Walden University, LLC

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best effort to address and resolve student issues. We regret that Ms*** feels that she has experienced inconsistency in her Walden University program. However, Ms*** has not provided sufficient detail
or information that would allow the program to adequately evaluate her concerns. Walden University Student Affairs and the academic leadership of her program would like the opportunity to meet with Ms*** to better understand her concerns and to work toward a resolution of any issues she has in her program. A student affairs representative will be in touch with Ms*** in the near future to further review her concerns, and set up a meeting with representatives of her program. As such, Walden University considers this inquiry resolved

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe student alleges that she was told by Walden that if she served time as a public servant, her student loans would be forgiven. The student may be referring to the service obligation of
the TEACH Grant federal program. The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. Individuals who receive a TEACH Grant must sign an agreement to serve, and complete the service obligations to have their student loans forgiven Additional information on the program can be found at these two linkshttps://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service As Walden is not the student’s servicer or lender, Walden cannot forgive the student’s loan. She should contact her loan servicer or lender, and work with them on any possible forgiveness of her loans. Walden cannot comment on the student’s spouse or his situation

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe student has expressed concerns regarding the progress of her dissertation at
Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe
student has expressed concerns regarding the progress of her dissertation at Walden University. She alleges various delays in completing her dissertation and difficulties in obtaining readmission to Walden. The dissertation process at any university can be lengthy and difficultThe process requires the student to independently perform significant scholarly research and to write a comprehensive dissertation based on that scholarly research
The student states that she has been dismissed from Walden University and has been refused readmission. This is the second time the student has been academically dismissed. She was dismissed in and reinstated after the first dismissal. She was academically dismissed for the second time in the Spring Term and she appealed her dismissal in May 2016. The appeal was reviewed by the Appeals Committee and the Chief Academic Officer, and her request for reinstatement was denied. Walden does not believe it is appropriate to discuss specific details of the student’s academic record in a public setting, but the student’s appeal was treated the same as every other academic appeal by the Appeals Committee. The student applied for readmission for the Summer Term, beginning on May 31, 2016, but her application was denied by the Admissions Committee. She is eligible to reapply, however, in months and she should speak to an Enrollment Advisor at ###-###-#### to discuss the process
If the student has concerns about specific policies and how they are applied, she has the option to contact Robert ***, University OmbudspersonMr*** can direct the student to the proper resources within the University and escalate any issues that need to be addressed to the appropriate departments within the UniversityMr*** can be reached at ###-###-#### or ***

Walden University response for consumer complaint #*** - *** *** - is attached

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesWalden University publishes all tuition and fee information on its website and in the Walden Student Handbook (both found at www.waldenu.ed)However, it has been determined that during one
conversation with her advisor, Ms*** was not corrected when she stated that she thought that the tuition for her program was $625/course, when at the time it was actually $(plus fees)Therefore, Walden will issue Ms*** a tuition waiver of $2,The amount will be credited to her account within the next three weeks
Ms*** also raises the issue that an Academic Advisor would not speak to her mother about her concernsThe Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA") prohibits any university from disclosing a student's educational records, including both academic and financial records, to anyone, if the student is over the age of 18, without the student's consentTo protect student privacy and comply with FERPA, Walden therefore requires that students submit a form granting permission for university staff to discuss non-directory information with a third partyThe form may be found at https://www.waldenu.edu/-/media/Walden/files/financial-aid/ferpa-student-informa...⇄ this form is on file, Walden staff will be permitted to discuss this issue with Ms***’s mother

Walden University takes student issues seriously and uses its best efforts to address student concerns. We have has reached out to this student and the matter has been resolved to the student’s satisfaction

I am rejecting this response because: My transcript was ordered upon completion of all courses as well as residencies per financial aid The order was placed before the hold

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/07/07) */
Walden University is committed to addressing and working toward the resolution of student concernsWe regret that Ms*** is dissatisfied with her experience with WaldenThe student has raised concerns about the tuition charged for her
courses, the number of instructors, and the availability of financial aid in regards to her DNP final project
Walden University's tuition policies and rates are clearly posted on the school's website and are made available to all students prior to enrollingWhile completing their academic courses, students in the DNP program also are required to produce a scholarly research projectWalden does not charge tuition for the first year that students work on their DNP projectIf a student does not complete the DNP project within one year, they will take a course devoted exclusively for the completion of their DNP project until they are finishedStudents are charged tuition at that time
All Walden students, including Ms***, are assigned instructors to work closely with them to help complete their projectWalden's instructors are experienced faculty who all hold advanced degrees in their fieldWalden assigns the appropriate number of instructors to handle the student load each termThe university closely monitors the number of students assigned to a faculty member to assure it does not affect the amount of attention the student receives or the time needed to complete the projectAt no time has Ms***'s progress been delayed because of delays from her DNP project chairperson
Finally, Ms*** also raised concerns about the financial assistance offered by Walden to studentsWalden has worked with the student during her time at the university by directing her to supplemental federal loans and private sources of financial aidThe student should contact the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] or call *** to determine if there might be additional sources of aid available to her
If Ms*** has concerns about specific policies and how they are applied, she has the option to contact Robert ***, University OmbudspersonMr*** can direct the student to the proper resources within the University and escalate any issues that need to be addressed to the appropriate departments within the UniversityMr*** can be reached at *** or ***@walden.edu
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/07/17) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is a non responsive responseI dis agree that instructors work "closely" and how could they? In other doctoral programs, there are or students assigned to one instructorHere it is to An instructor would never have time to do thatNo matter how goodFurther, it is not the industry standard
In this particular case, two quarters involved instructor vacation with no coverageAt the beginning of fall quarter, we learned that the instructor was vacationing in Europe with familyI am not opposed to that, but then coverage should be provided to allow students to move forwardIn addition in winter quarter, we were told that the month of December was one where the instructor needed to use up all vacation timeAgain, no problem, I agree that instructors should be able to have vacation, but then coverage should be provided or students should not be required to finish projects within the time frame and then pay additional tuition if notAgain, not the industry standard
ON the MN Attorney general website, there is a caution against getting into private collegesSome of the concern is financial
If Walden would like to resolve this, then I would suggest they come up with a response that actually addressed these concerns
They are not meeting the industry standard, and if they believe they are, then they should provide proof of it, as from working with others who have completed doctoral programs, I have learned they do notI work with instructors in other DNP programs who have one instructor from the beginning of the program, and that instructor has or studentsThese programs have a 75% completion rate AT THE TIME OF INTENDED GRADUATION, with no hold oversPhD's I work with have said the sameAGain, not industry standard
I would like my tuition waived for spring and fall quarterI believe given the mass number of students, many more per instructor than any other known university, students are set up to be held over thus extending tuition for allAt $per quarter for this course, and 27-students per quarter, where is the money going?
Doubtful it goes to the overloaded instructor
I would like a waiver of tuition until this program is completeI am in the process of scheduling my final defense and hope to be done by summer quarterA waiver seems fair as the industry standard is not being met
While the University suggests I should call someone else, I have opted to start hereI could have gone to the AG of Minnesota, and also to the certifying body, but I opted to start hereIf they prefer, I could go that routeI don't want to, but I would appreciate more than a form response
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/07/24) */
Walden's policies and procedures regarding the request for a waiver of tuition may be found in the Walden Student Handbook, available on the university's website (www.waldenu.edu)In order for Walden University to review and process a tuition reimbursement, a student must file a petition which will be reviewed by appropriate university staff and administered through the university processesIf Mr***e wishes to petition for a tuition waiver, she may do so by contacting an Academic Advisor at *** to assist in filing the appropriate petition, which she will need to submit along with any supporting documentationThe petition will be reviewed and she will be given a response within days

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and I am waiting on the decision from the appeal boardProblem is not resolved

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesMs*** has expressed concerns regarding an outstanding balance on her student accountShe claims that she was promised a free course during her enrollment at Walden and is now being charged
certain fees for that termWalden has researched the student’s claims and has waived the outstanding balance on her student accountThe account with the 3rd party collection agency has also been closedWalden considers this matter resolved

Walden University would like to request an extension of time to May 29, to respond to the complaint by *** *** ***. Thank you for your consideration of this request

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe student has expressed concerns regarding her application for practicum placement and her interaction with university staff. Originally, the student’s application was submitted
incomplete, and was returned to her in December 2017.Staff attempted to communicate with the student several times to correct the issue. After receiving no response from the student, her application was closed in January 2018. The student’s application was later reopened February 2018, after she began working on the previously requested requirements. Unfortunately, by the time the situation was corrected, the course was full for that term. At this time, the student’s application is complete pending verification of the student’s immunization records, and she is scheduled to complete the practicum next termIn her complaint, the student states that she believes she was discriminated against by Walden staff on the basis of race, and that she was unable to speak to any administration or staff about this. Walden University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, or any other protected class and treats all such claims seriously. Immediately upon learning of this complaint, the Office of Student Affairs investigated the complaint, which included an interview with the studentThe student was unable to provide any evidence of discriminatory treatment and the university was unable to find any other evidence during the investigation, so the matter was closed. Additionally, the university Ombudsperson made several attempts to contact the student, by phone and email, but never received any responseWalden now considers the matter closed

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/12/05) */
The student has raised numerous concerns about her dismissal from her program at Walden UniversityThe student was academically dismissed from Walden effective October 26, The student additionally claims that she suffered significant
health issues that impacted her ability to complete her coursework but she did not register with Walden's Office of Disability Services which can assist students confronted with health issues
Prior to her academic dismissal, the student filed an appeal of the grade she received in one course which impacted her standing in the UniversityAfter a thorough review by Academic Advising and her Program Director, the appeal was deniedThe Program Director then spoke directly with the student to discuss her situation and the options available to her, including applying for readmission to WaldenHe also discussed the timing of the dismissal and the student's upcoming residencyWalden is willing to work with the student on reapplying to her program if she desires to do soThe student should contact Academic Advising at XXX-XXX-XXXX to determine the best path forward to address her concerns
Finally, if the student has concerns about specific policies and how they are applied, she has the option to contact Robert ***, University OmbudspersonMr*** can direct the student to the proper resources within the University and escalate any issues that need to be addressed to the appropriate departments within the UniversityMr*** can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX or ***@waldenu.edu
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 8, 2015/12/17) */
The customer indicated that he/she accepted the business response

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/08/09) */
Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe student has expressed concerns regarding the fact that she has a current balance owed for tuition at the universityMs*** states
that she does not understand why she has a balance and feels that she has not been able to get a clear explanation from the UniversityMs*** enrolled in one course in the Winter QuarterShe stopped participating in the course of December 19, As a result, Ms*** no longer became eligible for financial aid and, as required by the Department of Education's Return to Title IV policy, her financial aid was returned to her lenderShe is now responsible for that amountWalden representatives have made several attempts to explain this process to Ms***If she contacts Financial Aid at [email protected] or 1-800-WALDENU (***), we will be once again review the calculations with her and provide her with an account statementIf Ms*** believes that she should receive an exception to Walden's policy, she may file a Tuition Waiver Petition by contact Academic Advising at ***
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/08/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have called mutplile times for an explanation and was given the run aroundI also asked multiple times for a break down in writing what I owed and why and no one would send me anythingI was also told that I needed to speak to Mr*** whom refused to call meI have tried emailing and calling multiple times with no luck
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/08/20) */
Walden University has made several attempts to explain to Ms*** the reason that there is a balance owed on her accountAt this point, we recommend that she contact the university ombudsperson, Robert *** at *** or ***@waldenu.edu to assist her furtherMr*** can help connect her with the correct resources to get the information that she is requesting

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesThe individual expressed concerns regarding alleged identity theft at Walden. Our fraud investigation team has reached out to this individual to initiate the review process and determine if
there is any evidence of fraud on the student’s accountIf the student has concerns about specific policies and how they are applied, the student may contact Robert ***, University OmbudspersonMr*** can direct the student to the proper resources within the University and escalate any issues that need to be addressed to the appropriate departments within the UniversityMr*** can be reached at ###-###-#### or ***

As Walden University explained in its initial response, the student has not availed himself of any of the internal grievance and appeal processes available to students at WaldenIn addition to the more formal avenues the student can use to address his concerns, he can also reach out to the Program leadership, as he has done in the pastWe urge the student to use these numerous options to address his concerns, so that Walden can review his concerns properlyIf the student is unsure of how to proceed, we ask that he contact an Academic Advisor at ###-###-####

I am rejecting this response because:
There are people who are covering each other’s behindsI have absolutely no reason to lie and go to this extremeI have found that any waiver services
dealing with Walden University owning me money they will find a way to decline even if your proven correctThis is unjustThey have prolonged this situationNo one ever has followed it up to completionNow I’m being told to default back to the shady systemAbsolutely not! This is not something I take lightlyYou just called me a liar because you have staff who have not been able to give me facts from the beginningThis is not a good outcome for anyone but WaldenThis way they profit and I as the student looseThere is no way to tell me just because someone did not write what they said to me in notes that I have to live with that as a factAren’t your calls recorded for quality assurance? Well this would be the time to pull the callsSome one is definitely telling a bold faced lieHowever, it is not meI gain nothing and have everything to loose. *** L***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/29) */
Walden University takes every student issue seriously and uses its best efforts to address student concernsMs*** currently has a financial hold on her account due to the fact that, when she requested to withdraw from the university,
she did so past the deadline for which she would be entitled to a refundTherefore, she continues to be responsible for the balance of the tuition for the class
Ms*** currently owes $in unpaid tuition for NURSE taken in the Summer Quarter The course in question began on 6/28/10, and Ms*** attended class up until July On July 21, Ms*** submitted a petition to withdraw from her courseAs stated in the Walden University Course Catalog, the last day to withdraw and receive any tuition refund for Summer Quarter was July 4, Ms*** was notified of that fact at the time she requested to withdraw, and she was advised that she would still be responsible for paying full tuition for the courseWhile we regret that Ms*** is not happy with this situation, the fact remains that she withdrew from the course past the time that a refund would be given
Additionally, we understand that Ms*** feels that the balance owed was due to her submitting an incorrect withdrawal formAfter reviewing the situation, Walden has determined that, regardless of which form she submitted, Ms*** attended the class in question past the deadlineTherefore, she must pay the balance in order to return to the university
If Ms*** wishes to, she may contact Robert ***, Walden University Ombudsman at XXX-XXX-XXXX or ***@walden.eduThe role of the Ombudsman is to seek a fair resolution to student concernsMs*** may also contact Academic Advising at XXX-XXX-XXXX and inquire about filing at tuition waiver petition

Walden University response is attached

Walden University takes student concerns seriously and uses its best efforts to address student issuesWalden appreciates the students concerns, but as stated previously our records do not support her claim. However, the
university has a process in place in which a student can further address this issue. If the student would like further clarification and the support of an advocate for fairness in regard to university policies, we recommend that the student contact Robert ***, University OmbudspersonMr*** can direct the student to the proper resources within the University and escalate any issues that need to be addressed to the appropriate departments within the University. His role is to work to assist students in having their issues heard within the University. Mr*** can be reached at ###-###-#### or ***