- Report: #456112
Complaint Review: ITT Technical Institute - Fort Lauderdale Florida
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ITT Technical Institute
3401 South University Drive Fort Lauderdale, 33328 Florida, U.S.A.
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954-476-9300
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ITT Technical Institute Total Rip-off! Spent $60,000 for a worthless peice of paper. Fort Lauderdale Florida
After serving four years in the United States Marine Corp. my husband moved down to Florida to be with his family. About a year after, he decided to go to school because he wanted to get an education. He enrolled at ITT TECH in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 2006.
It is now May of 2009 and my husband graduated earlier this year with his Associates degree. He worked so hard in all of his classes and took school very serious. He worked a full time job while attending classes full-time as well.
Since then he has applied all over for a job. Recently he was told that if he were to get hired with a particular agency that he would have to get his Bachelor's degree within 5 years of employment.
So about a month ago he applied to Florida Atlantic University as a transfer student because he wanted to further his education with a Bachelors degree. This morning he called to check on the status of his application. They then informed him that ITT Tech is not regionally accredited so his credits were basically worth nothing. They then said that if he wanted to attend he would have to start out as a freshman.
So our problem is this: How can a school advertise as being accredited and also tell students that they will assist in finding a job. My husband has been back to career services on serveral occasions in regards to helping him seek employment. Now we are stuck with about $60,000 in student loans for his Associates degree that is worthless. We were planning on deferring his loan since he was planning on attending a University in the fall. Now we have 3 more months until we have to start paying back his loan. I really think that it is a shame that they are able to get away with this.
We are really considering a law suit. We are both so angry that we put our faith into a school that was suppose to help our future but in reality completly ruined it. We spent all of this money and time on an education that is completly useless.
If anyone can help us please contact us!!!
Smith
SUNRISE, Florida
U.S.A.
It is now May of 2009 and my husband graduated earlier this year with his Associates degree. He worked so hard in all of his classes and took school very serious. He worked a full time job while attending classes full-time as well.
Since then he has applied all over for a job. Recently he was told that if he were to get hired with a particular agency that he would have to get his Bachelor's degree within 5 years of employment.
So about a month ago he applied to Florida Atlantic University as a transfer student because he wanted to further his education with a Bachelors degree. This morning he called to check on the status of his application. They then informed him that ITT Tech is not regionally accredited so his credits were basically worth nothing. They then said that if he wanted to attend he would have to start out as a freshman.
So our problem is this: How can a school advertise as being accredited and also tell students that they will assist in finding a job. My husband has been back to career services on serveral occasions in regards to helping him seek employment. Now we are stuck with about $60,000 in student loans for his Associates degree that is worthless. We were planning on deferring his loan since he was planning on attending a University in the fall. Now we have 3 more months until we have to start paying back his loan. I really think that it is a shame that they are able to get away with this.
We are really considering a law suit. We are both so angry that we put our faith into a school that was suppose to help our future but in reality completly ruined it. We spent all of this money and time on an education that is completly useless.
If anyone can help us please contact us!!!
Smith
SUNRISE, Florida
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Wpowell
Plantation,Florida,
U.S.A.
ITT Technical Institute Total Rip-off! Rebuttal
#2UPDATE Employee
Thu, June 18, 2009
I am very sorry that you are upset about your student loans. It is daunting to have to pay back all that money. I am surprised by the huge amount, though. I know several other people that got the ITT 2 year degree and owe only 30-40K. My guess is that you were granted the maximum loan and you thought "Hey, free money!" - I am very familiar with the FAFSA process and you can turn down parts of the loan award every term *(subsidized versus unsubsidized loans from the government) By the way, I owe over $90,000 in students loans and feel very strongly that my education was worth every penny as I stepped from one life path onto another. I have four degrees and am currently working on my Doctorate. ITT has a very strict policy while giving a tour of the facility and while giving the introductory talk and open house. They say they are accredited but what MOST PEOPLE don't research is the different accrediting bodies out there. ITT is accredited and states that they are accredited by ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools ) - NOT SACS. (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Many two-year private colleges are accredited by ACICS. In addition, many of these two-year colleges have an arrangement with each other to be able to transfer their credits. For example, in South Florida, you can transfer MOST of your credits to the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute. It is unfortunate, but I can assure you, with the feds cracking down on false advertising in 2-year colleges, that it is included in the opening schpeel (sales talk) that they mention this accreditation fact. Many 4-year universities and state colleges are accredited by SACS and accept many (NOT ALL) of each other's credits. Even with the state college system, different coding numbers crop up and certain credits are denied. In addition, most degrees at ITT and other places like it are A.S. degrees (Associate of Science) - these are terminal degrees and cannot be built upon to go further into a bachelors degree unless you stay at the granting institution. The same goes for a state college, an A.S. degree is terminal and an A.A. (Associate of Arts) is NOT. I feel badly for the debt that this couple incurred for the husband to gain an education, however, he signed the dotted line. The wife does not mention any 'shopping' around that they might have done. Her gripe seems to be with the entire industry and how the accreditation system works not ITT in particular. She is welcome, of course, to speak with a lawyer, but unless she can prove that ITT did something PERSONALLY to damage her husband's education or job hunting opportunities, her chances of winning a lawsuit are quite slim. It just goes to show you, ask a million questions before you sign a contract with any company, education or otherwise.
