The Nation - News from Feb. 10, 1988

Secretary of Education William J. Bennett said he will ask Congress to repeal a provision that allows high school dropouts to draw federal aid for college or trade school. Bennett, in a letter to Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee Chairman Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), called the “ability to benefit” provision a loophole that invites “unscrupulous schools to defraud the taxpayer and to take advantage of vulnerable students.” The provision has allowed dropouts to receive federal aid for post-secondary education if the institution finds they have the “aptitude to complete successfully the program.” Bennett also released a 72-page study by Pelavin Associations and news clippings about questionable trade school activities. The study concluded that “violation of standards was common at proprietary institutions.”