Complaint Review: AIU AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY - Hoffman Estates Illinois

I have spent the last 6 months trying to get this situation resolved with AIU. The matter has been settled, and I refuse to argue with you over whether I did not read the agreement; have convenient amnesia or just plain lied. If you feel better thinking that I have lied, then go right ahead. What is important to me is that the matter has been settled!!!!!

1) You should know better than to speak in absolutes. A company *will* write off $7,000, even if they're legally in the right, if it will cost the company over $7,000 to collect it (such as if they have to defend a costly lawsuit). See also: marginal benefit. 2) You ignored a major point of my post entirely. Directly quoting you: "they told me that my college tuition for the time that it wold take for me to get my bachelor's degree would be $15,862.30." The only options are that you are lying or you did not read the tuition schedule. Either way, as an aspiring lawyer, you look really bad. 3) You also ignored the point that the academic year issue wasn't hidden. The Financial Aid link on the virtual campus breaks down the academic years--and the financing for each--down to the penny. How did this escape you? Again, you either didn't check your facts, or you're lying. You seem like a nice person so I don't think you're out-and-out lying. You *might* be selectively remembering certain facts. You *probably* didn't read as much as you're implying you did.

Your response to my ordeal is laughable, especially in light of the fact that the evidence that I did have to verify my claim resulted in AIU amending my outstanding balance with them to reflect a nil balance. Not withstanding that, my account had been transferred to a collection agency, who has since stop calling to collect on a debt that they have now been informed that I do not owe. Should I pass the Bar, I would gladly have you for a client. You see I did read my agreement in detail and it clearly outlined my payment for the duration of my study. Law is simple english and common sense, it is the meeting of two minds that form a contract. If the document states that your total payment for the study is "XYZ" and I am made to sign and be binded by that document then unless otherwise stated on that document my obligation to them is just that "XYZ". They can not expect me to read between the lines and assume that the Figure is for year one and then assume that same figure for year two. You obviously signed a completely different document than the one that I signed. No organization simply writes off $7,000 + if they are legally correct. Your loyalty to AIU is to be commended however even to the point of making yourself seem desparate to be right!

You might want to re-think your new profession. You obviously didn't read anything you signed if this is your complaint. Either that, or you're trying to make a case where you know none really exists. AIU Online's Bachelor tuition has never been under $16,000. Their tuition chart--which you obviously either never read or completely ignored--would have been part of the information you received after your first call with them. Your entire Bachelor's degree would never cost $15,862.30 through AIU Online. That would be the cost of the first academic year. I bet you conveniently forgot that there was still $9,000 to go, then got ticked when someone reminded you. The "increase" was for the SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR. You "simply thought" it was an error, then got irate because the school decided to charge you for your second academic year. Failure to check facts=bad lawyer. Directly quoting their Cash Agreements (emphasis mine): F. ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT FINANCED. I understand that the amount financed by the School is an estimate of the amount of charges I will incur for tuition and books and supplies (if purchased at the school) less the amount of financial aid I anticipate receiving. ***THE FINAL BALANCE IN MY STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT MAY BE GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT FINANCED BY THE SCHOOL LESS ANY INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS I MAKE EITHER BECAUSE 1. I INCUR ADDITIONAL CHARGES AFTER THE DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT FINANCED*** or 2. I do not receive all anticipated financial aid. I am responsible for payment in full of my student financial account balance, ***INCLUDING AMOUNTS RESULTING FROM ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCURRED*** or financial aid not received. This isn't even written in any kind of small print on the Cash Agreement. It's in the same 10-point type as the rest of it. Hardly the language of a scam. It's a business telling its customer that if the customer incurs charges, the customer is obligated to pay them. In a nutshell, you incurred additional tuition expenses because you continued into your second academic year. The enrollment agreement you signed details that tuition is charged per-quarter, and the tuition chart breaks down the per-quarter tuition rate. Did you not do the arithmetic? $5,000-per-quarter tuition x 5 academic quarters > $16,000 All of this was written out crystal clear on documents you signed, and you conveniently seem to ignore this. Ironic considering your complaint was about not honoring Promissory notes. Or maybe you did you not read your documents before you signed them? You went ahead and signed a cash agreement, then ASSUMED that the payment increase was an error without re-checking your facts. These are hardly the actions of someone who has a promising law career. I pray that if you ever do pass the bar, I do not get you as my attorney.

You might want to re-think your new profession. You obviously didn't read anything you signed if this is your complaint. Either that, or you're trying to make a case where you know none really exists. AIU Online's Bachelor tuition has never been under $16,000. Their tuition chart--which you obviously either never read or completely ignored--would have been part of the information you received after your first call with them. Your entire Bachelor's degree would never cost $15,862.30 through AIU Online. That would be the cost of the first academic year. I bet you conveniently forgot that there was still $9,000 to go, then got ticked when someone reminded you. The "increase" was for the SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR. You "simply thought" it was an error, then got irate because the school decided to charge you for your second academic year. Failure to check facts=bad lawyer. Directly quoting their Cash Agreements (emphasis mine): F. ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT FINANCED. I understand that the amount financed by the School is an estimate of the amount of charges I will incur for tuition and books and supplies (if purchased at the school) less the amount of financial aid I anticipate receiving. ***THE FINAL BALANCE IN MY STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT MAY BE GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT FINANCED BY THE SCHOOL LESS ANY INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS I MAKE EITHER BECAUSE 1. I INCUR ADDITIONAL CHARGES AFTER THE DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT FINANCED*** or 2. I do not receive all anticipated financial aid. I am responsible for payment in full of my student financial account balance, ***INCLUDING AMOUNTS RESULTING FROM ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCURRED*** or financial aid not received. This isn't even written in any kind of small print on the Cash Agreement. It's in the same 10-point type as the rest of it. Hardly the language of a scam. It's a business telling its customer that if the customer incurs charges, the customer is obligated to pay them. In a nutshell, you incurred additional tuition expenses because you continued into your second academic year. The enrollment agreement you signed details that tuition is charged per-quarter, and the tuition chart breaks down the per-quarter tuition rate. Did you not do the arithmetic? $5,000-per-quarter tuition x 5 academic quarters > $16,000 All of this was written out crystal clear on documents you signed, and you conveniently seem to ignore this. Ironic considering your complaint was about not honoring Promissory notes. Or maybe you did you not read your documents before you signed them? You went ahead and signed a cash agreement, then ASSUMED that the payment increase was an error without re-checking your facts. These are hardly the actions of someone who has a promising law career. I pray that if you ever do pass the bar, I do not get you as my attorney.

You might want to re-think your new profession. You obviously didn't read anything you signed if this is your complaint. Either that, or you're trying to make a case where you know none really exists. AIU Online's Bachelor tuition has never been under $16,000. Their tuition chart--which you obviously either never read or completely ignored--would have been part of the information you received after your first call with them. Your entire Bachelor's degree would never cost $15,862.30 through AIU Online. That would be the cost of the first academic year. I bet you conveniently forgot that there was still $9,000 to go, then got ticked when someone reminded you. The "increase" was for the SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR. You "simply thought" it was an error, then got irate because the school decided to charge you for your second academic year. Failure to check facts=bad lawyer. Directly quoting their Cash Agreements (emphasis mine): F. ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT FINANCED. I understand that the amount financed by the School is an estimate of the amount of charges I will incur for tuition and books and supplies (if purchased at the school) less the amount of financial aid I anticipate receiving. ***THE FINAL BALANCE IN MY STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT MAY BE GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT FINANCED BY THE SCHOOL LESS ANY INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS I MAKE EITHER BECAUSE 1. I INCUR ADDITIONAL CHARGES AFTER THE DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT FINANCED*** or 2. I do not receive all anticipated financial aid. I am responsible for payment in full of my student financial account balance, ***INCLUDING AMOUNTS RESULTING FROM ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCURRED*** or financial aid not received. This isn't even written in any kind of small print on the Cash Agreement. It's in the same 10-point type as the rest of it. Hardly the language of a scam. It's a business telling its customer that if the customer incurs charges, the customer is obligated to pay them. In a nutshell, you incurred additional tuition expenses because you continued into your second academic year. The enrollment agreement you signed details that tuition is charged per-quarter, and the tuition chart breaks down the per-quarter tuition rate. Did you not do the arithmetic? $5,000-per-quarter tuition x 5 academic quarters > $16,000 All of this was written out crystal clear on documents you signed, and you conveniently seem to ignore this. Ironic considering your complaint was about not honoring Promissory notes. Or maybe you did you not read your documents before you signed them? You went ahead and signed a cash agreement, then ASSUMED that the payment increase was an error without re-checking your facts. These are hardly the actions of someone who has a promising law career. I pray that if you ever do pass the bar, I do not get you as my attorney.

You might want to re-think your new profession. You obviously didn't read anything you signed if this is your complaint. Either that, or you're trying to make a case where you know none really exists. AIU Online's Bachelor tuition has never been under $16,000. Their tuition chart--which you obviously either never read or completely ignored--would have been part of the information you received after your first call with them. Your entire Bachelor's degree would never cost $15,862.30 through AIU Online. That would be the cost of the first academic year. I bet you conveniently forgot that there was still $9,000 to go, then got ticked when someone reminded you. The "increase" was for the SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR. You "simply thought" it was an error, then got irate because the school decided to charge you for your second academic year. Failure to check facts=bad lawyer. Directly quoting their Cash Agreements (emphasis mine): F. ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT FINANCED. I understand that the amount financed by the School is an estimate of the amount of charges I will incur for tuition and books and supplies (if purchased at the school) less the amount of financial aid I anticipate receiving. ***THE FINAL BALANCE IN MY STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT MAY BE GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT FINANCED BY THE SCHOOL LESS ANY INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS I MAKE EITHER BECAUSE 1. I INCUR ADDITIONAL CHARGES AFTER THE DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT FINANCED*** or 2. I do not receive all anticipated financial aid. I am responsible for payment in full of my student financial account balance, ***INCLUDING AMOUNTS RESULTING FROM ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCURRED*** or financial aid not received. This isn't even written in any kind of small print on the Cash Agreement. It's in the same 10-point type as the rest of it. Hardly the language of a scam. It's a business telling its customer that if the customer incurs charges, the customer is obligated to pay them. In a nutshell, you incurred additional tuition expenses because you continued into your second academic year. The enrollment agreement you signed details that tuition is charged per-quarter, and the tuition chart breaks down the per-quarter tuition rate. Did you not do the arithmetic? $5,000-per-quarter tuition x 5 academic quarters > $16,000 All of this was written out crystal clear on documents you signed, and you conveniently seem to ignore this. Ironic considering your complaint was about not honoring Promissory notes. Or maybe you did you not read your documents before you signed them? You went ahead and signed a cash agreement, then ASSUMED that the payment increase was an error without re-checking your facts. These are hardly the actions of someone who has a promising law career. I pray that if you ever do pass the bar, I do not get you as my attorney.