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  • Fail State (2017)
  • 93 min | Documentary
Fail State (2017)
93 min | Documentary

Executive produced by news legend Dan Rather, Fail State investigates the dark side of American higher education, chronicling decades of policy decisions in Washington DC that have given rise to a powerful and highly-predatory for-profit ...See moreExecutive produced by news legend Dan Rather, Fail State investigates the dark side of American higher education, chronicling decades of policy decisions in Washington DC that have given rise to a powerful and highly-predatory for-profit college industry. With echoes of the subprime mortgage crisis, the film lays bare how for-profit colleges exploited millions of low-income and minority students, leaving them with worthless degrees and drowning in student loan debt. Director Alexander Shebanow traces the rise, fall, and resurgence of the for-profit college industry, uncovering their Wall Street backing and incestuous relationship with the regulators and lawmakers charged with overseeing them. Written by SDCF See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
Alexander Shebanow (attached)
Writers
Editor
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Oct 28, 2017

Release date
Oct 28, 2017 (United States)

Contacts

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Cast

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67 cast members
Name Known for
Fred Nelson
Self - Enrolled at ICM School of Business Self - Enrolled at ICM School of Business   See fewer
Luis Tayahua
Self - Enrolled at Westwood College Self - Enrolled at Westwood College   See fewer
Suzanne Mettler
Self - Professor, Cornell University Self - Professor, Cornell University   See fewer
Jon Marcus
Self - The Hechinger Report Self - The Hechinger Report   See fewer
F. King Alexander
Self - President, Louisiana State University Self - President, Louisiana State University   See fewer
Gail Mellow
Self - President, LaGuardia Community College Self - President, LaGuardia Community College   See fewer
Sara Goldrick-Rab
Self - Professor, Temple University Self - Professor, Temple University   See fewer
Maxine Waters
Self - Congressperson, California (D) Self - Congressperson, California (D)   See fewer
Bob Shireman
Self - Dep. Undersecretary of Education 2009 - 2010 Self - Dep. Undersecretary of Education 2009 - 2010   See fewer
Stephen Burd
Self - Chronicle of Higher Education (as Steve Burd) Self - Chronicle of Higher Education (as Steve Burd)   See fewer
Deanne Loonin
Self - Project on Predatory Student Lending Self - Project on Predatory Student Lending   See fewer
Marquette Bascom
Self -LaGuardia Community College Graduate Self -LaGuardia Community College Graduate   See fewer
Jack Conway
Self - Kentucky Attorney General 2008 - 2016 Self - Kentucky Attorney General 2008 - 2016   See fewer
Laura Brozek
Self - Former ITT Tech Recruiter Self - Former ITT Tech Recruiter   See fewer
Tom Harkin
Self - Senator, Iowa (D) Self - Senator, Iowa (D)   See fewer
David Halperin
Self - RepublicReport.org Self - RepublicReport.org   See fewer
Bryan Babcock
Self - Enrolled at ITT Tech Self - Enrolled at ITT Tech   See fewer
Michael Vasquez
Self - Investigative Reporter, Miami Herald Self - Investigative Reporter, Miami Herald   See fewer
Elizabeth Baylor
Self - Senior Investigator, Sen. Help Committee Self - Senior Investigator, Sen. Help Committee   See fewer
Chris Neiweem
Self - Former Military Recruiter for DeVry University Self - Former Military Recruiter for DeVry University   See fewer
Murray Hastie
Self - Enrolled at DeVry University Self - Enrolled at DeVry University   See fewer
Vince Martin
Self - Former Corinthian Recruiter Self - Former Corinthian Recruiter   See fewer
Jen Wilson
Self - Enrolled at Everest University Self - Enrolled at Everest University   See fewer
Zach Turner
Self - Enrolled at ITT Tech Self - Enrolled at ITT Tech   See fewer
Andrew P. Kelly
Self - American Enterprise Institute Self - American Enterprise Institute   See fewer
Kevin Carey
Self - New America Self - New America   See fewer
Matthew Reed
Self - Vice President, Brookdale Community College Self - Vice President, Brookdale Community College   See fewer
Dick Durbin
Self - Senator, Illinois (D) Self - Senator, Illinois (D)   See fewer
Bill Haslam
Self - Governor, Tennessee (R) Self - Governor, Tennessee (R)   See fewer
Harry Alford
Self - National Black Chamber of Commerce (archive footage) Self - National Black Chamber of Commerce (archive footage)   See fewer
Arthur Benjamin
Self - CEO, ATI Enterprises (archive footage) Self - CEO, ATI Enterprises (archive footage)   See fewer
William J. Bennett
Self - Former U.S. Secretary of Education (archive footage) Self - Former U.S. Secretary of Education (archive footage)   See fewer
John Boehner
Self - House Education Committee Chairman (R) (archive footage) Self - House Education Committee Chairman (R) (archive footage)   See fewer
George Bush
Self - 41st President of the United States (archive footage) Self - 41st President of the United States (archive footage)   See fewer
George W. Bush
Self - 43rd President of the United States (archive footage) Self - 43rd President of the United States (archive footage)   See fewer
Walter Cronkite
Self - Host, CBS Nightly News (archive footage) Self - Host, CBS Nightly News (archive footage)   See fewer
Lanny Davis
Self - Former White House Counsel 1996 - 1998 (archive footage) Self - Former White House Counsel 1996 - 1998 (archive footage)   See fewer
Arne Duncan
Self - Secretary of Education 2009 - 2016 (archive footage) Self - Secretary of Education 2009 - 2016 (archive footage)   See fewer
Anita Dunn
Self - Acting White House Communications Director, April to November 2009 (archive footage) Self - Acting White House Communications Director, April to November 2009 (archive footage)   See fewer
Mike Enzi
Self -Senate Education Committee Chairman (R) (archive footage) Self -Senate Education Committee Chairman (R) (archive footage)   See fewer
Dick Gephart
Self - Congressperson, Missouri (D) (archive footage) Self - Congressperson, Missouri (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Newt Gingrich
Self - Former Speaker of the House (R) (archive footage) Self - Former Speaker of the House (R) (archive footage)   See fewer
Aaron Glantz
Self - Senior Reporter, Reveal News (archive footage) Self - Senior Reporter, Reveal News (archive footage)   See fewer
Donald Graham
Self - Owner, Kaplan Services, Inc. (archive footage) Self - Owner, Kaplan Services, Inc. (archive footage)   See fewer
Albert Gray
Self - Former President, ACCSC (archive footage) Self - Former President, ACCSC (archive footage)   See fewer
William Hansen
Self - Deputy Secretary of Education 2001 - 2003 (archive footage) (as Bill Hansen) Self - Deputy Secretary of Education 2001 - 2003 (archive footage) (as Bill Hansen)   See fewer
Alcee L. Hastings
Self - Congressperson, Florida (D) (archive footage) (as Alcee Hastings) Self - Congressperson, Florida (D) (archive footage) (as Alcee Hastings)   See fewer
Lyndon B. Johnson
Self - 36th President of the United States (archive footage) Self - 36th President of the United States (archive footage)   See fewer
Ted Kennedy
Self - Senator, Massachusetts (D) (archive footage) Self - Senator, Massachusetts (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Michale McComis
Self - ACCSC President (archive footage) (as Michael McComis) Self - ACCSC President (archive footage) (as Michael McComis)   See fewer
Buck McKeon
Self - Higher Education Subcommittee Chairman (R) (archive footage) Self - Higher Education Subcommittee Chairman (R) (archive footage)   See fewer
Harris Miller
Self - President, Career Colleges Association 2007 - 2011 (archive footage) Self - President, Career Colleges Association 2007 - 2011 (archive footage)   See fewer
Kevin Modany
Self - CEO, ITT Tech (archive footage) Self - CEO, ITT Tech (archive footage)   See fewer
Sam Nunn
Self - Senator, Georgia (D) (archive footage) Self - Senator, Georgia (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Conan O'Brien
Self - 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Speaker (archive footage) Self - 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Speaker (archive footage)   See fewer
Barack Obama
Self - 44th President of the United States (archive footage) Self - 44th President of the United States (archive footage)   See fewer
John Oliver
Self - Host, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (archive footage) Self - Host, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (archive footage)   See fewer
Claiborne Pell
Self - Senator, Rhode Island (D) (archive footage) Self - Senator, Rhode Island (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
William V. Roth
Self - Senator, Delaware (R) (archive footage) (as William Roth) Self - Senator, Delaware (R) (archive footage) (as William Roth)   See fewer
Paul Simon
Self - Senator, Illinois (D) (archive footage) Self - Senator, Illinois (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Margaret Spellings
Self - Secretary of Education 2005 - 2009 (archive footage) Self - Secretary of Education 2005 - 2009 (archive footage)   See fewer
John Sperling
Self - Owner of University of Phoenix (archive footage) Self - Owner of University of Phoenix (archive footage)   See fewer
Sally Stroup
Self - Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education 2002 - 2005 (archive footage) Self - Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education 2002 - 2005 (archive footage)   See fewer
Edolphus Towns
Self - Congressperson, New York (D) (archive footage) Self - Congressperson, New York (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Donald Trump
Self - Founder, Trump University (archive footage) Self - Founder, Trump University (archive footage)   See fewer
Elizabeth Warren
Self - Senator, Massachusetts (D) (archive footage) Self - Senator, Massachusetts (D) (archive footage)   See fewer
Robert Wrubel
Self - Apollo Group Executive VP (archive footage) Self - Apollo Group Executive VP (archive footage)   See fewer
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