Arizona School of Massage Therapy

Revdex.com Serving Central, Northern and Western Arizona

4428 North 12th Street

Phoenix, AZ 86305

Re: Response – Complaint ID [redacted] Dear Sir/Madam:

We are in receipt regarding...

a complaint filed with your office by a former student at Steiner Institute of Esthetics (SIE).  As described below, we have investigated the allegations that a former student has made regarding her experiences at SIE. However, due to privacy considerations and as requested by your letter dated April 1, 2015 we will not disclose some specific information regarding the complainant’s enrollment and we will attempt to respond in a general way in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

The complainant enrolled at the Phoenix Campus of SIE to take the 720 clock hour Professional Esthetics Program on June 16, 2014 and began classes on August 4, 2014. She attended classes until October 16, 2014 when she ceased attending classes. The complainant was withdrawn from her program on October 30, 2014, in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined on her enrollment agreement. Prior to a student enrolling into one of the SEG campuses, they are provided with a school catalog, information regarding their program and given a tour of the campus which includes a chance to examine the classrooms and equipment they will use. At the time of the enrollment, an Enrollment Agreement is executed and each student is asked to review and initial a Student Verification Form to ensure that they have read and understood the school catalog and understand their program of study and the policies of the school. The complainant was provided with a school catalog that clearly described the program of study, the courses she would be taking, the refund policy and the Student Complaint & Grievance Procedures is outlined which details the process that a student should follow if they have a concern or complaint. There is no record of any complaints being filed by the complaint with the employees at the campus or at the SEG corporate offices regarding her concerns or her dissatisfaction with her program of study or the campus. If the complainant had brought her concerns to the attention of her instructors, the administrative staff or the corporate staff, it is possible they could have been addressed prior to her choosing to drop from the program.

The complainant indicates that “Upon many occasions, the class I was in, asked our staff to replenish stock in supplies to be used. In fact, the class had to make a list of the stock we did not have in the class room. This list included: gloves, trash bags, and towels (Yes our class was even out of towels. When getting product in, it was used product from another campus and the product was past the expiration date.” Employees at the campus and the corporate office do not have a record of any time that there were not supplies on hand in the classrooms. Supplies are routinely inventoried by the instructors and orders are placed as warranted in order to ensure a proper level of inventory is maintained in the classroom. In addition to supplies routinely being monitored at a campus level, the SEG National Director of Skin Care Programs routinely visits the campuses that offer programs in esthetics to audit the classes. Our National Director of Skin Care Programs was at the Phoenix campus June 16-June 20, 2014, September 7-September 9, 2014 and as recently as January 12-January 16, 2015 and did not note any deficiencies in the level of inventory. Further, at no time was product sent to the campus that was “used” or “past its expiration date”, the campus orders directly through the SEG Purchasing Manager who then places an order directly with the manufacturer of the product and all products are sent from the manufacturer in sealed packaging.

The complainant also stated that “steamers had mold in them and we were required to use them on clients during clinic.” The campus does not have any record of any instance when there was “mold” in the steamers. As part of the program of study, the students are expected to routinely clean the classroom equipment after each use, as part of gaining experience for what will be expected when they go to work in the industry. This includes on a daily basis, ensuring that the steamers are emptied of water and are cleaned out with water and vinegar. In addition to the periodic visits conducted by corporate and campus staff, the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology routinely does surprise inspections at SIE and all equipment is inspected for safety and sanitation. The most recent inspection was conducted on December 4, 2014 and the inspection had zero areas of non-compliance.

The complainant stated that “When enrolling in the Steiner program the students are not informed they will be enrolled in a rolling program. Meaning the students are placed into a class and forced to begin their lessons with which ever lesson plan the class is currently on, whether this is a beginning, middle, or end, or the course.” This statement is not accurate, the program of study is taught modularly on a term-basis, and a new student is able to begin at the start of each term, which is also when new courses would begin. New students are not started in the middle of a course or a term, they are able to start at points in the program that have been defined and approved by the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, the agency that approves and licenses SIE and the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET), which institutionally accredits the campus.

The complainant states that “The staff also had stated this was just a basic esthetician program and we will have the basic knowledge to pass state boards. This is not what the brochure on this program states. Basic esthetician program that is designed to only get you through state boards for $9,672.79 does not sound correct to anyone enrolling in this school.” The program is clearly described in all marketing materials and is detailed in the school catalog that the complainant received and acknowledged reading prior to executing her Enrollment Agreement. Our catalog and brochures indicate the program is designed “to provide students with the required hours, course offerings, and knowledge base to sit for the Arizona state licensing exam for estheticians.” The complainant states that “When I signed papers to go to the school I was not informed that I would not be able to use any machine because I have epilepsy. The school wanted papers faxed over from my doctors before I could be hands on.” This was relayed to me 5 weeks after the program started however, the papers could not be faxed to the schools fax machine as the machine was down and it was still down the day I left.” SIE takes the health and safety of every student very seriously and if the campus becomes aware of a student’s health issue that could impeded their ability to participate in the program, the campus will request medical documentation to determine what level of participation can be experienced by the student. When the campus became aware of the complainant’s medical condition, she was requested to provide information from her medical provider. It is unclear why this information could not be faxed to the campus because there is no record of any issues with the fax machine. Requested medical clearance can be scanned to the campus, mailed or dropped off by the student but there is no record of this occurring.

The complainant states that “Also, my financial aid and loans were not processed until after I left this school.” The processing of Title IV financial assistance has several steps and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they have provided the campus with the proper information that is required to complete the process and receive the money. The complainant had an address correction that came to light after she had completed her paperwork and this was submitted as a correction. The campus did receive one disbursement of the complainant’s grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant which was retained to offset the costs of tuition, books and supplies. The student loan proceeds did not arrive until after the complainant ceased attending (October 24, 2014) and per U.S. Department of Education regulations they were returned. Because the student loan proceeds had to be returned, the balance now owed to the school is $1906.35 for the tuition and fees incurred by the complainant. The complainant states that “The transcript that was mailed to me show the charges are not only inaccurate they are also falsified. She claims a school employee took a printed copy of the transcripts and blacked out portions of the transcripts and hand wrote different amounts.” This statement is not accurate and the refund calculation has been reviewed by the SEG National Director of Financial Aid, the SEG National Director of Compliance and was recently reviewed as part of the 2014 Title IV financial aid audit that was conducted by our independent third party auditor and it was found to be correct. Per the school employee who is the SEG Regional Director of Financial Aid, the amounts “blacked out” were not correct because it was not reflecting that the student loans had to be returned, the amount that the employee wrote in is correct and took into consideration the return of the loan proceeds. The complaint has been thoroughly investigated and has been found to be without merit. It is the goal of all SEG schools that each student that enrolls completes their program of study and finds gainful employment in their field of study. Unfortunately the complaint chose not to complete her education and is now upset that she owes SIE money for the portion of her education that she completed and the books and supplies she received. It is unclear in reviewing the complainant’s file if she fully understood that she could have requested to receive a “post-withdrawal disbursement” of the student loan proceeds. This would have enabled the school to receive and retain a portion of the student loan money to cover her outstanding balance as opposed to owing the school directly. In an effort to reach a compromise with the complainant, the company will not actively seek collection on the outstanding amount of $1906.35, which is owed to SIE, unless the complainant wishes to return to the school to finish her education at a later date.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us.

Very Truly Yours,

Steiner Education Group/Steiner Institute of Esthetics

Registration fees paid to the Steiner Institute of Esthetics for students who choose not to enroll are refundable. We are very sorry that the complainant has not yet received her refund check.  It is not clear why she was told that she called "too late" to receive a...

refund.  Our accounting records indicate that we did attempt to send a refund check, however, based on the information above, it appears that we had an incorrect address on file.   We will re-issue the refund check and send it to address listed above.  If the complaint has any further concerns or if she does not receive her check within the next week she may contact Ms. [redacted] in our compliance department at [redacted]@steinerleisure.com to follow up.

Revdex.com Serving Central, Northern and Western Arizona

4428 North 12th Street

Phoenix, AZ 86305

Re: Response – Complaint ID [redacted] Dear Sir/Madam:

We are in receipt regarding...

a complaint filed with your office by a former student at Steiner Institute of Esthetics (SIE).  As described below, we have investigated the allegations that a former student has made regarding her experiences at SIE. However, due to privacy considerations and as requested by your letter dated April 1, 2015 we will not disclose some specific information regarding the complainant’s enrollment and we will attempt to respond in a general way in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

The complainant enrolled at the Phoenix Campus of SIE to take the 720 clock hour Professional Esthetics Program on June 16, 2014 and began classes on August 4, 2014. She attended classes until October 16, 2014 when she ceased attending classes. The complainant was withdrawn from her program on October 30, 2014, in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined on her enrollment agreement. Prior to a student enrolling into one of the SEG campuses, they are provided with a school catalog, information regarding their program and given a tour of the campus which includes a chance to examine the classrooms and equipment they will use. At the time of the enrollment, an Enrollment Agreement is executed and each student is asked to review and initial a Student Verification Form to ensure that they have read and understood the school catalog and understand their program of study and the policies of the school. The complainant was provided with a school catalog that clearly described the program of study, the courses she would be taking, the refund policy and the Student Complaint & Grievance Procedures is outlined which details the process that a student should follow if they have a concern or complaint. There is no record of any complaints being filed by the complaint with the employees at the campus or at the SEG corporate offices regarding her concerns or her dissatisfaction with her program of study or the campus. If the complainant had brought her concerns to the attention of her instructors, the administrative staff or the corporate staff, it is possible they could have been addressed prior to her choosing to drop from the program.

The complainant indicates that “Upon many occasions, the class I was in, asked our staff to replenish stock in supplies to be used. In fact, the class had to make a list of the stock we did not have in the class room. This list included: gloves, trash bags, and towels (Yes our class was even out of towels. When getting product in, it was used product from another campus and the product was past the expiration date.” Employees at the campus and the corporate office do not have a record of any time that there were not supplies on hand in the classrooms. Supplies are routinely inventoried by the instructors and orders are placed as warranted in order to ensure a proper level of inventory is maintained in the classroom. In addition to supplies routinely being monitored at a campus level, the SEG National Director of Skin Care Programs routinely visits the campuses that offer programs in esthetics to audit the classes. Our National Director of Skin Care Programs was at the Phoenix campus June 16-June 20, 2014, September 7-September 9, 2014 and as recently as January 12-January 16, 2015 and did not note any deficiencies in the level of inventory. Further, at no time was product sent to the campus that was “used” or “past its expiration date”, the campus orders directly through the SEG Purchasing Manager who then places an order directly with the manufacturer of the product and all products are sent from the manufacturer in sealed packaging.

The complainant also stated that “steamers had mold in them and we were required to use them on clients during clinic.” The campus does not have any record of any instance when there was “mold” in the steamers. As part of the program of study, the students are expected to routinely clean the classroom equipment after each use, as part of gaining experience for what will be expected when they go to work in the industry. This includes on a daily basis, ensuring that the steamers are emptied of water and are cleaned out with water and vinegar. In addition to the periodic visits conducted by corporate and campus staff, the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology routinely does surprise inspections at SIE and all equipment is inspected for safety and sanitation. The most recent inspection was conducted on December 4, 2014 and the inspection had zero areas of non-compliance.

The complainant stated that “When enrolling in the Steiner program the students are not informed they will be enrolled in a rolling program. Meaning the students are placed into a class and forced to begin their lessons with which ever lesson plan the class is currently on, whether this is a beginning, middle, or end, or the course.” This statement is not accurate, the program of study is taught modularly on a term-basis, and a new student is able to begin at the start of each term, which is also when new courses would begin. New students are not started in the middle of a course or a term, they are able to start at points in the program that have been defined and approved by the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, the agency that approves and licenses SIE and the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET), which institutionally accredits the campus.

The complainant states that “The staff also had stated this was just a basic esthetician program and we will have the basic knowledge to pass state boards. This is not what the brochure on this program states. Basic esthetician program that is designed to only get you through state boards for $9,672.79 does not sound correct to anyone enrolling in this school.” The program is clearly described in all marketing materials and is detailed in the school catalog that the complainant received and acknowledged reading prior to executing her Enrollment Agreement. Our catalog and brochures indicate the program is designed “to provide students with the required hours, course offerings, and knowledge base to sit for the Arizona state licensing exam for estheticians.” The complainant states that “When I signed papers to go to the school I was not informed that I would not be able to use any machine because I have epilepsy. The school wanted papers faxed over from my doctors before I could be hands on.” This was relayed to me 5 weeks after the program started however, the papers could not be faxed to the schools fax machine as the machine was down and it was still down the day I left.” SIE takes the health and safety of every student very seriously and if the campus becomes aware of a student’s health issue that could impeded their ability to participate in the program, the campus will request medical documentation to determine what level of participation can be experienced by the student. When the campus became aware of the complainant’s medical condition, she was requested to provide information from her medical provider. It is unclear why this information could not be faxed to the campus because there is no record of any issues with the fax machine. Requested medical clearance can be scanned to the campus, mailed or dropped off by the student but there is no record of this occurring.

The complainant states that “Also, my financial aid and loans were not processed until after I left this school.” The processing of Title IV financial assistance has several steps and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they have provided the campus with the proper information that is required to complete the process and receive the money. The complainant had an address correction that came to light after she had completed her paperwork and this was submitted as a correction. The campus did receive one disbursement of the complainant’s grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant which was retained to offset the costs of tuition, books and supplies. The student loan proceeds did not arrive until after the complainant ceased attending (October 24, 2014) and per U.S. Department of Education regulations they were returned. Because the student loan proceeds had to be returned, the balance now owed to the school is $1906.35 for the tuition and fees incurred by the complainant. The complainant states that “The transcript that was mailed to me show the charges are not only inaccurate they are also falsified. She claims a school employee took a printed copy of the transcripts and blacked out portions of the transcripts and hand wrote different amounts.” This statement is not accurate and the refund calculation has been reviewed by the SEG National Director of Financial Aid, the SEG National Director of Compliance and was recently reviewed as part of the 2014 Title IV financial aid audit that was conducted by our independent third party auditor and it was found to be correct. Per the school employee who is the SEG Regional Director of Financial Aid, the amounts “blacked out” were not correct because it was not reflecting that the student loans had to be returned, the amount that the employee wrote in is correct and took into consideration the return of the loan proceeds. The complaint has been thoroughly investigated and has been found to be without merit. It is the goal of all SEG schools that each student that enrolls completes their program of study and finds gainful employment in their field of study. Unfortunately the complaint chose not to complete her education and is now upset that she owes SIE money for the portion of her education that she completed and the books and supplies she received. It is unclear in reviewing the complainant’s file if she fully understood that she could have requested to receive a “post-withdrawal disbursement” of the student loan proceeds. This would have enabled the school to receive and retain a portion of the student loan money to cover her outstanding balance as opposed to owing the school directly. In an effort to reach a compromise with the complainant, the company will not actively seek collection on the outstanding amount of $1906.35, which is owed to SIE, unless the complainant wishes to return to the school to finish her education at a later date.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us.

Very Truly Yours,

Steiner Education Group/Steiner Institute of Esthetics

Review: 1/9/2015To Whom This May Concern; I was a student at [redacted] starting 8/4/2014 and withdrawing 10/16/2014. While attending this school for the brief time I encountered the worst educational experience of my life. This school staff was disorganized, unfriendly, and lacked knowledge of the esthetics program. !Upon many occasions, the class I was in, asked our staff to replenish stock in supplies to be used. In fact, the class had to make a list of the stock we did not have in the class room. This list included; gloves, trash bags, and towels (Yes our class was even out of towels). When getting product in, it was used product from another campus and the product was past the expiration date. Our class was treated with discouragement when asking for supplies. Our steamers had mold in them and we were required to use them on clients during clinics. When we addressed the mold issue, Susie, the head of education at Steiner, asked us, the students, if the student should be cleaning the machines. Whether the machines should be cleaned by the school or the students should be an item in which the head of education knows. She returned the following week and stated the maintenance department should be cleaning them. The machines were then cleaned 2 weeks after requesting them to be cleaned. During these 2 weeks the staff still expected us to use these machines on not only the paying students but also the paying customers. This school works very closely with Arizona School of Massage Therapy and they choose to hire their massage students to the school. In doing this the students that have become the staff are unknowledgeable and disorganized of the esthetics program. The confusion the staff has causes a lot of stress for all the Steiner students as the massage students/staff cannot help us. When the Steiner students would ask questions the staff simply stated the programs are different and they do not know how to help us or to give them time to figure out the program. When enrolling in the Steiner program the students are not informed they will be enrolled in a rolling program. Meaning the students are placed into a class and forced to begin their lessons with which ever lesson plan the class is currently on, whether this is the beginning, middle, or end, or the course. The staff also had stated this was just a basic esthetician program and we will have the basic knowledge to pass state boards. This is not what the brochure on this program states. Basic esthetician program that is designed to only get you through state boards for $9,672.79 does not sound correct to anyone enrolling in this school. This school happens to be the most disorganized school Ive ever attend if not for the fact alone that their students have to give them a list of products they need in the class but the office loses papers on a regular basis. When I signed papers to go to the school I was not informed that I would not be able to use any machine because I have epilepsy. The school wanted papers faxed over from my doctors before I could be hands on. This was relayed to me 5weeks after the program started however, the papers could not be faxed to the schools fax machine as the machine was down and it was still down the day I left. This was another reason I chose to leave the school. Also, my financial aid and loans were not processed until after I left this school. While reviewing the forms mailed to me, after I left the school, not only did the school charge my financial aid for the entire year, they are also trying to charge me an additional $1900. The transcript that was mailed to me show the charges are not only inaccurate they are also falsified. [redacted] took a printed copy of the transcripts and blacked out portions of the transcripts and hand wrote different amounts. I have left countless message on both [redacted]s voicemail as well as [redacted] voicemail. I have even left verbal messages with the receptionist, [redacted]. To this day I have not had 1 call back.[redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like to see this school become more organized and clean for future students. I would like to see the school keep there word as written in their contract. I would also like a full refund for the hardship this school has put upon me and my family the last several months.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Serving Central, Northern and Western Arizona

4428 North 12th Street

Phoenix, AZ 86305

Re: Response – Complaint ID [redacted]

Dear Sir/Madam:

We are in receipt regarding a complaint filed with your office by a former student at Steiner Institute of Esthetics (SIE). As described below, we have investigated the allegations that a former student has made regarding her experiences at SIE. However, due to privacy considerations and as requested by your letter dated April 1, 2015 we will not disclose some specific information regarding the complainant’s enrollment and we will attempt to respond in a general way in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

The complainant enrolled at the Phoenix Campus of SIE to take the 720 clock hour Professional Esthetics Program on June 16, 2014 and began classes on August 4, 2014. She attended classes until October 16, 2014 when she ceased attending classes. The complainant was withdrawn from her program on October 30, 2014, in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined on her enrollment agreement. Prior to a student enrolling into one of the SEG campuses, they are provided with a school catalog, information regarding their program and given a tour of the campus which includes a chance to examine the classrooms and equipment they will use. At the time of the enrollment, an Enrollment Agreement is executed and each student is asked to review and initial a Student Verification Form to ensure that they have read and understood the school catalog and understand their program of study and the policies of the school. The complainant was provided with a school catalog that clearly described the program of study, the courses she would be taking, the refund policy and the Student Complaint & Grievance Procedures is outlined which details the process that a student should follow if they have a concern or complaint. There is no record of any complaints being filed by the complaint with the employees at the campus or at the SEG corporate offices regarding her concerns or her dissatisfaction with her program of study or the campus. If the complainant had brought her concerns to the attention of her instructors, the administrative staff or the corporate staff, it is possible they could have been addressed prior to her choosing to drop from the program.

The complainant indicates that “Upon many occasions, the class I was in, asked our staff to replenish stock in supplies to be used. In fact, the class had to make a list of the stock we did not have in the class room. This list included: gloves, trash bags, and towels (Yes our class was even out of towels. When getting product in, it was used product from another campus and the product was past the expiration date.” Employees at the campus and the corporate office do not have a record of any time that there were not supplies on hand in the classrooms. Supplies are routinely inventoried by the instructors and orders are placed as warranted in order to ensure a proper level of inventory is maintained in the classroom. In addition to supplies routinely being monitored at a campus level, the SEG National Director of Skin Care Programs routinely visits the campuses that offer programs in esthetics to audit the classes. Our National Director of Skin Care Programs was at the Phoenix campus June 16-June 20, 2014, September 7-September 9, 2014 and as recently as January 12-January 16, 2015 and did not note any deficiencies in the level of inventory. Further, at no time was product sent to the campus that was “used” or “past its expiration date”, the campus orders directly through the SEG Purchasing Manager who then places an order directly with the manufacturer of the product and all products are sent from the manufacturer in sealed packaging.

The complainant also stated that “steamers had mold in them and we were required to use them on clients during clinic.” The campus does not have any record of any instance when there was “mold” in the steamers. As part of the program of study, the students are expected to routinely clean the classroom equipment after each use, as part of gaining experience for what will be expected when they go to work in the industry. This includes on a daily basis, ensuring that the steamers are emptied of water and are cleaned out with water and vinegar. In addition to the periodic visits conducted by corporate and campus staff, the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology routinely does surprise inspections at SIE and all equipment is inspected for safety and sanitation. The most recent inspection was conducted on December 4, 2014 and the inspection had zero areas of non-compliance.

The complainant stated that “When enrolling in the Steiner program the students are not informed they will be enrolled in a rolling program. Meaning the students are placed into a class and forced to begin their lessons with which ever lesson plan the class is currently on, whether this is a beginning, middle, or end, or the course.” This statement is not accurate, the program of study is taught modularly on a term-basis, and a new student is able to begin at the start of each term, which is also when new courses would begin. New students are not started in the middle of a course or a term, they are able to start at points in the program that have been defined and approved by the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, the agency that approves and licenses SIE and the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET), which institutionally accredits the campus.

The complainant states that “The staff also had stated this was just a basic esthetician program and we will have the basic knowledge to pass state boards. This is not what the brochure on this program states. Basic esthetician program that is designed to only get you through state boards for $9,672.79 does not sound correct to anyone enrolling in this school.” The program is clearly described in all marketing materials and is detailed in the school catalog that the complainant received and acknowledged reading prior to executing her Enrollment Agreement. Our catalog and brochures indicate the program is designed “to provide students with the required hours, course offerings, and knowledge base to sit for the Arizona state licensing exam for estheticians.” The complainant states that “When I signed papers to go to the school I was not informed that I would not be able to use any machine because I have epilepsy. The school wanted papers faxed over from my doctors before I could be hands on.” This was relayed to me 5 weeks after the program started however, the papers could not be faxed to the schools fax machine as the machine was down and it was still down the day I left.” SIE takes the health and safety of every student very seriously and if the campus becomes aware of a student’s health issue that could impeded their ability to participate in the program, the campus will request medical documentation to determine what level of participation can be experienced by the student. When the campus became aware of the complainant’s medical condition, she was requested to provide information from her medical provider. It is unclear why this information could not be faxed to the campus because there is no record of any issues with the fax machine. Requested medical clearance can be scanned to the campus, mailed or dropped off by the student but there is no record of this occurring.

The complainant states that “Also, my financial aid and loans were not processed until after I left this school.” The processing of Title IV financial assistance has several steps and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they have provided the campus with the proper information that is required to complete the process and receive the money. The complainant had an address correction that came to light after she had completed her paperwork and this was submitted as a correction. The campus did receive one disbursement of the complainant’s grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant which was retained to offset the costs of tuition, books and supplies. The student loan proceeds did not arrive until after the complainant ceased attending (October 24, 2014) and per U.S. Department of Education regulations they were returned. Because the student loan proceeds had to be returned, the balance now owed to the school is $1906.35 for the tuition and fees incurred by the complainant. The complainant states that “The transcript that was mailed to me show the charges are not only inaccurate they are also falsified. She claims a school employee took a printed copy of the transcripts and blacked out portions of the transcripts and hand wrote different amounts.” This statement is not accurate and the refund calculation has been reviewed by the SEG National Director of Financial Aid, the SEG National Director of Compliance and was recently reviewed as part of the 2014 Title IV financial aid audit that was conducted by our independent third party auditor and it was found to be correct. Per the school employee who is the SEG Regional Director of Financial Aid, the amounts “blacked out” were not correct because it was not reflecting that the student loans had to be returned, the amount that the employee wrote in is correct and took into consideration the return of the loan proceeds. The complaint has been thoroughly investigated and has been found to be without merit. It is the goal of all SEG schools that each student that enrolls completes their program of study and finds gainful employment in their field of study. Unfortunately the complaint chose not to complete her education and is now upset that she owes SIE money for the portion of her education that she completed and the books and supplies she received. It is unclear in reviewing the complainant’s file if she fully understood that she could have requested to receive a “post-withdrawal disbursement” of the student loan proceeds. This would have enabled the school to receive and retain a portion of the student loan money to cover her outstanding balance as opposed to owing the school directly. In an effort to reach a compromise with the complainant, the company will not actively seek collection on the outstanding amount of $1906.35, which is owed to SIE, unless the complainant wishes to return to the school to finish her education at a later date.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us.

Very Truly Yours,

Steiner Education Group/Steiner Institute of Esthetics