You TOO Can Be a Programmer!

Just sign this financial aid form here. No need to read the fine print; trust us!

During the Seventies financial aid and student loans were readily available, and many for-profit schools, like this one (now closed) on W 29 St near 8 Ave were there to teach you the skills necessary for a highly rewarding and well-paying career in the booming computer field. Of course, at that time this meant programming mainframe systems, typically in languages such as COBOL.

You could learn to be a programmer just as well (if not better) for a lot less money at a City University school. Consequently, these for-profit schools knew they had to fight hard to get students. And they did. They went after just about anyone who could qualify for any type of government assistance, regardless of their aptitude. They also advertised heavily. As a result, thousands of people signed up for student loans that they had no way to repay, and millions in tax dollars were wasted. Several law suits were filed against the trade schools.