Ellen -
Back off the high horse a bit and stop bashing some of these schools (UND Erau). You can go to UND and get about any degree you can think of outside of aviation. And their MBA and Doctoral programs are top notch.

I had an absolute blast there, met some great friends, went to some great parties and got a great education (outside of aviation). Walked out with a degree and a job that started the next day. I wouldnt have had that opportunity if I had gone anywhere else.

And you said it yourself, these schools are a business too. They have to do what they can to keep their product going strong. They are not pointing a gun at anyone saying they have to go there or that they have to get a degree in aviation. at some point the consumer has to be responsible for their investment and extract all the info they can.