Senate report: Iraq and Afghanistan veterans flock to for-profit colleges, spending billions

Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have flocked to for-profit colleges. That includes a troubled chain that is closing or selling its campuses amid a series of federal and state investigations.

A report to be released Wednesday from the office of Sen. Tom Harkin finds that for-profit colleges received $1.7 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in the 2012-2013 school term. About a quarter of benefits paid under the program went to the for-profit sector.

Among the top 10 recipient schools, eight were from the for-profit sector.

One of them is Corinthian Colleges. The chain based in Santa Ana, California, recently reached an agreement with the Education Department to sell or close its more than 90 U.S. campuses.

Harkin chairs the Senate Education Committee.