Allison Sherry of The Denver Post is reporting:

...The Colorado Springs Republican is sponsoring a bill that would let students who take general education classes at private schools, including for-profit colleges such as Colorado Technical University and Westwood College, transfer those credits to public schools.

Currently, public schools do not universally accept credits earned at for-profit colleges because accreditation is different. For-profits, which attract lower-income students, also charge more than twice public-school tuition.

Already a state program called "Graduate Transfer Pathways" allows more than 1,200 courses to be universally accepted at all Colorado public schools. Usually, the credits are the first 30 or 40 a student takes when starting college.

Under King's bill, private schools could pay a fee to the Department of Higher Education so officials there could ensure the classes were up to par. If they are, private school credits would be transferrable just like other colleges'.

"If the private institutions are willing to step up and go through the rigor, there is no reason they shouldn't be able to do this," King said. "This would ultimately make it easier for students."

Alan Lamborn, vice provost for undergraduate affairs at Colorado State University, said he worries about for-profits' course quality and the lack of oversight...Continue reading New bill would allow students to transfer credits from for-profit colleges >>