Dear Ms***,
On June 3, Ashford University (University) received a copy of the complaint that you filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com)The University referred the complaint to the Office of Student Grievance Resolution to address your concerns through the formal grievance
processIn your complaint, you alleged the following:
“I was lead to believe that an on-line BS degree would take me approximately years to complete, in reality it would have been years. I was told that my cost for said education would amount to about 32k, in reality it would have been closer to 50k. I was told that the only out-of-pocket expense to me would be $dollar graduation fee upon [completion] of my degree, later on I received notice that I was expected to pay out of-pocket for text books which was estimated to be 4k. I feel [duped] and intentionally mislead by the Ashford recruiter.”
The following is the resolution you are seeking: full refund of fees paid
The following details the findings of the investigation
Your Student Account Balance
On November 6, 2012, you signed and submitted the online application for enrollment to the Bachelor of Arts in the Organizational Management degree program (Attachment A )Within that application, the Statement of Fees state:
Total Tuition: $48,
Based on Total Credits of AU Coursework
Textbooks/Materials: $4,
Based on an average cost per course of $and taking courses
Technology Services Fee: $1,
The Technology Services Fee is a one-time fee, applied on the second week of enrollment, post start date for degree-seeking students to provide the student with initial configuration setup to University systems such as the online learning platform and other academic support systems
Graduation Fee: $
Charged with Petition to Graduate
Approximate Total: $53,
The investigation of your complaint did not reveal any evidence that your admission counselor mislead you or advised you incorrectly regarding the amount of the total tuition that would be payable, time to degree completion or the costs of textbooks and other assorted fees. The Statement of Fees within the application you electronically signed accurately outlines the associated costs of seeking a degree at Ashford University. Additionally, when asked directly whether you had email evidence of said mis-advisement by your admissions counselor, you indicated that you did not The University therefore denies your resolution request for a full refund of fees paid.
Your Additional Inquiry
Additionally, in a separate email you inquired about Ashford University’s low percentage of graduation rates, 21%, as reported from www.collegeresults.org. This website pulls its information from IPEDS which is a federal-government portal where schools are required to post graduation rates. For graduation rates, IPEDS only takes into account first-time college students (those who had never attended college previously); transfer students are not considered in these figures. Ashford students who attended other colleges prior to attending Ashford are not accounted for in IPED’s graduation percentages. Additionally, the University understands that adult learners who transfer into Ashford University face many challenges when attending school and therefore graduate at their own pace and not in a prescribed period of time
Please note, should you provide documentation reflecting that your admissions counselor inaccurately advised you of the cost of your enrollment or the time to degree completion at Ashford University, the University will re-open your complaint at that time
If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at (866) 974-extension 11309, or at [email protected]
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experienceI wish you all the best in your future endeavors
Sincerely,
*** ***, PhD
Associate Vice President, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
January 30, 2017Dear Mr***,I am writing to respond to the complaint you filed with the Revdex.comIn your complaint, you allege that you were “never notified that [your] financial aid ran out,” that Ashford University refused to take any accountability for this issue, and that
Ashford University “let [you] continue to take classes with no job or salary to pay for these classes.” You claim the amount in dispute as $5,You propose a settlement wherein Ashford refunds any payments you made in 2016, the creation of “a resolution department to help with these matters and to let students know that their financial aid is maxing out.”As an initial matter, your student ledger card reflects an outstanding balance of $4,(Exhibit 1) Additionally, on May 14, you signed an enrollment agreement whereby you acknowledge that you had read, understood, and agreed to your rights and responsibilities as set forth in your application, enrollment agreement, student finance agreement, and the Ashford University academic catalog(Exhibit 2) These documents clearly specified 1) your choice with regard to how you would finance your education, 2) the number and nature of academic credits required to earn your degree, and 3) the tuition and other costs associated with your education.After you enrolled and began your course of study, you received regular communications from the University regarding your financial aid awards and disbursementsI have included a representative communication from your student account(Exhibit 3) You will note that this communication encouraged you to register for an IonTuition account, an online tool that provides student loan information and important messages regarding your loans, personal budgeting software, and important financial literacy topicsYou were also able to monitor your financial aid status and history by using the National Student Loan Data System, accessible at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/access-aid-infoFinally, Ashford University’s Financial Aid Office was available to answer any financial aid questions you may have hadAfter reviewing your file, I believe you were properly notified regarding the anticipated cost of your education and that the University provided you with timely and helpful resources that enabled you to monitor the status of your financial aid.With regard to your proposed settlement, the University already maintains a Student Dispute Resolution Center to address matters like yoursThe University Financial Aid Office stands ready to answer any financial aid related questions students may have, and students are informed during each academic year’s financial aid packaging process if it appears that a funding shortfall is imminent.Finally, although I have concluded that the University acted appropriately in this matter, as a gesture of goodwill I am able to offer you an account adjustment in the amount of $2,350, or approximately one-half of your outstanding balancePlease let me know at your earliest convenience whether you will accept this offer.Best regards,*** ***Exhibits:1) Student ledger card 2) Student application and enrollment agreement 3) Financial aid communication
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID *** and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I do not believe the financial aid department did the financial aid verification properlyI know for a fact that the financial aid department can call students if the situation arisesWhy would both my student adviser and the financial aid departmentneglect to inform of the real issue with my financial aidIf you look at my school transcript you would see the decline of my grades especially around the time I was under financial aid verificationAlso, it becomes an ethical issue when on multiple occasionsI have reached out to Ashford for information with everyone telling me "I don't know" or transferring me to people that didn't know eitherThe final time that I finally got information was 6-months later at the beginning of Not to mention, (still this hasn't been addressed) the negligence of letting me know my grant wasn't approvedBut Ashford is quick to respond in letters that I "may" owe this amount if my grants do not get approvedClearly there is still a miscommunicationIn the interest of the school, letter only pertaining to what I owe was sent to me, nothing about fafsa, and pell grantsRegardless of the financial aid verification, why wouldn't the financial aid follow up on the amount of fafsa? Clearly that isn't how a school is meant to function
Regards,
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Having previously filed an Official Grievance on 10/2/with Ashford University, and appealing the results of said Grievance via the Presidential Appeal process, Ashford University is denying my request for Presidential Appeal using arbitrary and unwarranted information; stating that I did not cite new or updated information in my appeal, even though I provided a very detailed amount of new information in my Presidential Appeal, and did so using one of their four (4) required appeal reasons: To challenge if the findings of the investigation do not accord with the preponderance of the evidenceIn reviewing the evidence presented to the Student Dispute Resolution Specialist and the University response to my initial grievance, I have found that the evidence presented by me, the student -- both verbally via telephone and in written/email form -- far outweighs the stated results of the University investigationI further find that a great deal of information and grievance specifics were completely overlooked or fully omitted in the University's responseTo cite one example of this, one of my main points of grievance centered around my time urgent emails sent on September 8, and September 9, 2017, regarding a serious financial matter to five different University staff members: Andre Panganiban (Financial Services Manager), *** *** (Financial Services Manager), *** *** (Student Accounts), T*** *** (Collections) and *** *** (Financial Services), all of which went completely unanswered and with no response still to date; please note, this was only one of many examples where phone calls and emails from these individuals and departments went unansweredWhile I did receive one phone call from an individual *** *** Financial Services) whom I did not contact directly for assistance, complete resolution was never reached on this issue, and I was left confused and with my issue unresolved, which I have been amply clear about being the case.Ashford University has denied my request for Presidential Appeal, even in lieu of an array of updated, new information to support my grievancesAshford has attempted to defend the negligence of five of their senior representatives, none of whom addressed my serious financial concerns and completely ignored multiple email and phone requests for assistanceFurther, Ashford's Associate Vice President of Dispute Resolution, whom was extremely abrupt and crude in her demeanor (*** *** states that they "do not save recorded calls", and are unable to assist me in retrieving calls where promises were made to me regarding the transfer of an unnecessary course, EXPI believe this to be under pretenses, and Ms*** stated she "was not going to discuss this with me"As a result of this ongoing grievance -- the gross misinformation and negligence, and Ms***'s abrupt handling of my case, I am requesting a full refund of any and all fees paid to Ashford on my behalf
Regards,
*** ***
Dear Ms***,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms*** complaintI received Ms*** complaint on November 13,
In her complaint, Ms*** stated:
I have been going around in circles with several members of the staff to enroll back in schoolI have been
given the run around several timesI have been told by certain staff members I have to wait a certain amount of time to enroll back in school (to which I did) when it was time for me to enroll back I was told, I couldn't enroll because I had a balance, come to fine out that was incorrect, I was told once I was on the payment plan I can enroll backI set up the payment plan and Its still being issues with enrollmentI also find out I was given 3/NA's when I explained to my advisor at the time he kept scheduling me with an instructor that did not allow students to post assignments when its convenient for themI went to this school before and I have been able to post all off my assignments on Tuesdays and my discussion comments, then later in the week I was able to meet atten***ce (this worked for me because of my work schedule)This particular new instructor didn't allow posting all assignments at once, he said he will give the assignments back to usI explained this to my advisor and he said for me not to post in that class anymore days and he will take me out and give me another instructor to which he gave me that same instructor again so that's how I got all the N/a"sI also ailed one class and had to retake it, no one told me I was on academic watch from that until I tried to recently re-registerBottom line is everyone is bouncing me around saying I can enroll and gave me three different start dates but on the day of start I'm being told I need to fill out additional paperwork that I have already filled out several times priorThey have several departments looking at my info and no one is on the same page as I'm repeating processes with no resolutionI asked to speak with the *** or someone over the advisors/reps and they said manager will call and help me but no one calledNo one will provide me with the hire up's email or number
When Ms*** enrolled at Ashford University, she signed an acknowledgment indicating that she was aware of her rights and responsibilities as documented in, among other items, the University’s Academic CatalogContained in this catalog are two policies that directly bear on Ms*** current standing with the UniversityFirst, the Consecutive Course Drops policy informs students who meet atten***ce requirements for only the first week of four consecutive academic courses that they will be administratively withdrawn from the University for a period of no less than six monthsThis same policy informs students who have been withdrawn because of this policy that they may appeal by contacting their academic advisorMs*** dropped four consecutive courses without earning academic credit in any of them, and, consistent with the Consecutive Course Drops policy, she was dismissed from the UniversityMs*** appealed her dismissal, and her appeal was denied
Although six months have elapsed since Ms*** last day of atten***ce, Ms*** must still be able to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress for Graduate Students as defined in the University catalogAs of this writing, Ms*** is non-compliant with the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and she has appealed the University’s determinationI note that a University representative is currently assisting Ms*** through the appeal process
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
August 5,
RE: Complaint ID 1153*** *** ***
Dear *** ***
Our department has reviewed *** *** rebuttal to the University’s written response to her original complaint. Within the rebuttal, *** *** stated that on September 10, 2015, she requested the University release her transcripts. *** *** stated that her transcripts were not released and she was charged a service fee of $20.00. Research indicated that *** *** submitted a transcript request on August 10, 2015; however, on that same day *** *** was notified by the University that she had a transcript hold on her account due to an unpaid balance. *** *** was advised to contact the University’s collections department to address her account balance due. On September 10, 2015, the order was canceled and no credit card charges were collected. Please see the originally attached Ledger Card for review.
As stated in the original response, per University policy, students with an outstanding balance need to either pay their balance in full or enter into a University approved payment plan prior to re-entry before an official transcript will be released. A review of *** ***’s rebuttal did not reveal any additional information to be addressed.
It is always the intention of Ashford University to provide excellent student servicesIf you have any questions regarding the outcome of this investigation, please contact me directly at *** *** *** or ***
Sincerely,
*** ***
Associate Director, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Of course the college doesn’t want anything to deter their decision however, this is unjustified on the college part, and I understand the dedication to faculty and not studentsThank you, I need legal counsel because I have invested too much into education without people treating like I'm stupidIt's about money;
Regards,
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolvedI do believe enough was submitted, but the University did not request any material to be submitted to themWe think the natural step would be for the University to remove all the holds on *** ** *** *** account as soon as possible.
Regards,
*** ***
June 26,
Dear Ms***,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms***’s complaintIn her complaint which you forwarded to Ashford University on June 16, 2017, Ms*** alleges the following: 1) that Ashford is withholding Ms***’s transcript and diploma because of a
billing error related to Ms***’s withdrawal from an academic course, 2) that Ashford improperly concluded that Ms*** had committed plagiarism, and 3) that Ashford is preventing Ms*** from obtaining reimbursement from her employer by withholding her transcriptMs*** proposes the following settlement: “I would like to have my money reimbursed to meI feel that I was scammed out of my money for the class they claim I plagiarized and now I am being scammed to pay for the last class I tookI would like to have my degree and transcripts released to me because I worked very hard for it and they are basically holding it hostageI have talked with other people who are in similar situations and we are being punished for this schools overpriced classes and scams to get more money from their already struggling students.”
The University disagrees with Ms***’s assertions and maintains that it complied with the terms of the Enrollment Agreement Ms*** signed prior to commencing her studiesAdditionally, the University has previously assisted Ms*** by informing her of her ability to use her unofficial transcript as needed
On August 7, 2014, Ms*** signed her Enrollment Agreement and by doing so certified that she had “read, understood, and agreed to my rights and responsibilities as set forth in this Application, Agreement, Student Finance Agreement, and the Ashford University Academic Catalog” (Exhibit 1)Both the Enrollment Agreement and the University Catalog inform University students as to the policies that govern the relationship between the University and its students
Ms*** has alleged that she was improperly billed after she withdrew from an academic course “in the correct amount of time.” This statement is inaccurateMs*** withdrew from the course in question during its final week, well after the period during which she could have withdrawn with no financial consequence had expiredI have provided Ms***’s attendance records for your review as well as communications from Ms*** wherein she states, during the final week of the course, “I would rather just drop it [her academic course] and do it over” (Exhibits 2, 3)These same communications between Ms*** and her University advisor address the financial implications of dropping the course during the final week (Exhibit 3), implications of which Ms*** had already been made aware by her Enrollment Agreement and the University Catalog (Exhibits 1, 4)Put simply, the University properly notified Ms*** of the financial consequences of dropping an academic course in its final week, both at the time of her enrollment AND at the time she was actually considering the withdrawalArmed with this information, Ms*** nevertheless decided to withdraw from the course, thereby creating a balance on her student ledger cardThis balance remains unpaid and therefore, consistent with established University policy, the University has withheld Ms***’s official transcript and diploma (Exhibit 5) pending settlement of Ms***’s account
Ms*** also appears to allege that the University improperly concluded that she had committed plagiarism while completing one of her assignmentsMs*** was afforded both the opportunity to appeal this conclusion as well as the opportunity to resubmit the assignmentThe University determined that Ms***’s resubmission also failed to properly cite her sources and therefore upheld its initial finding of plagiarismI have included communications from the University to Ms*** explaining the basis for this decision (Exhibit 3)Having reviewed the facts and circumstances associated with the plagiarism finding, I have determined that the University followed its established procedures and properly afforded Ms*** the opportunity to be heard on this matter
Finally, Ms*** has alleged that the University is preventing her from obtaining reimbursement from her employer by withholding her transcriptI have included communication between the University and Ms*** wherein Ms***’s University advisor suggests that Ms*** use her unofficial transcript to establish her record of enrollment (Exhibit 3)Contrary to Ms***’s allegation, the University has actually been proactive in suggesting a workable solution for Ms***, and I am unaware of any reason why that solution is not viable for Ms***’s employer
In closing, Ms*** uses terms like “scammed,” “scams,” “hostage,” and “punished” in her desired settlement statement where she requests a reimbursement of $4,from the UniversityThese terms are an unfair and inaccurate characterization of the patience, time, effort, and assistance multiple University representatives offered Ms***The University was clear in its communications informing Ms*** as to the financial consequences of withdrawing from her academic course in its final weekThe University did not “scam” Ms*** and it is not “punishing” her or holding her transcript and diploma “hostage” by following policies to which Ms*** agreed
Having thoroughly investigated the facts and circumstances of this case, I have determined that the University met its obligations to Ms*** and I am unable to grant the resolution she has proposed
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance
Best regards,
*** ***
Exhibits:
1) Enrollment Agreement
2) Attendance record, PPA
3) Communications
4) AU Catalog excerpt, tuition refund policy
5) AU Catalog excerpt, transcript/diploma withhold
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I am attaching a detailed ledger from my actual Ashford University account, that shows that Ashford had refunded themselves $4,based on a single payment they made of $My account should be at $before any "continuation grants" were applied and this was a balance I was going to cover out of pocket. Secondarily, Ashford did not address the issues with the course and the significant differences in what an unbiased system shows for similarity of 2% or 3% and the professor is stating that there is 79% and 45% similarityIn the attached document you will find on page where Ashford charged me for the course again,when it should have been passed the first time based on objective opinion vs subjective opinion stated by the professor This action triggered an additional $3,in student loans withdrawn at my expense that should not have been withdrawn.
Regards,
*** ***
Hello Revdex.com,
The complainant's response does not indicate any new information or concerns and therefore the University stands by its original investigation findingsAt this point, we consider this matter fully addressed and closed
Sincerely,
*** ***
Associate Director, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
*** *** *** ***
***
",serif">
April 25,
[redacted]
Dear Mr[redacted]:
On March 28, 2016, Ashford University
(University) received your complaint filed at the Revdex.com
(Revdex.com). In that complaint, you allege the
following:
·
The
balance on the student account is "fraudulent"
·
The
University would not accept payment because you did not want to speak with your
assigned Student Community Standards Specialist
In
your complaint, you listed the following as the resolution you seek:
·
For
the University to waive the balance due on the student account
The
University conducted an investigation of your concernsThe following
information details the findings of the investigation and addresses your resolution
request
In regard to the Balance Due on the Student Account
On November 27, 2012, you completed, electronically signed and
submitted the University's online application for admission to the Bachelor of
Arts degree programIn signing this agreement, you acknowledged that you had
read, understood and agreed with the contents of the online application for
admission and the contents of the University Academic Catalog (Attachment A)
The Ashford University Tuition Refund Schedule, located within
the relevant -Academic Catalog, states the following:
The Ashford
University Tuition Refund Schedule applies to online students who drop or are
administratively dropped from a course or the institution and who are not
otherwise covered under a state-specific tuition refund policy (Attachment B)
PROGRAM
Course Length
1st* week
2nd* week
3rd* week
4th* week
5th* week
6th* week
Nonterm-Based Graduate
Level Programs
(Online Formats)
Refund % by Course LDA
100%
50%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Nonterm-Based
Undergraduate Level Programs
(Online Formats) Refund % by Course LDA
100%
50%
0%
0%
0%
N/A
*Refund percentage
applied based on week of last date of attendance (LDA)
On September 1, 2015, you began the course ENGBy telephone
on September 9, 2015, after having posted attendance into the second week of
the course, you requested that your Student Advisor withdraw you from the
course ENGIn the same conversation, your Student Advisor informed you that
you would be responsible for 50% of the cost of the course in accordance with
the University's Tuition Refund Policy
On September 10, 2015, per your request, you were withdrawn from
your degree program at the UniversityAs of that date, your balance due
reflected the tuition and fees cost of ENG125, $
On September 17, 2015, by telephonic conversation your Financial
Services Manager spoke with you about the balance due on the student account in
the amount of $The Financial Services Manager explained that the balance
due on the student account will need to be paid in full before any transcript
related holds may be removed your student account
On October 9, 2015, per Federal Student Aid guidelines, the
University performed a Return of Title IV funds calculation (R2T4) (Attachment
C)Based on this calculation the University determined that you were eligible
to receive a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) of Federal Pell Grant fundsOn
October 13, 2015, $of 2015-Federal Pell Grant funds were disbursed
to your student account reducing the balance due on the student account to
$(Attachment D)
Between the dates of October 22, and February 4, 2016, by
phone and email, the University's internal collections department made over
seven attempts to contact you regarding payment toward the balance due on your
student accountOn February 4, 2016, as those collection attempts did not
result in your full payment toward your balance due or a repayment agreement,
your student account was placed with an external collection agency
The findings of the investigation reveal that your balance due
is accurate and owingThe findings of the investigation also reveal that you
spoke with University personnel on several occasions regarding your balance due
and had the opportunity in each of those occasions to pay the balance dueThe
investigation did not reveal any information to show that the University would
not accept payment from you at any time
Conclusion
Based
on the above, the University denied your requested resolution to waive the
balance due on the student account
It
is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide
excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss the outcome of
your grievance, please contact me at (866) 974-ext[redacted], or at [email protected]
I wish you all the best in your future
endeavors
Sincerely,
[redacted] MPsy
Student Dispute Resolution Facilitator III
for Ashford
University
Encls/4/ Attachment
A, University Application
Attachment B, Tuition
Refund Policy
Attachment C, Return of Title IV Funds Policy
Attachment
D, Ledger Card
Print
September 10, 2015
[redacted]
Dear [redacted]
On July 24, 2015, Ashford University (University) received a copy of your complaint filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com). On August 21, 2015, the University responded to that complaint. On August 28, 2015, the University received you second complaint. Please note, the concerns listed in your second complaint mirror the concerns stated in your July 24, 2015, complaint. These concerns were addressed in the August 21, 2015, University response issued to you. Please see Attachment A.
Please note, the University’s position regarding your complaint remains the same.
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at [redacted], or at [redacted]
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Student Grievance Resolution Administrator II
for Ashford University
Dear Ms. [redacted],
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. [redacted] complaint. I received Mr. [redacted] complaint on November 15, 2017.
In addition to his Revdex.com complaint, Mr. [redacted] filed a complaint with the University’s Student Dispute Resolution Center (SDRC). An SDRC representative reviewed Mr. [redacted] case and communicated resolution to Mr. [redacted] on November 14, 2017. Under the terms of the resolution, the University will credit Mr. [redacted] account in the amount of $184, thereby reducing Mr. [redacted] account balance to zero.
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.
[redacted]
August 21, 2015
[redacted]
Dear [redacted]
On July 24, 2015, Ashford University (University) received a copy of your complaint filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com). The University referred the complaint to the Office of Student...
Grievance Resolution to address your concerns through the formal grievance process. In your complaint you allege the following:
I enrolled in two classes at Ashford University online to Student Real Estate. I took two classes and earned 6 credits. The classes and credits are worthless. They were a complete waste of time and money. My Student advisor [sic] [redacted] was rude, and was worthless. He was a terrible student advisor. Rude and very unprofessional. There was nothing to do with Real Estate. The professors are sub par [sic]. I was told these credits would not transfer and are really worthless by other schools. I wrote to Ashford President [redacted] and never received a reply. He was not professional enough to respond. This was a complete waste of my time and money. I also read online reviews of Ashford University and the reviews are 90% terrible. I wish I would have read these first. The whole experience was a joke. The Iowa campus is closing for a reason.
In your complaint, you listed the following as the resolution you seek:
Keep the credits. Just refund the money. The whole experience and both classes were ridiculous. I learned NOTHING. It was a complete waste of time and money. This school should NOT be accredited in any way. Just refund the money I wasted!!! I wish they could refund the time, but that is impossible.
The University conducted an investigation of your concerns. The following information details the findings of the investigation.
Allegations Regarding EXP 105 and PSY 202
Bachelor’s Program Course Sequencing
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that following successful completion of orientation, students are required to successfully complete EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education as their first course. Unsuccessful completion of EXP 105 will result in the rescheduling of the course and revision of future course sequence (Attachment A).
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that students are required to successfully complete PSY 202 Adult Development and Life Assessment. PSY 202 satisfies the Social and Personal Awareness General Education requirement and cannot be replaced or waived unless a student provides proof of one of the following: 90 credits of lower division transfer credits that are applicable to the student’s chosen degree program enrollment; a previously earned Bachelor’s degree at Ashford University, or from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution; or, a Bachelor’s degree from a country other than the United States that has been evaluated by an approved evaluation service, and accepted by Ashford University as equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in the United States (Attachment A).
On April 24, 2015, you signed and submitted the online application for the Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate degree program. Within the online application, the Progression Requirements for Bachelor’s Programs are outlined including the introductory course requirements.
From May 5, 2015, to June 8, 2015, you completed EXP 105 with an earned grade of “B.”
On June 9, 2015, you began your PSY 202 course. On June 18, 2015, you told Readiness Advisor [redacted] that you wanted to withdraw from the University after completion of PSY 202. On June 25, 2015, [redacted] told you he would submit the withdrawal request for you upon completion of your PSY 202 course. On the same day, [redacted] submitted your withdrawal request to be effective one week after your completion of PSY 202.
On July 13, 2015, you completed your PSY 202 course with an earned grade of “A-.” Your request to withdraw from the University was completed on July 20, 2015. Your last date of recorded attendance at the University was July 13, 2015.
Please note, regarding the University’s courses, Quality Matters, a non-profit organization that focuses on quality assurance in higher education, reviews and certifies each course to ensure that each course meets the standards of quality in higher education.
The University also conducts a program review that is a faculty-driven process involving significant collaboration among faculty, students, staff, and administration. Each review involves a comprehensive evaluation of applicable course, program, and institutional data to determine current programmatic effectiveness and to make well informed recommendations for improvement. Action plans resulting from program reviews are incorporated into university-wide planning and budgeting efforts, resulting in institutional improvements.
The University appreciates your feedback regarding the quality and adequacy of your courses and it will be passed on to the appropriate University representatives.
Allegations Regarding Transfer Credits
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that since Ashford University is a regionally accredited institution, other institutions may elect to accept Ashford University credits. However, students should be aware that the transfer of a credit is controlled by the receiving institution, and therefore cannot be guaranteed by Ashford University unless part of a valid articulation agreement or included in an articulation numbering system (Attachment B).
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that outside any formal partnership or agreement, students considering transferring to another institution have the responsibility to determine whether that institution will accept Ashford university credits. Ashford University does not imply, promise, or guarantee transferability of its credits to any other institution (Attachment B).
University record does not indicate that you requested to have your Ashford University transcripts sent to another institution.
Allegations Regarding University Communication
University record indicates that your advising staff responded to your communication within a timely manner. Upon [redacted] receipt of your correspondence dated July 22, 2015, [redacted] referred your complaint to the Student Dispute Resolution Center for investigation in conjunction with your complaint you submitted to the Revdex.com. The Student Dispute Resolution Center is the appropriate University department to investigate and respond to student complaints.
Conclusion
Based on the above, the University denies your allegation that you should not have had to take EXP 105 or PSY 202 as you were advised of the University’s course sequence progression requirements. The investigation reveals that you successfully completed EXP 105 and PSY 202 for earned credit at the University. However, the University regrets that you did not have the experience you had hoped for. As a gesture of goodwill, the University would like to offer you, if you choose to do so, the opportunity to reenter the University and continue your degree program with the University crediting you for the cost of the first course upon reentry. If you do not choose to reenter the University, the University’s Office off of the Registrar can assist you with contacting the institution you are seeking to enter, and discuss the transfer of the credits you earned at Ashford University with the other institution.
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at [redacted], or at [redacted]
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Student Grievance Resolution Administrator
for Ashford University
Encls. /2/ Attachment A, Course Sequencing Policy
Attachment B, Transfer of Credits to another Institution
Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I reject the response given by Ashford, based on the fact that even in all the documentation provided, (mostly Ashford Standards and Practices), that no proof of any monies received or refunded to Federal Government Student Aid or its servicer [redacted], are provided, only Ashford's ledger. No contact between this "school" and either agency is provided. I have personally contacted both of these organizations and both assure me that the figures provided by Ashford are skewed and in some instances, non-existent, as well that, any monies received as loans from either agency, should have been the monies used to pay for expenses prior to any grants, and that only, unused funds should be returned, but I could not be indebted for them. Furthermore, I disputed this debt on my credit and was contacted by [redacted], who have assured me that this debt has been returned to Ashford to resolve, and have provided me and all credit bureaus with documentation that this debt should be removed from my credit and that any inquiry into this debt, should now be directed toward Ashford and not the office of [redacted]Regards,[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
-I do not feel this is a sufficient resolution. Because in both my Revdex.com complaint and the Grievances compliant I mentioned the amount $7952.16 (of which I owed for my second year) and my tuition that would owe until now. The reasoning being that Ashford failed their duty to ensure they well-being of their student (me). The situation that happened in the year 2014 could have been resolved with better communication. Instead the negligence displayed by Ashford is waiting nearly 7 months (into the new year) to inform myself of the error I had accidentally made on my FAFSA forms. This sort of negligence impacted my education (Math Class I failed) but my personal life and health. I have been out of school for nearly two months due to this matter. I have continuously received messages about me owing for my classes. I had to be the one calling on my days off which at that time were sundays, tues, and weds. The communication issue has been a big problem since my first year at Ashford. I emailed the letters from my previous experience and my complaint about the way information is communicated. I do not believe it should take near 2 months to reply to a complaint. I will not be satisfied until my resolution is met, in the terms listed above. No student should have to go through what I have been going through. This is purely bad faith on the institution because numerous occasions I submitted requests for clarification about the 2014 matter with no response or a generic response. I will not hesitate to get an attorney for this matter. I was promised a follow up from Ashford about my complaint with no response until now. Same with my pell grant. As it reads from the message from [redacted] that my pell grant was processed. I never received any type of notification that my pell grant wasn't approved. Again I will state this, NO student should have to go through what I went through and continue to go through.
Regards,
[redacted]
Dear Ms***,
On June 3, Ashford University (University) received a copy of the complaint that you filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com)The University referred the complaint to the Office of Student Grievance Resolution to address your concerns through the formal grievance
processIn your complaint, you alleged the following:
“I was lead to believe that an on-line BS degree would take me approximately years to complete, in reality it would have been years. I was told that my cost for said education would amount to about 32k, in reality it would have been closer to 50k. I was told that the only out-of-pocket expense to me would be $dollar graduation fee upon [completion] of my degree, later on I received notice that I was expected to pay out of-pocket for text books which was estimated to be 4k. I feel [duped] and intentionally mislead by the Ashford recruiter.”
The following is the resolution you are seeking: full refund of fees paid
The following details the findings of the investigation
Your Student Account Balance
On November 6, 2012, you signed and submitted the online application for enrollment to the Bachelor of Arts in the Organizational Management degree program (Attachment A )Within that application, the Statement of Fees state:
Total Tuition: $48,
Based on Total Credits of AU Coursework
Textbooks/Materials: $4,
Based on an average cost per course of $and taking courses
Technology Services Fee: $1,
The Technology Services Fee is a one-time fee, applied on the second week of enrollment, post start date for degree-seeking students to provide the student with initial configuration setup to University systems such as the online learning platform and other academic support systems
Graduation Fee: $
Charged with Petition to Graduate
Approximate Total: $53,
The investigation of your complaint did not reveal any evidence that your admission counselor mislead you or advised you incorrectly regarding the amount of the total tuition that would be payable, time to degree completion or the costs of textbooks and other assorted fees. The Statement of Fees within the application you electronically signed accurately outlines the associated costs of seeking a degree at Ashford University. Additionally, when asked directly whether you had email evidence of said mis-advisement by your admissions counselor, you indicated that you did not The University therefore denies your resolution request for a full refund of fees paid.
Your Additional Inquiry
Additionally, in a separate email you inquired about Ashford University’s low percentage of graduation rates, 21%, as reported from www.collegeresults.org. This website pulls its information from IPEDS which is a federal-government portal where schools are required to post graduation rates. For graduation rates, IPEDS only takes into account first-time college students (those who had never attended college previously); transfer students are not considered in these figures. Ashford students who attended other colleges prior to attending Ashford are not accounted for in IPED’s graduation percentages. Additionally, the University understands that adult learners who transfer into Ashford University face many challenges when attending school and therefore graduate at their own pace and not in a prescribed period of time
Please note, should you provide documentation reflecting that your admissions counselor inaccurately advised you of the cost of your enrollment or the time to degree completion at Ashford University, the University will re-open your complaint at that time
If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at (866) 974-extension 11309, or at [email protected]
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experienceI wish you all the best in your future endeavors
Sincerely,
*** ***, PhD
Associate Vice President, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
January 30, 2017Dear Mr***,I am writing to respond to the complaint you filed with the Revdex.comIn your complaint, you allege that you were “never notified that [your] financial aid ran out,” that Ashford University refused to take any accountability for this issue, and that
Ashford University “let [you] continue to take classes with no job or salary to pay for these classes.” You claim the amount in dispute as $5,You propose a settlement wherein Ashford refunds any payments you made in 2016, the creation of “a resolution department to help with these matters and to let students know that their financial aid is maxing out.”As an initial matter, your student ledger card reflects an outstanding balance of $4,(Exhibit 1) Additionally, on May 14, you signed an enrollment agreement whereby you acknowledge that you had read, understood, and agreed to your rights and responsibilities as set forth in your application, enrollment agreement, student finance agreement, and the Ashford University academic catalog(Exhibit 2) These documents clearly specified 1) your choice with regard to how you would finance your education, 2) the number and nature of academic credits required to earn your degree, and 3) the tuition and other costs associated with your education.After you enrolled and began your course of study, you received regular communications from the University regarding your financial aid awards and disbursementsI have included a representative communication from your student account(Exhibit 3) You will note that this communication encouraged you to register for an IonTuition account, an online tool that provides student loan information and important messages regarding your loans, personal budgeting software, and important financial literacy topicsYou were also able to monitor your financial aid status and history by using the National Student Loan Data System, accessible at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/access-aid-infoFinally, Ashford University’s Financial Aid Office was available to answer any financial aid questions you may have hadAfter reviewing your file, I believe you were properly notified regarding the anticipated cost of your education and that the University provided you with timely and helpful resources that enabled you to monitor the status of your financial aid.With regard to your proposed settlement, the University already maintains a Student Dispute Resolution Center to address matters like yoursThe University Financial Aid Office stands ready to answer any financial aid related questions students may have, and students are informed during each academic year’s financial aid packaging process if it appears that a funding shortfall is imminent.Finally, although I have concluded that the University acted appropriately in this matter, as a gesture of goodwill I am able to offer you an account adjustment in the amount of $2,350, or approximately one-half of your outstanding balancePlease let me know at your earliest convenience whether you will accept this offer.Best regards,*** ***Exhibits:1) Student ledger card 2) Student application and enrollment agreement 3) Financial aid communication
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID *** and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I do not believe the financial aid department did the financial aid verification properlyI know for a fact that the financial aid department can call students if the situation arisesWhy would both my student adviser and the financial aid departmentneglect to inform of the real issue with my financial aidIf you look at my school transcript you would see the decline of my grades especially around the time I was under financial aid verificationAlso, it becomes an ethical issue when on multiple occasionsI have reached out to Ashford for information with everyone telling me "I don't know" or transferring me to people that didn't know eitherThe final time that I finally got information was 6-months later at the beginning of Not to mention, (still this hasn't been addressed) the negligence of letting me know my grant wasn't approvedBut Ashford is quick to respond in letters that I "may" owe this amount if my grants do not get approvedClearly there is still a miscommunicationIn the interest of the school, letter only pertaining to what I owe was sent to me, nothing about fafsa, and pell grantsRegardless of the financial aid verification, why wouldn't the financial aid follow up on the amount of fafsa? Clearly that isn't how a school is meant to function
Regards,
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Having previously filed an Official Grievance on 10/2/with Ashford University, and appealing the results of said Grievance via the Presidential Appeal process, Ashford University is denying my request for Presidential Appeal using arbitrary and unwarranted information; stating that I did not cite new or updated information in my appeal, even though I provided a very detailed amount of new information in my Presidential Appeal, and did so using one of their four (4) required appeal reasons: To challenge if the findings of the investigation do not accord with the preponderance of the evidenceIn reviewing the evidence presented to the Student Dispute Resolution Specialist and the University response to my initial grievance, I have found that the evidence presented by me, the student -- both verbally via telephone and in written/email form -- far outweighs the stated results of the University investigationI further find that a great deal of information and grievance specifics were completely overlooked or fully omitted in the University's responseTo cite one example of this, one of my main points of grievance centered around my time urgent emails sent on September 8, and September 9, 2017, regarding a serious financial matter to five different University staff members: Andre Panganiban (Financial Services Manager), *** *** (Financial Services Manager), *** *** (Student Accounts), T*** *** (Collections) and *** *** (Financial Services), all of which went completely unanswered and with no response still to date; please note, this was only one of many examples where phone calls and emails from these individuals and departments went unansweredWhile I did receive one phone call from an individual *** *** Financial Services) whom I did not contact directly for assistance, complete resolution was never reached on this issue, and I was left confused and with my issue unresolved, which I have been amply clear about being the case.Ashford University has denied my request for Presidential Appeal, even in lieu of an array of updated, new information to support my grievancesAshford has attempted to defend the negligence of five of their senior representatives, none of whom addressed my serious financial concerns and completely ignored multiple email and phone requests for assistanceFurther, Ashford's Associate Vice President of Dispute Resolution, whom was extremely abrupt and crude in her demeanor (*** *** states that they "do not save recorded calls", and are unable to assist me in retrieving calls where promises were made to me regarding the transfer of an unnecessary course, EXPI believe this to be under pretenses, and Ms*** stated she "was not going to discuss this with me"As a result of this ongoing grievance -- the gross misinformation and negligence, and Ms***'s abrupt handling of my case, I am requesting a full refund of any and all fees paid to Ashford on my behalf
Regards,
*** ***
Dear Ms***,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms*** complaintI received Ms*** complaint on November 13,
In her complaint, Ms*** stated:
I have been going around in circles with several members of the staff to enroll back in schoolI have been
given the run around several timesI have been told by certain staff members I have to wait a certain amount of time to enroll back in school (to which I did) when it was time for me to enroll back I was told, I couldn't enroll because I had a balance, come to fine out that was incorrect, I was told once I was on the payment plan I can enroll backI set up the payment plan and Its still being issues with enrollmentI also find out I was given 3/NA's when I explained to my advisor at the time he kept scheduling me with an instructor that did not allow students to post assignments when its convenient for themI went to this school before and I have been able to post all off my assignments on Tuesdays and my discussion comments, then later in the week I was able to meet atten***ce (this worked for me because of my work schedule)This particular new instructor didn't allow posting all assignments at once, he said he will give the assignments back to usI explained this to my advisor and he said for me not to post in that class anymore days and he will take me out and give me another instructor to which he gave me that same instructor again so that's how I got all the N/a"sI also ailed one class and had to retake it, no one told me I was on academic watch from that until I tried to recently re-registerBottom line is everyone is bouncing me around saying I can enroll and gave me three different start dates but on the day of start I'm being told I need to fill out additional paperwork that I have already filled out several times priorThey have several departments looking at my info and no one is on the same page as I'm repeating processes with no resolutionI asked to speak with the *** or someone over the advisors/reps and they said manager will call and help me but no one calledNo one will provide me with the hire up's email or number
When Ms*** enrolled at Ashford University, she signed an acknowledgment indicating that she was aware of her rights and responsibilities as documented in, among other items, the University’s Academic CatalogContained in this catalog are two policies that directly bear on Ms*** current standing with the UniversityFirst, the Consecutive Course Drops policy informs students who meet atten***ce requirements for only the first week of four consecutive academic courses that they will be administratively withdrawn from the University for a period of no less than six monthsThis same policy informs students who have been withdrawn because of this policy that they may appeal by contacting their academic advisorMs*** dropped four consecutive courses without earning academic credit in any of them, and, consistent with the Consecutive Course Drops policy, she was dismissed from the UniversityMs*** appealed her dismissal, and her appeal was denied
Although six months have elapsed since Ms*** last day of atten***ce, Ms*** must still be able to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress for Graduate Students as defined in the University catalogAs of this writing, Ms*** is non-compliant with the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and she has appealed the University’s determinationI note that a University representative is currently assisting Ms*** through the appeal process
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
This complaint is currently being addressed through the Student Dispute Resolution Center and its established procedures
August 5,
RE: Complaint ID 1153*** *** ***
Dear *** ***
Our department has reviewed *** *** rebuttal to the University’s written response to her original complaint. Within the rebuttal, *** *** stated that on September 10, 2015, she requested the University release her transcripts. *** *** stated that her transcripts were not released and she was charged a service fee of $20.00. Research indicated that *** *** submitted a transcript request on August 10, 2015; however, on that same day *** *** was notified by the University that she had a transcript hold on her account due to an unpaid balance. *** *** was advised to contact the University’s collections department to address her account balance due. On September 10, 2015, the order was canceled and no credit card charges were collected. Please see the originally attached Ledger Card for review.
As stated in the original response, per University policy, students with an outstanding balance need to either pay their balance in full or enter into a University approved payment plan prior to re-entry before an official transcript will be released. A review of *** ***’s rebuttal did not reveal any additional information to be addressed.
It is always the intention of Ashford University to provide excellent student servicesIf you have any questions regarding the outcome of this investigation, please contact me directly at *** *** *** or ***
Sincerely,
*** ***
Associate Director, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Of course the college doesn’t want anything to deter their decision however, this is unjustified on the college part, and I understand the dedication to faculty and not studentsThank you, I need legal counsel because I have invested too much into education without people treating like I'm stupidIt's about money;
Regards,
*** ***
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 for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolvedI do believe enough was submitted, but the University did not request any material to be submitted to themWe think the natural step would be for the University to remove all the holds on *** ** *** *** account as soon as possible.
Regards,
*** ***
June 26,
Dear Ms***,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms***’s complaintIn her complaint which you forwarded to Ashford University on June 16, 2017, Ms*** alleges the following: 1) that Ashford is withholding Ms***’s transcript and diploma because of a
billing error related to Ms***’s withdrawal from an academic course, 2) that Ashford improperly concluded that Ms*** had committed plagiarism, and 3) that Ashford is preventing Ms*** from obtaining reimbursement from her employer by withholding her transcriptMs*** proposes the following settlement: “I would like to have my money reimbursed to meI feel that I was scammed out of my money for the class they claim I plagiarized and now I am being scammed to pay for the last class I tookI would like to have my degree and transcripts released to me because I worked very hard for it and they are basically holding it hostageI have talked with other people who are in similar situations and we are being punished for this schools overpriced classes and scams to get more money from their already struggling students.”
The University disagrees with Ms***’s assertions and maintains that it complied with the terms of the Enrollment Agreement Ms*** signed prior to commencing her studiesAdditionally, the University has previously assisted Ms*** by informing her of her ability to use her unofficial transcript as needed
On August 7, 2014, Ms*** signed her Enrollment Agreement and by doing so certified that she had “read, understood, and agreed to my rights and responsibilities as set forth in this Application, Agreement, Student Finance Agreement, and the Ashford University Academic Catalog” (Exhibit 1)Both the Enrollment Agreement and the University Catalog inform University students as to the policies that govern the relationship between the University and its students
Ms*** has alleged that she was improperly billed after she withdrew from an academic course “in the correct amount of time.” This statement is inaccurateMs*** withdrew from the course in question during its final week, well after the period during which she could have withdrawn with no financial consequence had expiredI have provided Ms***’s attendance records for your review as well as communications from Ms*** wherein she states, during the final week of the course, “I would rather just drop it [her academic course] and do it over” (Exhibits 2, 3)These same communications between Ms*** and her University advisor address the financial implications of dropping the course during the final week (Exhibit 3), implications of which Ms*** had already been made aware by her Enrollment Agreement and the University Catalog (Exhibits 1, 4)Put simply, the University properly notified Ms*** of the financial consequences of dropping an academic course in its final week, both at the time of her enrollment AND at the time she was actually considering the withdrawalArmed with this information, Ms*** nevertheless decided to withdraw from the course, thereby creating a balance on her student ledger cardThis balance remains unpaid and therefore, consistent with established University policy, the University has withheld Ms***’s official transcript and diploma (Exhibit 5) pending settlement of Ms***’s account
Ms*** also appears to allege that the University improperly concluded that she had committed plagiarism while completing one of her assignmentsMs*** was afforded both the opportunity to appeal this conclusion as well as the opportunity to resubmit the assignmentThe University determined that Ms***’s resubmission also failed to properly cite her sources and therefore upheld its initial finding of plagiarismI have included communications from the University to Ms*** explaining the basis for this decision (Exhibit 3)Having reviewed the facts and circumstances associated with the plagiarism finding, I have determined that the University followed its established procedures and properly afforded Ms*** the opportunity to be heard on this matter
Finally, Ms*** has alleged that the University is preventing her from obtaining reimbursement from her employer by withholding her transcriptI have included communication between the University and Ms*** wherein Ms***’s University advisor suggests that Ms*** use her unofficial transcript to establish her record of enrollment (Exhibit 3)Contrary to Ms***’s allegation, the University has actually been proactive in suggesting a workable solution for Ms***, and I am unaware of any reason why that solution is not viable for Ms***’s employer
In closing, Ms*** uses terms like “scammed,” “scams,” “hostage,” and “punished” in her desired settlement statement where she requests a reimbursement of $4,from the UniversityThese terms are an unfair and inaccurate characterization of the patience, time, effort, and assistance multiple University representatives offered Ms***The University was clear in its communications informing Ms*** as to the financial consequences of withdrawing from her academic course in its final weekThe University did not “scam” Ms*** and it is not “punishing” her or holding her transcript and diploma “hostage” by following policies to which Ms*** agreed
Having thoroughly investigated the facts and circumstances of this case, I have determined that the University met its obligations to Ms*** and I am unable to grant the resolution she has proposed
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance
Best regards,
*** ***
Exhibits:
1) Enrollment Agreement
2) Attendance record, PPA
3) Communications
4) AU Catalog excerpt, tuition refund policy
5) AU Catalog excerpt, transcript/diploma withhold
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I am attaching a detailed ledger from my actual Ashford University account, that shows that Ashford had refunded themselves $4,based on a single payment they made of $My account should be at $before any "continuation grants" were applied and this was a balance I was going to cover out of pocket. Secondarily, Ashford did not address the issues with the course and the significant differences in what an unbiased system shows for similarity of 2% or 3% and the professor is stating that there is 79% and 45% similarityIn the attached document you will find on page where Ashford charged me for the course again,when it should have been passed the first time based on objective opinion vs subjective opinion stated by the professor This action triggered an additional $3,in student loans withdrawn at my expense that should not have been withdrawn.
Regards,
*** ***
Hello Revdex.com,
The complainant's response does not indicate any new information or concerns and therefore the University stands by its original investigation findingsAt this point, we consider this matter fully addressed and closed
Sincerely,
*** ***
Associate Director, Student Dispute Resolution
for Ashford University
*** *** *** ***
***
",serif">
April 25,
[redacted]
Dear Mr[redacted]:
On March 28, 2016, Ashford University
(University) received your complaint filed at the Revdex.com
(Revdex.com). In that complaint, you allege the
following:
·
The
balance on the student account is "fraudulent"
·
The
University would not accept payment because you did not want to speak with your
assigned Student Community Standards Specialist
In
your complaint, you listed the following as the resolution you seek:
·
For
the University to waive the balance due on the student account
The
University conducted an investigation of your concernsThe following
information details the findings of the investigation and addresses your resolution
request
In regard to the Balance Due on the Student Account
On November 27, 2012, you completed, electronically signed and
submitted the University's online application for admission to the Bachelor of
Arts degree programIn signing this agreement, you acknowledged that you had
read, understood and agreed with the contents of the online application for
admission and the contents of the University Academic Catalog (Attachment A)
The Ashford University Tuition Refund Schedule, located within
the relevant -Academic Catalog, states the following:
The Ashford
University Tuition Refund Schedule applies to online students who drop or are
administratively dropped from a course or the institution and who are not
otherwise covered under a state-specific tuition refund policy (Attachment B)
PROGRAM
Course Length
1st* week
2nd* week
3rd* week
4th* week
5th* week
6th* week
Nonterm-Based Graduate
Level Programs
(Online Formats)
Refund % by Course LDA
100%
50%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Nonterm-Based
Undergraduate Level Programs
(Online Formats) Refund % by Course LDA
100%
50%
0%
0%
0%
N/A
*Refund percentage
applied based on week of last date of attendance (LDA)
On September 1, 2015, you began the course ENGBy telephone
on September 9, 2015, after having posted attendance into the second week of
the course, you requested that your Student Advisor withdraw you from the
course ENGIn the same conversation, your Student Advisor informed you that
you would be responsible for 50% of the cost of the course in accordance with
the University's Tuition Refund Policy
On September 10, 2015, per your request, you were withdrawn from
your degree program at the UniversityAs of that date, your balance due
reflected the tuition and fees cost of ENG125, $
On September 17, 2015, by telephonic conversation your Financial
Services Manager spoke with you about the balance due on the student account in
the amount of $The Financial Services Manager explained that the balance
due on the student account will need to be paid in full before any transcript
related holds may be removed your student account
On October 9, 2015, per Federal Student Aid guidelines, the
University performed a Return of Title IV funds calculation (R2T4) (Attachment
C)Based on this calculation the University determined that you were eligible
to receive a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) of Federal Pell Grant fundsOn
October 13, 2015, $of 2015-Federal Pell Grant funds were disbursed
to your student account reducing the balance due on the student account to
$(Attachment D)
Between the dates of October 22, and February 4, 2016, by
phone and email, the University's internal collections department made over
seven attempts to contact you regarding payment toward the balance due on your
student accountOn February 4, 2016, as those collection attempts did not
result in your full payment toward your balance due or a repayment agreement,
your student account was placed with an external collection agency
The findings of the investigation reveal that your balance due
is accurate and owingThe findings of the investigation also reveal that you
spoke with University personnel on several occasions regarding your balance due
and had the opportunity in each of those occasions to pay the balance dueThe
investigation did not reveal any information to show that the University would
not accept payment from you at any time
Conclusion
Based
on the above, the University denied your requested resolution to waive the
balance due on the student account
It
is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide
excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss the outcome of
your grievance, please contact me at (866) 974-ext[redacted], or at [email protected]
I wish you all the best in your future
endeavors
Sincerely,
[redacted] MPsy
Student Dispute Resolution Facilitator III
for Ashford
University
Encls/4/ Attachment
A, University Application
Attachment B, Tuition
Refund Policy
Attachment C, Return of Title IV Funds Policy
Attachment
D, Ledger Card
Print
September 10, 2015
[redacted]
Dear [redacted]
On July 24, 2015, Ashford University (University) received a copy of your complaint filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com). On August 21, 2015, the University responded to that complaint. On August 28, 2015, the University received you second complaint. Please note, the concerns listed in your second complaint mirror the concerns stated in your July 24, 2015, complaint. These concerns were addressed in the August 21, 2015, University response issued to you. Please see Attachment A.
Please note, the University’s position regarding your complaint remains the same.
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at [redacted], or at [redacted]
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Student Grievance Resolution Administrator II
for Ashford University
Dear Ms. [redacted],
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. [redacted] complaint. I received Mr. [redacted] complaint on November 15, 2017.
In addition to his Revdex.com complaint, Mr. [redacted] filed a complaint with the University’s Student Dispute Resolution Center (SDRC). An SDRC representative reviewed Mr. [redacted] case and communicated resolution to Mr. [redacted] on November 14, 2017. Under the terms of the resolution, the University will credit Mr. [redacted] account in the amount of $184, thereby reducing Mr. [redacted] account balance to zero.
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.
[redacted]
August 21, 2015
[redacted]
Dear [redacted]
On July 24, 2015, Ashford University (University) received a copy of your complaint filed at the Revdex.com (Revdex.com). The University referred the complaint to the Office of Student...
Grievance Resolution to address your concerns through the formal grievance process. In your complaint you allege the following:
I enrolled in two classes at Ashford University online to Student Real Estate. I took two classes and earned 6 credits. The classes and credits are worthless. They were a complete waste of time and money. My Student advisor [sic] [redacted] was rude, and was worthless. He was a terrible student advisor. Rude and very unprofessional. There was nothing to do with Real Estate. The professors are sub par [sic]. I was told these credits would not transfer and are really worthless by other schools. I wrote to Ashford President [redacted] and never received a reply. He was not professional enough to respond. This was a complete waste of my time and money. I also read online reviews of Ashford University and the reviews are 90% terrible. I wish I would have read these first. The whole experience was a joke. The Iowa campus is closing for a reason.
In your complaint, you listed the following as the resolution you seek:
Keep the credits. Just refund the money. The whole experience and both classes were ridiculous. I learned NOTHING. It was a complete waste of time and money. This school should NOT be accredited in any way. Just refund the money I wasted!!! I wish they could refund the time, but that is impossible.
The University conducted an investigation of your concerns. The following information details the findings of the investigation.
Allegations Regarding EXP 105 and PSY 202
Bachelor’s Program Course Sequencing
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that following successful completion of orientation, students are required to successfully complete EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education as their first course. Unsuccessful completion of EXP 105 will result in the rescheduling of the course and revision of future course sequence (Attachment A).
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that students are required to successfully complete PSY 202 Adult Development and Life Assessment. PSY 202 satisfies the Social and Personal Awareness General Education requirement and cannot be replaced or waived unless a student provides proof of one of the following: 90 credits of lower division transfer credits that are applicable to the student’s chosen degree program enrollment; a previously earned Bachelor’s degree at Ashford University, or from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution; or, a Bachelor’s degree from a country other than the United States that has been evaluated by an approved evaluation service, and accepted by Ashford University as equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in the United States (Attachment A).
On April 24, 2015, you signed and submitted the online application for the Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate degree program. Within the online application, the Progression Requirements for Bachelor’s Programs are outlined including the introductory course requirements.
From May 5, 2015, to June 8, 2015, you completed EXP 105 with an earned grade of “B.”
On June 9, 2015, you began your PSY 202 course. On June 18, 2015, you told Readiness Advisor [redacted] that you wanted to withdraw from the University after completion of PSY 202. On June 25, 2015, [redacted] told you he would submit the withdrawal request for you upon completion of your PSY 202 course. On the same day, [redacted] submitted your withdrawal request to be effective one week after your completion of PSY 202.
On July 13, 2015, you completed your PSY 202 course with an earned grade of “A-.” Your request to withdraw from the University was completed on July 20, 2015. Your last date of recorded attendance at the University was July 13, 2015.
Please note, regarding the University’s courses, Quality Matters, a non-profit organization that focuses on quality assurance in higher education, reviews and certifies each course to ensure that each course meets the standards of quality in higher education.
The University also conducts a program review that is a faculty-driven process involving significant collaboration among faculty, students, staff, and administration. Each review involves a comprehensive evaluation of applicable course, program, and institutional data to determine current programmatic effectiveness and to make well informed recommendations for improvement. Action plans resulting from program reviews are incorporated into university-wide planning and budgeting efforts, resulting in institutional improvements.
The University appreciates your feedback regarding the quality and adequacy of your courses and it will be passed on to the appropriate University representatives.
Allegations Regarding Transfer Credits
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that since Ashford University is a regionally accredited institution, other institutions may elect to accept Ashford University credits. However, students should be aware that the transfer of a credit is controlled by the receiving institution, and therefore cannot be guaranteed by Ashford University unless part of a valid articulation agreement or included in an articulation numbering system (Attachment B).
The University’s 2014-2015 Academic Catalog states that outside any formal partnership or agreement, students considering transferring to another institution have the responsibility to determine whether that institution will accept Ashford university credits. Ashford University does not imply, promise, or guarantee transferability of its credits to any other institution (Attachment B).
University record does not indicate that you requested to have your Ashford University transcripts sent to another institution.
Allegations Regarding University Communication
University record indicates that your advising staff responded to your communication within a timely manner. Upon [redacted] receipt of your correspondence dated July 22, 2015, [redacted] referred your complaint to the Student Dispute Resolution Center for investigation in conjunction with your complaint you submitted to the Revdex.com. The Student Dispute Resolution Center is the appropriate University department to investigate and respond to student complaints.
Conclusion
Based on the above, the University denies your allegation that you should not have had to take EXP 105 or PSY 202 as you were advised of the University’s course sequence progression requirements. The investigation reveals that you successfully completed EXP 105 and PSY 202 for earned credit at the University. However, the University regrets that you did not have the experience you had hoped for. As a gesture of goodwill, the University would like to offer you, if you choose to do so, the opportunity to reenter the University and continue your degree program with the University crediting you for the cost of the first course upon reentry. If you do not choose to reenter the University, the University’s Office off of the Registrar can assist you with contacting the institution you are seeking to enter, and discuss the transfer of the credits you earned at Ashford University with the other institution.
It is always the intention of Ashford University and its employees to provide excellent student services and an excellent learning experience. If you would like to discuss any questions or concerns about the process or the outcome of your grievance, please contact me at [redacted], or at [redacted]
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Student Grievance Resolution Administrator
for Ashford University
Encls. /2/ Attachment A, Course Sequencing Policy
Attachment B, Transfer of Credits to another Institution
Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I reject the response given by Ashford, based on the fact that even in all the documentation provided, (mostly Ashford Standards and Practices), that no proof of any monies received or refunded to Federal Government Student Aid or its servicer [redacted], are provided, only Ashford's ledger. No contact between this "school" and either agency is provided. I have personally contacted both of these organizations and both assure me that the figures provided by Ashford are skewed and in some instances, non-existent, as well that, any monies received as loans from either agency, should have been the monies used to pay for expenses prior to any grants, and that only, unused funds should be returned, but I could not be indebted for them. Furthermore, I disputed this debt on my credit and was contacted by [redacted], who have assured me that this debt has been returned to Ashford to resolve, and have provided me and all credit bureaus with documentation that this debt should be removed from my credit and that any inquiry into this debt, should now be directed toward Ashford and not the office of [redacted]Regards,[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
-I do not feel this is a sufficient resolution. Because in both my Revdex.com complaint and the Grievances compliant I mentioned the amount $7952.16 (of which I owed for my second year) and my tuition that would owe until now. The reasoning being that Ashford failed their duty to ensure they well-being of their student (me). The situation that happened in the year 2014 could have been resolved with better communication. Instead the negligence displayed by Ashford is waiting nearly 7 months (into the new year) to inform myself of the error I had accidentally made on my FAFSA forms. This sort of negligence impacted my education (Math Class I failed) but my personal life and health. I have been out of school for nearly two months due to this matter. I have continuously received messages about me owing for my classes. I had to be the one calling on my days off which at that time were sundays, tues, and weds. The communication issue has been a big problem since my first year at Ashford. I emailed the letters from my previous experience and my complaint about the way information is communicated. I do not believe it should take near 2 months to reply to a complaint. I will not be satisfied until my resolution is met, in the terms listed above. No student should have to go through what I have been going through. This is purely bad faith on the institution because numerous occasions I submitted requests for clarification about the 2014 matter with no response or a generic response. I will not hesitate to get an attorney for this matter. I was promised a follow up from Ashford about my complaint with no response until now. Same with my pell grant. As it reads from the message from [redacted] that my pell grant was processed. I never received any type of notification that my pell grant wasn't approved. Again I will state this, NO student should have to go through what I went through and continue to go through.
Regards,
[redacted]