The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said on Friday that an enrollment dispute concerning veterans in some programs at the University of Phoenix’s San Diego campus had been resolved, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Last week the Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization, asserted that state regulators in California had barred the campus from enrolling veterans in as many as seven degree programs. The center said the programs had violated a federal rule requiring that no more than 85 percent of students enrolled in a program receive financial aid from the veterans-affairs department.
The university disputed that assertion, saying that only one program had been found to exceed the 85-percent threshold. Phoenix also said that the sole problem identified in an audit related to compliance with the 85/15 ratio, adding that the state regulators had otherwise given the campus good marks.
A spokeswoman for the veterans-affairs department told the newspaper that the matter had been resolved and that, “to VA’s knowledge, there has been no effect on students’ matriculation or accession of new students.” She added that information provided to California officials “demonstrated enrollments in the programs in question did not exceed 85 percent VA beneficiaries and that Phoenix’s programs were in compliance.”
University officials hailed the department’s resolution of the issue.
“We still have questions about the way the May 2 state compliance audit has been handled, but pleased by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs’ rapid response to quickly clarify and remedy the situation for our veteran students,” said Mark Brenner, chief of staff for the Apollo Education Group, Phoenix’s parent company, in a written statement. “We remain proud of the way we serve veteran students as evidenced by the state’s own acknowledgment of our being in full compliance with the White House’s principles of excellence.”
