For-Profit Colleges Under Investigation

How or where do I find the names of all 15 schools?

I attended the University of Phoenix for about 1 year and did not think that the quality of education was very good. I decided to go to a traditional University a continue to pursue my degree. My experience with the University of Phoenix, as far as, financial aid is concern is that they seem to make sure that the student had no refund from financial aid coming back to them. The financial aid people always came up with an excuse or reason why not. The rumor was that the University of Phoenix was a diploma mill. You really don’t know what to believe. I would not recommend attending.

Shut them down. Schools should exist to provide education, not to create a profit. Having a profit motive completely undermines the quality of education and information that a school will deliver.

I have a similar situation going on RIGHT NOW. I’m in the last 3 hours of my MBA, right? Week 2, I get a paper back with 2 of 5 points. Week 3, same thing. I am a professional writer who followed the rubric verbatim. Further, he makes comments that pertain to nothing on the syllabus or the rubric but simple suggestions like defining terms that were covered in undergrad statistics course. When questioned, the instructor explains things that are not in my question. Further, when I requested a rubric, there was still stock text that he was too lazy to remove and replace – same as the syllabus. Over half of the class dropped and yet I felt compelled to stay because I knew I would be graduating in just a few weeks.
Long story short I did not and still have not. UoP said that I incurred a balance on my account because I made a D in the class and was unable to graduate with a 2.96 GPA because of the D. Further, they said that I will not qualify for financial aid to retake a class to boost my GPA because I have exhausted all of my financial aid. Needless to say, I am in my second appeal. I may call up the Department of Education as the previous poster did.
I have 30 hours toward an MBA and no degree. I just got laid off recently so seeing this news story in the midst of this second appeal was eye-opening and affirmed what I have been thinking since this nightmare began – it’s all about money. You can forget serving the students. The cost of convenience in this case was/is very high.

Wooah…. Second Great Depression.

Its not fair to judge a school that founded online education. To me this sounds like jealously. I do not think a traditional degree is any better than a for profit degree. Before making judgements check the resources first. Ain’t nothing or no one is going to stop me from attending UOP. This school changed my life for the better as well as hundreds of thousands of others. This is the harvard university of online learning.

OMG! I don’t know what to believe now! i just enrolled and went to orientation today! If anyone out there can give good information please post. I start on Aug 30th.

If you want to talk about the real repercussions of bringing to light the discrepancies between the part of society that needs to borrow money to go to school and whose life demands an unconventional class schedule, the one thing that society stands to gain is the (new?) understanding that borrowing money from the government is just that: BORROWING. Incurring debt. The University can’t put a cap on the amount borrowed. All they can do is encourage the student to borrow responsibly. The girl in the video is right about one thing: the government never comes looking for corroborated evidence of how the money was spent. So who’s really doing the victimizing here? Bill Pipicello, a man whose mission of education for all was marred by a poorly-trained employee soliciting misinformation, or the government, who allows a cap of $135,000 for a post-secondary and graduate degree. Do you want to incur that much debt? Think before borrowing. It’s not the University’s job to tell people how to manage their lives, but they try anyway. No one can make people borrow responsibly. Instead, let’s just blame the only people trying to help.

Has anyone talked to the thousands of individuals who have contributed to society because they were able to work and obtain a degree with UOP. Or those who lost their jobs because of the economical down turn who now have a degree and have managed to find new work and keep his or her home. I am a father of two, prior military (the government never help me with a degree, I did get a GI Bill. $10,000.00 ever go to a public college? That is about 1-2 semesters depending on where you go.) and a graduate of UOP. This degree has made me a better learner, more motivated and more educated. Those of you looking to place blame, I suggest you spend time doing your own investigative work or be prepared to be judged by those you are so quick to judge…I AM A Phoenix and I am damn proud to be so.

Let me read this again — “Shut them down. Schools should exist to provide education, not to create a profit. Having a profit motive completely undermines the quality of education and information that a school will deliver.”
– Really? Name me a reputable university that does not exist to turn a profit. Should we shut down Harvard and Yale with their billions in endowments/profits? Should we shut down football factory colleges like USC, UCLA, UF, OSU, etc who predominantly turn profits via TV and “athletics” under the guise of education?!
Really?!?!? You own a major business: are you going to hire the stereotype jock who never went to class but was given a degree by USC? Or the UOP grad who worked her tail off at a job and in school to earn a quality education that was meaningful and relevant (until this shamefully biased and unhelpful news story aired)… please think again.

Where there is smoke, there is fire. I knew a woman that was an “admissions” counselor at UofP. She told me herself that it was really a sales job, and that she was under constant pressure to sign people up.

I love the University of Phoenix. I would recommend it to anyone! UOP, continue to do a good job and don’t worry about the haters.

I am just curious – how many times did they go in to talk to counselors to get the story they wanted? How many campus locations did they visit? Why didn’t they mention accreditation? Why didn’t they mention the students responsibility in this matter? Why don’t they compare the practices to government subsidized schools? What ever happened to realy journalism? Who is paying the salaries of ABC – Who i spulling the strings. Too bad more poeple don’t GO to UOP – maybe then they might learn to think critically about garbage reporting hatchet jobs.

I attended the University of Phoenix for my masters degree and have nothing but positive things to say. I went to a “traditional” school for my undergrad, and feel that the support and quality of education was far superior at Univ. of Phoenix. I have since been promoted, and my student loan bill is my favorite bill I pay each month. School is like everything else, you get out of it what you put in. In these rough times, stop looking for an easy out. I do not see the public schools doing things right…who else is going to serve the working adult population that would like to be educated?

University of Phoenix, with more than 400,000 students; Argosy University, part of the 136,000-student Education Management Corp.; Kaplan College, part of the 119,000-student Kaplan Higher Education operation owned by The Washington Post Co.; and Everest College, part of the 110,000-student Corinthian Colleges.
Also named: Westech College in California, Bennett Career Institute and Potomac College in the District, MedVance Institute in Florida, College of Office Technology in Illinois, Anthem Institute in Pennsylvania, and Westwood College and ATI Career Training in Texas. Kaplan, Everest and Phoenix each were cited twice, for different campuses.

Wow, I find this unbelievable! Did this lady REALLY think that she could become a teacher with 45 general education credits and 15 “how to be a teacher” credits? No, an associate’s degree does NOT qualify you to be a teacher. My daughter will not be taught by someone who has a two year degree… but wait, the Department of Education in every state won’t allow that either! And in all actuality, yes, this lady COULD become a teacher with a bachelor’s degree from University of Phoenix. What she doesn’t realize (and what is on the Illinois Department of Education website) is that she would be able to apply as an out-of-state applicant, and then become a certified teacher in her state.
To the individuals who are asking the names of the 15 schools. That’s a bad sign if you are attending college anywhere –you’re going to need to learn how to research, no better time than now to start!
For the comments like “Schools should not be allowed to make a profit” –So are you saying close down Harvard? USC? ANY college for that matter? Guess what, ALL schools are out to make a profit. The difference is, for profit universities pay taxes instead of collecting them. Oh yea, and they’re providing a service to students that traditional universities do not even come close to doing.
And to the lady who can’t finish her MBA….. it’s obvious that you’re part of the problem. If you would have borrowed responsibly, you would have enough funding to finish your program! OR if you would have done better in your classes, you wouldn’t have dropped below the 3.0 GPA graduation requirement. It’s all about the money, and the student’s are not served? Maybe you’re just not cut out for a graduate program, a MBA is not for everyone, you know…..

I just completed my BS in Communications from University of Phoenix. I was in the online program and did use financial aid to pay for my education. I also completed my first two years of education at a local junior college, taking both traditional and online courses.
I am 41 and never finished my education. I returned to school 3 years ago and am thankful for the opportunity to get my degree through UoPHX. The instructors were good. Some were great some stunk. I have to admit – I ran into some that stunk on traditional campuses as well. In fact, my highschool son has some instructors also that do not belong in a classroom. I would say that out of about 20 classes, there are 2 instructors that I was unhappy with.
Students have to work hard. No multiple choice tests. Everything is written and final projects include a powerpoint presentation.
The Learning Teams are as close to a true-to-life experience as one can get. In every company I have worked for, there is usually at least one person who doesn’t always pull their weight. While I was not always on a team with people like this, it did happen. It has also happened to my son in high school. That is a part of life. Part of being a strong student and/or professional is learning to communicate with others and prepare for theings that happen.
I have never had the opportunity to make a high salary even though I have the skills because I do not have a degree. A week after I completed my degree, I applied for a promotion, got it and am now making more money than I ever have in my life.
University of Phoenix is not perfect, but it is a good school that offers opportunity to a large group of people.
Lying is unacceptable, housecleaning needs to be done, but do not close them down or minimize the success of those of us who have worked hard.

I’m in my last year of my Bachelor’s and was never encouraged to take out more in loans than I needed.
More to the point, I worked in Counselor QA for nearly 7 years,listening to THOUSANDS of phone calls between Enrollment, Academic and Finance Counselors and their students. Every single counselor, Teacher’s Education Specialist and QA observer was required to take special financial aid ethics training. TRhe University made it more than clear that the behavior exhibited by this counselor in ABC’s hit piece, is absolutely not tolerated! In my capacity, if I heard anything such as described in this story, it was an immediate notification to the counselor’s manager and required disciplinary action, including possible termination. UOP, like most (if not all) private colleges, depends on Title IV funding (Student loans), therefore, playing fast and loose with facts can result in such a university going out of business and thousands of students being harmed. University of Phoenix may not be perfect, but they are trying to be honest with their students about the debt they are incurring, how it must be paid back and whether or not their teaching degree is valid in any particular state. Also, I have, personally, heard many counselors explain to prospective Education students that UOP could not help them get a recognized degree in their state through UOP.
Fire this counselor and send him back to the used car lot, but don’t paint all of UOP and its counselors with this idiot slimeball’s brush.
And as Jim said, I am a Phoenix and I will be proud to earn (yes, earn) my Bachelor’s degree next year.

Wow! How can ABC get away with stereotyping like this??
Cuomo said in the beginning that they investigated 15 schools and that 4 committed fraud. The only school he mentions by name and attacks is Univeristy of Phoenix.
He also neglected to mention that University of Phoenix has over 200 campuses and a huge department of online enrollment counselors. Why did he do his entire report based on what only one enrollment counselor at a campus in Texas said? I guess he was absent that day in college when they taught the journalism students about the “three source rule.” Maybe they just don’t teach that at the college he attended that is now probably going to name a library after him for making the evil online school look bad.
How in the heck did Cuomo manage to find the one idiot on earth who thinks she can teach in a public school with only an associates degree? The best enrollment counselor in the world wouldn’t have been able to get that through her head.
Bottom line is University of Phoenix currently has over 400,000 students. They don’t have that many students because they’re tricking everyone into enrolling. They have that many students because they are doing something right.
Their parent company has about 25,000 employees and about 30,000 adjunct faculty members. Its a fantastic company and University of Phoenix is a fantastic school.
ABC has managed to show once again that they HATE capitalism. Anything and anyone that makes a profit, even if they are providing a good or service that is desperately needed by US citizens, is evil and ABC is going to save all of us from the big, evil, profit-making companies.
ABC stinks!!!!

I attended UoP for my bachelors and their so called accelerated program is awful. I work for a global aerospace company that is partnered with them, so our tuition is 100% paid, which means this university is all about taking corporate dollars and not giving you a quality education. This school is very deceptive.
I do not recommend this school to anyone.

A few bad apples should not be placed on the whole university. The UOP is the future of education.

While I agree in part, with some of the comments that have been left, I think it is important to remember that this is not just about the University of Pheonix. And, we must also recognize that this may not be the way that ever single person, at every single one of these schools operates. However, the sad truth is, that many of these schools are doing exactly what this report shows.
The UOP probably gets more of the public eye on this one because it is the most well known. They may not be the most guilty. However, they are not innocent. They have already paid their damages for that. Nearly 100 mil in damages. (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091214006155&newsLang=en)
I attended one of these for profit schools. I am just surprised that Heritage College did not appear on that list. They did the very same thing not only to me, but to every other student I spoke with on campus. When I came in for my admissions appointment, I asked specific questions about the program and what I could expect from it. The admissions rep answered my questions and assured me that not only would I get what I was looking for, but I would also have an extra credential to fall back on. That, I soon found out, was a complete lie. I did not get any of the credentials that I went in for. Instead, I got the one that I had no interest in. Now, you could say this was my fault. If things were not adding up, I could have left, right? It is not that simple. After only a few short weeks, I started to ask questions. I asked to see my file and my admissions agreement, along with a copy of the program guide for the program I enrolled in. However, what is funny about people, when they know they have been caught, is that they start to act differently, defensively. Not only was I denied to right to see my admissions, and financial aid file, they were always “lost” on the several occasions that I requested copies. Not only that, but the first time I went to the office to make this request, not only was I denied, I was put in an office, asked to sit in a chair, and then hovered over by nearly half a dozen administrative staff and questioned as if I had done something wrong. Interesting tactic, I suppose. Trying to turn the tables on me helps to take the focus off of them. The funny thing is, that even while I was in school asking questions, even the teachers would say, “maybe you should have done your research before you enrolled here. It is not their fault that you didn’t know what you were doing.” Sure, to an extent I am sure you are right. However, like I said, I did ask questions. I laid it all out when I came in for the admissions meeting. I told him exactly what I was looking for. He assured me that I had come to the right place. That I would receive everything I was looking for. Now, for a place the specializes in education, shouldn’t their admissions people be smart enough to know what they are teaching? If you work in that capacity, should you not be an expert on that of which you sell? They are good sales people all right. But they really are not very smart. And If I asked the good questions, I should be able to believe them. Simple as that. Or so I thought.
And I could have quit right? Well, lets evaluate that a bit further. At Heritage College in 2008, the average cost of their “XMT” program was nearly 19k. For a 14 month program, that equals quite a bit of money for every day that you find yourself in a classroon. By the time you have found yourself, loyally, going to class for say 5 months, you have already racked up quite a bill. Then what? You finally see the full scope of the fraud that has been done on your account and you leave. However, by doing so, you leave this worthless institution with several thousand dollars in debt, no better job to pay it off with, and with no credentials. Thousands of dollars for nothing. That was the issue I was faced with. So I stayed. Leave and pay for nothing, or stay, pay more, and try to salvage something from this whole mess. So I finished. Graduated from my program with just shy of a 97% average, and glowing recommendations. And where has that gotten me? I am still working in the same job I had while I was in school. Not that I haven’t tried to get a job with my credentials. Trust me, I have. However, it appears that to do the job that Heritage trained me for, at least in the state I live in, you are not required to have any formal training or certifications. Funny how that worked out. And it has seemed as though having their name on my resume has actual hurt my chances at getting these new jobs, rather than helping them.
Now, not only did I waste a year and a half of my life in that place, I have found my self back in school again. That would not be so bad, accept that I am no longer eligible for FAFSA because of the money they collected for me, and because of the “elective” credits that have transferred over to my transcripts from that place. So, in a nut shell, I have the same job, 19k in student loans, and am now paying out of pocket for nursing school. That is pretty hard to do, considering, when you do the math, it cost me twice as much for every hour I sat in that classroom, as I make an hour at my job. ( And I make significantly more than minimum wage.) And did I mention, they wanted to use the job that I got myself, months prior to graduating from their facility on a placement document? They wanted to report me as placed in a job so they could keep their stats up, and stay qualified to collect government money.
As you can tell, I am a little bitter. But what you must remember, is that I am not the only person this has happened to. I have personally met a couple hundred people who went through the same thing I have, and still know a few that are in the same job-school-loan limbo that I am in now. And at the rate they enroll students, just one campus affects the lives of thousands of people a year. Multiply that by the number of these tech school campuses nation wide, and you have hundreds of thousands of people a year. Hard working people that want nothing more than to get an education, to get a good job, to take care of themselves and their families.

sorry i gave up the numbering and forgot a comma behind one of the kaplan colleges.

Drop out rates. Other colleges are selective in who they allow based on previous performance. University of Phoenix is selective on who can complete their degree. How many trust-fund babies are at Harvard and Princeton, right now? Partying, and spending their parents money. REAL PEOPLE CANNOT QUIT THEIR LIVES TO GO BACK TO A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, FULL-TIME. Do the math. If you spend $500 a semester at community/local college and go part-time, you will graduate in 3-7 years, depending on credits, right? At uop, you can graduate in 18-24 months, oftentimes! the difference (at the high estimate) is 5 years. Let’s say you can make $10,000 more per year with your bachelors, and the degree at uop costs $25K… Three years, you are +$5k, five, you are, net, + $25K. How much are you saving and how much are you leaving on the table. P.s. with a local school, how much is your time worth, commuting, childcare, parking, traffic…? GOOD LUCK! APPLES TO APPLES, Uop is the best choice for anyone who cannot attend a traditional school, full-time. This is just another way for the elitists to ruin the average, hard-worker’s chance to catch up, and be successful. The Government is trying to be in on the agenda, but hasn’t decided to support the “richies” or not. They don’t outvote the majority, they only out-pay and out-donate…

Someone mentioned that their company paid for their school and has a problem with uop. I would love to talk that person. Oops did I say love? Who would not want to be in his shoes, with his job paying 100% for his education? –something is up with that person…?

Watching this news report was very disheartening not because I believe the report exposed rampant predatory practices at University of Phoenix but because I was very disappointed and saddened that a reputable news organization such as ABC New as well as others would engage in their own predatory tactics for profit.
This story represents yet another example of a news industry moving farther away from being the unbiased, non-editorialized beacon of truth and social responsibility of yesterday to what it is today… a frenzy of reality TV and senseless entertainment and gossip that is willing to broadcast anything that can raise ratings. Networks are in a tug of war and desperate to survive in an industry that no longer carries the viewership and advertising income of yesterday as it competes with the internet and other media venues. Their solution for higher ratings to push live and so-called reality TV has been a catalyst to their growing demise. The immense pressure to churn news stories at the speed of now hinders their ability to properly research all the facts and reflect on the social impact their stories will have on our society. This knee-jerk and desperate response has produced programming that only has shock value versus true value and the repercussions are damaging and irresponsible.
What the report doesn’t tell you is that University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the United States with close to 450,000 working adults currently attending classes online and at more than 200 learning centers throughout the US and in two countries. University of Phoenix has been in existence for 30+ years. How has it lasted this long as a corrupt for-profit university? Perhaps because it is a beacon of hope and prosperity for those who are unable to attend traditional universities whose course schedules, limited resources, state and federal bureaucracy and elitist mentalities are not conducive to the growing number of working adults who want to better their lives. University of Phoenix has helped thousands of students achieve their academic goal when others have turned them away.
I’d be curious to know how many campuses were visited before they found the one counselor who unfortunately misled the undercover ABC reporter. Why was there only one advisor spotlighted if this is so rampant? Networks have the awesome responsibility to help us pull back to see the entire forest rather than rush us to the nearest tree that looks dead and allude that the rest are dying or catching on fire to and that we can’t live without them.

I just recently stopped attending UoP. I was attending Axia’s online school to major in pharmacy. I changed my major to business shortly after. After attending a year, I have to say that for the most part I had a good experience. My enrollment counselor was very nice, my academic advisor was readily available and helpful, and my financial advisor gave me sound information. She told me the amount I would need to borrow that my grants didn’t cover but never pressured me into borrowing more. She told me she wasn’t there to counsel me on how much to borrow and wasn’t even allowed to suggest an amount.
However, I did fail a class during Christmas time last year and was required to pay that back before I was allowed to take anymore classes. This was when I decided I was sick of paying as much money as I was and I wanted to go back to a community college. My academic advisor convinced me to stay for one more block of classes but then I truly decided I was done with them. That’s when he tried telling me I’d regret it and would never finish school and wouldn’t be able to come back. He sincerely sounded upset with me for choosing to leave! Little did he know I’d give him attitude right back. I don’t let people talk to me that way.
Everyone should do their own research before choosing a school. I interviewed a few online schools before choosing UoP. They didn’t pressure me to make up my mind because there was only one spot available. They let me take my time deciding.
As it goes with most schools, not ALL classes will transfer! If you want to continue education after, research them at the same time. Figure out which classes transfer and which do not. It’s not that hard to be responsible about incurring debt by going to school. I mean, I’m only 26 and made sure to do research before making any big decisions.
IF you’re willing to spend the money for online classes AND you think you can actually learn from it, continue on. I do suggest interviewing employers of the major you are choosing to see if they’d hire someone with an online degree. Do your research completely. That’s why I changed my major to business from pharmacy management. They’d want someone with actually field experience. Not online work.
Don’t blame the schools for your lack of knowledge. I left due to not wanting to pay those outrageous fees and my academic advisor getting snappy with me pushed me to my final decision.

Watching this news report was very disheartening not because I believe the report exposed rampant predatory practices at University of Phoenix but because I was very disappointed and saddened that a reputable news organization such as ABC New as well as others would engage in their own predatory tactics for profit.
This story represents yet another example of a news industry moving farther away from being the unbiased, non-editorialized beacon of truth and social responsibility of yesterday to what it is today… a frenzy of reality TV and senseless entertainment and gossip that is willing to broadcast anything that can raise ratings. Networks are in a tug of war and desperate to survive in an industry that no longer carries the viewership and advertising income of yesterday as it competes with the internet and other media venues. Their solution for higher ratings to push live and so-called reality TV has been a catalyst to their growing demise. The immense pressure to churn news stories at the speed of now hinders their ability to properly research all the facts and reflect on the social impact their stories will have on our society. This knee-jerk and desperate response has produced programming that only has shock value versus true value and the repercussions are damaging and irresponsible.
What the report doesn’t tell you is that University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the United States with close to 450,000 working adults currently attending classes online and at more than 200 learning centers throughout the US and in two countries. University of Phoenix has been in existence for 30+ years. How has it lasted this long as a corrupt for-profit university? Perhaps because it is a beacon of hope and prosperity for those who are unable to attend traditional universities whose course schedules, limited resources, state and federal bureaucracy and elitist mentalities are not conducive to the growing number of working adults who want to better their lives. University of Phoenix has helped thousands of students achieve their academic goal when others have turned them away.
I’d be curious to know how many campuses were visited before they found the one counselor who unfortunately misled the undercover ABC reporter. Why was there only one advisor spotlighted if this is so rampant? Networks have the awesome responsibility to help us pull back to see the entire forest rather than rush us to the nearest tree that looks dead and allude that the rest are dying or catching on fire to and that we can’t live without them.

People get bad press when they are the top; and when that institution or person is caught in some type of undesirable behavior it will be magnified thousands of times. I am currently attending the University of Phoenix and I have never been told any type of deceptive information. I think that anyone that would believe they would be able to teach after they received thier Associates degree needs to take some responsibility for either being gulible or completely ignorant. I have dealt with many counselors over the course of my education at UOP and I have only been given professional help by anyone that I dealt with. These instances that people have had issues that is what a handful out of tens of thousands. I stand behind my school; without a school like UOP I would have never been able to continue my education with the help of universities like UOP people with children that need full time employment and to be home with their children can continue their education and be able to apply real world experience to learning.

The University Of Phoenix should be investigated for more than just their degree programs. They should also be investigated in reference to the financial aid department and the process as a whole. I am a UOP alum and from day one I have been given incorrect information, there is no follow up, no true interest in the well-being of it’s students. I have transferred to another school and the current and former students should file suit against the school for their practices.

I also forget to mention in previous comments, that my school also engaged in even more faulty practices.
There have recently been a few schools busted for keeping students on the books after they drop out. This allows the schools to keep the financial aid they collected even though the students are not actually attending the program.
When I went to Heritage College, students were left on our roll sheets for months after they dropped out. Also, there are teachers on my transcript that either left, were fired, or removed from my class and did not actually teach it. The documentation never adds up.
These issues are also not about personal opinions. Many credible sources like ABC, the NY Times, and even the Wall Street Journal are reporting on this beacuse these are the facts. They have been investigated and proved to be true. Just yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that it appears that the Washington Post and Kaplan are going to go from a positive credit rating to a negative. These actions would not be taking place if all of this was not true.

First, I am a Phoenix and I LOVE IT. It is a great school! At my age and with my responsibilities it would be impossible for me to attend a tradition school and carry a full course load. The University of Phoenix makes it possible. It’s still not easy. You have to earn your degree just as you would if you attend a traditional school but I’m doing it. I’m learning and it works for me.
Second, these student defaulted loans you mentioned in your article are owed to the federal government and to the banks, not to the University. Any moron knows that The University of Phoenix does not regulate interest, student loans or grants. However, the federal government can and does regulate the banks so if Obama really wants to help the student why doesn’t he erase or forgive American student debt or pay for American students to get their degree for free instead of taking our money and spending it overseas or helping rich Wall Street companies get richer? Come on ABC be honest for a change. Attacking the University of Phoenix is nothing but a diversion.
The University of Phoenix is a school helping people earn their degree and pull themselves up from economic slavery. The school has helped more minorities and women than most traditional schools combined. This is the real reason you are attacking the school. You’re afraid that too many educated minds will wake up to what’s really going on.

As at every university, for-profit or not, there are disgruntled students who hear what they choose to hear, fail to complete necessary paperwork for government loans (required by the government, not the university) and fail to perform to standards that will earn them good grades, such as completing all the reading required each week.
Rather than condemning a university based on the sob stories of a few students out of 300,000 enrolled, the public would be better served by analysing who is helped by non-traditional universities, especially those denied access to other institutions, and what it takes to succeed.
Should the university routinely deny access to all students who fit some profile of a student unlikely to succeed, or should it allow students to make the attempt, knowing that some will inevitably fail?

I have been enrolled at UOPX for over a year, and our staff has always been completely honest with us as far as our student loans go. They have always encouraged us to get what we can from grants, then fill in the gaps with loans if we need to. They also let us know in advance if there will be changes in additional costs or tuition reimbursement so we can plan ahead for it. Also, during the meeting I had with the enrollment counselor I was informed that if I was going to pursue a teaching career, my degree would not likely be acceptable in every state since each state has different requirements.

I work at a for profit university (NOT Phoenix), and I can guarantee that although there are some bad apples out there in the for profit/online world, we are not all like that. As someone who has had experience in both the online education arena and the traditional, I assure you that there are just as many, and probably more, bad apples, and people who don’t care about you except for the tuition you are paying out in the traditional system. The university that I work for was founded and is run on Christian values, and everyone here, from the management, the recruiters on down to every one of the support staff represent those Christian values in everything we do for our students. Don’t judge every other for profit/online school based on a few bad apples. Don’t give up on your dream of earning a college degree. If you are not happy with the university you are attending, look for another one. And if some recruiter tells you something, regardless of what it is, you should do your research make sure that it’s accurate. After all, this is YOUR future at stake.

Dear ABC Investigative Reporters:
Please do not discontinue this important investigation into the fraud associated with the field of higher learning institutions in Education.
I have taught for at least three (3) for-profit institutions in higher education (in the past seven years) as well as a very large, prestigious higher learning institution, both of whose practices target students and teachers alike who are marginalized in some way – personally, in my situation, as an aging woman, without retirement benefits, so compromised economically.
I stopped short at the threshold of U of Phoenix in accepting a teaching assignment because I was asked to make my telephone number public to my students. When I pointed out there was a difference in teaching in a group learning platform as opposed to having a tutoring relationship with students, the offer to teach was withdrawn.
To my dismay to supplement the substandard income I receive at a prestigious higher learning institution (for seven years), I have been teaching at another online for-profit institution. Again, I am expected to be available 24/7 (including holidays) as a tutor in addition to my responsibilities as a group facilitator.
Do not stop at the “for-profit” learning institutions in America. Other institutions are operating with Iron Curtain tactics, paying minimum wages with no benefits to teachers who are forced to comply with unreasonable and unpaid demands of their time without the union protection accorded to full-time faculty members.
This group of teachers, labeled “adjunct” or part-time faculty, often represent over 50 percent of the faculty who are teaching at an undergraduate level. Is this college or university making a profit on the backs of “part-time” faculty? You bet. Is this America’s solution to laws that prohibit both slavery and sweat shops. You bet. These colleges are as much “for-profit” as the schools that acknowledge they are “for-profit.”
The difference between slavery in the United States and slavery in higher education today? Those of us who are well educated and hold higher graduate degrees are complying with unfair labor practices for reasons of gender, age, or reasons that may place us within marginalized sectors of society. We are thus discriminated against and have no recourse of action – that is, if we want an income for food and shelter.
ABC news investigative reporters should let parents know the true cost of education for their children – the blood of their teachers.

I’m not sure what to really think. I’m in an online college that is sister to one of the one’s listed in the 15 investigated schools and it concerns me that I could be in trouble. I know that every business needs to turn a profit even non-profit places, but is it really fair though to use underhanded techniques to get the money. When was it okay to deceive people that much and think it was okay? It won’t matter how you got your degree and who from if the degree isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

I both used to work for UOP and earned my MS in Psych there. I know that not all people seek to be ethical but I can say that as a trainer, that was something I taught to EVERYONE. Sometimes people don’t do or say the right thing and trust me there is a lot of information. So while mistake are made or people are feeling mislead those things are corrected and if it’s really non-compliant they are dismissed. They have no tolerance for unethical behavior trust me. I was investigated myself on two occasions for something that was non-compliant but very grey and I am the most ethical person you will meet. I took my job very seriously. While I don’t agree with thier high tuition costs (I am with another non-profit with tuition on par with state rates) I do believe that there is no such thing as a non-profit. This difference is that people don’t donate money to the colleges within for profits like state or toher private colleges do. Take into account the fact that there are over 400K students with UOP, they do A LOT of advertising and branding and that costs student more in tuition. I got a great education there. I am doing a 2nd Masters at a Traditional university and my education and coursework is just as difficult at UOP. Sorry guys this is just the direction education is headed. UOP and DeVry get all this press because they are so big. Local universities don’t because they don’t touch enrollment number like them. That is why you don’t hear about this type of stuff.

I have an idea. There is a ton of happy people with UoP. We should all stick together and never watch the ABC network again, especially GMA. If ABC wants to be one sided and air a show about a lady who thought she could be a teacher with an Associates degree, then they do not deserve to be watched.

I am going to get a UOP tattoo this year thats a promise.

University of Phoenix educations are a total joke and have been for years. Throughout the city of Phoenix it’s become a running joke about how they are a diploma mill and will sign up ANYONE for classes and take their money. A similar expose was on PBS earlier this year. Just the term alone “for-profit” colleges should cause people to open their eyes for crying out loud. These enrollment counselors and financial services reps DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. They just want your money (and government money) to get raises. An acquaintance of mine recently told me that she has worked for UOP for almost 3 years and got a 12% raise because of all of the new enrollment students and funds she has been able to squeeze out of people. 12% is quite a hefty raise in an economy like this. Makes you wonder, right?

I work for the University of Phoenix and have for almost 7 years now. I have taught elsewhere – Peace Corps, University of Kansas, University of Hawaii, and as a corporate trainer for 15 years. I would give this reporter an F in my class for poor scholarship. A recruiter and an undercover reporter is not a statistically valid group. Use some critical thought here – why would a college want to enroll students using lies? The occasional bad apple recruiter may cheat at their job and do something like that, but as a corporate policy that would never work past the two years it took for the first class to graduate.
Many successful people have graduated from UOPX. What about Kirkland H. Donald who is the director of the Navel Nuclear Propulsion Unit? He graduated from UOPX.
It is a great school and shame on this reporter for not getting all the facts past what helped to make a sensational story. This woman should not have been lied to, I agree. But please do not lie again and state this is the way my school works. It does not. I am proud to be a Phoenix and that shows everday that I am in the classroom.

I have taught for UOP among other institutions for over 8 years. The rigor, demands, assignments are in alignment with traditional universities. I am a product of traditional schools, but currently are pursuing my doctorate at UOP Online.
UOP is accredited, and affords a way for working adults to pursue higher education. There are issues and incidents at traditional schools as well.
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they meet state requirements for teaching credentials.
Earning a degree is a skill set different from applying knowledge to become successful. Common sense…if there are state requirements to meet, the student is responsible for learning what they are and whether the degree applies.
I’ve seen idiots from Harvard and Yale, and geniuses from non-traditional universities. Smart, hardworking people will continue to succeed. But all individuals must take personal responsibility for their career path.

I have just received my AA in Psychology at UOP. I did all the work online, and I must say that I only came across one problem and is was due to a techinical difficulty. My teachers have all been professionals and each class I attended, I learned valuable things. I don’t regret going to an online university because it was the only way I could work full-time, bring money home to the family and go to school. Also, My academic counselor DID infrom me that I would not be able to attend the education classes since those classes are not allowed to use in Texas since Texas has harder guidelines on how to become a teacher in that state. I was in no way misinformed. I am considering to persue further education with UOP and I encourage anyone why can get an education, then to do it by what means fits them. Lastly, doesn’t ANY university profit???

The issues cited against Phoenix and others could be used against any traditional university no matter the tax code for the institution. I have known people whom attended public universities and were mislead on both getting a job from a certain concentration and student loans.
If one is going to criticize Phoenix, then criticize every major university in the country for the same thing either private or public.
Be fair in scrutiny. The events that egged this one are not representative of each and every student at Phoenix.
Do your homework, ABC!!!

University of Phoenix is the future of education non-profit and state universities should all change their names to University of Phoenix. UOP is the best.

i attend uop currently, and i honestly think they are a rip off and a scam. what university makes you pay so much and you are not learning anything. i have facilitators that talk about their job and family all the time. i pay 1300 per class so i expect some type of education. they want you to teach your self, if that is the case then i will be better off in a traditional college.
also, i pay money for my classes so why if i want to transfer i credits dont go with me. now tell me that not a scam.

These are some of the schools I could make out from the quick graphic nightline put up during the segment.
SCHOOLS UNDER INVESTIGATION:
(Not convicted of anything)
Westwood College
Everest College
ATI Career Training
Anthem Institute
University of Phoenix
Argosy University
College of Office Tech
Kaplan College
Medvance Institute
Bennett College
Potomac College
Kaplan College

Interesting posts. I am currently enrolled at UoP, but not for long. Since my third class, I have complained to every family member and friend who would listen. The learning environment is atrocious. Those who understand how to research and write a grammatically correct, well thought out paper carry those who have not yet discovered spell check. The learning team environment exists to ensure students with poor skills have some chance of bumping their class average. I expect students to follow instructor guidelines, but few instructors follow their own rules. I have watched students pass from class to class even though the student failed to meet the University’s weekly participation requirements. When I asked my advisor for an explanation, I was told that I am “doing it the right way by taking my education seriously.” My repeated questions go unanswered. Advisors and instructors dance around the issue. I am enrolling in a traditional University in January. I started my education in a traditional setting years ago, and plan to finish in one. I disagree that anyone has a right to a degree. I do believe that each person should have an opportunity to EARN a degree. Attending class is not enough. In my opinion, a degree in any field shows subject matter mastery. How can anyone claim mastery if writing a simple, error-free paper is impossible? Goodbye to UoP. I rather live the rest of my life without a degree than buy one.

Wow. All the bashing of UoP. My husband attended a local community college and his father was dying of brain cancer. He notified his instructors and all who needed to know at his school. They told him he would be fine, gave him a certain time, and assured him he could go back without a problem. Guess what? After his father passed away, he was denied by this so called school!!! He was NOT allowed to continue his education and he had to pay back the full amount of his loans. He was lied to. So, having said that…is it always the online, for profit schools that should be under fire, or is it other schools as well? Let’s get real folks. UoP has problems just like everyone else. It is not just the online schools.
I am a current student of UoP. I have 3 more classes after the two I am currently taking. Everything has been paid for. I received EVERY refund from my loans. I have had NO problems whatsoever with my advisors, the enrollment counselor (who was local, btw), or the school itself! This school should not be under fire for a few people who apparently do not know how to handle themselves. I think this is all bs. I LOVE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX AND I FOR ONE AM PROUD TO BE A PHOENIX!!!

Univ of Phoenix is a scam. They lie to students left and right, they promise things they cannot deliver and their graduation rate is 4%. 4%?!?! That’s incredible. Their HIT program is not accredited, so students often have to go to another University and repeat the schooling all over again! Employers think this school is a joke. I know, because I am in charge of employing people for our company. We will not even look at resumes from students that attended U of P. The sad thing is, they are ruining it for all schools that provide online services. The most important question you can ask is, “what are your career statistics?” If they cant give them to you, there’s a reason for that. And one last thing… never go to school because you want to get a refund check from financial aid! You shouldnt be going to school to get check in the mail. You should be going to school to better yourself and put yourself in a better situation!

Why is she considering a scholarship from them if she can’t use their degree? hmm…

I would just like to say that I attended Everest College in Burr Ridge, IL. I still have not found a job despite the fact that I graduated with a 3.5 gpa. I wouldnt say it was a bad experience, but it wasnt always pleasant. There were times that students had been drinking Vodka out of water bottles. And the time that my whole class checked out a car full off girls smoking a joint right in front of the building. Nothing was ever done to the students unfortunatly. And can you believe that the security gaurd didnt even know what pot smelled like. I can tell you this, it dont smell like cigarettes!! I have alot of stories about the school I went to, too many to post in here. But everybody that goes to or has went to these schools know that the recruiters do try to roll you you and tells you all the things you want to hear to get you to come. You have much better luck going to community college. And besides, fast track learning as they call it, isn’t for everyone!!

Crazy

first of all i was unaware of the face that they were not supposed to ask us to take out the maximum loan amount. The lady that signed me up for school advised me to do that so i that i can get more excess money in the long run i would really love to be contacted if that was a foolish move(which im now sure it was).

I attend the University of Phoenix currently going for my BS in Psychology. I only have two complaints about the school which are the fact that you need to wait 24 hour until an instructor replies to your questions and sometimes more if they cannot get to you and the other is the fact that I have not heard from my financial advisor since I started the school. Not tht I want to hear anything but it would be nice to keep information like this and borrowing rules updated with students to ensure proper planning and borrowing. Other than that, I believe the academics and learning style is phenomenal nd I enjoy being a student of this school. I understand that this is a private university but what I can’ understand is why is UoP being targeted and other schools are not? Just because someone made a error, the scool is under investigation? There ae thousands of schools that are for profit, so what if UoP is?

As someone who worked in admissions for National College, a privately owned “for profit” college chain, I can honestly tell you that its all about getting students that are getting most of, if not all of their schooling paid for with government funds.
The admissions position at a for profit college is a strictly sales job. I had to make at least 150 calls per day, and the goal was 4 in person interviews. We only had one optimum “candidate” that we were looking for, and that was the person who was eligible for the full pell grant and some other type of government funding to complete the tuition.
For instance, a person eligible for the full pell, plus the Workforce Investment Act funds was a highly favored enrollment. Disabled, or current military personnel were targeted also.
We were told to tell the potential student that we were doing this because we didnt want them to go into debt with student loans. The truth is, however, that the school is doing this to distract attention from enormous dropout percentages, enormous student loan default percentages, and horrible job placement rates.
So, we went for potential students who could get any other type of government funding, except for student loans. So, instead of the Federal Government having at least the potential to be paid back for an education loan, the government would be paying for the whole thing. Brilliant, isnt it?
Its all your tax dollars, whether its a loan or a government program. The difference is, one is scrutinized by the DOE, the other isnt.
Needless to say, these businesses should be avoided at all cost.

Hi, My name is Debbie, and I have been attending for 4 months. I was told to change my application to cash back up, and did it even though it did not seem right. I know people who are related to the enrollment counselor received refund checks, but they are telling me I did not even get the Pell Grant. I think the enrollment counselors have a lot to do with when and how much of a check you receive. I was told after attending 2 weeks I would receive something. I am hearing more and more about people not receiving refunds, I think there is something going on. The answer I am getting are very unclear, and never really say much. I am contacting the Federal Government about this. Everybody else who has had this same problem should do the same. The truth will come out!

They are trying to tell me I did not even get a grant!! I am really upset about this, and it has really affected my whole life! I am going to get to the bottom of this, if it is the last thing I do!

The Univ. of Phoenix is a scam. The financial aid department is a joke. When you recieve you financial aid award they take the money apply it to what you owe for the classes, and then they hold your refund hostage. They change your financial advisors without notifying you. When you try to contact the advisor they don’t answer your calls and they don’t return your messages.

I have attended the University of Phoenix for 2 years and the cost keeps rising. Now that I am in the bachelor’s program, the take my student loans & pell grant money and pay for classes 4 months in advance. Is this legal. They do no job referrals and no letters of recommendation. I am dissatisfied with this institution & would like to have them investigated. They also informed me that they were accredited in all 50 states.

I am a graduate from the University of Phoenix and have never had a complaint about missusing of funds or recruits lies. The MBA degree has open doors for me everywhere and gave me the foundation to start my current Ph.D. degree. All you have to do is study and conform. You guys make something from nothing instead of deal with iy and focus on success.

Look at the eyes of the President of UOP. He looks down and to the left. Clearly this man is lying through his teeth, and funky eyebrows.

Anyone know anything about Everest University?

I work for a for profit school.
And I would advise students to look elsewhere did their education. I am telling you that every week we are given meetings on how to avoid accusations of fraud and how to properly word course descriptions and cost estimates to be vague enough to tell only partial truths with being held liable for lying.
It’s all in the wording.
Not to discredit students, anyone who pursues z higher education should be commended for their efforts and devotion. However, these school are profit machines.
It is NOT about the students. It is about money. Your teachers and advisors might be the sweetest and most helpful instructors you’ve ever met and genuinely wznt to help you succeed. But that does not change the fast that the average cost is 3x that of a regionally accredited school, and the degree is not as “credible”.
These schools are profit machines.
If you worked at one, like I do, you would understand. It is a sales job. Plain and simple.
They want your money, and they will sweet talk you to get it. Admissions run on quotas. That’s not the start of a quality education.
There are students who are successful because of their education at our schools. But for the most part, most of our students will not graduate and if they do, they will not be able to repay the cost of their tuition.
This is a FACT.

Please excuse my grammar in my previous post, I’m typing this while I’m walking to a meeting and my iPhone thinks it’s knows more than me! Lol.

Never attend ANY school owned or operated by Career Education Corporation.