Colleges Fined $30m for False Job Data

For-profit college operator Corinthian Colleges Inc. was fined $30 million Tuesday for falsifying job-placement rates at its Heald College campuses in California, Hawaii, and Oregon. The U.S. Department of Education said it discovered 947 cases of incorrect placement rates, including some instances in which Heald College paid companies to create temporary jobs for graduates in order to count them as placed. Heald College is no longer permitted to enroll students and must help current enrolled students finish their education or transfer out. Joe Hixson, a Corinthian spokesman, called the department’s finding “unsubstantiated” and said the company plans to appeal the decision.