Washington, DC - A group of senators led by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) has introduced legislation to prevent the U.S. Department of Education from denying federal financial aid to students attending for-profit colleges and vocational certificate programs. Risch was joined by Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

S. 460, the Education for All Act, would prohibit the enactment of “gainful employment” regulations by the Department of Education that would disqualify students from receiving federal education loans if their chosen course of study did not meet a formula comparing student debt to future earning potential. This legislation is a continuation of Risch’s efforts in the 111th Congress to address this important issue.

“The ‘gainful employment’ rules could deny hundreds of thousands of students access to the training and skills development they need to secure a job in today’s troubled economy. It would particularly have a negative impact on the health field where nearly half of all workers are educated at proprietary institutions,” said Risch. “It is simply irresponsible for the government to throw roadblocks in front of students and institutions at a time when job creation in America should be the administration’s number one priority.”

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