$9,833.73... This is the amount I owe on the loans for going to AIU online for three classes.
My horror story begins New Years day 2005. I had decided after a long debate to return back to school after 30 years. The company I worked for was laying off people rapidly, and I decided to start back to school. Since I have something wrong with my health, I was to worn out going to the actual campus and working full time. Online school seemed like a dream come true for me. I could stay home, get a degree, even when I wasn't feeling good.
After, my initial conversations with Aiu on the phone, I was talked into joining the school. I was told that there was no better school or programs I could be involved in. I was sold instantly, almost like buying a car. I had told AIU that I was only interested in Criminal Justice but they put me in Business. I had a start date of New Years Day, with no student advisor, no books, no instruction as to navigating my way around the virtual campus.
I am 46 years old and I didn't know how to get started. I had to call another online school and ask them what they thought I should do. The week after Christmas I couldn't contact anyone to help me. I also was informed (the financial dept) that I needed a cosigner on my Sallie Mae loan. The regular loans weren't enough to pay for my school. Also, I had tuition reimbursement at my job for business.
On my birthday (Dec. 29) my little 83 year old grandmother came to see me and I had to have her be my cosigner. I was not properly expained the entire cost of the program. I was told $1,400, and $2,000 by different student admissions people. It became ridiculous!!! I was so frustrated that I called other online schools to find out how to cancel my enrollment with AIU. I found out and wrote them a letter explaining why I did not get started. I didn't have to pay anything this time around.
As time passed, I was getting contacted frequently by the admissions staff at AIU asking me why I had not followed through with my education. I finally told them. That was my BIG mistake!!! I should have never gotton involved with them again but I wanted an education so bad. I wanted to have a career to fall back on if I was layed off at my company.
I finally decided to try again. This time the staff at AIU, was very helpful. They told me how to fill out my forms and navigate the sites. I started school and even though I had some personal problems they were understanding at first. My first class, I worked hard and made an A.
My second class, marketing I worked very hard. The professor was from India or something and I had trouble understanding the projects I was to do. There were individual projects and group projects. When we were put into a group is when my problems started. I was in a group with a man who also worked for my company. He was in the corporate office in Georgia, and I am here in Texas. He was a senior manager to the CEO of this huge corporation. (LOCKHEED MARTIN)- FIGHTER JETS MADE FOR WAR!!!
I found out that to be a senior manager within the company, a person has to have a degree. This man did not have one. He called me on the phone and when he found out I worked for Lockheed, he thought he was my best friend or something. I just listened to him talk. He talked about having an affair with me and said he got where he was by his good looks and golf game. His wife was in the room, (I COULD HEAR HER) He talked about how he lied about his degree. He told me that he had hired someone to take the AIU clep tests for him so he would pass. He also told me that he was cheating his way through AIU, and he explained to me how he planned to cheat on the group project we had in marketing class.
I immediately told the professor about the cheating that was going on in class. The professor didn't believe me!!! No one believed me!!! I was layed off from my job!!! I kept writing the school counselors and the professor. No one cared!!! I ended up with an "F". Everyone else got an "A".
Since this company is a government security risk, I notified security about this guy who was trying to be something he clearly wasn't. They planned to investigate. Well, guess who got terminated??? ME!!! The company used the excuse that I didn't know my work to fire me. After 27 years, I got fired!!! I had worked there since I was 18. I had not been in a position to be layed off, other people were under me.
I was set until this happened. I went through the union to get a layoff, so I could get unemployment and get another job. The union got this for me. This guy, had his associates call me at work before I got fired and threaten me.
I don't know what happened to him but he was scary. He was unstable, and I felt that he caused me to loose my job. All because of the AIU cheating incident... I know that he was making upward of $100,000/a year. I on the other hand worked my a* off for $40,000 a year.
AIU refused to do anything to remedy this situation. They called me a lier. I was devestated. Then I told them I quit and they sent me a Math book and started me on a math class. I kept telling them I wanted to quit. I got an F on that class also. Then they sent me another book... All of this cost me $9,833.73 and my job of 27 years. Now, I am unemployed, and since I am 46, I have to go back to school again to learn new skills. I have no insurance for the illnesses that I have and no money except unemployment.
I tried to find out the president or head people over this so-called school but couldn't. I would like my money back and money for my many nights crying wishing I could die.
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