Michael Vasquez is a senior investigative reporter for The Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle, he led a team of reporters as education editor for Politico, where he spearheaded the team’s 2016 Campaign coverage of education issues. Mr. Vasquez began his reporting career at the Miami Herald, where he worked for 14 years, covering both politics and education. His work there included Higher-Ed Hustle, a yearlong investigation of fraud and abuse in Florida’s for-profit-college industry. The series led to the closure of Miami’s most politically powerful for-profit college, the arrest of its owner, and a change in state law that created stronger protections for students.
Mr. Vasquez’s education coverage has been recognized with multiple state and national awards, including a National Headliner Award, an Education Writers Association Award, two Sunshine State Awards, and a Florida Society of News Editors Award.
A native of Queens, N.Y., Mr. Vasquez earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Florida International University.
Stories by this Author
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Online ProgramOnline-Education Juggernaut Agrees to ‘Wind Down’ Controversial ‘Free College’ Program
An Ohio “free college” plan fizzled following concerns from accreditors and the U.S. Department of Education. -
The New Deal
The U. of Idaho Moved Fast to Acquire the U. of Phoenix. Now What?
The $550-million purchase comes weeks after the University of Arkansas system also considered a deal with Phoenix but faced opposition from its board. -
Online-Program Managers
Advocacy Group Urges U. of California to Do Away With Boot Camps Run by OPMs
The Student Borrower Protection Center is calling on the system to end online boot camps, which have drawn criticism from some former graduates. -
Online-Program Managers
‘I Blame the University’: When Coding Boot Camps Don’t Pay Off
2U’s coding camps have left some participants feeling misled by the colleges that sponsor them. -
Putting the Brakes On
Controversial Online-Program Manager Loses Another College Partner
Ohio’s Central State University is stepping away from the Student Resource Center’s “free college” program. -
Faculty Rights
Collin College Professor Gets 6-Figure Salary and Reinstatement After Free-Speech Lawsuit
Amid a string of legal challenges to faculty dismissals, the Texas community college agreed to reinstate Suzanne Jones and pay her $115,000 a year. -
Program Halted
A College’s Explosive Online Growth Drew Scrutiny. Now the Feds Are Stepping In.
Eastern Gateway Community College is accused of improperly tapping financial-aid dollars to extend a free education to students who did not qualify for the funds. -
Online Programs
‘They Didn’t Care’: Inside One University’s Sputtering Online Partnership With 2U
Arcadia University, in Pennsylvania, worked with the online program manager to start a hybrid physician-assistant program. It didn’t go well. -
Online Education
Lapse in GI Benefits Highlights a Rocky Start for U. of Arizona Global Campus
The University of Arizona Global Campus is hitting some regulatory and financial roadblocks. -
For-Profit Education
More College Owners Could Be ‘On the Hook’ for Repayment Under New Education Dept. Policy
Aiming at for-profit colleges, a new Biden-administration policy looks to protect taxpayers from the cost of loan forgiveness in the event of closure or fraud.
