Harrison College

We have received a complaint from this individual through our internal complaint system on June 22, which we are curently investigatingSince both complaints are identical we provide the Revdex.com with a copy of our response to the complainant when has been fully investigatedWe expect to have our investigation completed, and a response drafted, not later than June Thank you

By way of introduction my name is [redacted] and I serve as the Vice President of Legal and Compliance for Harrison College, an Indiana-based system of post-secondary education institutions, which has been in business for over yearsWe appreciate the opportunity to respond to this complaint and would ask that you direct all future correspondence/emails regarding this matter to my office and update your database so that any further complaints would be directed to my attentionMy contact information: [redacted] Vice President Legal and Compliance Harrison College NMeridian Street Suite Indianapolis, IN Direct: 317/447-Mobile: 317/504-Email: [redacted] @harrison.edu Complainant's "Statement of Problem" is brief and in it Complainant asks that we waive the College's stated requirement that he clear any amounts owed before he is readmittedWe were able to determine that Complainant's last date attended April 14, He has made some payments towards the balance he had remaining since that time, which was applied to his account, but still has a balance due of $to the CollegeComplainant inquired about returning in March of At that time, [redacted] , (a Harrison College Financial Aid Analyst) notified Complainant of his balance due and Complainant's options to re-enterShe offered Complainant the basic options offered to all similarly situated students: to utilize bad debt forgiveness (based on the parameters at that time), to pay $and roll in the remainder of Complainant's $balance into Complainant's financial aid funding, or to apply for alternative funding to cover this balanceAgain, these are the standard offerings for returning students and these offerings were presented to Complainant at the time he requested information to returnI do not see any reference to him meeting with an admissions director at any pointComplainant can most certainly be offered an opportunity to return with the options we have available for returning students at this time, but none of those options would allow for Complainant's balance to simply be waived as Complainant requests, nor does there appear to be any justification for such an extraordinary actionIf you require any additional documentation or information, please do not hesitate to contact meCordially, Harrison College [redacted] Vice President Legal & Compliance

As we stated in our initial response, Complainant can most certainly be offered an opportunity to return with the options we have available for returning students at this time, but none of those options would allow for Complainant's balance or to pay an amount less than we would charge other similarly situated studentsSuch an action would produce an inequitable result which would violate the requirements of our national accrediting body and would create an undesirable precedentFor this reason we cannot entertain Complainant's "proposal." If you require any additional documentation or information, please do not hesitate to contact meCordially, Harrison College [redacted] Vice President Legal & Compliance%

The complainant's desied settlement was finalized on July 6, She was sent the following email from our office on that day: Good afternoon Ms***, I want to make you aware that the full amount of the ASFG/ [redacted] loan - $3,- loan was refunded back to your personal bank account You should see those funds settle in your bank account within the next 24-hours, if they have not arrived already In order for your loan to be cancelled and for you to not have an outstanding balance with ASFG/ [redacted] ***, you will need to make the full payment of $3,within the next daysYou can make that payment to the address listed below Please send a check as soon as possible or the loan will begin accruing interest Payment address: [redacted] Just a reminder: because the loan balance has been refunded to you – you now have a balance on your student account that was previously covered by the ASFG loanThis amount is $2, Please let me know if you have any questions

We have completed our investigation into the above referenced complaint, in which you allege: I was made to think that the ASFG loan was a federal Grant loanBrandon rushed me thru it and never gave me time to read what was being initiatedHe walked me thru it over the phone and kept saying initial [sic]Come to find out later it was a [sic] actual regular loan that had to be paid back in monthly payments immediatelyI was made to know that being federal it was months after graduation to start paying loansHe knew I was unemployed with no incomeHe also went into my FAFSA more than once changing in my personal informationI would change it back and then he would go in and make more changes in my FAFSA and toild [sic] me not to change anything on there againIn process I lost Federal and state grants because of him changing itI did turn that over to a Federal Student Aid Ombudsman GroupI asked Brandon to cancel my ASFG loan and he refusedAnd[sic] the current Financial Advisor Jamar M [redacted] to cancel my ASFG Loan and return their moneyI did not want this loanHe has not respondedI'm now showing late payments on a loan I asked to be canceled and returned and with interest it is over $5,Harrison College prides itself on its knowing its students and helping them through obstacles to graduationWe are disappointed to have received this complaint, and to hear that you found your experience with our financial aid team unsatisfactory, however we are unable to substantiate your allegations that you were being "made to think ASFG was a federal grant loan;" and that you lost eligibility for "federal and state grants" because the financial aid team made permitted changes to your FAFSAIn an email from Brandon R [redacted] on March 31, he clearly states that the ASFG loan is from the [redacted] ***In fact that email is basically about what steps you can take if you were denied a federal loan (the email is attached)The loan application (also attached) id titled "Private Education Loan" and on top of the form the lender is identified as " [redacted] **"Finally, in the Private Loan Application and Solicitation Disclosure (attached, pg2) there is a large title stating "Federal Loan Alternatives" which compares the ASFG loan to federal loansWe are sorry you had a misconception about the ASFG loan program, but given these communications and clear disclosures we unable to determine that we were the source of the misconceptionYou also allege that changes to your FAFSA resulted in your losing eligibility for Federal and state grantsThis is not accurateFirst, it is important to note that our financial aid personnel are authorized to update your FAFSA when they receive updated verification information, directly from you, which makes any information appearing on the FAFSA inaccurateFor example, after you completes the FAFSA initially you indicated you were separated but in fact you did not actually get separated until after you appliedThe number of people listed in your household actually changed alsoWhen schools receive updated information they are required update the FAFSAMore importantly, not only were the changes authorized and necessary, they in no way impacted your ability to participate in Indiana grant programs or other federal programsThe reason you were ineligible for the state-based grants this year is that you missed the filing deadline back in (although this year it appears you have timely filed your application); further, you maintain full Title IV eligibilityDespite the fact that our investigation has not disclosed any improper acts or omissions on the part of Harrison College, if you still wish to cancel the ASFG, we can accommodate you and we will even absorb any accrued interestHowever, as MrR [redacted] pointed out, you will be left with a balance on your account, estimated to be between $2,and $2,that you will owePlease let us know how you would like to proceedIf you have further questions, additional information to provide or if we can be of additional assistance please reach out to us the email address from which this letter was sentCordially, Harrison College Student Grievance Team Attachments with email transmission

I went to school when it was Indiana Business College I was attending and was told that my credits transferred (they do not) My degree was a joke, anyone with an 8th grade education can get a degree at this school Waste of money and no employers consider this a school

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolvedRegards,
*** ***

The complainant's desied settlement was finalized on July 6, 2016. She was sent the following email from our office on that day:
 
Good afternoon Ms. [redacted],
 
I want to make you aware that the full amount of the ASFG/[redacted] loan - $3,127 - loan was refunded back to your personal bank account.  You should see those funds settle in your bank account within the next 24-48 hours, if they have not arrived already.  In order for your loan to be cancelled and for you to not have an outstanding balance with ASFG/[redacted], you will need to make the full payment of $3,172 within the next 10 days. You can make that payment to the address listed below.  Please send a check as soon as possible or the loan will begin accruing interest. 
 
Payment address:
[redacted]
 
Just  a reminder:  because the loan balance has been refunded to you – you now have a balance on your student account that was previously covered by the ASFG loan. This amount is $2,195.87.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

I this time I am going to have to reject the colleges offer as it does not provide any relief and the option to return. Currently I am in the process of getting social security disability. Which does not allow for the options the school has provided to be met. I willing to make a counter offer of 10 dollars a month and once the disability benefits are awarded to pay off the remainder of the balence or have it wrapped into the student aid package I feel this is very fair and should be to the liking of all parties.

We have received a complaint from this individual through our internal complaint system on June 22, 2016 which we are curently investigating. Since both complaints are identical we provide the Revdex.com with a copy of our response to the complainant when has been fully investigated. We expect to have...

our investigation completed, and a response drafted, not later than June 30. 
Thank you.

As we stated in our initial response, Complainant can most certainly be offered an opportunity to return with the options we have available for returning students at this time, but none of those options would allow for Complainant's balance or to pay an amount less than we would charge other similarly situated students. Such an action would produce an inequitable result which would violate the requirements of our national accrediting body and would create an undesirable precedent. For this reason we cannot entertain Complainant's "proposal."
If you require any additional documentation or information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Cordially,
Harrison College
 
[redacted]
Vice President Legal & Compliance%3

We have completed our investigation into the above referenced complaint, in which you allege:
I was made to think that the ASFG loan was a federal Grant loan. Brandon rushed me thru it and never gave me time to read what was being initiated. He walked me thru it over the phone and kept saying initial [sic]. Come to find out later it was a [sic] actual regular loan that had to be paid back in monthly payments immediately. I was made to know that being federal it was 6 months after graduation to start paying loans. He knew I was unemployed with no income. He also went into my FAFSA more than once changing in my personal information. I would change it back and then he would go in and make more changes in my FAFSA and toild [sic] me not to change anything on there again. In process I lost Federal and state grants because of him changing it. I did turn that over to a Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group. I asked Brandon to cancel my ASFG loan and he refused. And[sic] the current Financial Advisor Jamar M[redacted] to cancel my ASFG Loan and return their money. I did not want this loan. He has not responded. I'm now showing late payments on a loan I asked to be canceled and returned and with interest it is over $5,000.
Harrison College prides itself on its knowing its students and helping them through obstacles to graduation. We are disappointed to have received this complaint, and to hear that you found your experience with our financial aid team unsatisfactory, however we are unable to substantiate your allegations that you were being "made to think ASFG was a federal grant loan;" and that you lost eligibility for "federal and state grants" because the financial aid team made permitted changes to your FAFSA.
In an email from Brandon R[redacted] on March 31, he clearly states that the ASFG loan is from the [redacted]. In fact that email is basically about what steps you can take if you were denied a federal loan (the email is attached). The loan application (also attached) id titled "Private Education Loan" and on top of the form the lender is identified as "[redacted]". Finally, in the Private Loan Application and Solicitation Disclosure (attached, pg2) there is a large title stating "Federal Loan Alternatives" which compares the ASFG loan to federal loans. We are sorry you had a misconception about the ASFG loan program, but given these communications and clear disclosures we unable to determine that we were the source of the misconception.
You also allege that changes to your FAFSA resulted in your losing eligibility for Federal and state grants. This is not accurate. First, it is important to note that our financial aid personnel are authorized to update your FAFSA when they receive updated verification information, directly from you, which makes any information appearing on the FAFSA inaccurate. For example, after you completes the FAFSA initially you indicated you were separated but in fact you did not actually get separated until after you applied. The number of people listed in your household actually changed also. When schools receive updated information they are required update the FAFSA.
More importantly, not only were the changes authorized and necessary, they in no way impacted your ability to participate in Indiana grant programs or other federal programs. The reason you were ineligible for the state-based grants this year is that you missed the filing deadline back in 2015 (although this year it appears you have timely filed your application); further, you maintain full Title IV eligibility.
Despite the fact that our investigation has not disclosed any improper acts or omissions on the part of Harrison College, if you still wish to cancel the ASFG, we can accommodate you and we will even absorb any accrued interest. However, as Mr. R[redacted] pointed out, you will be left with a balance on your account, estimated to be between $2,200 and $2,300 that you will owe. Please let us know how you would like to proceed.
If you have further questions, additional information to provide or if we can be of additional assistance please reach out to us the email address from which this letter was sent.
Cordially,
Harrison College Student Grievance Team
Attachments with email transmission

By way of introduction my name is [redacted] and I serve as the Vice President of Legal and Compliance for Harrison College, an Indiana-based system of post-secondary...

education institutions, which has been in business for over 110 years. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to this complaint and would ask that you direct all future correspondence/emails regarding this matter to my office and update your database so that any further complaints would be directed to my attention. My contact information:
[redacted]
Vice President Legal and Compliance
Harrison College
500 N. Meridian Street
Suite 500
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Direct: 317/447-6822
Mobile: 317/504-8163
Email: [redacted]@harrison.edu
Complainant's "Statement of Problem" is brief and in it Complainant asks that we waive the College's stated requirement that he clear any amounts owed before he is readmitted. We were able to determine that Complainant's last date attended April 14, 2013. He has made some payments towards the balance he had remaining since that time, which was applied to his account, but still has a balance due of $276.96 to the College. Complainant inquired about returning in March of 2014. At that time, [redacted], (a Harrison College Financial Aid Analyst) notified Complainant of his balance due and Complainant's options to re-enter. She offered Complainant the basic options offered to all similarly situated students: to utilize bad debt forgiveness (based on the parameters at that time), to pay $76.96 and roll in the remainder of Complainant's $200 balance into Complainant's financial aid funding, or to apply for alternative funding to cover this balance. Again, these are the standard offerings for returning students and these offerings were presented to Complainant at the time he requested information to return.
I do not see any reference to him meeting with an admissions director at any point. Complainant can most certainly be offered an opportunity to return with the options we have available for returning students at this time, but none of those options would allow for Complainant's balance to simply be waived as Complainant requests, nor does there appear to be any justification for such an extraordinary action.
If you require any additional documentation or information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Cordially,
Harrison College
[redacted]
Vice President Legal & Compliance