Christopher
Schaumburg,#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, December 07, 2005
Hi all, I have recently learned that aiu has been put on probation by sacs. I know this was in a previous thread, but it will not open. The company hasn't stated to their employees yet to the severity and nature of the punishment, but I am told that they are acting very abrasive to the news. Truth comes out, and bad business practices can't be kept under wraps for long. The person who filled me in with this info is scared wether or not his job will be there in the future. I know education is treated as a business, but this practice should be secondary to the administration of a solid education to deserving students. I wish all who wish to venture down their path good luck. I hope all can achieve their educational dreams, with out the pain CEC has caused many.
Paul
Austin,#3REBUTTAL Individual responds
Tue, October 18, 2005
Christopher, I want to thank you personally for your kind words. It was really refreshing to know there are really good people here. Thank you for your investigations that will definitely help others in making a sound decision before they decide to enroll with AIU. This is my first chance to see the post you wrote and wish I would have known that before hand. I would have just left it alone, but I don't trust them anymore. It would have made this situation less humiliating and less stressful for me though. But of course they can not tell anyone this. Great information and I'm sure future students will find your post very useful in case they get stuck with trying to cancel. It's a very painstaking task for these guys to do anything if the word postponement or canceling is every said. AIU HAS resolved the issue today with a formal cancellation of classes, finally after I had to e-mail the Chief Executive Officer from American Intercontinental University. He took care of the matter very quickly. The loans were cancelled within a day and half from the time I e-mailed him. I do thank him for that. But, the student should never have too contact the Chief Executive Officer, let alone FAFSA, SACS and the rip-off report to resolve a simple issue with the institution. But they choose to continue to operate like this and get all this bad publicity is way beyond me. I know AIU is losing potential students already and they did lose me for any future enrollments ever. Plus, I will never recommend them. I'm just glad it's over, finally after 2 weeks. Thanks again!
Paul
Austin,#4REBUTTAL Individual responds
Tue, October 18, 2005
Christopher, I want to thank you personally for your kind words. It was really refreshing to know there are really good people here. Thank you for your investigations that will definitely help others in making a sound decision before they decide to enroll with AIU. This is my first chance to see the post you wrote and wish I would have known that before hand. I would have just left it alone, but I don't trust them anymore. It would have made this situation less humiliating and less stressful for me though. But of course they can not tell anyone this. Great information and I'm sure future students will find your post very useful in case they get stuck with trying to cancel. It's a very painstaking task for these guys to do anything if the word postponement or canceling is every said. AIU HAS resolved the issue today with a formal cancellation of classes, finally after I had to e-mail the Chief Executive Officer from American Intercontinental University. He took care of the matter very quickly. The loans were cancelled within a day and half from the time I e-mailed him. I do thank him for that. But, the student should never have too contact the Chief Executive Officer, let alone FAFSA, SACS and the rip-off report to resolve a simple issue with the institution. But they choose to continue to operate like this and get all this bad publicity is way beyond me. I know AIU is losing potential students already and they did lose me for any future enrollments ever. Plus, I will never recommend them. I'm just glad it's over, finally after 2 weeks. Thanks again!
Christopher
Schaumburg,#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, October 17, 2005
Paul, I have talked to a friend that works for CEC that has some good advice for someone in your position. He says that you aren't responsible for any bills to AIU if you haven't logged into class. After 15 consecutive days of not logging into class, you would be automatically canceled. All loans, grants, and funding would be returned back to there sources. However, if you did log in to class, for any reason, then didn't return; you would be charged 5% of the first quarter charges (as per the refund policy/enrollment agreement). You should follow up with student account or FA by direct line, sorry if this isn't easy. It sounds like you will be ok if you haven't logged in, so make sure you don't! I hope this helps you and I want to wish you the best of luck.
Christopher
Schaumburg,#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, October 15, 2005
Paul, I feel sorry for your situation. After reading your story, now I know that I did the right thing. I was a former employee of CTU (AIU's sister school). I went to work there after leaving another job. It was the easiest interview process I've been through, and the job pays very well. I now understand why this happens. I won't go into details of the admissions' process because that is already heavily covered at this site. I will tell you my personal opinions of CEC (parent company). Paul, I lasted 2 weeks at this job, and it was 2 weeks too long. The first time I knew that there was something unethical going on was when I heard a fellow "advisor" chewing out a prospective student who changed their mind about attending CTU. She used everything she had, from guilt based on the previous information given to her during their interviews to personal information about the advisor to seem more like a "Buddy"("See I told you something private about me. We're in this together."). I have never heard anything so desperate in my entire life. This is education we are talking about. This takes a firm commitment, not a pep talk from a complete stranger for a loose yes. Ethically, I just checked out. Every hour I spent there I felt a little more depressed. Stories like your's, Paul, piss me off. The whole purpose of education is the Student. You come first. Without you there is no school, no business, no stocks, no salaries, no admissions advisors, no FA, etc. If the students are treated with respect, then the business end should take care of itself. All this bad press can't help. Paul, I wish you the best. Life maybe down a little right now, but things will pick up. Good things happen to good people. I feel really sorry for what you have gone through. Hopefully, what you have wrote will be seen by someone that is thinking of going through this process. That way they can make aneducated decision not just based on the fluff from the advisors. Think about it, if what you wrote helps just one person make the right choice, then your bad experience isn't totally wasted. Take care.