Career Education Colleges and Universities

Career Education Colleges and Universities

Formation	1991
Type	Trade association
Purpose	Representing for-profit colleges
Headquarters	Washington, DC
Membership	800+ for-profit colleges [1]
President	Jason Altmire
Website	www.career.org

Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that represents for-profit colleges.

History

CECU as it is organized today was created in 1991 following a merger of the Association for Independent Colleges and Schools (AICS) and the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (NATTS). The combined association was called the Career College Association (CCA). ^[2] In 2010, the association changed its name to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), ^[3] but today is known as CECU.

During the administration of President Barack Obama, a series of federal investigations and lawsuits were initiated against for-profit education companies. APSCU waged an extensive lobbying campaign ^[4] and filed a 2012 lawsuit against the United States Department of Education seeking to halt the department's regulations targeting for-profit colleges. ^[5] Judge Rudolph Contreras struck down the regulations, which he called "arbitrary and capricious". ^[6] In 2014, the association filed a second lawsuit challenging similar regulations (79 FR 64890), ^[7] but this time the regulations were implemented.

By 2015, some of APSCU's largest members were under federal and state investigation ^[8] and several subsequently left the association. ^{[9] [10]} Some of the largest companies in the sector collapsed under the weight of the regulations, charges of impropriety, and related legal actions. ^[11] In 2016, APSCU changed its name to Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), a move association leaders said better reflected the evolving membership of the organization. ^[12]

President Donald Trump and his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos dismantled many of Obama's actions targeting for-profit colleges. ^{[13] [14]}

Recent activities

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, CECU named former Democratic congressman Jason Altmire as its president. ^[15]

The group has grown in influence in recent years, playing an active role in opposing Biden-era regulations targeting for-profit colleges, ^[16] supporting lawsuits against those regulations, ^{[17] [18]} and advocating for policies that would favor for-profit institutions. ^{[19] [20]}

In 2025, President Trump nominated a former senior official at CECU, Nicholas Kent, to lead the administration’s work on higher education as Under Secretary of Education. ^[21]

References

1. "APSCU Member School Listing". Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
2. "The History of Career Colleges".
3. Blumenstyk, Goldie (9 June 2010). "Career College Association to Change Its Name". Chronicle of Higher Education . Retrieved 15 September 2014.
4. Bidwell, Allie (14 March 2014). "Protecting Students or Waging War? New Rule Threatens For-Profits". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved 8 September 2014.
5. Dunn, Catherine (2014-11-07). "Two lawsuits set new battle over for-profit college regulations". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
6. Breslow, Jason (2 July 2012). "Judge Blocks Key Provision of "Gainful Employment" Rules". PBS . Retrieved 8 September 2014.
7. Hefling, Kimberly (November 6, 2014). "For-profit colleges aim to fight regulation with new lawsuit". PBS NewsHour .
8. "For-profit post-secondary sector goes through course correction".
9. Halperin, David (2015-07-14). "Big for-profit colleges quit trade group". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
10. Fain, Paul (15 July 2015). "For-Profit Group and Big Chains Part Ways". Inside Higher Education. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
11. "Another for-profit giant collapses".
12. Fain, Paul (2016-06-07). "For-Profit College Association Changes Name". Inside Higher Ed. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
13. Swaminathan, Aarthi (2021-02-02). "For-profit colleges brace for Biden". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
14. Green, Erica L. (28 June 2019). "DeVos repeals Obama rule targeting for-profit colleges". The New York Times.
15. "For-profit colleges brace for Biden administration". Forbes .
16. Alex Swoyer (July 18, 2024). "Feds target for-profit schools". Washington Times.
17. Danielle Douglas Green (June 21, 2024). "Court halts Biden rules targeting career schools". Washington Post.
18. Rebecca Carballo (January 11, 2025). "Challenge to Biden borrowers defense regulations to help heard in Supreme Court". Politico.
19. Jessica Blake (June 20, 2025). "How Senate Republicans want to hold colleges accountable". Inside Higher Ed.
20. Tyler Kingkade (May 28, 2025). "Trump pits Ivy League against working class". NBC News.
21. Chris Quintana (July 26, 2025). "Trump is seeking to reshape higher education. Meet the man he wants leading the charge". USA Today .