AIU - American InterContinental University Online RIPOFF Hoffman Estates Illinois
I've got to thank my boyfriend for finding this site for me. I read the article about AIU and the SCRIPT that they follow to enroll you. Whoever wrote that article really had it nailed... word for word, basically. Hate to admit it, but I fell for the same scam. They accepted me before they even had my high school transcripts.
I had to have the admissions advisor help me figure out how to fill out all the financial paperwork, and I was led to believe that the $14,199 covered the full year it would take to get my associate's. I was told that REPEATEDLY.
Two months later, I got a call from the same advisor who enrolled me in AIU and helped me with the paperwork (Raniah Aburas), and she was determined to get me enrolled for the next year for my bachelor's degree "before the costs of tuition go up again" (I just recently got a letter from a company offering me student loans at about 2% interest because I have such a good credit score. It started off with "tuition costs are at an all-time low"). I declined because I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do this for one year, let alone two.
Now, eight months down the line, I find out that AIU's "quarters" are actually three terms each, meaning the fourteen thousand dollars I've taken out in student loans only covers the first 2/3 of the year to get my associate's.
I called the school financial aid department because I thought the 14,000 covered the whole year, and they gave me the run around, and finally asked me if I still want to be enrolled in the school. My boyfriend finally clarified it all for me, with their terms and everything. In plain english, MY ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE ALONE IS GOING TO COST ME $23,000.
My other discrepancy with AIU is that they advertised the school as something you can do on your own time. Which in itself is true-- so long as you maintain their deadlines, you can. But I don't know anyobdy who can read 160 PAGES OF REQUIRED READING IN ONE WEEK for only ONE CLASS, and still have time for the rest of their lives!
The "award-winning cybrary" is useless. I've been enrolled in AIU for eight months now and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay $23,000 just to drop out. I use the internet because their text databases are too full of crap to be navigated easily.
All in all... if you want to pay almost ten thousand dollars past what you were promised, have no social life, and deal with their CONSTANT "technical difficulties"... go ahead. Be my guest. Don't say you weren't warned...
As for me... I'm going to get my associate's, since I'm paying this much for it already, and go elsewhere for my bachelor's. This is ridiculous.
Jennifer
Oceanside, California
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Dave
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
AIU is still on probation
#6Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 01, 2006
Jennifer,
AIU is on probation right now. Robin was correct in saying that they were given a warning and taken off -however she didn't tell you that 2 months later they placed on probation. They will review their status in October and make a decision in December as to the future of their accreditation. Speaking as an ex-employee. If I were you - GET OUT!
Nadine
South Haven,Michigan,
U.S.A.
What a rip-off commend!!
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, August 26, 2006
I have read many of complains on this and have to say you are missing the point. Please read more about AIU to form a better opinion. You have NOT graduated yet and experienced the FA tactics that are used by AIU in that they will due anything to get more money out of you.
Jennifer is right since there are a lot of people that have the same experience. I dare you to say you have similar FA problems from the first AIU call till you graduate unless you are rich and pay your own tuition.
I have a bachelor degree from AIU which I cannot find employment in my chosen field of education. Further, I am paying back $2692.00 per class which is total fraudulent when I was told by AIU my degree will cost no more then 12.000 with already earned credits.
I wish you luck and perhaps you let me know what your outcome with FA from AIU is.
Peter
STAMFORD,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Current AIU student, different view
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, May 22, 2005
I too am a current student at AIU. Reading your posting makes me wonder if you are mad at the school or yourself.
Yes AIU does have a fairly aggressive recruiting policy. Actually it is downright embarrassing and it only cheapens the reputation of the school. It is a shame AIU doesn't realize that the first communication with their institution borders on the stereotypical used car salesman. On the other hand I was never lied to, or misled. You have a phone, computer, and are adult enough to think about school you better understand what you are agreeing to. If you have questions.ASK!
My only other complaint is that AIU advisors change like the wind. I went thorough four years at a brick and mortar institute with only two advisers and that is because I changed majors. At AIU I am on my third in four months. Again this only hurts AIU's reputation.
As far as an online school goes, face it, it is a school that is online! That means you don't have to get in your car to get to class at 8:00 am or pay room and board.
Online does not mean that it is going to be easy. You will still have to read. If you are struggling over 160 pages per week per class you better wake up. I am in a masters program now but years ago I received my BA in History. My last two years I read several hundred pages per night. I am not trying to sound like that old adage about walking five miles, uphill, in the snow to get to school. But seriously, school is school! School takes time out of your day and out of your social life. Perhaps you are not ready for school right now? I know I should not have gone for my BA right after high school. I was too immature and did no take it seriously until the last two years.
I have found AU challenging and convenient in that I don't have to drive. I do have to wake up very early and study as well spend many evening on schoolwork rather than socializing.
Good luck with you future. Unfortunately your posting sounds more like the whiny ranting of a child rather than someone with a legitimate business complaint.
Jennifer
Oceanside,California,
U.S.A.
offered to investigate about different people refusing to answer and get back to me
#6Author of original report
Fri, April 08, 2005
I wrote my previous report after reading only some of the others posted about AIU. I read through all of them directly after posting it, and someone mentioned something about their accreditation status being on a warning level. I also had an additional question, but I'll get to that in a minute.
I tried several of their live chat windows to ask about the accreditation issue. No one wanted to answer my question... they all kept referring me to the admissions window, which always read "leave a message". Finally, I clicked on "AIU Answers", which is leaving an email-message for them to find, and wrote an email about it.
My other question was concerning my last three classes being scheduled individually, rather than the normal two-at-a-time. Doing it that way added in a whole additional term for financial aid, so needless to say it was important for me to get that resolved (like, $9,000 of importance. If I could reduce it, I'd like to). I really don't want to pay $23,000, but apparently that's unchangeable. I called around local colleges and it sounds like even more of a hassle to transfer than it's worth... especially for 4-5 months at AIU versus years taking the slower classes at some community college.
AIU Answers transferred it to my student advisor (Tunisha Rockymore... but they change so often it's hard to keep track). To sum it up, she told me that my last classes were spaced out individually because it was policy to take 13 months for my degree. Basically, I could take longer if I failed a class, but they wouldn't let me compact the last few to take shorter. As for the accreditation issue, she told me she'd research it and get back to me. She didn't.
Finally, out of impatience, I called the school and wound up talking to an admissions advisor. I asked about the accreditation, and she insisted she was only doing "temp work", and to hold on so she could transfer me to someone who might know. I wound up talking to another girl who said only 3 people in the company were authorized to discuss their accreditation, and transferred me again to Robin Chippiro (I don't know if I spelled that right).
Robin is the Director of Compliance, and we did discuss everything for 10-15 minutes or so. They ARE accredited, which I knew... they were taken OFF of warning status last December (2004). After a little bit of being direct on my part, she told me that they were on warning because they were told they needed to work on a few things, particularly student services. She told me that AIU Answers was one of the improvements they had changed. I told her about how everybody had blown me off, and the advisor not getting back to me, and AIU Answers... apparently all the questions directed about the accreditation were supposed to be referred to her.
She was very polite and explained to me about the accreditation, and offered to investigate about different people refusing to answer and get back to me. I feel much more confident that she WILL get back to me, not just another empty promise. I have no idea what she is going to find out, but at very least I do feel better.
Jennifer
Oceanside,California,
U.S.A.
offered to investigate about different people refusing to answer and get back to me
#6Author of original report
Fri, April 08, 2005
I wrote my previous report after reading only some of the others posted about AIU. I read through all of them directly after posting it, and someone mentioned something about their accreditation status being on a warning level. I also had an additional question, but I'll get to that in a minute.
I tried several of their live chat windows to ask about the accreditation issue. No one wanted to answer my question... they all kept referring me to the admissions window, which always read "leave a message". Finally, I clicked on "AIU Answers", which is leaving an email-message for them to find, and wrote an email about it.
My other question was concerning my last three classes being scheduled individually, rather than the normal two-at-a-time. Doing it that way added in a whole additional term for financial aid, so needless to say it was important for me to get that resolved (like, $9,000 of importance. If I could reduce it, I'd like to). I really don't want to pay $23,000, but apparently that's unchangeable. I called around local colleges and it sounds like even more of a hassle to transfer than it's worth... especially for 4-5 months at AIU versus years taking the slower classes at some community college.
AIU Answers transferred it to my student advisor (Tunisha Rockymore... but they change so often it's hard to keep track). To sum it up, she told me that my last classes were spaced out individually because it was policy to take 13 months for my degree. Basically, I could take longer if I failed a class, but they wouldn't let me compact the last few to take shorter. As for the accreditation issue, she told me she'd research it and get back to me. She didn't.
Finally, out of impatience, I called the school and wound up talking to an admissions advisor. I asked about the accreditation, and she insisted she was only doing "temp work", and to hold on so she could transfer me to someone who might know. I wound up talking to another girl who said only 3 people in the company were authorized to discuss their accreditation, and transferred me again to Robin Chippiro (I don't know if I spelled that right).
Robin is the Director of Compliance, and we did discuss everything for 10-15 minutes or so. They ARE accredited, which I knew... they were taken OFF of warning status last December (2004). After a little bit of being direct on my part, she told me that they were on warning because they were told they needed to work on a few things, particularly student services. She told me that AIU Answers was one of the improvements they had changed. I told her about how everybody had blown me off, and the advisor not getting back to me, and AIU Answers... apparently all the questions directed about the accreditation were supposed to be referred to her.
She was very polite and explained to me about the accreditation, and offered to investigate about different people refusing to answer and get back to me. I feel much more confident that she WILL get back to me, not just another empty promise. I have no idea what she is going to find out, but at very least I do feel better.