Rep. Carlos Trujillo: Shame on You for Selling Students Out to For-Profit Colleges!

Last week, the Miami Herald published an article investigating the relationship between a notorious for-profit college (Dade Medical College) and state Rep. Carlos Trujillo. According to the Herald, Trujillo once did legal work for Dade Medical and his sister-in-law appears to have received free tuition to attend the school.
For-profit colleges, like Dade Medical College, can be a dangerous pick for students. Their costs are often way too much, and students frequently leave without a credential or with one that leaves them hugely underprepared for the career they intend to pursue.
But, Trujillo’s ties to an institution of questionable educational value are not the worst part. Recently, he used his position as a legislator to weaken laws that were put in place to protect students from underperforming schools like Dade Medical. According to the Miami Herald:
“The tuition issue is not Trujillo’s only link to Dade Medical. As an attorney, Trujillo performed legal work for the college, and earlier this year, the Miami Republican sponsored legislation that loosened the accrediting requirements for physical therapy assistant programs. Dade Medical offers a $35,050 physical therapy assistant associate degree, and the state law change enabled the college to rapidly expand its program to five different campuses. Under the old accrediting rules, Dade Medical would have had to start with one campus, and then expand little by little.
Trujillo’s legislation, could ultimately boost Dade Medical’s revenues by millions of dollars.”
This is utterly despicable. Many students have criticized Dade Medical for overcharging them and for failing to provide a useful education. The school’s former president and founder is caught up in a slew of criminal accusations, which led to his recent resignation. In short, this is not the type of school a state representative should be supporting. Trujillo should be using his power to protect the students of Florida, not to increase the revenue of his friends at schools like Dade Medical.