Trade schools "costly" for poor blacks.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

Young African-Americans from some of the country's most disadvantaged neighborhoods are drawn to for-profit post-secondary trade schools, believing they are the quickest route to jobs, but a study coauthored by a sociologist from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., finds the very thing that makes for-profit schools seem so appealing--a streamlined curriculum--is the reason so many poor students drop out.

Researchers found that young people who attend for-profit institutions end up in more debt and with fewer job prospects than they might have had if they attended two- or four-year nonprofit schools. The findings, which shed new light on what attracts students to for-profit institutions and why they struggle to complete certifications, were published in Sociology of Education.

'The quick jump into for-profit schools really precludes other options that might be less costly and have a bigger return," says coauthor Stefanie DeLuca, associate professor of sociology. 'These young people are vulnerable to the flashy ads for these schools and lured in by how quickly they could get jobs."

DeLuca and coauthor Megan M. Holland, assistant professor of educational leadership at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.), found 53% of young people in their study pursued occupational certification at for-profit trade schools. These schools offer occupational training programs in fields like cosmetology, auto mechanics, computer networking, and phlebotomy. Most students who enroll are very low income, and studies show the number of disadvantaged students choosing for-profit programs is increasing.

These young people have very grounded career expectations--most hope to find working-class jobs as police officers, construction workers, administrative help, truck drivers, and nursing assistants--and, because of their family and financial circumstances, they want to...