U of Phoenix Makes History � The Quick and the Ed

U of Phoenix Makes History � The Quick and the Ed

U of Phoenix Makes History

by Ben Miller

According to U.S. Department of Education data released today, the University of Phoenix became the first college in the history of the United States to take in more than a billion dollars worth of Pell Grants disbursements in a single academic year. Students at the for-profit chain received a total of $1,042,372,699.50 spread amongst 304,583 awards in the 2009-10 academic year.
That’s what happens when your average Pell Grant dollar disbursement increase is 62 percent. In 2008-09, Phoenix took in $656 million. The year prior to that it was $398 million and the year before that it was $244 million. Phoenix received more in additional Pell money this year than it got in the entire 2006-07 academic year and almost more than the 2007-08 year as well.
While Phoenix has steadily seen a huge increase in its Pell dollars disbursed, the general growth in the proprietary sector is astounding. For-profits received $7.34 billion in the 2009-10 academic year, or 70 percent