Arizona College of Nursing to Open Milwaukee Campus Amid Controversy

Milwaukee, WI – December 19, 2024 – The Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN), a controversial for-profit institution, has announced plans to begin classes in Milwaukee on January 2, 2025. The announcement has sparked concern among local education and health care advocates, citing AZCN’s troubling history and high tuition costs.

AZCN is currently on a three-year probation in Arizona for employing unqualified instructors and conducting unsupervised clinical sessions. Additionally, the college is facing a lawsuit in Dallas, Texas, where students allege fraud.

Predatory Practices Targeting Vulnerable Students. Critics argue that AZCN is employing aggressive marketing tactics to attract students in economically disadvantaged areas. The college has invested heavily in advertising, including billboards on I-94, and is offering scholarships of up to $5,000 to prospective students.

“This is standard practice for predatory colleges,” said Dr. Quinton Cotton, spokesperson for the Committee for Equity in Nursing Education (CENE). “Schools like AZCN, Everest College, and ITT Tech often target cities with high poverty rates, offering what appear to be substantial scholarships. However, these scholarships barely offset their exorbitant tuition costs, which can range from $28,736 to over $30,000 per year in the case of AZCN. Students are left with significant debt from institutions that lack credibility in the health care field. A quality nursing education should not harm students and communities.”

For comparison, annual tuition and books at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) cost $11,198, while Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) charges just $4,182.75. Graduates of these established programs consistently achieve higher scores and pass rates on the NCLEX exam, a critical licensure requirement for nurses.

Impact on Marginalized Communities. Edna Hudson-Kinzey, president of the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association, emphasized the damaging effects of for-profit colleges on minority communities. “Black, Brown, and Asian students in Milwaukee have been victimized by for-profit colleges in the past. Even when they graduated, which many do not, the students learn they were sold a bill of goods. Credits don’t transfer, the promises of employment are empty, and they often owe tens of thousands of dollars in loans that will keep them indebted for years.”

Student Suffers Loss. Former for-profit college student Elsa Marks, now enrolled at MATC, shared her cautionary tale. “These so-called schools are total scams. The one I attended is closed just like Everest, ITT Tech, Sanford Brown and others. Those credits are worthless, and I am left with so much debt. I had to start all over again from scratch.”

For-Profit Predatory Schools a Growing Concern. AZCN’s move into Milwaukee follows the announcement that Nightingale College of Nursing, another for-profit institution offering online programs, plans to recruit Wisconsin students. Local health care and education leaders see this trend as a threat to existing, high-quality nursing programs. Nationally, there has been an increase in for-profit schools which also facilitates an increase in predatory lending practices.

“This year elected officials at the city and county released statements warning the public about predatory schools and we should take this seriously,” said Ericka Sinclair, a healthcare executive and co-founder of the MKE Black Grassroots Network for Health Equity. “Predatory colleges undermine health care equity and our community’s ability to grow a qualified workforce with the capacity to meet community health needs.”

In a letter from the Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA), signed by college and university presidents in southeastern Wisconsin, the organization warned of the detrimental impact of for-profit schools. “While HERA and our region’s healthcare employers recognize the need for more nurse graduates, adding a new school is solving the wrong problem. We do not need greater capacity, as the current nursing and health science educators have sufficient capacity to increase nursing and health related graduates. The limiting factor is availability of staffing for sufficient clinical placements in the region” the letter stated.

A Call for Investment in Proven Programs. Dr. Michael Rosen, an economist and CENE spokesperson, urged investment in established programs. “For-profit schools view students as profit centers and Wisconsin’s nursing shortage as a market opportunity. To truly address this shortage, we must expand proven programs at UWM, MATC, Marquette, and Alverno, rather than allowing predatory institutions to exploit vulnerable populations.”

About the Committee for Equity in Nursing Education (CENE): The Committee for Equity in Nursing Education (CENE) is dedicated to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in nursing education and healthcare. Comprised of educators, healthcare professionals, labor unions, and community advocates, CENE works to address systemic barriers and disparities in nursing education and advocate for policies that support equitable access to quality education and healthcare.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.