Florida Career Colleges Support Call for Action by U.S. Sen. John McCain

Feb. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) applauds the Feb. 10 letter from Sen. John McCain, R- Arizona, to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education calling for a complete withdrawal of the flawed “gainful employment” regulations being proposed.

In the letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, McCain notes many aspects, including an erroneous Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, in support of his stance that the regulations should be withdrawn because of the potential punitive impact on more than 1,500 career colleges across the country.

FAPSC echoes Sen. McCain’s concerns, and says the proposed rules would have a similar impact on more than 460 accredited career colleges licensed in Florida.  

"The current regulations, as written and set to go into effect in July, would have a devastating impact on our state’s career colleges," says Kathy Mizereck, executive director of FAPSC. The association works on behalf of the 900 licensed career schools and colleges statewide.

Much like Sen. McCain, FAPSC supports equal and fair oversight for all institutions of higher education.  

“We’re Florida’s higher education business partner – this state relies on our schools to train people in varied occupations. We favor transparency and do not wish to be singled out unfairly and unnecessarily, which is at the core of the current, proposed regulations,” Mizereck says.

Mizereck would like to remind Floridians of the mission career colleges fulfill every day. Besides providing a positive economic impact estimated at $2 billion annually, career colleges also prepare more than 370,000 students in more than 200 occupations each year.

“We aim to put Florida to work in a quick, cost-effective manner and proudly contribute to the Florida tax base,” she says.  

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) works on behalf of all of Florida’s degree granting and non-degree granting career schools and colleges.  Licensed by the state, these schools educate and prepare more than 370,000 students each year for employment in more than 200 occupational fields. Visit http://www.fapsc.org.

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