Complaint Review: The University Of Phoenix

You are correct. The UOP is an expensive school that is all about profit and not about the student. In the past, a school like the UOP was the only alternative for people who were pressed for time and could not adjust to the typical semester structure and class constraints of a non-profit educational institution. However, things have changed in the past few years.

Today, many non-profit institutions of higher learning offer complete Associate, Bachelor and Master degrees online or with flexible classroom programs. What they do not do is advertise on every available media like the UOP does. When you get a degree from one of these schools they are accepted for the value they have always had in the past. Indeed, no one knows that you earned the degree online or on the real property of the University unless you tell them.

The only place you may see an Ad for these institutions may be a local paper online such as the New York Times, LA Times or Boston Globe. Many well known schools offer degrees online, but you will need to meet a much higher academic standard to be accepted into some of these programs. Thats the real difference! Also, keep in mind that some of these schools are much more costly than the UOP. At the same time, some community colleges offer online courses for as little as $50 per semester credit hour.

Take the time and do the research. The UOP makes it intentionally easy to get started through their salespeople. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

Also, carefully review the unique and very questionable way that the UOP handles federally backed student loans. If you fail to meet certain attendance criteria, such as a break in attendance, you could lose all the financial aid and owe the UOP thousands of dollars that they can demand immediately. A few years ago they were investigated by the Department of Education and were put under very strict guidelines to keep the funding due to inappropriate loan awards to students. Also note that you cannot get funding through the federal Direct Loan program at the UOP; this is a bit unusual and begs the question: Why?

Be very careful of an institution that boasts over 150,000 current students. How much will that degree be worth if so many people have one?

Jennifer:

Ignore Shawangunk. Check out this site.

I am also sick of losers like him!!! And there are others...

http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=62072

shawangunk continue with your pathetic bitter parade of putting people down and displaying your evil intentions and disgusting brainless comments, you just continue to prove yourself as the completely uncredible low class sick evil devil you really are.. I don't think anyone here is stupid enough to take any of your disgusting comments seriously..you've lost credibility very fast it's sad that a loser like you has to troll a board where people are seeking justice, because you are clearly the symbol of evil and injustice in every aspect of those words.... get a life and once again leave this place for decent worthy people, not worthless bitter trash like you.

I cannot help but laugh at your comments Jennifer! ROFL!!! Bitter, mean, evil ... obviously you are commenting about yourself, since you are the one coming across as bitter, mean, and evil. You are just jealous, that's all you are. Because you will never be even half as better than I! Perhaps I should give you a job washing my floors and cleaning my toilets with your toothbrush, so you will have something better to do with your time than post useless comments.

It's wise to ignore shwangunk, all shawangunk does is post mean rebuttals on every site. It has no life and no integrity, it's a bitter evil hypocritical creature, and shouldn't even be allowed to post it's comments here, because they aren't intended to be helpful just mean condescending evil and demeaning. There are many people who have had problems with Univ of phoenix and if you can earn a degree online, then you better stay away from that ridiculous commercialized place. Any state institution is better than the univ of phoenix degree. Most of the people here lack an education so they don't know anything about the system.. it's wise to not take advice from the uneducated, and especially the evil rotten liars who just come here to bring people down.. shawangunk has mental issues and is a bitter evil person...

The person who filed the rebuttal above claims not to be affiliated with UoP. However, at the end of his rebuttal, he uses the word "we" quite a bit.

Quotes from above....
"I am not currently a student there ....."

Later in the rebuttal:
"We don't baby you and walk you through every single thing through out your time here. We don't force you to do your homework or read your book." ....

Is the author of this rebuttal a UoP shill? Probably. If so, I am sure that UoP will give him a raise for showing his support here ;)

In any event, the problem with online distance education is that virtual schools focus too much on delivery methods, and try too hard to create cyber class rooms. This, in my opinion, is not necessary; especially for adult learners. Rather, schools should provide learners with study guides and assignments, and allow them to complete the assignments at their own pace; without requiring virtual classroom time. This is referred to as guided independent study, and is very popular as well as effective.

For adults looking to earn flexible and affordable distance education degrees, I would recommend institutions that use mail-based delivery methods. This cuts out all of the unnecessary nonsense, and allows students to focus on what is most important; learning outcomes.

There are many DETC and Regionally accredited schools that offer such programs at reasonable prices. In fact, most programs of this type cost much less than UoP. Visit www.detc.org for a comprehensive list of fully accredited distance learning programs.

It should be noted, though, that some regionally accredited schools sometimes discriminate against DETC learners. They do this in spite of the fact that both types of accreditation meet precisely the same standards. In fact, the DETC has very strict requirements, even more strict than the regionals with regards to distance education. For instance, DETC accredited schools require proctored final examinations, while many of their regionally accredited counterparts do not. More importantly, since DETC has much more experience with distance education, students will usually not run into the problems mentioned in this and other UoP Rip-off Reports.

UoP does appear to have quite a few complaints listed here. However, in spite of these problems, UoP does some things well. For example, they do not discriminate against prospective students on the basis of recognized accreditation only. Apparently, as long as the work and credit hours properly match up, they will award transfer credit. They will do this as long as the student's previous school was accredited by one of the many recognized and valid accrediting agencies.

Regardless, if students want fully accredited, rewarding, and flexible but difficult distance educations that will be recognized by employers, they should check out the detc.org list of degree-granting programs.

Ok first off I will note that UOP is expensive, but that's the price you pay for higher education. I am not currently a student there, but I will be shortly and you say that UOP hides info from you. You said that you were unaware of the cost that come with the school. Maybe it's just me but if I was going to attend a school one of the first things I would do is get answers for all of my questions. If there is anyone at fault it is you, Rick. Also I do realize your point about your career and your wife's career. If that is the case you should have started out doing on-line classes. Think about it, what's going to be easier? Moving schools all around the country? Or taking on-line classes and then it deosn't matter about your location? Gee, let me think. It's not UOP's fault you can't plan ahead. Nor is it UOP's fault if you have some kind of lifestyle change. If you were unaware of the specifics of UOP then maybe you should have read the Student agreement contract that you signed. Read what you sign. Everyone knows that. And I know you signed because its a requirment of any University. So, you signed the contract, you agreed to the terms and to the bill. If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. Also you said there was a lack of direction? Wrong. It's a school for adult education. We don't baby you and walk you through every single thing through out your time here. We don't force you to do your homework or read your book. It's up to you. UOP provides the tools for your education, but it's up to you to use them.

Only an idiot would tell the world that the University of Phoenix is a better college than Florida State University. I can get three degrees at FSU because I can major in engineering and minor in business! Also Florida State is privately owned! Before you make statements Shawangunk, know what you are talking about! Most of the universities in the US are privately owned!

In you infinite, arrogant, stupidity, you missed the point entirly. I never said my credits didn't transfer. I said that TCC gave me credit for classes that I took at UOP, that UOP wasn't going to give me credit for because of their scheduling mistake. While I attended UOP Tampa they changed their APA format 5 times in as many months. Some instructors didn't care if you use the APA format at all. This is one of the simplest parts oc college and UOP couldn't keep that straight.

As far as my moving, I originally picked UOP because they told me thay could accommodate me if that event happined as they bost 103 school locations throughout the US. I am not going to sacrifice my wife's career to further mine! You need to do as I have, and talk to many of the literaly thousands of students, like my self, that have transfered away from UOP to schools that will give them a better education at a fair cost. This web site provides some of those former students.

Your title infers that I was wining about my experence and that is your right. But again you have missed the point entirely, and wining is not what I was doing. I was attempting to inform the public. Actually I am glad that I had the opportunity to experence UOP. When I finish at Florida State and I ever run into someone that has a UOP degree, I will know that I received a better education that cost much less than they did. I believe that a degree from Florida State carries a lot more weight than one from UOP.

Most of the students at UOP are not told what UOP costs, they are simply told that UOP can provide tuition assistance. Sometimes students start with UOP to find they are not covered under an assistance program after thay have started classes. Students find that their councilors change faster than the student advances to their next class. Most UOP students that get funding, don't find out about the expense until funding runs out before their classes do. I know this to be fact, because I have taken the time to do the research.

In closing, everyone knows that college is expensive, but UOP is way over the limit of cost VS instruction received. My point in this area, was that other schools and universities charge the same for ground classes or distance education. UOP charges 1/3 to 2/3 more with less overhead and little to no instruction to go to ground class or to go on line.

Maybe if you didn't move around the country every other month you wouldn't have experienced such trouble with the school. You cannot blame the school because YOU choose to move around, change school locations, etc. so extremely frequently. It is a fact that not all credits transfer among ALL colleges and universities. Sometimes students have to repeat even the simplest classes when changing school locations! And yes, U of P IS much more expensive than your public Florida college, because U of P is a PRIVATE university!! You fail to note that not only is Florida a lot cheaper, it is also one of the poorest educational systems in the country, and you get what you pay for! Where else do you think you would be able to finish three degrees in the time it would take you to finish one degree at a "real" school? Waah wahh wahhhhhh, cry me a river buddy!

Maybe if you didn't move around the country every other month you wouldn't have experienced such trouble with the school. You cannot blame the school because YOU choose to move around, change school locations, etc. so extremely frequently. It is a fact that not all credits transfer among ALL colleges and universities. Sometimes students have to repeat even the simplest classes when changing school locations! And yes, U of P IS much more expensive than your public Florida college, because U of P is a PRIVATE university!! You fail to note that not only is Florida a lot cheaper, it is also one of the poorest educational systems in the country, and you get what you pay for! Where else do you think you would be able to finish three degrees in the time it would take you to finish one degree at a "real" school? Waah wahh wahhhhhh, cry me a river buddy!

Maybe if you didn't move around the country every other month you wouldn't have experienced such trouble with the school. You cannot blame the school because YOU choose to move around, change school locations, etc. so extremely frequently. It is a fact that not all credits transfer among ALL colleges and universities. Sometimes students have to repeat even the simplest classes when changing school locations! And yes, U of P IS much more expensive than your public Florida college, because U of P is a PRIVATE university!! You fail to note that not only is Florida a lot cheaper, it is also one of the poorest educational systems in the country, and you get what you pay for! Where else do you think you would be able to finish three degrees in the time it would take you to finish one degree at a "real" school? Waah wahh wahhhhhh, cry me a river buddy!