Why the gov't let many trade schools become diploma mills

Among the allegations is that many of these schools enrolled unqualified students, taught bogus coursework, and encouraged prospective students to lie on financial aid forms so they could access federal dollars.

Consumer advocates also blame fear of litigation and a culture at the Education Department that views itself as a partner with schools, rather than a regulator working on behalf of students.

Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees education spending, says the administration's new rules will make it "much more difficult for institutions to serve their students" and "is likely to cause programs to cease operations, preventing students from benefiting from the valuable job training."