To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint centers around a past due balance of over $5,000 due to an unexpected medical circumstance for which she sought a tuition credit to cover the past due balance. Through our Campus portal, learners can access a webpage that contains the list of criteria required for a tuition credit request to be reviewed by Learner Affairs. In this circumstance, documentation required for consideration of a credit regarding a major medical issue includes: Their written statement describing the unexpected medical emergency and how the situation impacted your participation in course(s); andTheir healthcare provider’s statement, written on letterhead and signed, that specifies the dates during which they were unable to participate in their course(s). While Ms. [redacted]’s provided medical documentation relative to her unexpected medical circumstance, her tuition credit request was denied as her healthcare provider’s statement failed to explain the specific dates she was unable to participate in her course due to her unexpected medical circumstance as required by our criteria. Ms. [redacted]’s submitted a revised healthcare provider’s statement to Learner Affairs on May 13th, 2016, however, our records indicate that Ms. [redacted]’s was actively participating in her courses contrary to the dates listed on her third-party healthcare documentation. We apologize for any hardship or confusion this situation has caused Ms. [redacted]s. To aid in the Ms. [redacted]’s permanent separation from the University, we are offering a one-time good faith tuition credit in the amount of $2,000 to be applied to her account balance. However, Ms. [redacted]s is still responsible the remaining balance on her account. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Alyssa R. [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Alyssa.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
March 30, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint from case #[redacted] submitted on 3/9/2016. Mr. [redacted] is stating that Capella is committing fraud against him due to the balance owed on his account. We apologize for any undue hardship or stress that this situation may have caused Mr. [redacted], but we feel we have been very clear in what happened with his financial aid. We disbursed his financial aid the third week of the fall term which included $4665.00 towards his tuition charge and $1606.00 sent to Mr. [redacted] as a refund. Mr. [redacted] then chose to drop both of his fall courses as of November 7th, 2015. In accordance with Department of Education regulations, we were required to return the unearned portion of financial aid totaling $3499.00 back to the lender. This return of title IV (R2T4) funds reduced Mr. [redacted]’s loan debt by the above mentioned amount, but the debt now becomes owed directly to Capella. were required to return funds in accordance with federal law due to his decision to drop his courses. We will not be taking any further action on his account as everything processed by Capella was done in strict accordance with Department of Education regulations. We encourage him to contact our business office at [redacted] to discuss a payment arrangement for the balance owed on his account. If Mr. [redacted] requires further clarification regarding financial aid processes as they relate specifically to his situation, I would encourage him to reach out and speak with our financial aid department. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Joseph [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Direct Line: [redacted] Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA ([redacted]) ext. [redacted] Fax: [redacted] E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to...
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at 651-695-2488 or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted] Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/08) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/10) */
[redacted]Signed 3rd Party Authorization Attached.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/09/15) */
September 15, 2015
To whom it may concern:
This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]'s most recent update on case #[redacted] that was entered on 9/14/2015. Ms. [redacted] is stating that she interacted with enrollment counselor Kelsey [redacted] in her initial conversations with Capella, and informed her that financial aid was the reason she needed to enroll at Capella due to her needing the financial aid to purchase a computer. From her initial contact with Capella on 5/19/2015, we have no record of this information being discussed with a member of our enrollment services team. From the interactions and records we have on file, we see the root cause that led to Ms. [redacted]'s discontinuation from Capella was that she did not have adequate access to a computer to be successful in her program. While one of the many educational-related expenses that financial aid refunds may go towards is the purchase of a new computer, it is the learner's responsibility to maintain the access to internet needed to be successful in their program. They should not be dependent on financial aid refunds for the purposes of purchasing the technology required to be successful in their courseroom. The learner indicates several times in her most recent response that the main reason for her hardship was lack of access to a computer for the purposes of completing her coursework. While we attempt to make every accommodation necessary for students having difficult financial times, keeping the access to the courseroom necessary to be successful in their program is the sole responsibility of the learner.
We apologize again for the issues that arose from the minor delay in the disbursement of her financial aid, but this error would have been rectified within a reasonable amount of time had she persisted in her courseroom. If she would like to speak with our business office regarding the remaining balance on her account, they would be more than willing to work with her on an arrangement that is agreeable for both parties. Please feel free to reach out to me with any further questions or concerns.
[redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/06) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/10/16) */
November 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint centers around the balance on her account due to a lack of financial aid toward the end of her program with Capella. This balance is currently preventing the release of her official transcript. During the 2015-2016 financial aid year, Ms. [redacted] hit the annual limit on Stafford loans as determined by the Department of Education, which is currently set at $12,500 for students in their 3rd year and beyond. Even with the addition of $2,925 in grant money, the charges in tuition were greater than the financial aid available due to the amount of undergraduate credits Ms. [redacted] took within the financial aid year. Had a portion of those credits been taken in the 2016-2017 financial aid year, there would have been further Stafford funding available. As it stands, the difference between the charges in tuition and the aid Ms. [redacted] had available was $591.00. That $591.00 is the current remaining balance on her account and is preventing the release of her official transcript. I have consulted with our business office, and we would be willing to allow the release of Ms. [redacted]’s official transcript under certain conditions. In the event a learner cannot resolve a balance in full, a formal payment plan is certainly an option. To make an exception to the full resolution requirement in order to allow release of her transcript, this plan needs to be on file and a Ms. [redacted] has to have made the first payment in said plan. If Ms. [redacted] is agreeable to these terms, I encourage her to reach out to our business office at ###-###-####. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/30) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to
review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV
funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to
release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information
to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I faxed over the form to Ms. [redacted] and this needs to be resolved. Apart form that now, the grant that they offer is not going to be applied to my account because I'm only doing 6 credits. Not satisfied with this school at all. In the beginning everything was nice a smooth, but now it's the worst experience ever.
The date they have that I submitted the drop, doesn't coincide with when I used my computer. My first login on 7/18/15 was at 11:00am and it was not to the Capella website.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2015/08/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It is convenient for the company to say this because this way they will receive money, which is really everything they are after. I agree I did withdrew from one course as an you can see that is not the one I'm fighting. I know I withdrew that way into the allotted time to drop. But for this course that I did drop, I was given two different times of when they "received" my withdrawal but at neither time at I was logged into my account. It is just such a disgrace that this University says they want their learners to be satisfied but really the only ones they satisfy is themselves. They do not provide with emails once a learner drops a course because according to them "this was done online". But God is my witness and I know I dropped the course that Friday and not the Saturday they claimed I did. The confirmation stated 100% refund but of course they want money. Of course I have no more proof, because I did not think this situation would happen but I will be advising all of the learners to keep track and take pictures of everything they do with this institution or they might be in for a rude awakening. Now I have to pay this money
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/08/13) */
Please see the following clarification regarding the learner's enrollment in Spring 2015 and Summer 2015: In Spring Quarter 2015, she enrolled in two courses, BUS4121 Ethics and Decision-making in Health Care; and BUS4123 Quality Assurance and Risk management, but withdrew late from BUS4121, resulting in a W for that course and reducing her enrollment to half time with one course. Because of her late withdrawal, she was responsible for 100% of the tuition for the withdrawn course. In Summer Quarter 2015, she enrolled in two courses, BUS4124 and BUS4122. She dropped BUS4124 and continued with BUS4122, which is still in progress. According to the enrollment records, she withdrew on the 6th day of the quarter, July 18, and is therefore responsible for the 25% of tuition for that course. Though this is not the outcome that the learner desires, it is the appropriate outcome. I apologize for the frustration caused in this situation.
Diane [redacted]
Learner Affairs
Capella University
Dear [redacted], Please find Capella’s initial response to the complaint filed by [redacted] below along with the requested 3rd party release form and fax cover sheet. Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a...
timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at ###-###-#### or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted].[redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org Thank you for your attention to the matter. Please feel free to reach out to me with any further questions or concerns. Alyssa R. [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Alyssa.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/09/14) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/09/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have signed and faxed the information. They say they cannot disclose private information, but yet, they have sold my information to two different companies trying to collect payment by threatening lawsuits, jail, etc. Pretty hypocritical.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2015/09/21) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I again faxed the 3rd copy release at 7:35am to [redacted]. I will await further instructions.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/09/22) */
September 22, 2015
To whom it may concern:
Former Capella learner [redacted] (learner ID#[redacted]) was enrolled in two courses during the fall 2013 term that began on 10/7/2015: Sociological Theories of Crime for four credits and Interagency Collaboration of Significant Events for four credits. The learner dropped her Interagency Collaboration of Significant Events course on 10/25/15 and dropped her Sociological Theories of Crime course on 10/27 without consulting with academic advising or financial aid regarding the impacts of such drops. Although Mrs. [redacted] has made the claim she discussed having difficulty in her courses with someone at Capella, we have no record of any interaction with Mrs. [redacted] between the time her course began on 10/7/2015 and the dates she dropped her courses. Our first interaction with Mrs. [redacted] was on 10/30/2015 when she called the financial aid office to inquire about an email she received informing her that her financial aid award changed. During that interaction, we informed Mrs. [redacted] that her financial aid had been returned due to dropping her courses, and she acknowledged that she understood.
Upon dropping the courses, we were required by Department of Education regulations to proceed with a return of Title IV funds calculation. Per that calculation and based upon her course participation, we were required to return her unearned portion of financial aid back to her lender. The total amount that was returned to her lender as a result of this calculation was $3841.00. This will reduce her overall loan debt with the loan servicer in question, but will remain a balance due directly to Capella.
We apologize for any confusion or distress this situation may have caused Mrs. [redacted]. Our business office will be more than willing to work with her to arrange a payment plan that is mutually beneficial. Please feel free to reach out to me with any additional questions or concerns.
Joseph [redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
September 13, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted] has stated she should not be charged 100% for her tuition, but only 75% due to misunderstanding the date she could drop. Although Ms. [redacted] states that there was a miscommunication regarding what was defined as “two weeks”, the time frame is clearly stated in the tuition and fees refund policy in calendar days. This information was available to Ms. [redacted] at any time both on her student center, as well as the iGuide (Campus) page, and would also have been made clear had she consulted with advising prior to dropping her courses. We apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused Ms. [redacted], but there is no evidence that she was misinformed about when she needed to drop courses to be eligible for a refund. As there was no misinformation or error on the part of Capella, we will not be offering any credit for the balance due on MS. [redacted]’s account. I would be more than happy to assist Ms. [redacted] in contacting our business office to arrange a payment plan if resolving the balance at one time is not an option. Please feel free to reach out if there are any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/11) */
[redacted]Corresponding document attached.
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding....
As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Revdex.com Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Thank you
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
[redacted]corresponding document attached.
Please note that this complaint is in no way settled at this point because I have not received my refund yet. I did return to you the executed copy of the authorization form by email and once Capella responds, I will have a point-by-point response to more clearly show you how this organization allegedly misrepresents themselves to the public solely for financial gain and, runation of students.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2015/07/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Dear Revdex.com,
I am in receipt of the Capella response signed by '[redacted]' and, as I know passions can run high at this juncture, I will do my best to logically address each of their defensive points, as they have presented them. In some instances, I will be more general to protect Capella from some extremely embarrassing and documented issues which would serve to indict them and most like, compel their closure. That is not my aim; my only aim is to get my money refunded to me for this worthless experience. Further, I am holding back both my Federal complaints and, my complaint with the Higher Learning Commission because I have faith that Capella will realize that the extent of their alleged fraudulent activities with me, warrant a full refund. In addition, I have to admit that I am more amused than astonished that Capella has now placed this in the hands of yet another representative to handle. This is the fifth one to date and it appears that they do not speak to one another. In any case, I don't want to see this go public because the truth would ruin Capella and that is not my aim. I am hopeful that we can handle this quietly and, afford Capella an opportunity to purge itself of these corrupt and collisional practices. I simply want my money back so I may start over at a more reputable and honest school that doesn't feel compelled to misrepresent themselves just to take a well-intentioned student's money, especially that of a Senior citizen.
1. First and foremost, as has occurred over the past 18 months with Capella, they have a tendency to ignore core request or attempt to deflect them. My complaint specifically asks for a full tuition refund due to fraud and misrepresentation. This is based upon four key elements:
a) I was told and it was repeatedly implied that my life's experience would in fact apply towards my academic coursework. When confronted with this advertised promise, they claimed that their Flexpath and Direct Access programs simply mean that learning will be an easier process. Butt in their ads, visible as recently as today, right now, the Flexpath et al, ads state "Save time and Money." When confronted with these stated promises and the seemingly intentional ambiguities, Capella noted that they "had not made the tenets of this program clear."
b) I was told and it both implied and clearly advertised that I could receive 25 to 50 credit hours for the exact same courses that I had already taken at another accredited school that never received sanctions or penalties, as did Capella. Capella changed their story multiple times in this regard and then finally stated that the course credits do not apply to the Psychology program. Since Federal funds were used for these courses, this amounts to alleged fraud on the part of Capella by compelling the wasteful expenditure of federal monies to take the exact same courses from a school with a far higher graduation rate. When confronted with these stated promises and the seemingly intentional ambiguities, Capella noted that they "had not made their policy clear. " It should also be noted that Capella is unfairly suggesting that my representative Dave Palmquist is implicated in any of these promises. He is not. I was made these promises by a Kristiana Nguen, the same person who tried to invalidate my refund requests.
c) Regarding the course refunds, Capella representatives are repeatedly told to "keep students paying." This is why when I first caught and confronted the authorities at Capella about being forced to take the exact same course I had previously taken at another more highly ranked institution, they absolutely refused to credit me in any way. Only after three months of daily persistence, did they finally admit to their errors and then, they refunded me my money but, deducted it from my own student loan. When confronted with this double-dip into my Federal tuition monies, and the seemingly intentional ambiguities about their refund process, Capella noted that they "had not made their policy clear. "
d) They state with absolute clarity in the Capella Handbook that if a course is dropped, students (Learners) will receive a full refund for that course. Until, you drop a course and request a refund. Then they have a whole new set of terms. Regarding the issue with Differential Statistics, I noted that no real help was available for the guidance of the required SPSS program. Then one Angela Shepherd directed me to a student support program called SMARTHINKING, which is some overseas tutorial contract. After ten days of trying to get through to them, they finally advised me that they could be of NO help for the SPSS program. You'll notice that Capella makes No mention of the grave error because even their double-talk could not foment an excuse for this terrible deficit.
The greatest and most significant issues which they have totally ignored, is not that they have previously been severely reprimanded by the Higher Learning Council or, fact that they had at least Two professors with fake diplomas (of course they ignore these points because there is not defense for convicted fraud). The worst affront is yet another fraudulent claim about their graduation rate which I was told, was around 62%. That was what was also stated on a Federal application form. However upon further research, it appears that the true graduation rate for their graduate programs is around 12% and for their undergraduate program, their retention and graduation rate is about the worst in the country and, the world for that matter..just under ONE Percent. Source: http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/capella-university/academic-life/graduati...⇄ The Graduate School fares much better at around 12% (Source Open Education Database).
I direct the next set of questions to both the representatives at the Revdex.com and the Defendants. Please answer them honestly/
*Would you buy a car that had a 12% chance of running?
*Would you have a medical procedure where you were promised a 12% success rate?
*Would you invest your money in a bank that only had a 12% chance of holding onto it?
*Would you marry your spouse if you knew you had a 12% chance of success?
*Would you fly an airline with only a 12% success rate at making it to its destination?
In conclusion, as I a Senior Citizen, approach the age of 62, do any of you at the Revdex.com or Capella honestly say it would be a wise $60,000. investment to commit to a graduate program with a 12% success rate, at MY age or ANY age? Of course you would not and no double-talk would suffice to any rational juror. After Capella lied to me and then, lied about lying, you can see why. If they had to admit that they were defrauding the Federal Government by compelling the retaking of multiple graduate courses, chronically advertising their Flexpath, Direct Access , and 25-50 credit transfers as a means to, and I quote directly from a series of ads running today, right now: '...to save you time and money;" You'll forgive my language, there is only one way to respond to the overtly advertised programs and policies offered by Capella: BT.
Capella's diploma is as worthless as their advertised promises. I can and will testify in front of the Higher Learning Commission, I can get the backing of the Attorneys General from my state and, hopefully, the state of Minnesota, I can sue Capella and prevail. But All I am asking for, is , for them to refund my hard-earned money so that I may attend a graduate program that will instead of aiming to make a buck, will make me a true and credible psychotherapist.
I have been very patient with this institution as they turn weeks into months of stalling. Capella, give me my money back now so we can end this embarrassment. And then, start being truthful about the promises in your ads and, your graduation rates so consumers can make informed decisions.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/07/16) */
Upon review of the learner's rebuttal, some of the issues have already been addressed in our previous response, please see above. I have reviewed the learner's additional concerns raised and determined the following:
With regard to rebuttal point A) as indicated in our previous response, the learner was communicated that there was a maximum of three courses (i.e. 15 quarter credits) he could and did transfer in to his traditional program at Capella. With regard to FlexPath, again, that is a completely separate program Capella offers. It is a direct assessment, independent self-paced program. If differs from the traditional program where learners have an instructor led courseroom with weekly assignments and discussions in that learners are given assessments to determine their mastery of competencies. The learner was enrolled in a traditional Master's program and has never applied to a FlexPath program at Capella.
With regard to rebuttal point B), as indicated in our previous response, the learner was clearly communicated there was a maximum of 15 quarter credits that he could transfer, I've found no evidence to substantiate the learner was misinformed by any staff on this matter. Rather, our records reflect the learner was informed time and again by staff that 15 quarter credits was the maximum amount of credits he could transfer into his program. The learner was not accepting of the information and disputed the maximum allowable transfer credits with both his enrollment counselor and advising. According to our records, the academic advisor Krystianna [redacted] emailed the learner on April 30 and May 25, 2012 confirming that the maximum transfer credits for his Master's program was 15. On May 29, 2012 the advisor sent a follow-up email to the learner confirming that his transfer and credit evaluation had been completed by the school and he was awarded 15 transfer credits for the following courses: PSY7610 (Tests and Measurements), PSY7650 (Research Methods), and PSY7520 (Social Psychology).
With regard to point C), this circumstance was an unfortunate oversight, missed both by the learner and Capella. When learners enroll, they work with academic advising to set up an academic plan, i.e. map out the required courses for their program and schedule the quarters they intend to take them. Each quarter, learners are then auto-registered based on their plan. This plan is fluid and changes can be made either by advising or the learner as necessary throughout the program to accommodate the needs of the learner and their schedule. On May 29, 2012, after the learner's original academic plan had previously been created, the learner appealed and was approved for transfer credit for PSY7610. This course should have been adjusted from his academic plan but was missed. As indicated in our previous response, during Spring Quarter 2013, the learner was registered for PSY7610 (Tests and Measurements) which ran from April 8 through June 14, 2013. Tuition for the course totaled $2,150.00. On April 24, 2013, a Spring financial aid loan totaling $3,986.00 disbursed and applied against the quarter charges and the excess $1,836.00 was processed as a refund to the learner the same day. In August 2013 after the course had ended, it was discovered that PSY7610 was a course the learner had already appealed and received transfer credit for, and as a result was not needed for his program. As a result of the inaccurate registration, Capella granted a tuition credit totaling $2,150.00 for the course. The credit was to be applied as a future tuition credit to help offset the cost of his next course (being the quarter in question had already been paid and there was a zero past due balance). The learner disputed the application of the credit and insisted the credit be directly refunded to him. On September 9, 2013 Capella approved and processed the credit as a direct refund to the learner, this reflected on his Fall Quarter 2013 billing activity. He was informed that per Department of Education regulations, all financial assistance learners receive must be factored into their financial aid award. As a result, the financial aid office was required to add the credit to his Fall Quarter 2013 award. This reduced the learner's Fall Quarter 2013 award. In effect, it reduced the debt owed to the learner's lender, as it also reduced the loans the learner would have taken out and required to repay. On October 23, 2013 the learner's Fall financial aid loan totaling $1,948.00 disbursed and applied against his tuition totaling $2,215.00. This left a small remaining balance totaling $267.00 at the time. It is important to note that this circumstance was in no way a misrepresentation or fraud on Capella's part, but rather an unfortunate oversight.
With regard to point D), Capella's tuition refund schedule is available to our learners 24/7 via their online student portal, iGuide. (A copy of Capella University's tuition refund schedule is available upon request.) Capella's tuition refund policy allows learners the opportunity to cancel their enrollment in a course within the first twelve calendar days of the class while still receiving at least a partial refund. Cancellations that occur following the first twelve days result in a full tuition charge to the learner's account. Learners are responsible for being aware of the published tuition refund schedule. With regard to PSY7620, (Inferential Statistics) the learner was unsuccessful at the first attempt of the course during Summer 2013 (the learner only submitted one of the six assignments and thus did not meet the academic obligations of the course). He enrolled in his second attempt of the course during Winter Quarter 2014 which ran from January 6 through March 14, 2014. On January 8, 2014 the learner spoke with an academic advising manager regarding not having purchased the required SPSS software for the course, and requested an advance on his financial aid refund for the quarter. He was informed Capella does not advance refund checks. He was urged that the SPSS software is an integral component of the course. The manager offered that while not ideal, it may be prudent to take a quarter of inactivity so that he could secure the required materials for the course and take it at a later date. She reminded him that learners are responsible for ensuring that they secure materials prior to course entry. She also reminded the learner about Capella's tuition refund schedule (Friday was the last day to withdraw at 100% tuition refund) and provided him the link to iGuide for withdrawal deadlines for the quarter in question. The learner elected to remain enrolled in the course. On January 28, 2014, after the tuition refund period had passed, the learner contacted advising indicating that the statistics course was his weakest area and that he was falling behind. He was advised that it was past the tuition refund period and as a result was encouraged to try to continue in the course. The advisor suggested he could look at hiring a local tutor, contact his instructor for help, or look into Smarthinking, an online tutoring service. Ultimately, the learner elected to withdraw from the course on February 7, 2014. He was advised of the financial implications of withdrawing, both responsible for the tuition for the course as well as the R2T4 that would be processed. (The financial details pertaining to Winter Quarter 2014 are outlined in my previous response.) Ultimately, learners are responsible for their course materials. With regard to SPSS software, the learner was responsible to troubleshoot the issues, Capella can offer guidance but ultimately it is the learner's responsibility.
Finally, I've found no evidence to support the learner received misinformation pertaining to Capella's completion rates. Data pertaining to Learning and Career outcomes is available via Capella University's Fact Sheet at www.capellaresults.com.
December 2, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’s complaint centers around the current balance due on his account and the administrative withdrawal that occurred as a result of that balance. Mr. [redacted] was enrolled at Capella in an undergraduate program in Business. During the fall 2015 quarter, Mr. [redacted] hit the federal limit for Title IV funding set by the Department of Education. Due to him hitting the limit in federal financial aid, he was not able to pay in full for the balance due on his account. After Mr. [redacted] went two consecutive quarters without resolving this balance or being enrolled in courses, he was administratively withdrawn from the university. We apologize for any hardship or confusion this situation has caused Mr. [redacted]. The balance on his account is due to the limits set by the Department of Education for federal Title IV funding and not due to any error or misinformation by Capella. In order for Mr. [redacted] to be re-enrolled at Capella University, he must first resolve his balance in full. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/08/20) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to
review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV
funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to
release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information
to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/08/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to the response, there is an attachment. I see no attachment to print.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/09/08) */
September 3, 2015
To whom it may concern:
Capella Alumni [redacted] (learner ID# [redacted]) is stating that she applied for a TEACH Grant on July of 2013 in the amount of $4000 that we did not award her based upon her applying for an incorrect TEACH Grant year. The following is some pertinent information regarding the TEACH Grant:
The TEACH Grant is offered to learners who intend to teach in a high needs field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
Here is a summary of the application process:
1. Learner completes Agreement to Serve and Entrance Counseling for TEACH files which are sent to Capella
2. If the learner is in an eligible program, their checklist items are completed on the ¿View Financial Aid Status¿ page in CS
¿ If they are not in an eligible program, they are sent a communication informing the learner of the eligible programs.
3. A link to the TEACH grant opt-in form will be initiated in the learner's Student Center and the opt-in checklist item will be initiated on their FA status page. The learner must complete this before they can be awarded.
¿ Once the opt-in form has been submitted, the learner must contact Capella via email to have their answer changed (i.e. opt out to opt in).
4. The learner's Capella GPA is reviewed for a 3.25 or higher OR if the learner is a new or transfer student their official undergraduate or graduate transcripts are reviewed for a GPA of 3.25 or higher
¿ If learner does not meet the GPA requirements, the Standardized Testing and Retired/Current Teacher checklist item is initiated and denial communication is sent which explains how to become eligible
5. Once all necessary documents are completed, learner is awarded at a half-time status and an outbound contact case is created for the learner to be counseled on the TEACH requirements. They also receive an automatic communication.
6. Eligibility is reviewed again at census each term prior to disbursements
7. Learners who are enrolled full-time and are eligible for an increase will receive an email notification offering the additional amount
8. Learners can accept or decline the additional funds online through their Student Center
9. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, learners must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students.
10. Learners must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing their program of study for which they received a TEACH Grant.
11. IMPORTANT: If learners fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Learners must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education and will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed.
The learner first brought her concerns regarding TEACH grant to the attention of financial aid on 5/7/2015 inquiring as to why she had not been awarded the TEACH Grant. At this point, the learner had graduated from her program as of 3/31/2015, and was no longer eligible to receive any type of federal aid from the Department of Education. In researching her account, we discovered that the learner initially completed a TEACH application in June of 2013, which would have been considered for the 2012-2013 financial aid year. As the learner did not begin courses with us until July of 2014, which was part of the 2013-2014 aid year, no TEACH application was ever submitted to Capella therefore no TEACH grant was added to her award. In researching all notes between all Capella employees and learner from time she started program and had financial aid in place, to the 5th of May, 2015 when she inquired with our financial aid department, learner made no mention nor asked any questions regarding the TEACH Grant. Had the learner inquired about her TEACH Grant within the aid year she was requesting it for, we could have informed her that we did not have an application for the time frame she was enrolled and guided her to complete the correct application. As the learner did not bring her TEACH Grant issue to our attention until approximately two months after she had already graduated, we are unable to add or disburse the TEACH Grant award for the time period she was enrolled. This is not specific to this learner or her current complaint situation; the Department of Education will not authorize the awarding of any federal aid to a student that is no longer enrolled at the institution requesting it.
We apologize for any confusion or distress this may have caused Ms. [redacted]. If she would like any further explanation regarding her situation and the Title IV government regulations surrounding it, I would be more than happy to connect her to one of our Senior Financial Aid Representatives to address any additional questions or concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me if there is anything else I can do to address this learner's situation.
Joseph [redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
Capella University
Capella Tower
[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 22, 2015/09/11) */
I agree with what the representatives from Capella staetd with one exception. A representative from Capella acknowleged the acceptance of my agreement to servce and indicated he would handle it from that point forward. He never mentioned it being for the wrong year or that I needed to do anything further. Since it was a teach grant, I was under the impression I needed to fulfill the teaching part of the grant prior to receiving the funds. The customer service and guidance from Capella was less than acceptable.
I am rejecting this response because: Capella University has lied to the Revdex.com as the technical issues I was having had never been resolved. The support was not available and there was no one that was really interested in helping work out thew issues. Also, I did not hand in course work because I could not get in to the Capella website. Thank you, [redacted]
November 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’ complaint #[redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’ complaint centers on a complaint against a faculty member and stating his issues with the instructor led to a poor grade. Mr. [redacted] first brought his concerns to our attention in fall of 2015. At that time, Mr. [redacted] was enrolled in PSF2603 – Management and Leadership Theory with Dr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’ complaint at that time was centered on the instructor’s feedback and grading for discussion posts, as well has claims the instructor was attempting to “sabotage” his grade. At that time, we attempted to reach out to Mr. [redacted] to gather more information as his concerns were extremely vague in nature, however Mr. [redacted] did not submit any further information to us. Mr. [redacted] then re-raised his concerns in a future course with Dr. [redacted] in June of 2016. We attempted to contact Mr. [redacted] for a period of two months until he responded to our request for a phone conference in August of 2016. Mr. [redacted] then offered very general complaints about the instructor that he was again “sabotaging” him and was retaliating against him for his previous complaint. During that course, Mr. [redacted] was also cited for violating the academic honesty and integrity policy due to plagiarizing material for us course assignments. Our department gave what information Mr. [redacted] gave us to investigate as to whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the instructor. As a result of that investigation, we found no evidence that there was any wrongdoing on the part of the instructor. Mr. [redacted]’ grades in Dr. [redacted]’s courses are a result of the academic work completed in those courses and nothing else. Mr. [redacted] then sent disrespectful emails to the learner affairs department in which he demanded to be dropped from a course that Dr. [redacted] was teaching for the Fall 2016 term. Mr. [redacted] has since dropped his fall courses. We apologize for any hardship Mr. [redacted]’ perception of his instructor may have caused, but we have found no evidence or information that indicates the instructor acted out of accordance with our expectations for faculty members. Based on that lack of evidence, we will not be changing Mr. [redacted]’ grades or transcript. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to...
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at ###-###-#### or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted] Thank you for your attention to the matter.
July 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. Edgar [redacted] complaint #11487328. Mr. [redacted] complaint is in regards to a website run by Capella Learning solutions and his eligibility to take a course he was interested in. Unfortunately, we can find no record of Mr. Deguzman in our system except his application for admission to Capella University back in 2010. We do not have information on Mr. Deguzman regarding the www.rightskill.com website and will be unable to respond to any further complaints without additional information. Mr. Guzman states he has an email thread in regards to his complaint, but we were unable to see this information in his Revdex.com complaint. If Mr. Deguzman can respond with further information, we will further investigate the circumstances surrounding his complaint. Regards Joseph Rennie Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Direct Line: 612.977.5701 Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (1.888.227.3552) ext. 5701 Fax: 612.977.5060 E-mail: [email protected] Capella University Capella Tower 225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu Tell us why here...
February 14th, 2018 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. The nature of Ms. [redacted]’s complaint is that she has a balance due for a course she dropped and did not participate in.Ms. [redacted] was in an undergraduate business program and enrolled in BUS4044 – Legal Issues in Human Resource Management on April 4th, 2017. After the course began on April 10th, Ms. [redacted] fully participated in the Unit 1 activities on April 14th. Although Ms. [redacted] states she did not participate, she included the following courseroom posting, complete with citations and feedback from the instructor: I live and work in Virginia, in the state of Virginia there are over eight million people. Like any state the cost of living varies throughout Virginia. I live in the Washington Metropolitan area which includes northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. One of the notable happening in the metropolitan area is the opening of MGM Casino in Maryland. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there was a 5.4% growth in leisure and hospitality jobs and I strongly believe this had a lot to do with the casino. Washington, DC had an unemployment rate of 5.4% which was the highest in the metro area. I can say this has a lot to do with the federal hiring freeze and layoffs. In the town I live in there is a lot of housing developments underway. In looking at the 2010 census search I can see that over three hundred thousand properties are vacant. Most of the properties that are for sale are priced at a point where you can get a new development built for the same price. References: Center for New Media and Promotions (C2PO). (2009, October 21). US Census Bureau 2010 Census. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.census.gov/2010census/ Unemployment in the Washington Area by County – December 2016 : Mid–Atlantic Information Office. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/news-release/unemployment_washingtondc....⇄ post demonstrates that Ms. [redacted] did not simply log in to the course, but actively participated by posting the graded discussion requirement. Ms. [redacted] then self-withdrew from the course on April 23rd, 2017. In accordance with our tuition and fees refund policy, there is no refund for a course dropped after the second Friday of the term, or 4/21/17 in this instance. We apologize for any hardship or delays this situation may have caused Ms. [redacted], but the balance on her account is accurate per the tuition and fees refund schedule. We encourage Ms. [redacted] to reach out to our business office to discuss options for resolving her balance. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards,Joe [redacted]Senior Learner Affairs AssociateAcademic Affairs
To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint centers around a past due balance of over $5,000 due to an unexpected medical circumstance for which she sought a tuition credit to cover the past due balance. Through our Campus portal, learners can access a webpage that contains the list of criteria required for a tuition credit request to be reviewed by Learner Affairs. In this circumstance, documentation required for consideration of a credit regarding a major medical issue includes: Their written statement describing the unexpected medical emergency and how the situation impacted your participation in course(s); andTheir healthcare provider’s statement, written on letterhead and signed, that specifies the dates during which they were unable to participate in their course(s). While Ms. [redacted]’s provided medical documentation relative to her unexpected medical circumstance, her tuition credit request was denied as her healthcare provider’s statement failed to explain the specific dates she was unable to participate in her course due to her unexpected medical circumstance as required by our criteria. Ms. [redacted]’s submitted a revised healthcare provider’s statement to Learner Affairs on May 13th, 2016, however, our records indicate that Ms. [redacted]’s was actively participating in her courses contrary to the dates listed on her third-party healthcare documentation. We apologize for any hardship or confusion this situation has caused Ms. [redacted]s. To aid in the Ms. [redacted]’s permanent separation from the University, we are offering a one-time good faith tuition credit in the amount of $2,000 to be applied to her account balance. However, Ms. [redacted]s is still responsible the remaining balance on her account. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Alyssa R. [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Alyssa.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
March 30, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint from case #[redacted] submitted on 3/9/2016. Mr. [redacted] is stating that Capella is committing fraud against him due to the balance owed on his account. We apologize for any undue hardship or stress that this situation may have caused Mr. [redacted], but we feel we have been very clear in what happened with his financial aid. We disbursed his financial aid the third week of the fall term which included $4665.00 towards his tuition charge and $1606.00 sent to Mr. [redacted] as a refund. Mr. [redacted] then chose to drop both of his fall courses as of November 7th, 2015. In accordance with Department of Education regulations, we were required to return the unearned portion of financial aid totaling $3499.00 back to the lender. This return of title IV (R2T4) funds reduced Mr. [redacted]’s loan debt by the above mentioned amount, but the debt now becomes owed directly to Capella. were required to return funds in accordance with federal law due to his decision to drop his courses. We will not be taking any further action on his account as everything processed by Capella was done in strict accordance with Department of Education regulations. We encourage him to contact our business office at [redacted] to discuss a payment arrangement for the balance owed on his account. If Mr. [redacted] requires further clarification regarding financial aid processes as they relate specifically to his situation, I would encourage him to reach out and speak with our financial aid department. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Joseph [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Direct Line: [redacted] Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA ([redacted]) ext. [redacted] Fax: [redacted] E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to...
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at 651-695-2488 or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted] Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/08) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/10) */
[redacted]Signed 3rd Party Authorization Attached.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/09/15) */
September 15, 2015
To whom it may concern:
This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]'s most recent update on case #[redacted] that was entered on 9/14/2015. Ms. [redacted] is stating that she interacted with enrollment counselor Kelsey [redacted] in her initial conversations with Capella, and informed her that financial aid was the reason she needed to enroll at Capella due to her needing the financial aid to purchase a computer. From her initial contact with Capella on 5/19/2015, we have no record of this information being discussed with a member of our enrollment services team. From the interactions and records we have on file, we see the root cause that led to Ms. [redacted]'s discontinuation from Capella was that she did not have adequate access to a computer to be successful in her program. While one of the many educational-related expenses that financial aid refunds may go towards is the purchase of a new computer, it is the learner's responsibility to maintain the access to internet needed to be successful in their program. They should not be dependent on financial aid refunds for the purposes of purchasing the technology required to be successful in their courseroom. The learner indicates several times in her most recent response that the main reason for her hardship was lack of access to a computer for the purposes of completing her coursework. While we attempt to make every accommodation necessary for students having difficult financial times, keeping the access to the courseroom necessary to be successful in their program is the sole responsibility of the learner.
We apologize again for the issues that arose from the minor delay in the disbursement of her financial aid, but this error would have been rectified within a reasonable amount of time had she persisted in her courseroom. If she would like to speak with our business office regarding the remaining balance on her account, they would be more than willing to work with her on an arrangement that is agreeable for both parties. Please feel free to reach out to me with any further questions or concerns.
[redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
Direct Line: [redacted].[redacted]
Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA ([redacted]) ext. [redacted]
Fax: [redacted]
E-mail: [redacted]@capella.edu
Capella University
Capella Tower
[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 17, 2015/09/22) */
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/06) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/10/16) */
November 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint centers around the balance on her account due to a lack of financial aid toward the end of her program with Capella. This balance is currently preventing the release of her official transcript. During the 2015-2016 financial aid year, Ms. [redacted] hit the annual limit on Stafford loans as determined by the Department of Education, which is currently set at $12,500 for students in their 3rd year and beyond. Even with the addition of $2,925 in grant money, the charges in tuition were greater than the financial aid available due to the amount of undergraduate credits Ms. [redacted] took within the financial aid year. Had a portion of those credits been taken in the 2016-2017 financial aid year, there would have been further Stafford funding available. As it stands, the difference between the charges in tuition and the aid Ms. [redacted] had available was $591.00. That $591.00 is the current remaining balance on her account and is preventing the release of her official transcript. I have consulted with our business office, and we would be willing to allow the release of Ms. [redacted]’s official transcript under certain conditions. In the event a learner cannot resolve a balance in full, a formal payment plan is certainly an option. To make an exception to the full resolution requirement in order to allow release of her transcript, this plan needs to be on file and a Ms. [redacted] has to have made the first payment in said plan. If Ms. [redacted] is agreeable to these terms, I encourage her to reach out to our business office at ###-###-####. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/30) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to
review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV
funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to
release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information
to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I faxed over the form to Ms. [redacted] and this needs to be resolved. Apart form that now, the grant that they offer is not going to be applied to my account because I'm only doing 6 credits. Not satisfied with this school at all. In the beginning everything was nice a smooth, but now it's the worst experience ever.
The date they have that I submitted the drop, doesn't coincide with when I used my computer. My first login on 7/18/15 was at 11:00am and it was not to the Capella website.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2015/08/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It is convenient for the company to say this because this way they will receive money, which is really everything they are after. I agree I did withdrew from one course as an you can see that is not the one I'm fighting. I know I withdrew that way into the allotted time to drop. But for this course that I did drop, I was given two different times of when they "received" my withdrawal but at neither time at I was logged into my account. It is just such a disgrace that this University says they want their learners to be satisfied but really the only ones they satisfy is themselves. They do not provide with emails once a learner drops a course because according to them "this was done online". But God is my witness and I know I dropped the course that Friday and not the Saturday they claimed I did. The confirmation stated 100% refund but of course they want money. Of course I have no more proof, because I did not think this situation would happen but I will be advising all of the learners to keep track and take pictures of everything they do with this institution or they might be in for a rude awakening. Now I have to pay this money
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/08/13) */
Please see the following clarification regarding the learner's enrollment in Spring 2015 and Summer 2015: In Spring Quarter 2015, she enrolled in two courses, BUS4121 Ethics and Decision-making in Health Care; and BUS4123 Quality Assurance and Risk management, but withdrew late from BUS4121, resulting in a W for that course and reducing her enrollment to half time with one course. Because of her late withdrawal, she was responsible for 100% of the tuition for the withdrawn course. In Summer Quarter 2015, she enrolled in two courses, BUS4124 and BUS4122. She dropped BUS4124 and continued with BUS4122, which is still in progress. According to the enrollment records, she withdrew on the 6th day of the quarter, July 18, and is therefore responsible for the 25% of tuition for that course. Though this is not the outcome that the learner desires, it is the appropriate outcome. I apologize for the frustration caused in this situation.
Diane [redacted]
Learner Affairs
Capella University
Dear [redacted], Please find Capella’s initial response to the complaint filed by [redacted] below along with the requested 3rd party release form and fax cover sheet. Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a...
timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at ###-###-#### or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted].[redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org Thank you for your attention to the matter. Please feel free to reach out to me with any further questions or concerns. Alyssa R. [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Alyssa.[redacted]@capella.edu Capella University Capella Tower [redacted] Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/09/14) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/09/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have signed and faxed the information. They say they cannot disclose private information, but yet, they have sold my information to two different companies trying to collect payment by threatening lawsuits, jail, etc. Pretty hypocritical.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2015/09/21) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I again faxed the 3rd copy release at 7:35am to [redacted]. I will await further instructions.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/09/22) */
September 22, 2015
To whom it may concern:
Former Capella learner [redacted] (learner ID#[redacted]) was enrolled in two courses during the fall 2013 term that began on 10/7/2015: Sociological Theories of Crime for four credits and Interagency Collaboration of Significant Events for four credits. The learner dropped her Interagency Collaboration of Significant Events course on 10/25/15 and dropped her Sociological Theories of Crime course on 10/27 without consulting with academic advising or financial aid regarding the impacts of such drops. Although Mrs. [redacted] has made the claim she discussed having difficulty in her courses with someone at Capella, we have no record of any interaction with Mrs. [redacted] between the time her course began on 10/7/2015 and the dates she dropped her courses. Our first interaction with Mrs. [redacted] was on 10/30/2015 when she called the financial aid office to inquire about an email she received informing her that her financial aid award changed. During that interaction, we informed Mrs. [redacted] that her financial aid had been returned due to dropping her courses, and she acknowledged that she understood.
Upon dropping the courses, we were required by Department of Education regulations to proceed with a return of Title IV funds calculation. Per that calculation and based upon her course participation, we were required to return her unearned portion of financial aid back to her lender. The total amount that was returned to her lender as a result of this calculation was $3841.00. This will reduce her overall loan debt with the loan servicer in question, but will remain a balance due directly to Capella.
We apologize for any confusion or distress this situation may have caused Mrs. [redacted]. Our business office will be more than willing to work with her to arrange a payment plan that is mutually beneficial. Please feel free to reach out to me with any additional questions or concerns.
Joseph [redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
Direct Line:[redacted]
Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA ([redacted]) ext. [redacted]
Fax: [redacted]
E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Capella University
Capella Tower
[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu
September 13, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Ms. [redacted] has stated she should not be charged 100% for her tuition, but only 75% due to misunderstanding the date she could drop. Although Ms. [redacted] states that there was a miscommunication regarding what was defined as “two weeks”, the time frame is clearly stated in the tuition and fees refund policy in calendar days. This information was available to Ms. [redacted] at any time both on her student center, as well as the iGuide (Campus) page, and would also have been made clear had she consulted with advising prior to dropping her courses. We apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused Ms. [redacted], but there is no evidence that she was misinformed about when she needed to drop courses to be eligible for a refund. As there was no misinformation or error on the part of Capella, we will not be offering any credit for the balance due on MS. [redacted]’s account. I would be more than happy to assist Ms. [redacted] in contacting our business office to arrange a payment plan if resolving the balance at one time is not an option. Please feel free to reach out if there are any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/11) */
T.
[redacted]Corresponding document attached.
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding....
As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Revdex.com Mediation Coordinator at [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Thank you
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
[redacted]corresponding document attached.
Please note that this complaint is in no way settled at this point because I have not received my refund yet. I did return to you the executed copy of the authorization form by email and once Capella responds, I will have a point-by-point response to more clearly show you how this organization allegedly misrepresents themselves to the public solely for financial gain and, runation of students.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2015/07/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Dear Revdex.com,
I am in receipt of the Capella response signed by '[redacted]' and, as I know passions can run high at this juncture, I will do my best to logically address each of their defensive points, as they have presented them. In some instances, I will be more general to protect Capella from some extremely embarrassing and documented issues which would serve to indict them and most like, compel their closure. That is not my aim; my only aim is to get my money refunded to me for this worthless experience. Further, I am holding back both my Federal complaints and, my complaint with the Higher Learning Commission because I have faith that Capella will realize that the extent of their alleged fraudulent activities with me, warrant a full refund. In addition, I have to admit that I am more amused than astonished that Capella has now placed this in the hands of yet another representative to handle. This is the fifth one to date and it appears that they do not speak to one another. In any case, I don't want to see this go public because the truth would ruin Capella and that is not my aim. I am hopeful that we can handle this quietly and, afford Capella an opportunity to purge itself of these corrupt and collisional practices. I simply want my money back so I may start over at a more reputable and honest school that doesn't feel compelled to misrepresent themselves just to take a well-intentioned student's money, especially that of a Senior citizen.
1. First and foremost, as has occurred over the past 18 months with Capella, they have a tendency to ignore core request or attempt to deflect them. My complaint specifically asks for a full tuition refund due to fraud and misrepresentation. This is based upon four key elements:
a) I was told and it was repeatedly implied that my life's experience would in fact apply towards my academic coursework. When confronted with this advertised promise, they claimed that their Flexpath and Direct Access programs simply mean that learning will be an easier process. Butt in their ads, visible as recently as today, right now, the Flexpath et al, ads state "Save time and Money." When confronted with these stated promises and the seemingly intentional ambiguities, Capella noted that they "had not made the tenets of this program clear."
b) I was told and it both implied and clearly advertised that I could receive 25 to 50 credit hours for the exact same courses that I had already taken at another accredited school that never received sanctions or penalties, as did Capella. Capella changed their story multiple times in this regard and then finally stated that the course credits do not apply to the Psychology program. Since Federal funds were used for these courses, this amounts to alleged fraud on the part of Capella by compelling the wasteful expenditure of federal monies to take the exact same courses from a school with a far higher graduation rate. When confronted with these stated promises and the seemingly intentional ambiguities, Capella noted that they "had not made their policy clear. " It should also be noted that Capella is unfairly suggesting that my representative Dave Palmquist is implicated in any of these promises. He is not. I was made these promises by a Kristiana Nguen, the same person who tried to invalidate my refund requests.
c) Regarding the course refunds, Capella representatives are repeatedly told to "keep students paying." This is why when I first caught and confronted the authorities at Capella about being forced to take the exact same course I had previously taken at another more highly ranked institution, they absolutely refused to credit me in any way. Only after three months of daily persistence, did they finally admit to their errors and then, they refunded me my money but, deducted it from my own student loan. When confronted with this double-dip into my Federal tuition monies, and the seemingly intentional ambiguities about their refund process, Capella noted that they "had not made their policy clear. "
d) They state with absolute clarity in the Capella Handbook that if a course is dropped, students (Learners) will receive a full refund for that course. Until, you drop a course and request a refund. Then they have a whole new set of terms. Regarding the issue with Differential Statistics, I noted that no real help was available for the guidance of the required SPSS program. Then one Angela Shepherd directed me to a student support program called SMARTHINKING, which is some overseas tutorial contract. After ten days of trying to get through to them, they finally advised me that they could be of NO help for the SPSS program. You'll notice that Capella makes No mention of the grave error because even their double-talk could not foment an excuse for this terrible deficit.
The greatest and most significant issues which they have totally ignored, is not that they have previously been severely reprimanded by the Higher Learning Council or, fact that they had at least Two professors with fake diplomas (of course they ignore these points because there is not defense for convicted fraud). The worst affront is yet another fraudulent claim about their graduation rate which I was told, was around 62%. That was what was also stated on a Federal application form. However upon further research, it appears that the true graduation rate for their graduate programs is around 12% and for their undergraduate program, their retention and graduation rate is about the worst in the country and, the world for that matter..just under ONE Percent. Source: http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/capella-university/academic-life/graduati...⇄ The Graduate School fares much better at around 12% (Source Open Education Database).
I direct the next set of questions to both the representatives at the Revdex.com and the Defendants. Please answer them honestly/
*Would you buy a car that had a 12% chance of running?
*Would you have a medical procedure where you were promised a 12% success rate?
*Would you invest your money in a bank that only had a 12% chance of holding onto it?
*Would you marry your spouse if you knew you had a 12% chance of success?
*Would you fly an airline with only a 12% success rate at making it to its destination?
In conclusion, as I a Senior Citizen, approach the age of 62, do any of you at the Revdex.com or Capella honestly say it would be a wise $60,000. investment to commit to a graduate program with a 12% success rate, at MY age or ANY age? Of course you would not and no double-talk would suffice to any rational juror. After Capella lied to me and then, lied about lying, you can see why. If they had to admit that they were defrauding the Federal Government by compelling the retaking of multiple graduate courses, chronically advertising their Flexpath, Direct Access , and 25-50 credit transfers as a means to, and I quote directly from a series of ads running today, right now: '...to save you time and money;" You'll forgive my language, there is only one way to respond to the overtly advertised programs and policies offered by Capella: B
Capella's diploma is as worthless as their advertised promises. I can and will testify in front of the Higher Learning Commission, I can get the backing of the Attorneys General from my state and, hopefully, the state of Minnesota, I can sue Capella and prevail. But All I am asking for, is , for them to refund my hard-earned money so that I may attend a graduate program that will instead of aiming to make a buck, will make me a true and credible psychotherapist.
I have been very patient with this institution as they turn weeks into months of stalling. Capella, give me my money back now so we can end this embarrassment. And then, start being truthful about the promises in your ads and, your graduation rates so consumers can make informed decisions.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/07/16) */
Upon review of the learner's rebuttal, some of the issues have already been addressed in our previous response, please see above. I have reviewed the learner's additional concerns raised and determined the following:
With regard to rebuttal point A) as indicated in our previous response, the learner was communicated that there was a maximum of three courses (i.e. 15 quarter credits) he could and did transfer in to his traditional program at Capella. With regard to FlexPath, again, that is a completely separate program Capella offers. It is a direct assessment, independent self-paced program. If differs from the traditional program where learners have an instructor led courseroom with weekly assignments and discussions in that learners are given assessments to determine their mastery of competencies. The learner was enrolled in a traditional Master's program and has never applied to a FlexPath program at Capella.
With regard to rebuttal point B), as indicated in our previous response, the learner was clearly communicated there was a maximum of 15 quarter credits that he could transfer, I've found no evidence to substantiate the learner was misinformed by any staff on this matter. Rather, our records reflect the learner was informed time and again by staff that 15 quarter credits was the maximum amount of credits he could transfer into his program. The learner was not accepting of the information and disputed the maximum allowable transfer credits with both his enrollment counselor and advising. According to our records, the academic advisor Krystianna [redacted] emailed the learner on April 30 and May 25, 2012 confirming that the maximum transfer credits for his Master's program was 15. On May 29, 2012 the advisor sent a follow-up email to the learner confirming that his transfer and credit evaluation had been completed by the school and he was awarded 15 transfer credits for the following courses: PSY7610 (Tests and Measurements), PSY7650 (Research Methods), and PSY7520 (Social Psychology).
With regard to point C), this circumstance was an unfortunate oversight, missed both by the learner and Capella. When learners enroll, they work with academic advising to set up an academic plan, i.e. map out the required courses for their program and schedule the quarters they intend to take them. Each quarter, learners are then auto-registered based on their plan. This plan is fluid and changes can be made either by advising or the learner as necessary throughout the program to accommodate the needs of the learner and their schedule. On May 29, 2012, after the learner's original academic plan had previously been created, the learner appealed and was approved for transfer credit for PSY7610. This course should have been adjusted from his academic plan but was missed. As indicated in our previous response, during Spring Quarter 2013, the learner was registered for PSY7610 (Tests and Measurements) which ran from April 8 through June 14, 2013. Tuition for the course totaled $2,150.00. On April 24, 2013, a Spring financial aid loan totaling $3,986.00 disbursed and applied against the quarter charges and the excess $1,836.00 was processed as a refund to the learner the same day. In August 2013 after the course had ended, it was discovered that PSY7610 was a course the learner had already appealed and received transfer credit for, and as a result was not needed for his program. As a result of the inaccurate registration, Capella granted a tuition credit totaling $2,150.00 for the course. The credit was to be applied as a future tuition credit to help offset the cost of his next course (being the quarter in question had already been paid and there was a zero past due balance). The learner disputed the application of the credit and insisted the credit be directly refunded to him. On September 9, 2013 Capella approved and processed the credit as a direct refund to the learner, this reflected on his Fall Quarter 2013 billing activity. He was informed that per Department of Education regulations, all financial assistance learners receive must be factored into their financial aid award. As a result, the financial aid office was required to add the credit to his Fall Quarter 2013 award. This reduced the learner's Fall Quarter 2013 award. In effect, it reduced the debt owed to the learner's lender, as it also reduced the loans the learner would have taken out and required to repay. On October 23, 2013 the learner's Fall financial aid loan totaling $1,948.00 disbursed and applied against his tuition totaling $2,215.00. This left a small remaining balance totaling $267.00 at the time. It is important to note that this circumstance was in no way a misrepresentation or fraud on Capella's part, but rather an unfortunate oversight.
With regard to point D), Capella's tuition refund schedule is available to our learners 24/7 via their online student portal, iGuide. (A copy of Capella University's tuition refund schedule is available upon request.) Capella's tuition refund policy allows learners the opportunity to cancel their enrollment in a course within the first twelve calendar days of the class while still receiving at least a partial refund. Cancellations that occur following the first twelve days result in a full tuition charge to the learner's account. Learners are responsible for being aware of the published tuition refund schedule. With regard to PSY7620, (Inferential Statistics) the learner was unsuccessful at the first attempt of the course during Summer 2013 (the learner only submitted one of the six assignments and thus did not meet the academic obligations of the course). He enrolled in his second attempt of the course during Winter Quarter 2014 which ran from January 6 through March 14, 2014. On January 8, 2014 the learner spoke with an academic advising manager regarding not having purchased the required SPSS software for the course, and requested an advance on his financial aid refund for the quarter. He was informed Capella does not advance refund checks. He was urged that the SPSS software is an integral component of the course. The manager offered that while not ideal, it may be prudent to take a quarter of inactivity so that he could secure the required materials for the course and take it at a later date. She reminded him that learners are responsible for ensuring that they secure materials prior to course entry. She also reminded the learner about Capella's tuition refund schedule (Friday was the last day to withdraw at 100% tuition refund) and provided him the link to iGuide for withdrawal deadlines for the quarter in question. The learner elected to remain enrolled in the course. On January 28, 2014, after the tuition refund period had passed, the learner contacted advising indicating that the statistics course was his weakest area and that he was falling behind. He was advised that it was past the tuition refund period and as a result was encouraged to try to continue in the course. The advisor suggested he could look at hiring a local tutor, contact his instructor for help, or look into Smarthinking, an online tutoring service. Ultimately, the learner elected to withdraw from the course on February 7, 2014. He was advised of the financial implications of withdrawing, both responsible for the tuition for the course as well as the R2T4 that would be processed. (The financial details pertaining to Winter Quarter 2014 are outlined in my previous response.) Ultimately, learners are responsible for their course materials. With regard to SPSS software, the learner was responsible to troubleshoot the issues, Capella can offer guidance but ultimately it is the learner's responsibility.
Finally, I've found no evidence to support the learner received misinformation pertaining to Capella's completion rates. Data pertaining to Learning and Career outcomes is available via Capella University's Fact Sheet at www.capellaresults.com.
I am rejecting this response because:
Signed 3rd Party Authorization Attached.
December 2, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’s complaint centers around the current balance due on his account and the administrative withdrawal that occurred as a result of that balance. Mr. [redacted] was enrolled at Capella in an undergraduate program in Business. During the fall 2015 quarter, Mr. [redacted] hit the federal limit for Title IV funding set by the Department of Education. Due to him hitting the limit in federal financial aid, he was not able to pay in full for the balance due on his account. After Mr. [redacted] went two consecutive quarters without resolving this balance or being enrolled in courses, he was administratively withdrawn from the university. We apologize for any hardship or confusion this situation has caused Mr. [redacted]. The balance on his account is due to the limits set by the Department of Education for federal Title IV funding and not due to any error or misinformation by Capella. In order for Mr. [redacted] to be re-enrolled at Capella University, he must first resolve his balance in full. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/08/20) */
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to
review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV
funding. As such, we are required under the...
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to
release nondirectory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd
party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information
to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at [redacted] or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator [redacted]@thefirstRevdex.com.org
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/08/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
According to the response, there is an attachment. I see no attachment to print.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/09/08) */
September 3, 2015
To whom it may concern:
Capella Alumni [redacted] (learner ID# [redacted]) is stating that she applied for a TEACH Grant on July of 2013 in the amount of $4000 that we did not award her based upon her applying for an incorrect TEACH Grant year. The following is some pertinent information regarding the TEACH Grant:
The TEACH Grant is offered to learners who intend to teach in a high needs field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
Here is a summary of the application process:
1. Learner completes Agreement to Serve and Entrance Counseling for TEACH files which are sent to Capella
2. If the learner is in an eligible program, their checklist items are completed on the ¿View Financial Aid Status¿ page in CS
¿ If they are not in an eligible program, they are sent a communication informing the learner of the eligible programs.
3. A link to the TEACH grant opt-in form will be initiated in the learner's Student Center and the opt-in checklist item will be initiated on their FA status page. The learner must complete this before they can be awarded.
¿ Once the opt-in form has been submitted, the learner must contact Capella via email to have their answer changed (i.e. opt out to opt in).
4. The learner's Capella GPA is reviewed for a 3.25 or higher OR if the learner is a new or transfer student their official undergraduate or graduate transcripts are reviewed for a GPA of 3.25 or higher
¿ If learner does not meet the GPA requirements, the Standardized Testing and Retired/Current Teacher checklist item is initiated and denial communication is sent which explains how to become eligible
5. Once all necessary documents are completed, learner is awarded at a half-time status and an outbound contact case is created for the learner to be counseled on the TEACH requirements. They also receive an automatic communication.
6. Eligibility is reviewed again at census each term prior to disbursements
7. Learners who are enrolled full-time and are eligible for an increase will receive an email notification offering the additional amount
8. Learners can accept or decline the additional funds online through their Student Center
9. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, learners must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students.
10. Learners must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing their program of study for which they received a TEACH Grant.
11. IMPORTANT: If learners fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Learners must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education and will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed.
The learner first brought her concerns regarding TEACH grant to the attention of financial aid on 5/7/2015 inquiring as to why she had not been awarded the TEACH Grant. At this point, the learner had graduated from her program as of 3/31/2015, and was no longer eligible to receive any type of federal aid from the Department of Education. In researching her account, we discovered that the learner initially completed a TEACH application in June of 2013, which would have been considered for the 2012-2013 financial aid year. As the learner did not begin courses with us until July of 2014, which was part of the 2013-2014 aid year, no TEACH application was ever submitted to Capella therefore no TEACH grant was added to her award. In researching all notes between all Capella employees and learner from time she started program and had financial aid in place, to the 5th of May, 2015 when she inquired with our financial aid department, learner made no mention nor asked any questions regarding the TEACH Grant. Had the learner inquired about her TEACH Grant within the aid year she was requesting it for, we could have informed her that we did not have an application for the time frame she was enrolled and guided her to complete the correct application. As the learner did not bring her TEACH Grant issue to our attention until approximately two months after she had already graduated, we are unable to add or disburse the TEACH Grant award for the time period she was enrolled. This is not specific to this learner or her current complaint situation; the Department of Education will not authorize the awarding of any federal aid to a student that is no longer enrolled at the institution requesting it.
We apologize for any confusion or distress this may have caused Ms. [redacted]. If she would like any further explanation regarding her situation and the Title IV government regulations surrounding it, I would be more than happy to connect her to one of our Senior Financial Aid Representatives to address any additional questions or concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me if there is anything else I can do to address this learner's situation.
Joseph [redacted]
Learner Affairs Associate
Learner Services & Operations (LSO)
Direct Line: [redacted]
Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA ([redacted]) ext. [redacted]
Fax: [redacted]
E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Capella University
Capella Tower
[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 22, 2015/09/11) */
I agree with what the representatives from Capella staetd with one exception. A representative from Capella acknowleged the acceptance of my agreement to servce and indicated he would handle it from that point forward. He never mentioned it being for the wrong year or that I needed to do anything further. Since it was a teach grant, I was under the impression I needed to fulfill the teaching part of the grant prior to receiving the funds. The customer service and guidance from Capella was less than acceptable.
I am rejecting this response because: Capella University has lied to the Revdex.com as the technical issues I was having had never been resolved. The support was not available and there was no one that was really interested in helping work out thew issues. Also, I did not hand in course work because I could not get in to the Capella website. Thank you, [redacted]
November 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. [redacted]’ complaint #[redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’ complaint centers on a complaint against a faculty member and stating his issues with the instructor led to a poor grade. Mr. [redacted] first brought his concerns to our attention in fall of 2015. At that time, Mr. [redacted] was enrolled in PSF2603 – Management and Leadership Theory with Dr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]’ complaint at that time was centered on the instructor’s feedback and grading for discussion posts, as well has claims the instructor was attempting to “sabotage” his grade. At that time, we attempted to reach out to Mr. [redacted] to gather more information as his concerns were extremely vague in nature, however Mr. [redacted] did not submit any further information to us. Mr. [redacted] then re-raised his concerns in a future course with Dr. [redacted] in June of 2016. We attempted to contact Mr. [redacted] for a period of two months until he responded to our request for a phone conference in August of 2016. Mr. [redacted] then offered very general complaints about the instructor that he was again “sabotaging” him and was retaliating against him for his previous complaint. During that course, Mr. [redacted] was also cited for violating the academic honesty and integrity policy due to plagiarizing material for us course assignments. Our department gave what information Mr. [redacted] gave us to investigate as to whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the instructor. As a result of that investigation, we found no evidence that there was any wrongdoing on the part of the instructor. Mr. [redacted]’ grades in Dr. [redacted]’s courses are a result of the academic work completed in those courses and nothing else. Mr. [redacted] then sent disrespectful emails to the learner affairs department in which he demanded to be dropped from a course that Dr. [redacted] was teaching for the Fall 2016 term. Mr. [redacted] has since dropped his fall courses. We apologize for any hardship Mr. [redacted]’ perception of his instructor may have caused, but we have found no evidence or information that indicates the instructor acted out of accordance with our expectations for faculty members. Based on that lack of evidence, we will not be changing Mr. [redacted]’ grades or transcript. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards, Joe [redacted] Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (###-###-####) Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: Joseph.[redacted]@capella.edu
Capella University takes Revdex.com complaints seriously and it is a priority to review and respond in a timely manner. Capella is an institution of higher education receiving Title IV funding. As such, we are required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to...
protect the privacy of our learners. Without written permission from the learner, we are unable to release non-directory information to any third party including the Revdex.com. A signed 3rd party release form must be submitted by the complainant authorizing the release of their information to the Revdex.com before a response can be provided. The attached 3rd party authorization form must be completed in its entirety and signed manually for Capella to move forward with a response. Once completed, the release form may be faxed along with the cover sheet directly to the Revdex.com at ###-###-#### or scanned and emailed to [redacted], Mediation Coordinator at [redacted] Thank you for your attention to the matter.
July 1, 2016 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Mr. Edgar [redacted] complaint #11487328. Mr. [redacted] complaint is in regards to a website run by Capella Learning solutions and his eligibility to take a course he was interested in. Unfortunately, we can find no record of Mr. Deguzman in our system except his application for admission to Capella University back in 2010. We do not have information on Mr. Deguzman regarding the www.rightskill.com website and will be unable to respond to any further complaints without additional information. Mr. Guzman states he has an email thread in regards to his complaint, but we were unable to see this information in his Revdex.com complaint. If Mr. Deguzman can respond with further information, we will further investigate the circumstances surrounding his complaint. Regards Joseph Rennie Learner Affairs Associate Learner Services & Operations (LSO) Direct Line: 612.977.5701 Toll Free: 1.888.CAPELLA (1.888.227.3552) ext. 5701 Fax: 612.977.5060 E-mail: [email protected] Capella University Capella Tower 225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.capella.edu Tell us why here...
February 14th, 2018 To whom it may concern: This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint #[redacted]. The nature of Ms. [redacted]’s complaint is that she has a balance due for a course she dropped and did not participate in.Ms. [redacted] was in an undergraduate business program and enrolled in BUS4044 – Legal Issues in Human Resource Management on April 4th, 2017. After the course began on April 10th, Ms. [redacted] fully participated in the Unit 1 activities on April 14th. Although Ms. [redacted] states she did not participate, she included the following courseroom posting, complete with citations and feedback from the instructor: I live and work in Virginia, in the state of Virginia there are over eight million people. Like any state the cost of living varies throughout Virginia. I live in the Washington Metropolitan area which includes northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. One of the notable happening in the metropolitan area is the opening of MGM Casino in Maryland. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there was a 5.4% growth in leisure and hospitality jobs and I strongly believe this had a lot to do with the casino. Washington, DC had an unemployment rate of 5.4% which was the highest in the metro area. I can say this has a lot to do with the federal hiring freeze and layoffs. In the town I live in there is a lot of housing developments underway. In looking at the 2010 census search I can see that over three hundred thousand properties are vacant. Most of the properties that are for sale are priced at a point where you can get a new development built for the same price. References: Center for New Media and Promotions (C2PO). (2009, October 21). US Census Bureau 2010 Census. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.census.gov/2010census/ Unemployment in the Washington Area by County – December 2016 : Mid–Atlantic Information Office. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/news-release/unemployment_washingtondc....⇄ post demonstrates that Ms. [redacted] did not simply log in to the course, but actively participated by posting the graded discussion requirement. Ms. [redacted] then self-withdrew from the course on April 23rd, 2017. In accordance with our tuition and fees refund policy, there is no refund for a course dropped after the second Friday of the term, or 4/21/17 in this instance. We apologize for any hardship or delays this situation may have caused Ms. [redacted], but the balance on her account is accurate per the tuition and fees refund schedule. We encourage Ms. [redacted] to reach out to our business office to discuss options for resolving her balance. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns. Regards,Joe [redacted]Senior Learner Affairs AssociateAcademic Affairs
see attached release