American Public University System

Review: Recently I enrolled in three courses versus two through APUS, this was an oversight on my part as with my financial aid I normally only take two courses at a time. I dropped one course to be at the two desired course amount. One note to point out is that I also receive a 112.50 scholarship from [redacted] my employer. Apparently APUS utilizes a system that refunds the scholarship portion directly to the student on their higher one card while the financial aid portion is returned to the school. Normally one would think the whole amount be refunded to the school all at once to prevent students using that money as most (including me) would believe that money deposited to be a normal refund which I do indeed receive. I spent the money only to find out now that I cant enroll in classes because I have a outstanding balance of 112.50. I have attempted to resolve this dilemma with the school stating I would gladly allow the school to take the 112.50 out of my next refund dispersement, but they are unwilling to do this it seems. They have stated that I will be unable to enroll in new courses unless I pay at least half of the 112.50 now. The reason I have financial aid in the first place is because I do not have money lying around to pay for school out of pocket. I would gladly work with the school as I have been trying to do for the last week speaking to student support and their manager [redacted]. She was supposed to call me back the next day and after receiving no calls or communication I called back to the school two days later only to get an email stating they cant help. This is a problem with APUS's system and should not be my responsibility out of pocket.Desired Settlement: For the school to do the right thing and allow the amount to come out of my next refund dispersement or put a note stating I will pay the outstanding balance in November when my refund is dispersed.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Please see the attached response referencing [redacted], Revdex.com#[redacted].

Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Director - Student Appeals

For:

Executive Vice President

American Public University System

Revdex.com [redacted]

Daytime Phone: ###-###-####

Evening Phone: ###-###-####

E-mail: [redacted]

Today's Date: November 1, 2013

• Date complaint was received by [redacted]: October 25, 2013, 9:48:08 PM

Complaint forwarded from the Revdex.com:

Recently I enrolled in three courses versus two through APUS, this was an oversight on my part as with my financial aid I normally only take two courses at a time. I dropped one course to be at the two desired course amount. One note to point out is that I also receive a 112.50 scholarship from [redacted] my employer. Apparently APUS utilizes a system that refunds the scholarship portion directly to the student on their higher one card while the financial aid portion is returned to the school. Normally one would think the whole amount be refunded to the school all at once to prevent students using that money as most (including me) would believe that money deposited to be a normal refund which I do indeed receive. I spent the money only to find out now that I cant enroll in classes because I have a outstanding balance of 112.50. I have attempted to resolve this dilemma with the school stating I would gladly allow the school to take the 112.50 out of my next refund dispersement, but they are unwilling to do this it seems. They have stated that I will be unable to enroll in new courses unless I pay at least half of the 112.50 now. The reason I have financial aid in the first place is because I do not have money lying around to pay for school out of pocket. I would gladly work with the school as I have been trying to do for the last week speaking to student support and their manager Kristie Edwards. She was supposed to call me back the next day and after receiving no calls or communication I called back to the school two days later only to get an email stating they cant help. This is a problem with APUS's system and should not be my responsibility out of pocket.

Complainant's Desired Outcome/Settlement:

For the school to do the right thing and allow the amount to come out of my next refund dispersement or put a note stating I will pay the outstanding balance in November when my refund is dispersed. Billing adjustment.

APUS has contacted **. [redacted] and resolved his concern of the outstanding $112 balance due to the university. He was appreciative of the call and our willingness to work with him. He has been provided a FSA Manager's direct phone number to assist him should he have further concerns about the management of his FSA funds.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details of this information with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we have yet to receive a signed release.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details of the university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Review: I have been trying to get a Special Circumstance Extension for my two classes and was denied. I informed the instructors that I would need extra time to finish my class. They said they would give me the extra time. However, I shortly then got a short notice orders to PCS to technical training school. I was going to medical issues at first and then got those orders. I provided my orders and medical documentation but was still denied for an extension.Desired Settlement: I want to get my extension approved so I can finish the two classes.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Please see the attached response reference [redacted], Revdex.com # [redacted]

Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely.

Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer

American Public University System

Review: I am an active student at American Public University Systems, and I am currently enrolled more than half time, and actively taking classes this semester which started 7/7/2014(the beginning of my financial aid for 2014). In the time since my Spring classes ended (6/1/2014), which was the end of my 2013 year; the school changed my financial status from good to owing a balance, and every month when I call they explain that they had taken out more money than I was allowed and now I have a balance of $1359 tacked on to semesters that have already passed and were already paid for. I have called twice, and spoken to financial aid and student accounts at the school. Both times they have claimed that there would not be any more money sent back and charged to me. NSLDS has me as of June 1st being withdrawn as a student and the last loan taken out on 10/13/2013. Student loans.gov, also does NOT have any disclosures for all this money they claim is being sent to them. The most recent charge to my account was on 7/18/2014, which is money that should have been applied to my current semester. I have never had such a miserable financial aid experience. Why are you charging me all of this money.Desired Settlement: I would like a detailed outline of where they claim all of these charges are coming from, and why are they charged to past semesters. Theses charges need to stop, and the financial aid department needs to be reviewed on accuracy.

Business

Response:

We have made several attempts to contact [redacted] and we will continue to attempt to contact him to resolve his complaint.In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release but we will encourage him to share the findings with the Revdex.com.If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.Sincerely,Dr. Sharon V.Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:There is no resolution that would benefit me. I have spoken with the school on plenty occasions (i.e. every time they tacked on a bigger bill that I owed). Why when they call now, would I want to discuss this issue again, to hear the exact same story. I have no questions to ask them, but I would like the rest of world to know how they treat students, and I just might be able to help another potential student consider a different school. I gladly give permission for the school to share my information with the world, maybe it would help me understand why I ended up with a $1074 bill from a previous two semesters.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Review: On March 10th, 2014, I dropped the FINC600 – Corporate Finance course while I was a student taking online classes at American Public University (APU). I was told by my school that a hold would be placed on my student account in the form of an [redacted] hold so that they could figure out if I owed any funds to the school, loan lender, or if I am owed funds due to dropping the course. Based on their policy, if a student drops a course within the second week as I did, they are entitled to a 75% refund. I dropped the course due to illness and I was recently hospitalized as a result of being ill. After several weeks of being given the run around and virtually no answers as to why the hold remained on my account, the APU Financial Aid Department emailed and it was stated to me by two different employees in that office that $879.00 of financial funds were returned to my lender since I dropped the course and that I owe the university $148.00!! The APU Financial Aid Department employees that sent me the emails regarding my account after the [redacted] calculation was completed were [redacted] and [redacted]. Regarding course withdrawals at APU, their policy states that students who withdraw from a course within the second week, as I did, are owed a 25% refund, I have not received any funds credited back to me.

My complaint is that I am unsure if APU is being honest with me about sending the financial aid funds back to my lender and saying that I owe the school money, which is ridiculous. I cannot afford to pay for school out of pocket, so I use financial aid to pay for tuition and fees. As a result of this whole ordeal, there is still an [redacted] hold on my account and I am unable to request an official transcript and would still like to finish my MBA degree at another school. I am accusing APU of fraud and I do not understand how I owe the school any money when my tuition and fees are paid for with financial aid funds. If APU is accurate and saying that I owe the school money and they did in fact return the funds to my lender, then why did they not deduct the $148.00 from those funds that they are saying I owe back to the school?

I would just like some answers in this matter. My school has not been direct with me, which makes me think that fraud has taken place and I think that they probably kept those funds and did NOT return them to my lender, which could jeopardize any future financial aid that I may receive from another school. This entire situation is not fair to me. Online schools seem to take more advantage of students and I know so because I have been down this road before with other online schools. I do not deserve to be treated like this and taken advantage of. The stress from this situation has exacerbated my medical issues and made things worse. I did end up being admitted to the hospital and I am still recovering from it all. If anyone in your office can provide any assistance to me in this matter, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like APU to release the [redacted] hold on my account since they have finished calculating what they say is owed and I would like to know honestly if I am owed any money back from dropping that course, if so, I am entitled to those funds.

I have also filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General regarding this matter.

Regards,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: If I am owed a 75% refund since I dropped the course in the second week, I would appreciate those funds credited back to me via direct deposit or mailed a paper check. I would also like the [redacted] hold to be removed from my account immediately. The [redacted] calculation has been completed and I do not feel that I owe APU any monies since I can only pay for school through the use of financial aid funds. I would also like some sort of proof that they returned the financial aid funds to my lender, which I feel they did not do. If they did return the funds, they should prove it, if not, the Department of Education and District Attorney will deal with them for fraud and theft of funds theta were not theirs to begin with.

Business

Response:

April 23, 2014University's Response:APUS contacted **. [redacted] on April 17, 2014 to inform her that we conducted an audit of her Federal Student Aid account and found that it was administered in accordance with U.S. Department of Education and American Public University System regulations and policies.Federal Student Aid is awarded based on a student's plan to complete specified courses within a semester. If a Federal Student Aid recipient withdraws from a course or fails to demonstrate sufficient academic engagement in a course, the Department of Education requires the university to perform a Return to Title IV ([redacted]) calculation and return the some or all awarded funds to the lender. The [redacted] process was explained to **. [redacted] in detail and she repeatedly indicated that she understood the reason for the balance that is due to APUS, although she is not happy about it. She was also provided a copy of her student account ledger to show that the funds had been returned.In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share specific details about university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release; we encouraged her to share the findings with the Revdex.com.If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.Sincerely,

Review: Hello My Complaint against this University is that they illegal dismiss me without a just cause I sent them all my documentation, my social security card, Michigan Id, high school diploma etc... and they falsely claim that my information was not correct and that's not true. My mother has tried to talk with them and they still refuse to correct the problem. My sister and uncle attends APUS yet they still refuse to allow me to attend and falsely accuses me of something that is not true. I know I'm a young Blackman and I feel they are falsely accusing me and practicing racism against me. My Mother called them several times to correct whatever issues there is and they refuse to solve problem. Mu Uncle has call them several times and they still refuse to solve the problem. here is the response they sent to me and this is not true because I provided documentation, my principle from high school called them and they still refuse to re-evaluate my standing by which is a illegal.Dear [redacted]American Public University System is working to protect the identities of our students and the integrity of its student records. As part of the due diligence process, we recently sent you an email asking you to provide the University with specific documentation to verify information in your student record. You have either failed to provide the required documentation and/or the documentation you have provided is unacceptable. Therefore, you have been dismissed from the University.Dismissed students are withdrawn from all courses in which they are currently registered and no longer have access to their student records. In addition, they may not seek readmission, register for courses, re-enroll or return even if the documentation is provided at a later time.If you have been awarded financial aid, including Pell Grants and Stafford loans, your financial aid may be adjusted based on the percentage of the semester you completed. Please refer to the Federal Student Aid section of our website for more information on the process for the Return of Federal Financial Aid Funds.Respectfully, Record Verifications Department, ECMSAmerican Public University System American Military University | American Public University10110 Battleview Parkway, Suite 114, Manassas, VA 20109 Fax ###-###-#### | Fax ###-###-####[email protected] | www.apus.eduDesired Settlement: I would like for them to know that my Id and Social Security and High School Diploma is not a fraud. They are accusing me because I'm Black and This is not legal. They could have resolved this another way because My Uncle and sister attend this school and they have not experienced this type of illegal activity that I'm experiencing.

Business

Response:

May 12, 2014Thank you for the opportunity to address **. [redacted]’s complaint concerning his denial to attend the American Public University System.We have been working diligently to reach **. [redacted] using the contact information provided in his complaint to the Revdex.com and the contact information in his student record. On our last attempt this weekend, a woman answered the phone and she identified herself as his mother. She said that we could not speak with her son and asked us not to call him again. Therefore, we will continue to contact **. [redacted] via email to try to address his complaint.In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release; when we speak with him, we will encourage him to share the findings with the Revdex.com.If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.Sincerely,

Review: There have been nothing but issues since day one of my enrollment with this school. Now I find out that [redacted] never properly "took care" of documents I faxed to her before heading on a vacation or whatever. My Student Portal still states that I have unsatisfied documents and incomplete documents when I should not. Not only have I had an issue with this school and handling my paperwork but an instructor now as well that does not seem to know what she is doing. How can someone be allowed to teach a class with only 3 students participating? Why not relocate those students to a more active class? Not to mention this instructor does not respond to students questions or concerns. How can these schools continue to be allowed to use such practices? Classroom issues are one thing but Financial Aid Paperwork is another and its wrong.Desired Settlement: Fix my documentation issues. I am sick of faxing what I should have only have had to fax one time and one time only. Contact me in an appropriate manner. I never even knew that fax was not properly documented until I went into my portal and saw there was one unsatisfied and one incomplete. Absolutely unacceptable.

Business

Response:

After reviewing the student's concerns and our records, the University has concluded that all actions between the staff and **. [redacted] were conducted within our policies and procedures. **. [redacted]' Federal Student Aid was disbursed in accordance with University policy and federal regulations. She has also been provided with responses regarding her concerns with the professor's classroom management. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details of this information with a third party unless the student provides written authorization.

Please know that APUS has made several attempts to speak with **. [redacted] and we have provided responses to her questions in writing and through voice messages. At this point, she has not acknowledged our communications.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I have been in contact with someone at APUS so for them to say that I have not responded to them is a lie. Also, the instructor in question is now acting as though the two students involved in this class are now a chore because "she has to be more active"... We also have missing materials again and now I find out that I supposedly do not qualify for a refund this semester so again, I was mislead.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Since we are an online institution and all interactions between students, faculty and staff are documented or recorded and time stamped, we've been able to conduct a detailed review of all interactions between **. [redacted] and her instructor. After reviewing our records, the we've concluded that all interactions between her instructor and **. [redacted] were conducted appropriately. If **. [redacted] has specific examples to illustrate her allegations, we'd appreciate it if she would send the evidence to [redacted] and we will review it and take appropriate action.

We also reviewed her student account. While we cannot discuss the specifics of her account with anyone without a signed release from **. [redacted], we can share with you that the Department of Education limits the total amount of Federal Student Aid that a student can receive per year. Disbursement totals are aggregated across all attended institutions. We've concluded that we have administered her Federal Student Aid in accordance with University Policy and Department of Education regulations.

We have left voice messages for **. [redacted] to discuss her concerns. She has not responded to our recent requests to speak with her as of the date of this submitted response. Due to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we are not permitted to share information concerning the student's education records without a signed FERPA release document from the student or a power of attorney from them indicating such.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely

Review: I am stationed overseas so my only way to contact the different departments within the university for assistance is thru email. Every time I have a problem, I have to email back and forth at least 5 times to 5 different people who seem to NEVER have an answer to my questions. Then I get told to call them, which I reiterate numerous times that I simply cannot do, but this fact gets ignored. The reason for me finally taking my complaint to Revdex.com is the fact that I enquired to the counseling department about changing the concentration for my major, and if I could do so without an impact on my credits. On September 9th I received an email from someone named Karen in the Counseling_Business department, who told me I could keep my major the same (Management) and change my concentration from General to Leadership with ZERO credits lost. Going off of this knowledge, I told her to go ahead with the change, only to find out a few days later that 4 credits were taken away from me. I complained to the Counseling department AND the Creditaward department, only to get told that the rules had changed. This is completely unacceptable. If I had been given the correct advice from the start, I never would have changed anything. Now, from a mistake on their counseling department, they won't fix it? I should not have to be punished because I was lied to and they have inept people working in the counseling department who do not know how to provide correct advice to students.Desired Settlement: First of all, I want an apology. Second, I either want everything in my degree plan to go back to the way it was before, or I want those 4 credits put back. Either way I want those 4 credits put back.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Review: I chose APU because they are an accredited online college that accepts federal funding and I could not do this without that funding and also the flexibility of being able to study from home because it was the best choice for us with our family issues. I have been attending American Public University for quite some time and I graduated with an Associates from there in March of 2013 with no issues. I spoke with the school after I graduated because I was contemplating going further to achieve a BA in Psychology but I had concerns about cuts to funding and pell grants and I rely on them while attending college. I discussed things in length with an advisor and was going to take a couple months off to have a breather from school and some much needed family time without the distraction of studies and was then going to resume classes at the end of summer for my BA. I was told that if I went ahead and started right away that I would again have my student loans and pell grants while attending and that it is always good to start again right away so that you stay in "the groove of things" and also the fact that I had already been approved for the 2013/2014 FAFSA funding. So I went ahead and began my BA program in April of 2013 and started again as a FT student. I was assured numerous times that I would be able to use my loans and Pell grant funding for the April semester with no problems. Well, after getting all signed up in March I noticed that my loans were anticipated in my school funding ledger but NO pell and that was a concern so I called numerous times asking and was told that pell usually takes longer to be added and was assured that everything would be fine. My loans for April went through just fine with no issues and I was told to wait patiently for the pell to come through. I waited patiently and the pell was still not added or sent so I called many more times asking and was finally told by an individual that YES I was eligible to use the pell funding for the April semester BUT the actual federal funds for that pell would not be available until July 1st so I would need to wait until that time and then they would immediately disburse my pell grant funds to me. I was disappointed but since there was not much I could do so I waited patiently for them. I then called the school in response to an email that I received stating that they needed additional information to be able to process my April pell disbursment and was told that APUS was implementing a new financial aid system and that I needed to provide more infomation. After a long process and many of my documents being rejected over and over I finally got everything updated and satisfied in their new MAP system for my acct and was told that my April pell could now be processed and I would see it shortly. Needless to say I am STILL waiting on my April pell grant funding due to what they are calling "system glitches" with their new aid system so they cannot process it for me. I was to start my new semester in August and was then very concerned about my funding for that due to these glitches they kept referring to and the fact that on the APU webpage many students from May, June and July were stating they were not receiving their funds either, so I called numerous times checking and asking if my August funding would be okay and was told MANY times that they anticipated no issues with the August funding at all. Well August came and and I am now being told that due to their system glitches that I am not able to be funded at this time and that I will need to be patient while they try and fix the bugs in their system and that they are unable to give me a timeframe on this fix. At one point I spoke with a gal that said she found the problem on my acct and that she req it be fixed and I actually received an email on August 20, 2013 stating that my acct was resolved and I would have my August loans and pell funding within 7-10 business days. It is now Sept 19,2013 and I have received nothing but the run around from APU. I have called the Department of Education and also FAFSA to ensure that my infomation is all correct and they both tell me that I have been approved and all of my information is correct and that it is up to the school to process it, but despite calling daily and speaking with many different student support reps, supervisors, and managers they can or will not help me and just tell me the have no fix date for their system issues so they cannot do anything. The Department of Education told me to try and speak with a financial administrator regarding these problems and try to get resolution or to try and speak with the Dean and I am told that the Dean of APU does not speak with students or make calls and the numerous times I have asked for a financial administrator they only dance around the question and will not give me an answer to if they even have one I could speak to. I spoke with a gal a couple days ago that told me there was a red flag on my acct and that she had it removed and I would see my funding within 14 days and so I called back and spoke with a manager to confirm that because I was never told that despite many reps, sups and managers had reviewed my acct and the manager told me she had no idea what the gal was talking about, and this has literally happened to me hundreds of times in the last few mths, telling me a different story or answer with each call. I finally had a manager a couple days ago also tell me she was looking into my acct and checking on the fixes they were trying over the weekend, she called me back to tell me that they were quite positive that they had finally resolved the system issues and was going to call me back yesterday with some addl info and timeframes on when I could expect my funding and she never called and will not return my voicemails now. So, I called back today Sept 19,2013 to Student support and they transferred me to financial and again I was told that the system issues were not resolved and my there were no updates on my acct to give and that I would just need to be patient until they could fix them. I have been patient for 6 mths and I am now mentally exhausted with it all and feel like I am never going to get anywhere at all. Other than the $164 that was left over from my April loans I have received no funding for 6 mths and I am at my wits end and do not know where to turn, so I am sincerely hoping that you or someone in your office can help me PLEASE!! I am honestly beginning to believe there is some type of fraudulant activity going on within their system since there should be no reason that they cannot come to some kink of resolution or give any type of straight answer or even a timeframe for the fix....I have been told for WEEKS that I would have my funding by the end of the week and ever week has come and gone without anything...I am suppose to start a new set of classes the first week of October and am having computer issues and do not even have the fund that should be avail to me to purchase a new one or get mine fixed due to this mess...my current professors are bing very patient and both offered me an extension but with new classes starting I dont want to start on the wrong foot and I certainly do not want to be obligated to pay for 2 addl classes with a college that will not resolve any of my concerns or acct issues. I am also not going to have the option to transfer to another college until this is all settled since my funding is all tied up here in APUS's system and I am starting to feel like a hostage with no way out or any assistance to get things corrected. I know this is long and drawn out but sadly this is short compared to the numerous excuses and run around I have gotten from this college regarding my funds, and I am not the only one either.Desired Settlement: I would love to get this resolved and for my acct to be fixed and the funds that are due to me be disbursed without all of this run around. I would like to get a straight and consistant answer as to what is going on and not the random different excuses that I am being given every day that I call to see if there has been any progress. I have clarified through all available agencies that my funds are there but the school needs to process and request them which they are not doing. I would LOVE to be able to focus on my studies again and not the financial hardship that my family is going through due to this. It is all too frustrating and something that should not be going on at an accredited university such as APU.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Please see the attached complaint response concerning [redacted] - [redacted].

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter with the student.

Sincerely,

Director of Appeals

for

October 8, 2013

APUS contacted **. [redacted] to discuss her questions about the federal student aid administration process. We answered her questions, to which she indicated her satisfaction with our responses and we have taken appropriate actions to resolve her complaint. She has been given the contact information of a specific FSA Customer Service Manager to contact should she have further concerns with the administration of her account.

Due to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university is not permitted to share additional information concerning the student's education or finance records without a signed FERPA document from the student or a power of attorney from them indicating such.

Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Review: I am a current graduate student at APUS and I have not gotten any responses to my concerns as to where my disbursement of financial aid is for this May semester. In May of this year, I had received the first half of my financial aid and was told that I would receive the other half of my financial aid in the second half of the semester in July. For some reason on my student ledger, there was a different amount in anticipated funding that I was concerned about and was told in some emails that the ledger is not always up to date and that my second disbursement of aid was anticipated to arrive by the end of July. However, the end of July came and then I was directed to a site launched about the bugs in the financial aid system that has prevented disbursement of aid. I understand that the school was implementing a new financial aid system, but the latest update stated that financial aid would be disbursed to student accounts shortly. However, as of today August 12th, there has been no disbursement at all to my account. I do not understand what is going on, especially since the Federal Direct Loan student account page shows that the direct loan program had disbursed my second half of aid on 6/30/13 yet this is not reflected at all on my student ledger or student aid portal at the school. I had sent an email on 08/07/13 once again asking if someone could please provide me with what is going on specifically with my own account and to this date have not received a response as of this writing. I tried to call the financial aid department this morning and after waiting was prompted to a automated message to leave a voicemail, which as of this writing I have not received a call back either. I am really upset and frustrated that this semester is almost over and I have not received all of my financial aid. I am very reluctant to even enroll in another semester at the school because of these financial aid issues which upsets me even more because I do enjoy the instruction at the school otherwise. Indeed, I have had a hard time even concentrating on my courses this semester because of how upset I am about the way financial aid has been absent.Desired Settlement: I desire for someone at the school to promptly provide me with some accurate information as to where my financial aid is and when they can get it disbursed. I really do want to continue to go to the school for my graduate studies but feel that this may not be an option if this financial aid nightmare still continues. I wish for the school to promptly get the second disbursement of my financial aid for the May semester to me as fast as possible, preferably before this semester comes to an end in two weeks. I am hoping that this issue can be resolved soon or I may have to contact those at the Department of Education themselves.

Business

Response:

Check Message tab or see attached.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

On August 16, I was told over the phone by a financial aid specialist that a refund check for my aid would be overnighted to me and I would receive it on this Wednesday August 21st. However, my financial aid refund was instead sent to Higher One, where I will have to wait an additional 2-4 business days to receive my aid. I am upset that the financial aid office did not live up to what was promised. Even though this issue has been technically resolved, I am not completely satisfied since the school not only delayed my aid until the end of the semester but then did not overnight the aid as was promised. I suggest that those working in the financial aid office need to not make promises that they cannot fulfill and that they find a better way to efficiently process financial aid for all the students at the school. I hope that this is not a continuing problem in the future.

Regards,

Review: Federal monies borrowed for tuition and housing were never disbursed to me during the entire time of my course period, even up until the time of completion, no funds were disbursed.Desired Settlement: I would like my stated tuition fee settled and the additional loan funds disbursed to me as agreed.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,

While we cannot discuss any individual student’s situation without their permission, our research indicates that this student’s Federal Student Aid issues were addressed. A resolution was provided on 11/12/13, and the student acknowledged and thanked us for our assistance on 11/13/13.

Review: I inquired about programs of study with American Public University Systems earlier this year. They provided me the information for enrolling with them in their Bachelors of Management in HR Management. After enrolling, completing one course, and while attending the second course I found out that they are not accredited ACBSP for this specialized program I am enrolled in. I withdrew from this course and requested a refund from the school which they refused. They advised that most employers do not check for this accreditation. My current employer and the employer I plan to stay with does check for this accreditation and I feel it is bad faith that this institution did not disclose this when I enrolled. I tried American Public University System due to the low tuition but now I understand that they are a skam.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of tuition paid to this institution but at the very minimum a refund $800 tuition paid for the last course that I did not complete so I can pay off the studen loan I received for it.

Business

Response:

Review: I am not sure which category this actually falls under, however, the problem is with the "delivery" of my Federal Financial Aid funds. I have been a student since July 2013. I had no problem receiving my first disbursement. They changed systems later in July for the submission of financial aid to the Dept. of Education. I have now been waiting over 6 weeks for my funding to be submitted. Apparently there is a glitch in the system if you change your program concentration. After the first 2 weeks, it was "escalated" to a manager. After another 2 weeks, it was (supposedly) sent to the creators of the system for them to figure out. It has been another 2 weeks and nothing has changed. WHY if they have known about this glitch for 4 months was my account just sent 2 weeks ago? I thought my situation was bad as I will not be able to give my child a Christmas for a second year. BUT there are people on the Facebook page of APUS that are about to be evicted from their homes after waiting for 4 months for their money! The school has not issued any statements and the reasons given by staff are as numerous as the number of students affected.This all saddens me to no end as I love the curriculum and would really like to complete my Masters in Information Technology, but I can't be apart of a school that so completely disregards their students.Desired Settlement: We need our money! Either they get a new system or submit our claims manually...snail mail if necessary. I don't believe for one minute that their "system" is the only way to file for us.

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>

Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 4:45 PM

Subject: RE: Complaint ID [redacted]

To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>

Hello,

Review: I am a US Army veteran and a 42 year old father of 3 children. I am currently unemployed and enrolled as a full time student at APUS. I enrolled in July and since July I have been told that they are having issues with their financial aid software. I was awarded need based grants and loans by the US Dept of Education. By law, I am able to use funds in excess of my tuition to assist with living expenses. As an unemployed father to 3 young children I need these funds. APUS has failed to give me over $3000 owed to me in financial aid refunds. These funds are what is owed to me after all of my tuition costs have been covered. These funds were approved and awarded to me by the US Dept of Education, not APUS. APUS claims that, because of a software glitch, they have been unable to collect these funds from the US Dept of Education and, therefore, cannot issue the refund. This does not make any sense and APUS refuses to elaborate.Desired Settlement: I want the funds owed to me, which are the excess financial aid funds to be refunded after tuition costs are covered, to be refunded in full immediately. These funds were awarded to me by the US Dept of Education and the funds do not belong to APUS. I want my refund immediately so that I am able to transfer to a more honorable institution to complete my Bachelor's Degree.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Review: I am being denied financial aid by the American Public University System SAP committee. I am unsure who is all in involved as I was never provided any names other than [redacted] and [redacted]. I do not know her last name. I was given less than 18 hours by the SAP committee to turn in required documents that would have allowed me to receive financial aid. This is a highly unethical practice used by the APUS SAP committee against me. It is highly unreasonable nor manageable to expect anyone to turn in documents in that period of time. I am required to turn in my SAP explanation along with documents two weeks before the start of the semester in which I did and even went out of my way to provide more documentation when they asked for it. Than I get an email 18 hours before the deadline of the SAP asking for documents that had nothing to do with my SAP in the first place. My SAP was based around helping a ill family member and is why I was unable to complete the last 4 weeks of my semester. I have a 2.8 GPA and a 60% completion rate and this is factoring in my last semester. All that was called by the SAP committee was a 1.5GPA and an 65% completion rate. I was denied financial aid and the opportunity to continue my education on unrealistic and unethical practices used by the APUS SAP committee. The SAP committee is unregulated, not monitored and overall have no guidelines that are set in place to protect the students.Desired Settlement: American Public University System and its overseers owes it to the current and future students to regulate the SAP committees power, as this is a complaint of an unethical practice by [redacted] and [redacted] at the SAP committee at APUS.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,

Please see the attached APUS response referencing [redacted], Revdex.com # [redacted] complaint.

Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Director of Appeals

For

Executive Vice President

American Public University System

University Response:

APUS contacted **. [redacted] and is working with him to resolve his SAP issue. He will be allowed to register for November courses to continue his degree progress.

Due to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university is not permitted to share additional information concerning the student's education or finance records without a signed FERPA document from the student or a power of attorney from them indicating such.

Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer American Public University Systems

Review: University is failing to answer or respond to phone calls, emails or correspondence regarding their failure to honor contractual obligations and disburse my financial aid disbursement to me. Apparently they have been negligent in ensuring final funds and disbursement has been made and sent. Lack of concern or care to ensure financial aid is processed and managed appropriatelyDesired Settlement: Immediately make access to remaining financial aid funds of $2040 available to complain tent. Ensure overnight delivery of funds to us and an investigation by management to why this is happening and take corrective actions to prevent other students from enduring this nightmare. Also make offer to bake whole for financial stein and harm caused by this. Sadly this is not the first time negligence has caused severe delays in funding but no one seems to care that has been involved. Their answer was oh we screwed up but we requested funds and you'll just have to wait. That is unacceptable. This is causing me severe lasting financial problems that arena from their negligence and lack of concern as I've kept on them to ensure no problems arise but they did because of that nonchalance

Business

Response:

University Response:

Due to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university is not permitted to share information concerning the student's education records without a signed FERPA document from the student or a power of attorney from them indicating such.

APUS contacted **. [redacted] to discuss his questions about the federal student aid administration process. We were able to answer his questions, to which he indicated his satisfaction with our response.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Review: I have been enrolled at APUS since 2013. In July they began having issues regarding financial aid refunds. During my time at APUS I also took out student loans. APUS is not reporting my attendance to my student loan provider and my student loan provider is expecting payment of 201.00 on my student loans. In addition APUS has 30 days from the date of my promissary note to report my enrollment and request my loans for the July semester. To date, they have not done that either. This is causing financial hardship and will negatively affect my credit report. I requested on several occasion to have this issue resolved and APUS has taken no action to resolve this issue.Desired Settlement: I expect my student enrollment to be reported and I expect my student loans to be processed.

Business

Response:

August 19, 2013

Due to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university is not allowed to share information concerning the student's education records without a signed FERPA document from the student or a power of attorney from her indicating such.

APUS contacted **. [redacted] to discuss her concerns about the university's management of her Federal Student Aid funds and status of her enrollment. We were able to resolve her concerns to her satisfaction.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

Sincerely

Review: I was a recent graduate of AMU, finishing my AA with above a 3.7 GPA in less than a year. I waited past my commencement date of August, 15th 2013 to begin a bachelors program. I started with two courses but within weeks of beginning I was unable to complete them for I had developed a severe neurologic condition that left me disabled. I cut my course load down and applied for extensions, letting my professors know what was happening. I got more ill. I never completed a course in the bachelors program that I had enrolled in. For awhile I stopped taking any classes. The neurological processes that left me disabled was multiple sclerosis. In the last year I became ill, was sent to a medical board and was determined to be unfit for continued military service. Recently I've felt well enough to continue my studies and I applied for a program change for the reason that I will not be able to work in the degree program I had enrolled into at AMU. AMU, even after receiving all my medical reasons and conditions, are denying a program change to a program that I would be able to work in an relatable field. They stated that "there are no waivers to change programs" I completed 9 courses in the core section prior to a program change. This policy does not take into account my medical conditions nor does it take into account that those 9 core courses do not transfer over to a program which is suitable to me and my disability. I had spoken to two advisors and they are unwilling to assist me in any way. Before applying to a new university which takes into account my disabled status I would like this problem of policy be addressed.Desired Settlement: Program/policy change, waiver.

Business

Response:

October 14, 2014Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this complaint. We have made several attempts to contact [redacted] and to date, we have not been able to speak with her. We will continue to make contact with her to ensure that her concerns are addressed.In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release; we encouraged him to share the findings with the Revdex.com.If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.Sincerely,Dr. Sharon v.Vice President & Chief Operations Officer

Review: I am a student at APUS. My name is [redacted], student ID [redacted]. I have been waiting for months for my financial aid to be processed and disbursed, and all I ever get is told that they have system errors and that I have to wait.

At this point, this is unacceptable. This is a product that I am not happy with. This is negatively impacting my own life and my plans for the immediate future.Desired Settlement: I want my financial aid processed now!

I am tired of waiting and waiting and nothing getting done.

Business

Response:

APUS has been in contact with the student and resolved his FSA funding concerns. His email response to the manager was “Excellent, thank you for the update.”

**. [redacted] was provided with the direct contact information for one of our FSA Managers should he have further concerns regarding his FSA funds management. While we cannot discuss any individual student’s situation without their permission, please be assured we did our best to resolve this complaint as per Federal Student Aid administration and university policies.

Review: My problem with this business is the financial Aide Department , they are emailing me notices informing me of I have an account balance for the amount of 1720.00 they mailed me a packet stating what I owed the School and also placed in the Packet that I have Post Withdrawal Disbursements Funds from both [redacted] and Student Loans but the letter didn't have the amounts for both [redacted] and Students Loans just dollar Signs because I sent them a certified Letter stating that I can't sign something with out actual figures now the saying I don't have any Funds available, I contacted the Department of Education to inform them of the present circu**tances they told me that in September the School canceled my UnSub Loan but Didn't send Back the Sub loan nor the [redacted] Grant and I informed Department of Educations Customer Service Rep that they want me to pay out of pocket for the balance due on my account and Customer Service rep also told me how could I owe the school a balance when I withdrawn during the time frame. This School is Shady and I'm not the only Student complaining.Desired Settlement: I want the money they have for me from the department of educations because I have to pay this money back it's not free.

Business

Response:

We have made several attempts to reach **. [redacted] by telephone and as of today, she has not responded to our emails. In the emails, we provided the contact information for a Federal Student Aid Manager who is standing by to discuss her concerns and explain the Federal Student Aid award calculation.

While we cannot discuss any individual student’s situation without their permission, please be assured we are doing our best to resolve this complaint as per Federal Student Aid administration and university policies.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), APUS cannot share the details university/student interactions with a third party entity unless the student provides written authorization. At this time, we do not have a signed release; we encouraged her to share her findings with the Revdex.com.

If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to resolve this matter.

[redacted], Ph.D. | Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer

American Public University SystemAmerican Military University | American Public University111 W. Congress Street, Charles Town, WV 25414T: ###-###-#### | [redacted] | www.apus.edu

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted]

Date: Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 12:54 AM

Subject: I reject Business response!!

To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>

I would like for you to reject this response because this Business is very Shady I was contacted on the November 13th 2013 by email I checked my email on November 15,2013 and responded Back to [redacted] as of November 18th no reply back I uploaded an attachment detailing my reply back to [redacted]. Thanks Revdex.com yours truly [redacted]

Review: APUS refuses to clear up my financial situation and I desperately would like to return to school. They have been giving my family the run around trying to get this problem fixed. This has been going on for almost for 2 months now and I would like it fixed and allow me to return to school.Desired Settlement: I would like APUS to clear all problems with the Financial aid department and allow me to return to my studies.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,

While we cannot discuss any individual student’s situation without their permission, please be assured that our Financial Aid Department has worked directly with **. [redacted] to ensure that the documentation required by the IRS is appropriately filed. A university representative has confirmed that his issues are resolved and will reach out to offer assistance with course registration.