Brensten Education, Inc.

Ms*** did receive a check in the amount of $that was to be used for books, supplies and certification exam fees Since she withdrew from the program she will not require $for that purpose and we would urge her to return the funds and not incur more student debt than necessary
Brensten Education is concerned since this is the 4th school that Ms*** has enrolled into and withdrawn from She is now going to enroll at a 5th school and has not completed any of the programs offered at any of these schoolsThis seems to be an unusual enrollment pattern and we will be notifying the appropriate parties as such This has been explained to Ms*** Ms *** did request to speak with the President but the President was not available at the time so *** did state she could take a message Brensten Education works with our students and encourages them to take the minimum necessary in extra loans in efforts to help control student debt While Ms*** states this has not been her experience at other institutions she has attended and that she has always been, "free to do with the money what she wants" Brensten is looking to help control student loan debt The school does have advertisements on the radio but also has multiple other sources for reaching new students, including student referrals Brensten Education has maintained an overall graduation rate of over 70% along with an overall placement rate of over 70% for more than years so Brensten Education would not agree that the turn-around rate is horrible as stated by Ms*** These statistics are reviewed annually by the State of Wisconsin, our Accreditor and submitted to the US Department of Education The financial aid office also explained to Ms*** that all necessary refunds are processed within days of withdrawal from the program, per regulations The paperwork that Ms*** requested Brensten to complete is not something that is necessary that the institution complete but rather something the next school would like to know to see what funds Ms*** still has available *** does not complete the paperwork but rather follows regulation and cancels future disbursements within the days of the notice of withdrawal which then allows the next school to see what has been utilized in federal aid and what is still available in federal aid for a specific person It seems as though the next school is simply looking for a way to speed up this process It was also explained to Ms*** that her information is no exception to this and will be processed within this time frame We do not simply, "follow suit" of other schools, but rather follow the regulations set forth

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
From: [redacted]Date: Mon,...

Nov 10, 2014 at 12:24 PMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of WisconsinTo: "[redacted]The information is false. The salesman and Tony both verbally told me they do provide internships and jobs up to six figures. Their school worked with several companies but Kohl's and teaching jobs was all they could name. The information was all verbal and a total misinterruptation of their supposiveaccreditation with Accett. The information they provided was not what the students said. We are still seeking a refund of the second semester.
Regards,
[redacted]

Ms. [redacted] did indeed have knowledge of securing any loans for her education.  Any student would be aware of any loans they are taking as they need to sign and date loan documents for both federal or private loans.  With the private loans they would need to provide either banking...

information or credit card information and pick a date that the money is auto withdrawn each month.  A coupon for the initial payment is also provided by the lender to the borrower at the signing of the loan.  Full coupon books are then mailed directly to the borrower.  Should Ms [redacted] like a duplicate coupon book I would recommend she contact her loan provider and request this.   Both federal and private loans are through 3rd party providers, not Brensten Education.  Students and the loan providers decide on dates the loans begin, and any other terms/conditions of the loan.  Being each situation is  unique to each specific student (borrower) the school would have no way to notify each student of when their loans begin.   Phone calls would have come from the loan companies looking to receive payments if they are delinquent.  Any phone numbers contacted in attempt for them to collect past due loan payments, also would have been secured on loan documents by the lending institute.   It is not the responsibility of the school to notify a student of loans they took out  and when payments are due as this task would not be possible.  Rather, it would be the responsibility of the student to take another look at the documents they received from the lending institute.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The State of Education Board of Wisconsin did not approve the business.  They e-mailed me,too.  Their response was that their policy was to review only claims within a certain period of a student's dropoff from school and my case was not within that time frame.  They also mentioned the fact that the physical location of the school that I attended was in Indiana, not Wisconsin.  So they merely did not review my case; certainly did not approve business.  Please ask the business to provide support for the board's approval and the reasoning.Regards,
[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is...

satisfactory to me. 
As of this past Monday, my complaint with Brensten Education has been resolved.  They agreed to provide both the course and testing as originally promised.  Thank you for your assistance.  I doubt they would have if it weren't for you being involved.Thank you[redacted]

At no time was she would qualify for a job at $40,000 - $80,000.  Please see attached quality assurance form initialed and signed for by Ms. [redacted].

The institution has responded and provided the necessary documentation to both our accreditor, ACCET, and to the Revdex.com.  We have followed all standards set forth by our acceditor.  The institution does not determine the refund of a student, rather we must follow the policies and procedures set forth by the State of Wisconsin and our accreditor.

As stated in our initial response,  the State of Wisconsin Educational Approval Board previously reviewed the claim made by Mr. [redacted].  They found the school followed the necessary policies & procedures and correctly calculated the refund due.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
I have a private loan through Cardinal Stritch University - this school is LARGER than Brensten and for them to say that they are unable to accomplish sending a letter to each student is beyond ridiculous! You took the time out to inform us when we started that this would be done, you should take the time out after! Cardinal Stritch took the time out for each of their students REMINDING them the agreement and even for their private loans they would reach out to graduating students. For the sake of argument, any reputable college would acknowledge there mistake and take REASONABLE steps to rectify that, but since they haven't and instead passed blame. I have YET to receive a coupon book, and any FORMER student that I have spoken to have also stated this FACT.  I would recommend any person out there to heed this advice and not go to this school. They are about the bottom line and not their students.  In addition, we just found out the beginning of the month of September, instead of being allowed to walk across the stage to "officially" graduate they have sent an email that they would send you your diploma by mail. What a sad way to end 18 months blood, sweat, and tears, with a school that I wanted to go to since 2005. Such an absolute disappointment! 
Regards,
[redacted]

From: [redacted]Date: Jan 7, 2015 8:25 PMSubject: Re: CCNATo: [redacted]Cc:> ?[redacted]>>> I did receive the activation for TestOut and was able to get my account setup.  Thank you for getting this to me.  I will contact you once I am close to needing the testing voucher. >>> Consider this response as my acceptance to this new agreement. >>> Thank you,>>> [redacted]>> ________________________________> From: [redacted]> Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 5:56 PM> To: [redacted]> Subject: CCNA>  >> Hi [redacted]>>  >> I am glad we have been able to resolve the issue of the CCNA class and certification.  As agreed upon I am providing you with the online CCNA course. >> Attached is a PDF file containing your LabSim activation code certificate.>> ·         Click the attachment to open it.>> Click the "Print" icon to print the entire contents of the PDF. The document size will vary in accordance with how many LabSim products have been ordered.> one activation code per user. Each activation code is unique and may only be used one time.>> When you are complete with this program per our agreement you can contact me via email or phone call at the number below and Brensten agrees to purchase the exam voucher 200-120 at the cost of $295.  We agreed to wait to purchase until you give me the go ahead as the voucher expires within 3 months of purchase. >>  >> I have included an attachment of testing sites in your area when you are ready to take your exam.>>  >> Please email me back confirming your agreement to this.>>  >> Thanks and Happy New Year!>>  >>  >> [redacted]>> Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer>> [redacted]>> The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.>

A complaint was previously submitted by Ms. [redacted] with our acceditor, ACCET.  ACCET was founded in 1974 for the purpose of improving continuing education and training and has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1978 as a “reliable authority” as to the quality of education and training provided by the institutions we accredit. In 1998, ACCET became the only recognized accrediting agency to be certified as an ISO 9001:2008-Quality Management System, under the international standards established by the International Organization for Standardization, and continues to hold that unique status.Accreditation serves the interests of companies, agencies, and the public through the establishment of standards, policies, and procedures in conjunction with an objective third-party professional evaluation designed to identify and inspire sound education and training practices. When such a process is matched by an institution’s commitment to high standards and accountability, a partnership for quality becomes reality. Included below is a copy of the information requested by ACCET and Brensten Educations response, including attachments of supporting documentation.  We believe this should be sufficient in response to the complaint that was submitted to the Revdex.com.  ACCET has received a written complaint (letter attached) from Ms. [redacted], the parent of a former student of your institution’s (program and campus not specified). According to the policies of ACCET, your institution must provide a written response within ten (10) days that addresses the various areas of concern cited. Those areas are outlined below according to the relevant elements of the ACCET standards that are not being met should the allegations be substantiated:1. Standard V-B: Externships/Internships – This standard requires that, when required as a part of a program, an externship/internship or other training-related work experience is based on a preplanned outline of the specific knowledge, skills, and experience to be acquired; that written policies and procedures for the supervision and evaluation of externships/internships are established and followed by the institution to ensure consistency and effectiveness; and that the institution provides a sufficient number of sites to ensure appropriate and timely learning experiences in its externship/internship program.? The complainant alleged that the institution “failed to deliver internships” to her son, student [redacted] Based on other statements in the complaint, it is believed she is referencing what ACCET would normally call an externship.2. Standard VII-A: Recruitment – This standard requires that informational and promotional materials, advertising, and representations made by or on behalf of the institution for recruiting purposes make only justifiable and provable claims regarding the courses, programs, costs, location, instructional personnel, student services, outcomes, and other benefits.October 24, 2014Page 2 of 3? The complainant alleged that the institution advertises starting positions after graduationoffering salaries at or above $100,000.Accordingly, the institution must provide a written response, including any relevant events thathave transpired since the date of the complaint or actions that the management has taken to dateto address these issues, to be forwarded to ACCET no later than November 3, 2014. Yourresponse should include, at a minimum, the following documentation:1. A detailed narrative account of your institution’s independent analysis of the facts and meritsof the complainant’s allegations, as outlined above, to determine if the management hasfollowed standard procedures relevant to the cited grievances. Be sure that this narrativeaddresses both of the points outlined above.2. Copies of all correspondence to and from the complainant and her son, along with any and alldocumentation relating to these issues, such as memoranda, meeting minutes, log entries, etc.3. Copies of the complainant’s son’s enrollment agreement, final transcript, and tuition ledger.4. A copy of the page(s) from the institution’s catalog containing the full program descriptionand course summary for the complainant’s son’s program.5. Copies of any and all documents and records associated with the search for an externship forthe complainant’s son.6. Copies of any and all documents and records associated with the attendance (completion?) ofan externship by the complainant’s son.7. A list of sites with current externship agreements signed with the institution relative to thecomplainant’s son’s program of study at his campus. For each site, indicate how manystudents are currently attending an externship there, as well as the total number of externs thesite has indicated that it can accommodate at one time.8. A list of all students (of the same program and from the same campus as the complainant’sson) currently on externship, as well as all students currently waiting for an externship site,as well as all students who will be ready to begin their search for an externship site within thenext three months. Identify each group accordingly.9. Copies of all currently active print, online, radio or television (transcripts only)advertisements or promotional materials that address the complainant’s son’s program.Include in the response to this item copies of any other advertisements or promotionalmaterials that were active as of the date of the complainant’s son’s enrollment, but markthem as no longer in use.October 24, 2014Page 3 of 310. Copies of policies, procedures, scripts, and/or training materials for admissions representatives that apply to the complainant’s son’s program and provide instruction on how to represent potential salary ranges or to respond to questions about potential earnings.11. If any of the advertisements or promotional materials, or any of the instructions provided to admissions representatives, do indicate that starting salaries can reach the amount allegedly stated to the complainant’s son, provide supporting documentation to substantiate this claim.12. A narrative summary of the complainant’s son’s current status (grad? placed? still in job search?), with supporting documentation as available. 
Here is the institutions response to our acceditor, ACCET. Brensten Education is in receipt of the written complaint
from Ms. [redacted], the parent of former student [redacted], and would
like to address the two areas of concern cited. 
 1.        Brensten Education does not include or have
approval from ACCET to include externships/internships as a required part of
the program Mr. [redacted] was enrolled in.  At
no time did the institution state verbally or in writing that an internship or
externship would be provided with the program. 
 
At no time did Brensten verbally
or in writing advertise starting positions after graduation offering salaries
at or above $100,000.  I have included a
copy of the institutions Quality Assurance Questionnaire (item 1) that is
completed at the time of enrollment. 
This was initialed, signed and dated by Mr. [redacted].  Please refer specifically the heading
“General” and review item 1 stating that at no time during the advertising,
information seminar, 1-on-1 meeting or at any other time during my pre-enrollment
process was I guaranteed employment or placement or guaranteed a specific
income upon obtaining IT employment. This is emphasized again under the “Career
Services” heading in item 1 that states the student understands that Brensten
Education cannot guarantee job placement, employment results or a certain
salary level.
 
 
2.        There is no written correspondence between the
institution and the student or student’s mother to report.  The student had arrived at the campus on
10/13/14 and spoke to [redacted] and [redacted].  The student had said he was dropping from the
program.  When he was asked why he had
stated because the institution was spying on him through the pre-recorded
videos he is required to watch as part of his program.  We disagreed but honored his request to
withdraw that day. 
3.       Included
is a copy of the complainant’s son’s enrollment agreement, final transcript and
tuition ledger.  Please note the student’s
tuition ledger reflects a balance of $1418. 
This amount will be refunded against his unsubsidized loan and is in
process as withdrawal date was 10/13/2014.
 
4.       Included
is the pages from the institutions catalog that contains the full program
description and course summary for the complainant’s son. 
 
5.       Not
applicable
6.       Not
applicable
7.       Not
applicable
8.       Not
applicable
 
9.        Included is a copy of the radio spot that is
currently running.  This is the same that
 
10.   The
institution’s admission department does an informational presentation with
all prospective
students.  I have included the slides
from the presentation that reference salary. 
Please note the salary information is taken directly from Salary.com and
is for the Milwaukee area specifically.  Our
website www.bse.edu specifically references www.onetoonline.org with the median
salary wages in 2013 in Wisconsin for computer support specialists from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
 Mr. [redacted] is withdrawn from the program at Brensten.

This 'school' is a SCAM. They lie, cheat and will steal your money.
I know this because I unfortunately went there and got suckered in to their "less than 1% drop out rate" I met a total of 6 people that went there as well, all of them dropped out and DID NOT pass anything. The way this is setup is wrong, different teachers every week...and then all of a sudden one of the STUDENTS was teaching the class, He handed out papers and said here you go if you need help raise your hand and I will come to you, as he sits at his desk and does who knows what...the girl next to me was CRYING because she didn't know what to do! [this was the second day] I felt bad for her. This place had to change the name of the school too... whats that tell you? I was at the school in Brookfield, WI was it was know as "PC PRO SCHOOL" my load was for over 12,000$ while these other people had paid 23,000$ 34,000$ some as low as 6,000$ all the way up to 48,000$ how they come up with these numbers is ridiculous...

Review: Letter given to school: Dear Brensten University,

Due to a total lack of addressing concerns of a student, false salesmanship, invading privacy, no documentation sent home regarding your guidelines, financial process, total cost, and false information on internships. In addition to using an alias and not giving the information forthright and it’s negative remarks and why it was done.

You sold my son a bill of goods you could not deliver or address when he questioned. His loan is through Direct Loans and I do expect it to be back dated to the origination of all the issues. It took me a long while to research your school. The loan checks were to be disbursed 12 days after disbursement which in documentation we have was in September. We are signing the withdrawal with no date or initials because it was you who falsified your information for personal gain without regards to the education he sought. I do expect a refund ASAP and a total withdrawal and all documents in regards to my son in original format immediately.

I will be reporting to the The Department of Education:”, “Direct Loans”, “Revdex.com” and the “State of Wisconsin Financial Institutions” since you are for profit.Desired Settlement: All records erased my son attended this establishment touting as a school, when it is for profit, meaningless in it's degree, not forthright about costs, alias, or addressing concerns. l want the funds from his student loan returned to him or the loan institution at the pro-rated rate when issues arouse. Ideally, I would like the school closed for false advertising but doubt I can make this happen. I want it reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Education on whether they really meet the guidelines to accept Federal Financial Money. Lastly, I want all the documentation sent to my son in regards to anything he signed ( no copies were ever given), a detailed accounting of what the student aid money was used for, and an explanation of why the complaints were NOT addressed in a professional matter causing me to be involved and losing my temper because "Tony" declined his right to talk stating an attorney said not to and continued to interrupt me making me lose my temper. Long and short, this school does not do what it promises, could careless about concerns from students, has an alias with lots of complaints attached to it PC Pro Schools and should not be considered reputable. I only want written contact from the school to have a full record of any transaction with them from now on, addressed to my son.. My son is [redacted]- address 3410 N 96th St, Milwaukee, WI 53222. Per there own website quote : "10 per cent of conflicts is due to difference of opinion and the other 90 per cent is due to tome of voice". They definiely don't talk their own advice. I lost my temper due to the disrespect and constant interruptions but gave a written copy with my son's and my complaints on it.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

From: [redacted]Date: Mon, Nov 10, 2014 at 12:24 PMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of WisconsinTo: "[redacted]The information is false. The salesman and Tony both verbally told me they do provide internships and jobs up to six figures. Their school worked with several companies but Kohl's and teaching jobs was all they could name. The information was all verbal and a total misinterruptation of their supposiveaccreditation with Accett. The information they provided was not what the students said. We are still seeking a refund of the second semester.

Review: They claimed for coming in to visiting their facility they would give a fee Microsoft Surface tablet. After 2 months and much run around emails they still have not fulfilled their claim.Desired Settlement: I wish the receive the free tablet that they promised to give according to their advertisement.

Business

Response:

TABLET PROMOTION RELEASE AGREEMENT

I, [redacted] acknowledge by my signature below the following to Brensten Education, Inc.

1) I have taken possession of a Surface tablet that I am receiving"FREE" as a promotion from Brensten Education

2) I understand that Brensten Education makes no warranties on the above referenced tablet and that any service issues I encounter will need to be dealt directly with the tablet manufacturer.

3) I agree that Brensten Education can take my picture with me receiving the tablet and that Brensten Education can use my name and said picture/likeness in their promotional/marketing materials without date expiration and compensation for them to do this as I received a tablet

referenced herein from Brensten Education.

4) I agree that I'm no longer eligible for future tablet giveaway promotions and/or other similar promotions offered by Brensten Education.

5) I understand that only one tablet is allowed per household,

Print Name: [redacted]

Review: I don't recommend anyone attending the institution; they have and misrepresented the Educational Institution of Higher Learning and the Government Financial Aid Dept. by falsely informing student of their Financial Aide eligibility and sticking students with OUTRAGEOUS STUDENT LOANS FOR AN INSTITUTION THAT IS NOT A FULLY ACCREDIATED INSTITUTION

I recently attended Brensten for a two year associate’s degree for Network Administration. Upon enrollment I was told that the graduation requirements would be as follow:

1.) Must obtain 3 certifications prior to graduation

2.) Have a GPA of 2.0 or better

3.) Have an attendance rate of 80% of better

I then applied for Financial Aid and was told the funding would be applied towards my loan after filling out the FASFA forms, during the 2nd Semester. I was even told could even borrow up to a certain amount based upon my FASFA qualifications "Where is my Financial Aide that I was told that I qualified for?

I recently graduated in March 2015 with a Degree Stating "Associates Degree of Computer Support & Network Administration.

Upon Graduation I received a letter indicating that none of the financial aid has been applied towards my loan, also that their schedule for adjustments and payments did not coincide with other institutions. I contacted several individuals in regards to my concern with no response. Long Story short They ae trying to stick me with a bill, and indicating that I did not meet Financial Aide requirements based upon the revisions that they applied to the student e-catalog as June2015- My graduation was March 2015

I was then told that I was ineligible for Financial Aid based upon the newly revisions as June 2015. I reached out to the institution to newly the student Advisor, who had been instructed not to return my calls, I then reached out to the Vice President of IT & Facility Infrastructure who called a left a voicemail, I tried to reach him again and was told he was on vacation for the next week. I then tried reaching out to CEO- Robert James- several times needless to say I am still awaiting a replyDesired Settlement: To have finacial aide that has been paid to the school to go towards my education, added towards my student loans.

Business

Response:

Below please see email from [redacted]. This complaint has been withdrawn. If you have any questions please contact me at [redacted] Thanks,[redacted] From: [redacted]] Sent: Friday, August 28, 2015 3:24 PMTo: [redacted]Cc: [redacted]>Subject: Compliant 1345- Brensten Education Dear [redacted]

Review: I was not issued a refund per the Refund Policy of the Enrollment Agreement. The Refund Policy (Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter EAB 8) states, The school will issue refunds within 30 days of the effective date of withdrawal. A written notice of withdrawal is not required. The student is considered withdrawn from the school if the student fails to attend classes without providing an explanation to the school regarding the inactivity for 30 consecutive days. I attended classes on March 11, 2010, and March 18, 2010. I did not attend classes after that and did not give written or verbal notice of my withdrawal. Therefore, the effective date of withdrawal is April 17, 2010.Desired Settlement: I believe I am legally entitled to a partial refund per the Refund Policy of the Enrollment Agreement. Given that the effective date of withdrawal is April 17, 2010, and classes were on Thursdays, I am considered to have attended 6 out of 26 classes. The Refund Policy states, Pro rata refund shall be determined as the number of units remaining after the last unit completed divided by the total number of units in the enrollment period, rounded downward to the nearest ten percent. Pro rata refund is the resulting percent applied to the total tuition and other required costs paid by the student for the current enrollment period. Therefore, 20 classes remaining divided by 26 total classes equals about 77 percent. Rounded downward to the nearest ten percent, it is 70 percent. My tuition was $11,995; 70 percent of that is $8396.50. Subtracting the one-time $100 administrative fee and $188.50 technology fee to enroll, the total comes to $8108. As my refund should have been issued more

Business

Response:

[redacted] already filed a complaint with the Educational Approval Board with the state of Wisconsin.

I am already working with them as [redacted] attended more than he outlined below and is not due a refund.

I will send you a copy of the correspondence once complete with the state.

Thanks,

Review: Brensten Education offered me a presentation of their 10-Month Help Desk / Administrator program (this includes all of the courses and associated exams). During the presentation a slideshow was given showing the various certifications that can be obtained upon completion of the course. Among the certifications was one CCNA. Upon seeing this certification along with the others made this course stand out from the other online courses offered by other vendors. I decided to enroll and take the course. Before signing up I viewed their online Student Catalog and saw nothing regarding the before mentioned CCNA. I contacted, via email, the admissions counselor to verify what was included. He replied with the list of courses and verified that the CCNA was included. With his reply, I finished the enrollment process. About one week after starting the course our classroom Teacher's Aid told me that the school does not and has never offered the CCNA course. So, I again contacted the admissions counselor and a member of the faculty. I then received a phone call from this faculty member. He reassured me by stating that the course was still in the works of being created and that I should not worry because it will be included once finished. Not too long after the Student Catalog was revised but, still had no mention of the CCNA. So, I contacted the faculty once again. This time I was told the same thing that once the CCNA course is completed, it will be added to the catalog. From that point on, I asked our classroom teacher at least twice a month about the status of the CCNA and was always told that he would have to look into it or that he knows it is being worked on but doesn't know when it would be completed. At the end of the 10-month course our teacher advised the entire class that because the CCNA wasn't finished yet it would be offered to us at a later date at no charge. I waited nearly 2 months to follow up on the status. Finally I heard from another member of faculty that told me he had no record of my being offered the CCNA and they don't even offer the course. He then asked if I had any proof. So, I forwarded copies of the original emails from the admissions counselor and the faculty member that stated that it was included and offered to me. A few weeks went by and I finally heard from the faculty member again. This time he stated to me that when the admissions counselor told me the CCNA course was included that that was not true and to correct the issue, they would pay for me to take the course with another company. I was perfectly fine with this. But, when I enquired about whether they were also going to cover the cost of the testing, they told me no, this was more than they were willing to do and that they were already going above and beyond what they should have. This was not a misunderstanding on my part and I was continually mislead for the entirety of this course. Had I known that the course was never included, I would have immediately cancelled my enrollment and I'm sure they knew this was the case and the cause for dragging it out for 10-Months. If needed, I can get the majority of the students from this class to collaborate that I asked about the course and was told it was being included.

Along with this, the school advertises that they have a local campus facility in Indiana. This is listed in their April 2014 Student Catalog revision. This is not true and has not been, as they closed the facility in 2013. This is misleading.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome would be for the school to honor what they promised and pay for the course, along with the associated exams. If they are unwilling to do so, then they should refund the cost (my cost, not theirs) associated with me taking the course on my own with another institution.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

As of this past Monday, my complaint with Brensten Education has been resolved. They agreed to provide both the course and testing as originally promised. Thank you for your assistance. I doubt they would have if it weren't for you being involved.Thank you[redacted]

Review: In 2007, I enrolled in the IT program at PC Pro Schools in Brookfield, WI. My wife and I obtained a student loan through Sallie Mae for $12,500 (partial tuition) and I started classes. Unfortunately, due to severe back pain from three previous spinal surgeries, I was only able to attend one class for less than four hours. At that time, my wife wrote a letter to PC Pro Schools notifying them of my need to withdraw due to medical reasons. One of the Directors told my wife that, since I had attended a partial class, I was only entitled to a 90% tuition refund according to the PC Pro Schools policy handbook. We accepted that decision, instructed them to repay Sallie Mae the balance of financial aid they had received on my behalf, and paid the difference of our financial obligation directly to Sallie Mae for the student loan processing fees. We sent letters confirming these transactions to both PC Pro Schools and Sallie Mae.

Then in the fall of 2009, I was extremely discouraged about being on disability retirement and social security disability. I wanted to do something productive with the remainder of my life. Since I could not engage in heavy physical lifting or activity, I once again considered a career change in the computer field. So I signed up for the IT program at PC Pro Schools in Brookfield, WI for a second time. Since my wife and I were in the process of a divorce and I did not have any financial resources, I applied for a student loan from Educator's Credit Union for approximately $14,000 to cover tuition at PC Pro Schools. To my dismay, my back pain and neuropathy prevented me from achieving my goal. As had happened two years previously, I was only able to attend less than one full class. I was very frustrated and disappointed. It was difficult for me to accept that I could not complete this program to give me a second chance at a new career. When I contacted PC Pro Schools about my need to withdraw again, and inquired about how to go about obtaining a refund of my tuition fees so I could repay the student loan, I was referred to another contact person in a Michigan location. I tried that number, and several others, leaving voicemail messages at each one but never received a response. Finally, I re-contacted the Brookfield office and explained my situation yet again. I was told by one of the Principals (I believe it may have been [redacted]) that the balance of my tuition would be returned to either me or Educator's Credit Union as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that NEVER happened. Neither I nor Educator's Credit Union ever received one cent of the tuition refund from PC Pro Schools. This business kept $14,000 for my attendance at less than one full class. PC Pro Schools kept money that should have been returned to Educator's Credit Union since it was a student loan to cover tuition expenses.

Since I did not have the money to repay the student loan, Educator's Credit Union has now filed a claim and issued a judgment against me. With principle, interest and attorney fees, that judgment is now well over $17,000. I have since had to file for bankruptcy; however, I am aware that student loans are generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy cases. But I feel that the majority of that amount is really the responsibility of PC Pro Schools who should have returned the money from my student loan since I could not complete their program due to medical reasons. I think the fact that PC Pro Schools kept that money was unethical, if not illegal.

I've noticed that PC Pro Schools prior websites (www.pcpro.edu and http://pcpro.edu/school_catalog.php) are no longer functional. Their former telephone number ([redacted]) has been disconnected and is no longer in service. When I called the toll-free number (877-864-6717), the recording did not reference PC Pro Schools but instead said Brensten Education, Inc. I'm not certain if they still have a school location in Brookfield, but Brensten Education, Inc.'s current address and phone number is: 20633 Watertown Rd, Waukesha, WI 53186 and [redacted]. I believe many of the owners are the same, namely: [redacted], CEO; [redacted] of Operations; and [redacted], President. Their new website is: http://www.bse.edu.Desired Settlement: I would like PC Pro Schools to calculate the appropriate refund to which I was entitled and refund that amount so I can repay Educator's Credit Union for my student loan. Since a timely response on their part in the very beginning would not have resulted in a civil claim being filed and a judgment entered against me, nor would additional interest and attorney charges been incurred, I also think PC Pro Schools should cover those costs as well. You can reference Case No. [redacted], filed in Milwaukee County, by [redacted]

Review: Upon applying for this school I was promised a 40,000-80,000 year job upon completing this course.I have been promised job after job and have not received and job from this course 40,000-80,000.Desired Settlement: I am requesting a fund refund of federal loan

Business

Response:

At no time was she would qualify for a job at $40,000 - $80,000. Please see attached quality assurance form initialed and signed for by Ms. [redacted].

Review: I enrolled PC Pro Schools of Indianapolis at the end of August 2009. Schools physical location was at 301 Pennsylvnia Parkway, Indianapolis, IN 46280. I obtained financing for my education: one loan from TFC Credit Corporation in the amount of $2,700.00 ($3,138.60 with finance charges) and a private loan from Sallie Mae in the amount of $9,800. The TFC loan I started paying off soon after enrollment. I made one time initial payment and then made monthly payments until it was paid off in full. The second loan from Sallie Mae had to be paid off later. I attended school till November 5, 2009 and had to drop off: my mother, who lived overseas, had a stroke and I had to go there to take care of her. I did not attend either PC Pro Schools live classes or online classes or sit for the exams since then. When I was back in the United States, I stopped at the school in July of 2010 and let them know that I am not returning back due to family issues.I had to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy and was never contacted either by Sallie Mae or by PC Pro School. When I was discharged from the Bankruptcy in July of 2014, my mother-in-law (who happened to be a cosigner on the loans) started receiving notifications from Navient that she owed more than $15,000 of principal and interest to Sallie Mae. I contacted Navient: they made two disbursements to the PC Pro Schools, $4,900 each. I reviewed my contract with the PC Pro Schools: apparently, they owed me 60 % of costs back. When I went to the schools location, it appeared to be closed. Finally, my mother-in-law discovered a link between the school and Brandston Education Corp. (20633 Watertown Court, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53186) I contacted them and was referred to Tammy as a person dealing with financial issues. she said that their records showed that I studied till the end of the course. I asked for some proof. She did not return my calls since then.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive at least 50% refund for tuition paid for me to PC Pro Schools by the lenders from Brandston Education Corporation, so I could pay off Sallie Mae (Navient's) loan..

Business

Response:

Attached is the information that I provided to Mr. [redacted] at the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board back in February. This case has been closed and Brensten was found to have properly followed the policies and procedures set forth by the EAB. Thanks, Wendy M[redacted]Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer262-901-1365 | www.bse.edu