Axia College Of University Of Phoenix Graduation Delay or Scam? Phoenix Arizona
I began thinking about going back to college in March of 2006. I was browsing the University of Phoenix web site and decided to inquire. That very night I received a phone call from an enrollment counselor, a very nice and helpful man, who answered all my questions and took all my information. The next day the enrollment counselor walked me through filing my fafsa online and my student loan applications. Great service for someone just getting started who was a little hazy on exactly what to do I thought.
It was a total of 3 days from my initial online inquiry until I was a registered student at the University of Phoenix. I did not find out until after my first courses were beginning that I was actually attending Axia College and not the University of Phoenix, but I blew that off because everyone had been so nice and so helpful.
I have not had a terribly difficult time in the last two years with the instituation as a whole. I had some courses that I felt were extremely easy and some that I felt were difficult. I have had instructors who clearly did not even read my assignments as demonstrated by the fact that I knew what mistakes I had made and yet still received all the possible points. I had instructors who fine-tooth-combed each and every assignment, nailing me on every possible error, and even one instructor who issued me failing grades on opinion based assignments when she did not agree with my opinion. I chalked up this up to the college experience because some teachers and courses are always going to be more difficult than others. Call me naive... I have not experienced any technical difficulties in my two years; I have never had to contact technical support. I have handled my work load, my full-time job, and my sons' many activities all in stride knowing that one day I will have a diploma in hand and that it will better my life and my sons' life.
Currently I hold a 3.2 GPA, not outstanding, but I worked hard for that in at least 2/3 of my courses; and I am three weeks from my graduation date. The problem? Well, three weeks ago the university made a decision to make two of the COM courses that I have already completed equivalent to each other meaning that I will not get the 3 credit hours I earned for them, yet I am still out the 9 weeks of my life and the $885.00 I paid for the course. I submitted a letter of appeal to my academic counselor, who seemed genuinely sorry for what was happening to me. I waited approximately a week and sent a follow up email to which I received an automatic response informing me that she was no longer my academic counselor and who to contact. OK... Now I am a bit concerned but I email the person indicated and send him a copy of my appeals letter along with the auto response I got from my previous counselor urging me to contact him. I wait a few days, nothing. I call and leave 2 voice mails, nothing. Finally I send a strongly worded email to both counselors letting them know that even though the decision was not theirs', I deserved, and expected to be communicated with. The next day I received communication from both of them in the form of emails assuring me that my appeals letter is being processed and that they will inform me as soon as a decision is reached.
It has been a week since the email correspondance and I have heard nothing. I emailed both couselors again and let them know that I will not tolerate being strung along by the appeals committee unitl after my graduation date has passed and that I wanted the name of the Affirmative Action Representative for the University. I assured them that I appreciate the efforts that they may be making on my behalf and that my displeasure was not with them, but that I now wish to go over them to the Affirmative Action Representative so that I can receive the credits I worked for and graduate on time. Today I received an email from the first counselor, the one who is no longer my counselor, saying that she knows how important this is to me that it be settled in a timely manner and assuring me that appeals decisions can take a few weeks but she will let me know as soon as she hears anything. Ironically ommitting the information I specifically requested... a name. I don't hate Axia or UoP, I don't want refunds or to slander anyone. What I want is to graduate. I have earned it! I fulfilled my requirements based on the program I entered into and I do not deserve to suffer for recent decisions made by the University. If they take those credits away from me I have no choice but to take another course thereby extracting another thousand dollars and two months out of my life. There are laws that protect students from program changes this close to graduation and I need any information I can get on what those might be.
I am seeking the name of the Affirmative Action Representative currently on staff for Axia College of University of Phoenix as well as current student rights laws. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I just want to finish up and get out of this program as I realize that I have wasted two years of my life on a degree that will most likely be laughable to my potential employers, but nonetheless, I worked for it and I refuse to be stopped short.
God's Richest Blessings,
Christina
Mineral Wells, Texas
U.S.A.
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5 Updates & Rebuttals
Lavelle
Ocala,Florida,
U.S.A.
Axia College, University of Phoenix
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, August 09, 2009
I am attending classes at Axia and I have been for almost one year now. I have had no problems or complaints during my journey with this collge, and yes all of my classes are online. My academic advisor and financial aid advisor have always been professional and respond to me via email or telephone when I have questions. From time to time I would receive telephone calls from my academic advisor asking me how I was doing in my classes and he even took the time to go through all of my electives and helped me choose my classes geared towards my degree. They have been very helpful and I do not believe any of the complaints filed with this Ripoffreport website that have been written against the University. They are fully accredited as I did my research before I started classes. I am able to get my four year degree in Psychology and transfer to University of Florida to get my degree as a Physician Assistant. I already checked with University of Florida, home of the Gators and they do accept all credits from University of Phoenix. This college has not once been rude to me about my finances and they have been very helpful. I get some financial aid and then I get my unsubsidized and subsidized loans that I repay six months after I graduate from college. I pay those on a monthly basis. They are a little expensive, but this is the only downside of the school. What do you expect? You have to understand everything and ask questions of your counselors and advisors. You have to have the attitude that you can do it and have discipline to do online classes. This university is all on the up and up and there should be no negativity towards them.
Practicalwit
Mineral Wells,Texas,
U.S.A.
Update
#6Author of original report
Mon, May 12, 2008
While it took an exorbinant amount of time, my appeal was approved, my credits were returned to me, and I have FINALLY finished my degree. Anyone looking into going back to college, consider this: the time you spend in the class room and in face to face instruction more than makes up for the convienience of "free time" that online school offers. You will get a better education in traditional school, and the time away from your family is realatively the same when you consider the amount of time you spend on your computer away from your kids... I do not recommend this University. I have not had some of the trouble that others have had, Praise God, but the trouble I did have brought me to the decision of continuing my education in a "real" college in the fall, no more online for me, it's just not worth the price you have to pay for it; financially, or educationally.
Practicalwit
Mineral Wells,Texas,
U.S.A.
Still Being Strung Along...
#6Author of original report
Mon, April 28, 2008
It has been 6 weeks since I wrote my appeals letter and sent it to my AC for submittal. As I have been ignored with NO contact in over two weeks I began calling Student Services trying to get the name of the Affirmative Action Representative. I was shuffled from one person to another, repeating my inquiry each time to baffled persons on the other end of the line. I finally get an AC on the line who sounds like a 18 year old barbie doll would sound if she lived in California and drank coppertone tanning oil for breakfast. I got so bored listening to her lack of understanding that I began counting the number of times she said "like", and how many times she used my name... The only useful peice of information I was given was completely by accident as she was reading the words on her screen out loud. It seems that my appeal was not submitted until 4-11-08, a full 3 weeks after I sent it in to my AC, the one who is now ignoring me and refuses to help me file a SAC report. Do they get bonuses for NOT helping people?
Bluegirl
Hammond In,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Enrollment Agreement
#6UPDATE Employee
Mon, April 21, 2008
You should have signed/e-signed an Enrollment Agreement in the Axia College Application. You signed this agreement listing the classes you were required to take to complete your degree. If you don't still have it.....ask your AC fot it.
Jonid
Sedona,Arizona,
U.S.A.
UOP regards their own classes as inadequate
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, April 17, 2008
Well Christina: I hate to tell you this, but when you start researching UOP you find this kind of complaint pretty frequently. Well not exactly like yours, but close, there are lots of complaints from students who anticipated graduation with one or two classes to go, and then all of a sudden, a couple of their transfer classes are suddenly deemed inadequate.
So UOP gets to pull another couple thousand dollars out of some poor student's hide.
But I have never heard of a university disallowing credit for classes already paid for, taken and passed at that school. This amounts to fraud.
Typically a university will issue a catalog with all of the rules, degree requirements and academic policies for each academic year. That catalog and the rules contained within are binding upon the student AND the university and will apply to the student for the time they are continuously enrolled.
This is to prevent students in their fourth and senior year from suddenly having to meet a course requirement that might be applied to students who enter in following years. It provides the university the flexibility to continually upgrade programs, but still provide certainty to students who are planning course loads. It is an honest way to do business.
I would start calling people much higher up in the organization than an academic counselor. At the very minimum the university should allow you to take an additional course for free. But in truth you should simply be able to graduate according to the original agreement. Maybe check with the DOE or accrediting board regarding rules about changes in academic requirements for a degree, and maybe go for a lawyer, one letter will probably get you into that graduation.
Something to think about, you went and paid for that class and UOP thinks it is so worthless, even THEY won't honor it.
Joni