I suspect that a lot of it has to do with self-discipline... which would be the hardest aspect to address
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On that I agree.
I see absolutely zero rationalization or justification for this. What they might pay more for in salaries they more than make up for in savings for standard overhead costs with brick & mortar facilities. To me, charging more is just gouging people and preying on the concept of convenience.
Nor do I see any justification or rationale, but it happens all the same. But, the market produces predators. And this is a huge problem we're facing in higher education. Predatory institutions not only gouge, but too often give nothing for the cost.
Even lobbyists for for-profit colleges must be stunned by their industry’s ability over the past two years to capture an enormous share of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits earned by Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans.
The gold rush is on and competition to sign veterans who have the most valuable education package since World War II will intensify and perhaps get seamier before Congress acts to protect veterans and taxpayers.
Statistics compiled by the staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, are alarming veteran advocacy groups, particularly in light of abuses by some for-profit colleges uncovered by congressional audits and by enterprising news organizations.
During the 2010-11 academic year, VA disbursed $4.4 billion Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to nearly 6000 institutions. Almost one quarter of those dollars –$1.02 billion –was paid to just eight for-profit companies.
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More disturbing for taxpayers and veterans is what they get for their money, senators said. Withdrawal rates for attendees at for-profit schools range from 44 percent to 68 percent, three to four times the withdrawal rates for the two non-profit schools among the top 10 recipients of GI Bill dollars, the University of Maryland System and University of Texas System.
Data also show that when veterans attend for-profit schools, the average cost to taxpayers rises to $10,875, more than twice the average cost of $4,874 to attend public college. Last year, for-profit schools collected more than one third of all Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits but trained just one quarter of the Post-9/11 veterans using benefits
FRA | GI Bill Gold Rush: Can predatory schools be stopped?
These schools aren't cheap—despite the lack of campuses or classrooms or counseling or even much personal interaction with faculty members. Again, according to the Education Department, (as reported in USA Today), for-profits cost on average $30,900 per year compared to public colleges at $15,600 and private, non-profits at $26,600.
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The incentive for these for-profits is not just to sign up more students but it is to use the loophole in the 90-10 rule which requires these schools to at least have 10 percent of their funds not from the taxpayers, not from Title IV education funds. The G.I. Bill, even though it is government money, is not technically Title IV, so it counts toward the for-profits 10 percent requirement.
To quote Holly Petraeus: "This gives for-profit colleges an incentive to see service members as nothing more that dollar signs in uniform, and to use aggressive marketing to draw them in."
For-Profit Colleges Must Crack Down on Predatory Practices - Peter Fenn (usnews.com)
