Idaho Gov. Little addresses letter from three senators asking U of I to nix Phoenix deal
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has fired off his own response days after three U.S. senators sent a letter to University of Idaho President Scott Green asking the school to reconsider its plans to acquire the University of Phoenix.
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote to Green on Monday, detailing their concerns about the proposed acquisition of the online, for-profit university and the potential liabilities the U of I would incur, including thousands of pending student loan writeoffs.
Little said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal should focus less of their time on Idaho and more on securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I see you have taken an interest in Idaho — thousands of miles from Massachusetts, Illinois and Connecticut,” Little said in his post Friday. “While you are focused on the past, here in Idaho we are focused on the proposed deal’s potential.”
He accused their states of being the most costly for higher education, while Idaho ranks among the least costly.
The letter from Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal was not signed by either of Idaho’s two senators, Republicans Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, a U of I alum.
Risch said in a statement emailed to the Idaho Statesman that “any transaction like this should be closely examined” and that the other senators have “no connection or interest” in the matter. He said they should respect Idaho’s ability to determine what’s best for itself.
Crapo said in a statement that he has faith in the U of I’s leadership to determine their path forward.
The letter Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal sent to Green claimed the acquisition could harm students and taxpayers — not only in Idaho, but across the country.
“We are concerned that U of I’s acquisition will allow Phoenix to continue to abuse students under the guise of a trusted, public university,” the senators wrote. “Many for-profit colleges have a long history of preying on vulnerable students — including veterans, low-income students and students of color. Phoenix is no exception.”
They said they worried U of I would be on the hook for the University of Phoenix’s discharged federal student loans. That happened to the University of Arizona when it acquired the online, for-profit Ashford University in 2020.
Green replied to the three senators on Wednesday.
His letter, provided to the Statesman by a spokesperson for the university, thanked the senators for their interest in the school’s affairs and informed them that the U of I is well prepared for any potential liabilities that may accompany the transaction.
“Student loan debt is certainly something we pay attention to at U of I,” Green said. “It is a conversation we have had with the new management of University of Phoenix and was considered as part of our due diligence.”
