University of Phoenix, a nationwide, for-profit school, is closing three of its four locations in Western Washington, keeping only its learning and student-resource center in Tukwila. Auxiliary facilities in Bellevue, Lynnwood and Tacoma are among the 115 locations being shuttered. Nationwide, some 13,000 of the school's 30,000 students are affected; the number of Washington residents was not available.
Apollo Group, which owns and operates the company, blames the shutdown on lower revenues brought on by declining enrollment. The Obama administration has cracked down on for-profit education companies, whose tuition revenues are based largely on government-backed student loans. Many students have complained that they cannot find work after finishing the programs, but are saddled with crippling debt.
· University of Phoenix [Official Site]
· University of Phoenix Closing 115 Locations Affecting 13,000 Students [HuffPo]