Complaint Review: Fortis college - tampa Florida

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After reading the comments regarding Fortis College Gulf Coast, I was disappointed and confused.  I am an Admissions Representative for Education Affiliates, which is the owner of all 50+ Fortis College campuses.  I have been with the company for four years and I would like to take a moment to respond to your post.  I am not employed with the Gulf Coast campus so I cannot speak for them but I want to take a minute to explain the proper process when it comes to admissions.  The campus I work for does not offer a PCT program.  I am assuming those letters stand for Patient Care Tech.  If we did offer such a program, I would advise against it.  Where Im located, thats a job that can be attained with no formal training. 

 Your first complaint was that the school charges too much.  When a new student signs their enrollment agreement, they are advised to read it.  The amount of tuition, registration fee, book charge, uniforms, and graduations fees are all included in the amount, which is in BOLD letters.  One reason that Fortis Colleges tuition cost seems to differ from that of a traditional school is because we are able to skip the general studies and get right into the courses that are directly associated with the prospective students program of interest.  This offers convenience and we are always going to pay for convenience.  Also, unlike traditional schools, students at Fortis College will complete their course work in the amount of time that they are told, unless they fail a class, change shifts, or have to take a break for a while.  We also have a Career Services Department that will help our graduates with their job search process until they are employed in their field of study.   

 Secondly, you stated that you were misinformed about the duties of a PCT.  When I talk to prospective students, one of the first questions I ask is if they have done any of their own research about the career they are interested in.  I still provide information based on the nature of the work, which can be found on the Department of Labors website but I also encourage them to do their own research about the job itself, possible career advancement, potential earnings, and related occupations. 

 I also noticed that you mentioned the uniforms are ordered for you.  Yes, we do order the scrubs on the students behalf because we feel it is one less thing they have to worry about.  We also feel that 2 uniforms for four days a week is sufficient.  At the campus where I am employed, we do not buy back books. 
Last, but not least, you mentioned that you were disappointed when you found out that you were receiving a certification once you completed the program.  What a student will receive once their program is completed should be made clear by the Admissions Representative.  Some of our schools offer degrees and some dont.  I inform everyone I come into contact with what to expect when they are done.  All students in non-degree granting allied health programs at the campus where I work will sit for a certification exam once they have completed all of their courses, as well as their clinical rotation. 
It is the job of the Admissions Representative to guide and inform.  It is also our job to help a prospective student complete the registration process.  When you say you were told lies, Im not saying you werent but I will say this:  Fortis College is an institution in a very highly regulated industry, which means our Admissions department, Financial Aid Department, and Education Department have to follow strict guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education.  You say you were advised by the Financial Aid department to take out more of the student loan than you needed.  At the campus I work, our Financial Aid team will advise students not to take out more than they need.  The reason for that is because (1) We dont want students to be in an excessive amount of debt 6 months after they graduate and have to start paying the loans back and (2) Unlike traditional institutions, if students fail to pay their loans back, we are held accountable. 

 Our jobs dare dependent on our graduates being hired in their field once they graduate.  In other words, if a certain number of students are not working in the field they trained for while they were here, within a certain amount of time after they graduate, we could possibly lose our jobs and be shut down.  We take our jobs seriously.  Although Fortis College is not for everyone, it is for someone.  When I have someone in my office and I think the school is not right for them, I will say so.  I never push anyone to do anything.  I always leave the decision up to the student.  The job I do is for the student.  I very much care about their well-being and Im not going to tell them anything wrong. 

 On behalf of Fortis College, I apologize and I am sorry that you did not have a good experience.  I will advise you, for future reference, do your own research before choosing a career path.  Be sure to find out exactly what the job duties are, what to expect your salary to be, and what the demand is for that career.  Make sure when you ask about the accrediting agency of the school.  Find out if the agency is recognized by the Department of Education.  If not, you may need to reconsider.