These 5 education stories will dominate headlines in 2016
(REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis) As 2015 comes to a close, it's becoming clear that certain education stories will heat up over the next year. From a revamped SAT exam to a Supreme Court case that may change college admissions, these are the big education stories to watch.
1. The crumbling for-profit college industry
In April of this past year, Corinthian Colleges, the second largest for-profit college system in the US, abruptly announced it was shutting its doors for good. That decision followed a $30 million fine from the Department of Education (ED), which claimed Corinthian misrepresented the kinds of jobs its graduates could get.
That was not an isolated event. The entire for-profit industry has come under fire for its alleged focus on signing up students and depositing their federal financial aid checks rather than providing a quality education.
The largest for-profit college system, University of Phoenix, was suspended from recruiting military students by the Department of Defense (DoD) in October, which was notable as it pulls in more money than any other US college, public or private, from military students.
And another for-profit college powerhouse, Education Management Corporation (EDMC), payed $95.5 million in November to settle a case alleging it falsely obtained federal and state education funds.
The nearly $100 million settlement was the largest false claims settlement with a for-profit educational institute in history.
It's not yet evident whether more for-profit colleges will be handed massive fines by the federal government or have to close as a result of financial difficulty, making it a story to watch out for in the coming year.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Abigail Fisher, the Texan involved in the University of Texas affirmative action case, and Edward Blum, who runs a group working to end affirmative action, walks outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012.
2. Affirmative action in the Supreme Court
In December, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case on affirmative action that could have a far-reaching impact on the ability of universities around the nation to consider race in admissions.
Fisher v. University of Texas (UT) will determine whether it's constitutional for the University of Texas at Austin to consider race as one factor in its admission policy.
The plaintiff — a white woman named Abigail Fisher who was denied admission to the Texas' flagship public university in 2008 — claims her race played a factor in her rejection, and that UT These 5 education stories will dominate headlines in 2016 - Yahoo Finance:
