[Sly Fox]

They offer a fairly balanced look at the university until LU Online comes into the discussion and then the gloves came off:

Billion-Dollar Blessings
How Jerry Falwell Jr. transformed Liberty University, one of the religious right's most powerful institutions, into a wildly lucrative online empire.

by Alec MacGillis April 17, 5 a.m. EDT
This story was co-published with The New York Times Magazine.

It was the start of the 2017 Fall Family Weekend at Liberty University, the school founded by Jerry Falwell Sr. 47 years ago in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the lines were especially long to get into the basketball arena for the mandatory thrice-weekly student convocation. There was a festive feel in the air — as usual, a live band kicked things off with some Christian rock.

Click Here for Full Story

And the NYT Magazine headline of the same story:

How Liberty University Built a Billion-Dollar Empire Online
With a hard sell to prospective students and huge amunts of taxpayer funding, Jerry Falwell Jr. transformed the evangelical institution into a behemoth.

By ALEC MacGILLIS/PROPUBLICA APRIL 17, 2018

Click Here for Full Story

[Yacht Rock]

Thanks for sharing.

I'm not sure I disagree with any of the comments about LUO. My experience as an LUO student has been less than exceptional.

[Jonathan Carone]

I don't really see this as taking shots at Liberty. Other than the unneeded Christianity shots at the beginning, nothing in there was surprising based on my experiences and those of people I know.

[Yacht Rock]

Yeah, I'd add that there are wonderful staff and wonderful instructors and wonderful students but I'm not sure if the mission has been able to be sustained through the scale of growth. This happens in a lot of businesses.

[Class of 20Something]

I really don't see LUO being the cash cow in 15-20 years. Liberty is building while the money is flowing and will likely all but abandon it when it is no longer profitable. JLFJR isn't shy about calling it a business. Nothing in that article was news to me or anyone that is really paying attention to Liberty. Frankly I thought the article seemed to reach for straws. They seriously brought up typos in professors emails.

[TH Spangler]

Liberals whining about LU's success if you ask me.

[Jonathan Carone]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

[Yacht Rock]

I really don't see LUO being the cash cow in 15-20 years. Liberty is building while the money is flowing and will likely all but abandon it when it is no longer profitable. JLFJR isn't shy about calling it a business. Nothing in that article was news to me or anyone that is really paying attention to Liberty. Frankly I thought the article seemed to reach for straws. They seriously brought up typos in professors emails.

The major issue isn't that they are building but that online students are subsidizing the experience for residential students and haven't seen an increase in their experience in awhile.

I say this as someone who has been in the online program for the last 8 years.

It's an honest critique that there doesn't seem to be as visible of an investment in online education as there should be for a university who looks at online education as its cash cow. The comical part is, as technology improves, distance education will only grow. I'm not sure I understand why Liberty doesn't want to lead in this area, unless they don't have faith in their product now that there will be more competition in this area.

[Yacht Rock]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

This 100%. There is irony in the claim that Liberty follows conservative principals (fiscal and otherwise) while walking down this road of growing student debt, default, and subsidized education.

[TH Spangler]

I'm sure it stings those with a secular worldview to watch LU promote a biblical worldview, especially if they think Pell grants and government loans should only go to those attending or studying online at a public university.

[Yacht Rock]

I'm sure it stings those with a secular worldview to watch LU promote a biblical worldview, especially if they think Pell grants and government loans should only go to those attending or studying online at a public university.

It doesn't take a secular worldview to be critical of Liberty's approach.

Personally, I've been critical of many higher education practices for as long as I can remember. The overzealous push toward loans being one of the most egregious practices, religious or secular.

[thepostman]

The dependence on loans to pay for higher education has absolutely crippled my generation. I was very stupid and neither of my parents attended college so I also didn't get sound advice. Thankfully I can pass my knowledge onto my kids.

[Jonathan Carone]

Our generation was given access to what we thought was free money at an age where we were neither mature or educated enough to make a smart decision.

[Yacht Rock]

I'm thankful that I've been able to do a lot in business without a degree. My parents were both ambivalent about a college education as neither of them went to college.

Thankfully, employer benefits have helped me go to school, but I've definitely made some decisions that wouldn't make Dave Ramsey proud is they didn't cover it 100%.

[Purple Haize]

The dependence on loans to pay for higher education has absolutely crippled my generation. I was very stupid and neither of my parents attended college so I also didn't get sound advice. Thankfully I can pass my knowledge onto my kids.

Which is why you’ve seen the cost of higher education has skyrocketed
Students Loans will be the next Big Bail Out.

[flamehunter]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

Honest question - do you have proof of this? I ask because I've heard the opposite regarding default rates, not remembering where I heard it.

[Jonathan Carone]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

Honest question - do you have proof of this? I ask because I've heard the opposite regarding default rates, not remembering where I heard it.

The rate of Liberty graduates who default on their loans within three years of graduating is 9.9 percent, several points higher than the average for nonprofit colleges, though still below that for for-profit colleges.

That’s from this article. It’s also been reported in other places as well.

[Yacht Rock]

It may be even higher based on recent numbers. Most of the data giving the 9.x% default rate for LU is based on data from a few years ago. Based on the trend in defaults in recent years it's very likely that the rate has increased, sadly.

I could be totally wrong though and Liberty's rate could have been trending down while most others were trending up.

[flamehunter]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

Honest question - do you have proof of this? I ask because I've heard the opposite regarding default rates, not remembering where I heard it.

The rate of Liberty graduates who default on their loans within three years of graduating is 9.9 percent, several points higher than the average for nonprofit colleges, though still below that for for-profit colleges.

That’s from this article. It’s also been reported in other places as well.

I guess what I heard was that LU was below the averages of for-profit institutions. I don't find this information that alarming. I don't like government grants and loans going to LU anyway. The whole you have to go to college to get a decent job thing is for many. Some career paths require college level education. Many do not. Mike Rowe is my hero these days.

[Yacht Rock]

It’s not the success people are worried about. It’s how we have had that success that raises eyebrows. We take some of the most federal aid while having higher than average default rates. It’s only natural for that to raise some flags.

Honest question - do you have proof of this? I ask because I've heard the opposite regarding default rates, not remembering where I heard it.

You can pull up the data here.

https://www2.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/defau ... t/cdr.html

If you compare us to any of the schools that the administration frequently likes to compare us to (other religion affiliated educational institutions) we are significantly higher on our default rate.

[Jonathan Carone]

I know it’s not possible, but I’d love to see the default rate for on campus vs online.

[Yacht Rock]

I guess what I heard was that LU was below the averages of for-profit institutions. I don't find this information that alarming. I don't like government grants and loans going to LU anyway. The whole you have to go to college to get a decent job thing is for many. Some career paths require college level education. Many do not. Mike Rowe is my hero these days.

You're right that higher education has been sold as a requirement for being part of the middle class and that's far from true.

It is disturbing that Liberty's rate is around 9% but many other religious universities have default rates between 0-3%.

The question is, does Liberty (like higher education in general) over value the benefit it will offer students, resulting in eventual defaults.

[Yacht Rock]

I know it’s not possible, but I’d love to see the default rate for on campus vs online.

I'm sure it's quite a bit higher for online students.

[Jonathan Carone]

I know it’s not possible, but I’d love to see the default rate for on campus vs online.

I'm sure it's quite a bit higher for online students.

That’s why I’m wondering. If on campus is only at 3-4%, then the online rate is likely just as high as the for profits.

[flamehunter]

I know it’s not possible, but I’d love to see the default rate for on campus vs online.

I'm sure it's quite a bit higher for online students.

I think this addresses the concern about why it is higher. U of Phoenix's default rate is over 13%. Online education is designed for those who want to fit in college to their already busy lives. Way too many bite off more than they can chew and end up not finishing and subsequently don't ever realize the benefit for the classes they did take. Thus they don't place a high priority on repaying for something they did not benefit from financially or career-wise.