The Chronicle: U.S. Finds No Antitrust Problem in Education Management Sale
The Federal Trade Commission has signed off on a $3.4-billion deal in which the Education Management Corporation, which enrolls 72,000 students on 72 campuses in 24 states, sold itself to two private equity firms, Providence Equity Partners Inc. and the investment arm of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Reuters reported today. The move, originally announced a month ago, was the largest buyout in the history of the for-profit higher-education industry, and it triggered speculation among analysts that the deal could lead to other takeovers of for-profit colleges (The Chronicle, March 7). The trade commission’s action, which found no antitrust concerns in the deal, is likely to fuel more such speculation.