Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Mikeal Swenson testified before the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday, warning federal officials that proposed cuts to oversight of higher education institutions could leave student veterans vulnerable to predatory for-profit colleges.
Swenson, who served six and a half years in the Army and completed two tours in Afghanistan, told the department that his experience at Full Sail University left him with no degree, non-transferable credits and a deep sense of betrayal.
“I feel like Full Sail stole my GI Bill from me,” Swenson said during a virtual public hearing on proposed rule changes to student loan and college accountability policies.
After leaving the military, Swenson enrolled at Full Sail’s music production program. He said the school assigned him a recruiter who claimed to be a former admiral in the U.S. Navy. Swenson said the connection and his prestige were used to gain his trust.
“The recruiter used his military experience and rank to gain my trust. He told me Full Sail paired graduates with employers and provided resources for the job search,” Swenson said. “Nearly every promise made by the recruiter was a lie.”
He described the classes as “terrible,” citing unqualified instructors, unrealistic expectations, and accelerated coursework that didn’t prepare students for careers in music production.
Swenson ultimately withdrew after two years. It wasn’t until he secured an internship through his own contacts that he learned the program he had been placed in wasn’t even suited for his career goals.
“I actually needed a degree in electrical engineering for my desired career, not the music production degree Full Sail had put me in,” he said. “They also told me that my school was a waste of money, and there were better schools I should go to if I wanted to work in music.”
Swenson has since restarted his education journey, beginning at a community college and now continuing at Arizona State University, but said the setbacks had already taken their toll.
“It has taken so much more time and money than it should have,” he said. “I have earned enough credits for a bachelor’s degree, but I still don’t have one because my Full Sail credits were not transferable.”
Full Sail’s music production program had an 11% graduation rate, Swenson noted, adding, “I’m not the only one who was harmed.”
He warned that proposed Department of Education staff cuts could weaken enforcement and allow predatory institutions to continue targeting veterans and other vulnerable students.
“I am concerned that cuts to the Department of Education will rob it of its ability to help students like me who have been taken advantage of,” Swenson said. “I am sharing my experience in the hopes that something like this will not happen to anyone else.”
The Department of Education is gathering public input through a series of virtual hearings as part of its required “negotiated rulemaking” process, which will lead to new federal regulations governing student loans, institutional accountability, and college eligibility.
Swenson urged the department to strengthen protections for veterans pursuing an education.
“I believe that the Department of Education should hold schools accountable when they lie to students, and not allow the veterans who are seeking an education to be harmed,” he said.
