business, May 15).

Private-sector colleges and universities provide students with access to career-focused education and in-demand skills training that they otherwise would not receive due to selective admissions policies and lack of available courses at public and private institutions.

The vast majority of our students are nontraditional, meaning that they are over 25, have no financial support from parents, work full time or part time, or are single parents. As a result, 94 percent of our students are eligible for Title IV funding, compared to the 70 percent of students attending private institutions and 49 percent at public institutions.

We strongly agree that student loan debt needs to be addressed. We have proposed, as part of reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, a simpler and easier way to navigate the federal student aid system. This system would start by standardizing terms and delivery of aid, improving repayment options that ease financial burdens, and recognizing individual student circumstances.

We hope to find a way to work together with leaders in higher education to better serve all students. In the meantime, we continue to strive for new procedures that address accountability and transparency and focus on outcomes not just at our schools but in all of higher education.

Direct link to article: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2013/05/16/for-profit-colleges-seek-larger-debate-overall-system/yueVgNhSW5Fs803QfaKBQM/story.html

Business Wirevia The Motley Fool: Chamberlain College of Nursing and Catholic Health Initiatives Establish Education Program

Chamberlain College of Nursing and Catholic Health Initiatives Establish Education Program
Program encourages nurses to pursue advanced educational opportunities
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. & ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Chamberlain College of Nursing and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health system, announced a new education program that provides CHI nurses with an educational partner tuition rate for Chamberlain's post licensure online programs. The program expands access to Chamberlain's post licensure educational programs for nurses across the CHI system, which includes more than 75 hospitals, 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities and health-services organizations across 17 states. CHI offers health services at diverse clinical sites ranging from major regional medical centers to critical access hospitals in rural locations.

The role of nurse has expanded to address the evolving healthcare system. As a result, educational requirements have risen for many nursing positions. Recent data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing shows that nearly 40 percent of employers require new-hire nurses to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) and more than 75 percent of employers strongly prefer BSN-prepared nurses1. Chamberlain's new education program with CHI gives nurses within the health system additional opportunities to advance their education, improving their career opportunities and strengthening the system's workforce.

"Professional development and education advancement are integral parts of our system's culture," said Patrick Patton, vice president of Catholic Health Initiatives. "Through our program with Chamberlain, CHI nurses have a great opportunity to advance their skills and enhance the delivery of healthcare in our facilities."
Through this opportunity, CHI nurses who meet Chamberlain's admission requirements can now receive an educational partner tuition rate for Chamberlain's RN to BSN online degree option, RN-BSN to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) online option, MSN degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program and graduate certificate programs*. Benefits also include a waived application fee and a designated Chamberlain admissions representative who will provide enrollment assistance specifically for CHI nurses.
"Chamberlain is committed to advancing the standards of nursing education and practice while facilitating the transformation of healthcare," said Dr. W. Richard Cowling, vice president of academic affairs for Chamberlain College of Nursing. "Our education program with CHI brings expanded access to post licensure degree programs to nurses in a range of healthcare delivery environments across the country, furthering nursing excellence in each of their communities."

For more information about Chamberlain College of Nursing, visit chamberlain.edu. For more information about Catholic Health Initiatives, visit www.catholichealthinitiatives.org.

* Program availability varies by location

About Chamberlain College of Nursing
For over 120 years, Chamberlain College of Nursing has been at the forefront of excellence in nursing education. Chamberlain is increasing access to nursing education nationwide with campuses offering the three year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and flexible online programs like the RN to BSN option, Master of Science in Nursing degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program and Graduate Certificates.

Chamberlain College of Nursing is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, ncahlc.org. HLC is one of the six regional agencies that accredit U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and the Master of Science in Nursing degree program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202.887.6791). The Associate Degree in Nursing program at the Columbus location is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404.975.5000). Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that standards of quality have been met.
Program availability varies by location. Chamberlain reserves the right to update information as it becomes available. Information is current at the time of posting. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. Comprehensive consumer information is available at chamberlain.edu/studentconsumerinfo.

Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC is a part of DeVry Inc. (NYS: DV) , a global provider of educational services. ©2013 Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC. All rights reserved. chamberlain.edu.

About Catholic Health Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health system with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 17 states and includes 78 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two community health-services organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2012, CHI provided more than $715 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. With total annual revenues of more than $10.7 billion and approximately 83,000 employees, CHI ranks as the nation's second-largest faith-based health system.
1 Annual Survey of Institutions with Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing. Rep. American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/research-data/standard-data-reports.


MSL Chicago
For Chamberlain College of Nursing
Kristin Lane, 312.861.5244
kristin.lane@mslgroup.com
or
Catholic Health Initiatives
Michael Romano, 303.383.2720
National Director, Media
michaelromano@catholichealth.net

The article Chamberlain College of Nursing and Catholic Health Initiatives Establish Education Program originally appeared on Fool.com.

The Motley Fool: Corinthian Colleges Appoints Leon Panetta to Its Board





Corinthian Colleges (NASDAQ: COCO  ) has appointed former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial to its board of directors.

Panetta, also a former director of the CIA, served on Corinthian's board from 2008-2009. This is the first time Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, has been on the board. In press releases Monday, Corinthian said both Panetta's and Morial's history in public service will aid the company's decision-making process.

Panetta brings his experience as a member of the Board of Trustees and a professor at Santa Clara University in California. He has worked in key presidential administration roles throughout the past two decades. From 2011 to 2013, Panetta served as U.S. Secretary of Defense. He was director of the CIA from 2009 to 2011. Before that, he was White House chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget. Before that, Panetta served 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives for California's 16th district.

Corinthian commended Morial's experience in educational and economic development -- especially for the African-American community. When he served as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002, he worked on those same issues for a broader community.

Both Panetta and Morial will serve a one-year term. Both are free to stand for election at the company's annual shareholder meeting in November.

Direct link to article: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/05/01/corinthian-colleges-appoints-leon-panetta-to-its-b.aspx