Higher Ed Watch

A Blog from New America's Higher Education Initiative

 
 

Fed Up at the University of Phoenix

Published:  February 27, 2007
Issues:  
 

It's bad enough having to take out large federal student loans to go to college. It's even worse if federal loans aren't enough, and you need to take out private loans too. But it's utterly tragic if you take on all that debt and then find out that you have been misled about the quality of the educational program in which you have enrolled.

According to an article that ran this month in The New York Times, scores of students are dropping out of the University of Phoenix, the largest chain of for-profit colleges in the country, fed up because their academic experiences bear no resemblance to the promises that were made to them by "duplicitous" recruiters. Most of these students are leaving hugely indebted.

"Many students say they have had infuriating experiences at the university before dropping out, contributing to the poor graduation rate," the article states. "In recent interviews, current and former students in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington who studied at University of Phoenix campuses in those states or online complained of instructional shortcuts, unqualified professors and recruiting abuses."

"Many of their comments echoed experiences reported by thousands of other students on consumer Web sites."

The University of Phoenix, which enrolls 300,000 students through its more than 250 campuses and learning centers across the country, is the largest higher-education institution in the nation and the top recipient of federal financial aid dollars. The university relies on a larger share of part-time instructors than most colleges, and its students spend only four hours a week in class as part of the "accelerated schedule" it offers. Concerns about its quality are not just being expressed by students and journalists. Such concerns led the Intel Corporation to drop the university from the tuition-reimbursement program it offers its employees.

The New York Times says that "the relentless pressure for higher profits" has "eroded academic quality" and led to improper recruiting practices at the University of Phoenix. But in this regard, the university, which is owned by a publicly traded corporation known as the Apollo Group, is hardly alone.

Over the last several years, some of the largest publicly-traded, for-profit higher education companies -- such as Apollo, Career Education Corporation, Corinthian Colleges, and ITT Educational Services -- have come under scrutiny from federal and state regulators and have faced numerous class-action lawsuits by former employees, shareholders, and students over allegations that they have engaged in aggressive and misleading recruiting and admissions tactics to inflate their enrollment numbers, while providing academic offerings of dubious value.

Regardless of whether these companies have engaged in wrongdoing, the questions about their admissions practices and academic quality are symptomatic of the kind of problems that occur when higher education gets mixed up with Wall Street. To keep their stock prices up and investors happy, the for-profit higher education companies must constantly show that they are expanding, even if doing so is not good for the colleges or their students.

"The pressure to enroll that Wall Street places on these companies is almost unbearable," David Hawkins, director of public policy at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said in an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education last year that investigated allegations of improper recruiting practices at the Los Angeles branch of American Intercontinental University, one of Career Education's flagship institutions. "Unfortunately, we're seeing plenty of evidence that the 'recruit at any cost' mentality is becoming more the rule than the exception."

The U.S. Education Department certainly found this to be the case in 2004, when reviewers there wrote a scathing report about how the corporate bosses at the University of Phoenix pressure and intimidate their recruiters to put "asses in the classes," including those of unqualified students.

What's amazing is that these allegations of improprieties have largely fallen on deaf ears in the nation's capital. In fact, during the last two sessions of Congress, Republican leaders championed legislation that would have reduced the government's oversight of for-profit colleges. Apparently, these lawmakers were more intent on rewarding the deep-pocketed lobbyists and leaders of these publicly-traded corporations than protecting vulnerable students.

Meanwhile, a commission, appointed by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, to critique higher education singled out for-profit colleges for praise, without acknowledging the serious charges that have been leveled against some of these companies.

Now as Congress prepares to take up legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act again, Higher Ed Watch is hopeful that the new Democratic leadership will put the interests of students ahead of those of corporate lobbyists and resist efforts to reduce the government's oversight over the industry.

But perhaps the Democrats should go further and "take a harder look" at the publicly-traded for-profit colleges, as an editorial in The New York Times suggested last week. Perhaps the Democrats should reconsider whether it's really in the public's best interest to continue to provide huge subsidies, in the form of federal grants and loans, to help low- and moderate-income students go to colleges that are much more interested in rewarding investors on Wall Street than educating students.

Otherwise, countless numbers of students will continue to leave these institutions each year buried in debt but without the skills they need to pursue careers in the fields in which they sought training. That would be a tragedy.

 

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I am dealing with issues of

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 20, 2009 - 1:38am.

I am dealing with issues of my own with University of Phoenix, with having to pay an excessive amount of debt that I believe I shouldnt have to pay, becuase the cause of the outstanding balance was not my fault.  The instructors did nothing to help me so I ended up failing 2 classes and my councelors are less than simpathetic and just down right rude.  When I first signed up, it happened so fast that I wasnt sure what happened at all.  I believe that all of those people that had to pay money should be refunded if this school is ever penalized for what they are doing. 

What can you do about University of Phoenix?

Submitted by Me to (not verified) on January 4, 2010 - 10:05am.

It is so stressful, Im tired its like a no winning battle with them. Im close to finishing my degree program but for some reason there is no money to pay for my last 2 classes that I have taken. Something seems very fishy, no one will call me back, I talk to different people every day I call. I have been fighting with them about this since may of 2009, Its almost as if a higher source is taking money from students and putting it back on us to pay. Its to many people complaining, what do you do, and how do you do it, to get this out in the open for people to see, and for something to be done about it.

Financial aid

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 22, 2010 - 9:12pm.

I am having the worst experience with UOP as we speak. I had been getting financial aid throughout my Axia education and during my first year with UOP. All of a sudden, I find myself being dropped from classes. When I speak with my Academic Advisor she states I need to speak with my financial aid counselor. What a joke! Not only would the designated financial aid counselor return my calls, I was told by the 800 number that my counselor was the only one that could help me. Finally, after two weeks she decided she would return my call. The reason my classes were being dropped was due to a problem with my financial aid forms. Looks as if someone could have told me but I was advised that they don't do that. Anyway, after getting the forms straight, I was told I had a balance that had to be paid before I could enroll again. It was a fairly large balance that I could not pay at once. Not only was I told to either pay it now and get back in class but that if I didn't pay it within 10 days I would fall into the problem of having been absent for longer than allowed. I found a way to pay the balance and was assured in December that my financial aid was good going forward and there no problems. I took one 5 week class and I am now dropped again.....due to financial aid reasons according to my Academic counselor. My financial aid will not speak with me or return any emails. This is going on as I type.....what an expensive scam!

insight from a UoP employee....you are not alone

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 21, 2010 - 1:08pm.

so- I currently serve as an Academic Advisor for UoP online- first because I am passionate about education- and second- because the economy is still so tight- I cannot move elsewhere.  As a part of the Academics team- I can relate to the frustrations experienced by students who were under-informed and mis-informed by the enrollment teams.  I personally do not know any Academics who thouroghly enjoy working with our enrollment department. 

As Academics- it is our job to retain the students who are placed on our team by enrollment- but have zero control over the quality or amount of students placed under us. I currently have a student load of 536- and retention rate of 46%: 82% of the students negatively impacting my retention rates are a direct result of a non-successful first set of classes.  

Our matrices are 95% retention focused- while enrollment is 100% numbers-focused- so their gain is 100% our loss and myself along with thousands of other Academics teams have taken salary decreases while our enrollment continue to get raises in salary as a result of high enrollment numbers.  \

It is difficult to daily tell students how earning their degrees will positively impact their own lifestyles when we- as Academics are required to have a bachelors or better- and we as Academics are stuggling ourselves to meet our own bills due to our dishonest enrollemnt- who are not required to  have any degree to their titles.

I personally apologize to the furious student load who have not received the proper information. to those considering UoP- we are a  great University academically- but I would recommend speaking with an Academic Advisor before starting your classes- as we will give it to you straight as to whether this college is a good fit for you- because if you start your classes- then decide to drop or switch schools- you negatively impact our numbers for an entire year while enrollment has already receved their credit for getting you in.

Run If You Can.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 30, 2010 - 12:33am.

If you are thinking about going to University of Phoenix, think again, and again. I almost went until a friend from Harvard woke me up. I almost began classes and a lot of people will put blame on the individuals who had a bad experience and try to discredit them but let me tell you that I enrolled somewhere else and I am a happy, dedicated person. Do what you want.

A lot of people have had bad experiences with this "corporation" or school. I saw or heard about a lot of fraud, manipulation, dishonesty just like many others and It's no use to battle because the people who graduate "HAVE" to defend their education as it costs a lot (Yes both in their dedication and in tuition.) Just don't go (unless it's too late). They are even trained to say that you need to "Get more Information" if you disagree. They are good in selling you their product. Ask around, and if your stuck because of a course or different accreditation and feel like that's your only hope, look around, there are "MANY" Universities with different options that you will be surprised with. "They need you! You Don't need them!" Do your research first! Ask around and I mean many friends and other universities! If you choose them even after this warning, "own it." and "Good luck in your endeavors"

Finally, I do want to say that I believe their professors and students are not the problem overall. I believe the problem is with their financial aid, recruitment, and other staff that are pressured as it is a "For Profit." I also believe it is with their leadership and directors. There is a history of lawsuits against University of Phoenix, dishonesty within, exclusives sites against them which some have been taken down, and many consumer sites which have negative feedback.

The best thing you can do is not go, tell your friends or others not to go, and let them search on their own if they do go.

Maybe one day they will lower tuition and have an open honest approach with every student.

University Of Phoenix

Submitted by Frustrated with University of Phoenix (not verified) on February 8, 2010 - 2:50pm.

Can anyone help me????

Coming up near graduation and dropped from class in the final week of my class, HOW FRUSTRATING.....My academic counselor said sorry but there is nothing we can do about this besides let you retake the class (975$)....At this point I am so discouraged and dont want to continue my education with UOP, as they are burning my candles at both ends....I am interested in fighting this with people who are willing to help to bring this type of abuse to an end, as Adults who are trying to continue there education we need facilities to work with us and not against us. Thanks contact me at emartin63@carolina.rr.com

Financial Aid Fraud

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 8, 2010 - 8:14pm.

Within a period of two months, the following has happened to me with University of Phoenix Financial Aid.

 1. I only owed $1093.00   (August 2009) (I do have email stating this from financial aid advisor). The last bill I did receive. 2. I made a payment of $583.00.  (August 2009) 3. A refund of $583.00 placed back into my account. (September 2009). 4. When I inquired about my financial aid, I was told I was denied. (December 2009) ( I also have an email stating this) 5. A letter from financial aid stating I was no longer with the University and my deferment was no longer valid. (December 2009). 6. I received an email to start my next class in December 2009. I never logged back on due to what financial aid told me. 7. I received another email in January  26 2010  to start my last class. 8. February 2, I received a letter from the financial aid office stating I owe over $2700.00, payment to be made by February 4th or I would be dropped. 9. February 5 2010, I received a "congratulations you were approved for financial aid, amount disbursed was $2700.00. 10. February 6 2010, I received another letter from financial aid stating I owe over $4500.00, to be paid by February 11, 2010, or I would be dropped. 11. Today, I noticed that the advisor added 2 more classes that I am to take... previously, I only had 36 credit hours. NOT ONCE did she contact me to talk to me about this. I have not heard from my advisor or financial aid by phone since November, as previously they either emailed or called me on a daily basis. Now, I cant get them to respond to my calls or emails. As the other posts mentioned, this University seriously needs to be investigated, especially the financial aid office.  As I mentioned, I have several email correspondence stating misleading, manipulative, deceitful information.

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