- Report: #1100746
Complaint Review: Westwood College Los Angeles - Los Angeles California
Reported By:
Led on and Dissappointed -
Los Angeles, California,
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Westwood College Los Angeles
3250 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, 90010 California, USA
Phone:
213-739-9999
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Westwood College Los Angeles Alta Colleges Eness Haddad told me I would be able to have a lucrative career in Criminal Justice. They were an outstanding accredited school and that I could get my BS in THREE years as oppsed to other schools where I would have to go for 4. My mother, who is now deceased was there, and I was called back to see about my follow-up appointment. She made me feel like it was going to be a big misate if I did not jump on it right away. She did admit that it was going to be weel over $70,000.00, but how much was I willing to invest in a lifetime of my future education and success? I had NO idea that MY CREDITS would NOT be transferrable to a university for a Master's. They make you feel like you are SO privileged to be there, when they take advantage of people in vulnerable situations. My mother passed while in my second year at Westwood. NO ONE had ANY sympathy for what I was going through, yet I was always there, never missing a day, and filling out the FAFSA so they could max me out of me Federal Loans and Pell Grants. Now I cannot even go to a community college. Los Angeles California
I inquired and made an appointment at Westwood after my grandmother passed in 2010. I was looking to re-build my lfe and start a new career. I went with my now late mother and spoke to an admissions counselor. She told me it would be around $70,00.00 for the Bachelor of Science program in Criminal Justice. I was shocked, but she kept insisting it was worth it. She made it sound like it was so PRESTIGIOUS so to be ACCEPTED into this insitution of "higher learning," that I would have to take an "entrance exam." Boy, was I duped. I went to an all-girls' Catholic, private high school, top of my class. I went to another college prior to this, it was accredited. My addmissions conselor NEVER said Westwood was NOT accredited, nor that I would not be able to transfer my BS or credits. I now got stuck with an APEX loan, because Westwood MAXED out my Federal Loan AND my Pell grants for life. I am so screwed. I cannot even go to a community college now. There is NO MONEY left! Plus, they push upcoming graduates into their "MBA" program! They are VULTURES!!! They now think they can get more government Master's $$ if they can branwash you into coming back. A girlfriend of mine had to change her phone number because shs was getting SO MANY harrassing phone calls from a Master's Program recruiter to sign up!! There are at least 20 other students that feel the same way. We want what ever APEX payments that have been extorted out of us to be REIMBURSED! This is NOT going away! Denver was just the beginning!
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Sgt Boan
Covina,California,
And Another Westwood Shrill
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, January 06, 2015
Andy, Seriously? You freely admit you work for them {hang head in shame}. The original OP is correct. You even state that you want the college applicant to second guess your own representative after a three hour discussion? College admission snake oil salesmen can’t even be honest with the applicant and say they don’t have Regional Accreditation and explain the difference? Have you even read the other 131 complaints about this fraudulent school on this website? How about the numerous law suits and fraudulent claims nationwide against this degree mill?
I am a victim of Westwood and they flat out refuse to help. I even have tried speaking with the financial assistants and they have stated to me over the phone, "we got our money, you have to just deal with it"? Look at the facts:
Westwood has literally attacked veterans across the United States with this rip off of theirs. According to Wiki: In 2011, the Veterans Administration disqualified three Westwood College Campuses from the GI Bill Program. The VA took this step after finding, "erroneous, deceptive, and misleading advertising and enrollment practices at these institutions." In late 2011, Westwood stopped enrolling students in their Texas campuses.
Unfortunately, all states are not like Texas though this institution of fraud still gets way with it. They have no morals or accountability. On its website, Westwood has responded to many of the allegations against it. Regarding credit transfer problems, Westwood acknowledges that in most cases its credits will not transfer to other colleges or universities. (Please note that they do not say that none of the classes will transfer). However, during my educational nightmare with this fraudulent institution, they mislead us and you about the credit transfer and according to what I'm hearing, they still are. If you browse the website, this statement is hard to find. But as long as it's posted, they can get away with ripping veterans and their families off. I'm still paying off a loan well over $80,000 for a degree that literally came off a bubble jet printer and is not even worth the paper it is written on.
Andy, you are a paid shrill and don't even realize it.....
Report Attachments
Andy
La Quinta,California,
Truth about Westwood
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sun, April 13, 2014
I am an employee of westwood college and I personally work in the admissions department. Nothing could be further from the truth concerning what was said about transferability of credits. I have been trained extensively to tell people about the transferability of credits, and to not do so would lead to my immediate termination. In addition, here in california (where you said you attended) we give out disclosures concerning our performance in regards to placement, graduation rates, etc. Our students have a 1 month period to continue the evaluation process. If they drop out within that 30 day period after they start thier classed, they do not have a financial obligation to the school as far as tuition. I have to ask a couple of things. Even if the representative did not tell you about the transferability of the credits, are we to believe that you based a 70,000 dollar decision solely on the word of an individual you only knew for about 3 hours without verifying the information and at least checking at other colleges you may have wanted to attend in the future if they accepted credits from Westwood? In our UC system, if I was to go to a CSU campus, I would still have credits that would not transfer from the CSU system to the UC system, and they have pretty much the same accreditation. Now you mentioned that you had previous college credit from an "accredited college" prior to coming to westwood. Did any of those units transfer to Westwood? (I"m pretty sure they didn't because we have different accreditations) So that being the case, wouldn't that raise a red flag and cause you to ask if they would go the other way from Westwood to a different traditional college? There is so much wrong with your story.
Another thing is this, You talk about the prior institution that was "accredited" as though Westwood is not accredited. Well, in fact, we are accredited. There are many types of accreditation out there. If we were not accredited we would not have the ability to offer Federal financial aid programs or degree our programs. We go thru a rigid accreditation process. I wish I could believe your post, but in view of everything I know, and the information you have given, it sounds very suspect to me.
