Obama vows to aid GIS

He blasts schools that use tricky ads. Crackdown order signed during visit to base in Georgia.

FORT STEWART — President Barack Obama added new protections for veterans and military families misled or bilked by career colleges and technical programs that target their federal education benefits.

“They don’t care about you,” he said at the Georgia base, addressing what he called the “9/11 generation,” in the military and out, “they care about your cash.”

Obama signed a broad order that partially addresses complaints about fraudulent marketing and recruiting practices aimed at military families eligible for federal education aid under the GI Bill.

Obama said some of these schools go after military men and women “just for the money.” Citing “one of the worst examples,” Obama said a college recruiter enrolled Marines with brain injuries who couldn’t even remember what courses they had signed up for.

The new protections would make it harder for postsecondary and technical schools to misrepresent themselves to military students.

Some postsecondary schools try to attract current and former mili- tary service members using deceptive militarythemed websites that appear to be governmentrun or connected to the GI Bill benefit system, administration officials said.

Much of the advertising is tied closely to online searches for terms like “GI Bill.” As a result, the Obama administration wants to trademark the term “GI Bill” so it can’t be used as an enticement.

Quality at for-profit colleges varies widely, and many are a good fit for adult learners looking for flexible scheduling and specialized career training that often requires a certificate but not a degree.

The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, which represents for-profits, said in a statement it was disappointed that Obama “decided to bypass the Con- gress” with an executive order.

“Career-oriented institutions proudly serve military and veteran populations and work with congressional leaders in a bipartisan manner to address concerns about veteran education across all sectors of higher education,” the lobbying group said.

Bills pending in Congress, largely backed by Democrats and unlikely to become law soon, would do many of the same things Obama was ordering Friday.

Obama’s order will also set a new gauge that potential students can use to calculate how much a school will really cost in tuition and fees. Schools are asked to voluntarily participate in the “Know Before You Owe” system this school year and would be required to do so next year.