Sen. Durbin: Don't fall for college-in-your-pajamas trick

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday night blasted for-profit colleges that he said don't always provide quality education and can leave prospective students in debt. In particular, he criticized an advertisement saying you can get an education while staying at home in bed in your pajamas.

"The ad that just really troubles me shows a lovely young woman who says you can go to college in your pajamas," he said. "You don't even have to get out of bed to go to college, and she's got a computer on her bed there."

The video he was apparently referencing can be seen below:

"I don't believe anybody should fall for that, but some must, and they end up signing up for these for-profit schools, getting deep in debt with a worthless diploma when it's all over," he added.

Durbin spoke after Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) spoke at length about the need to stop shady for-profit colleges from preying on ex-military students looking for a degree. Harkin spoke mostly about Kaplan, which is owned by The Washington Post, for targeting military students because of their access to government funding for their education costs.

The ad Durbin referenced is by EducationConnection.com, which connects prospective students to various online schools.

"I hope that the people who are going to give the patriotic speeches in this chamber about our love of country and our love of men and women in uniform, will love them enough to stand with us and put an end to this exploitation by these for-profit colleges," Durbin said.

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