American National University students and alumni from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio were among more than 2,000 students of private-sector career colleges who rallied in Washington, DC on Wednesday, September 29 in support of continued freedom of choice for college students. The south lawn of the Capitol was flooded by a blue sea as the students, wearing dark blue t-shirts with the slogan "My Education. My Job. My Choice." gathered to hear members of Congress take the podium to show support for students pursuing the dream of a brighter future through higher education.
Pictured are students and alumnae Marla Bryner (Youngstown, OH), Jennifer Lyon(Danville, KY), Brenda Lemaster (Lexington, KY), Sunshine Burr (Madison, TN), andTammy Fredrickson (Bristol, TN) in front of the Capitol.
The rally, and subsequent visits by students and college staff to individual members of Congress, was just the latest in a series of actions taken by advocates for educational choice against the Department of Education's so-called "Gainful Employment" proposal. This poorly-conceived rule simply puts Washington bureaucrats in charge of deciding where millions of college students attend school, potentially forcing many into overcrowded and under-resourced government run colleges and denying them the opportunity to attend colleges like National, which boast higher graduation and placement rates than government-run colleges.
A small victory was won for American National University students, present and future, when the Department of Education announced this week that they were delaying implementation of the proposed rule after being deluged with more than 90,000 letters, the majority of which were opposed to the "Gainful Employment" measure. More work needs to be done, however, in keeping pressure on the Washington bureaucrats who seem intent on wresting control of students' educational options. Students have organized a group, "Students for Academic Choice," to stand up for their right to attend a college of their choosing.
Get involved! Visit Students for Academic Choice at:
http://www.StudentsforAcademicChoices.org
