I am a single Mom living way below the poverty level. I realized the only way I could pull myself out of this rut was to get an education. I applied for the Gov. Student Loan and checked out the Online Colleges. CTU called me back many times and directed me in getting started. But what I started was a steady downhill fall.
I was told that my Family contribution would be 0. This would be the only way that I could do this, so I said yes to everything eager to get started.
The course and the Instructors I believe were real and cared about you getting an education. What I learned through the homework, and there was alot of it, was real also. However the rest of the book, unless you learned it on your own was ignored. This is to say that you could learn it all, but you did not have to and could still pass the class. My prblem is not with the University itself as a school, or is it about what you can get out of it. I is way over priced though. My complaint is the ethics and Business pratices of this institution. And since it is a school that teaches those very things it should make you wonder why they do not practice what they preach.
After enough classes went by to make me believe that I was doing good and this was a great decision, they decided that I would now have to start making payments of over $300 a month.
But wait, that is why I, as a 48 year old woman returned to school, because I did not have any money. They let me continue with the classes each month getting further behind. Then, after almost 2 years of my time and around 1800 dollars, they decided to "Academicaly Remove" me from my classes for delinquent payments. I only had 6 classes left. I had done 24 of them and carried a 3.8 GPA average. That is when I found out that the school tuition was not $14,000 like I was lead to believe, but that amount each semister coming to a total of $44,000.
I wanted to throw up. That is $44 THOUSAND DOLLARS.!!
Ten thousand of it used up my Pell and SEOG grants. They said I had to pay 4 thousand in cash, and the other $30,000 thousand dollars they quickly took from the Government under my name, I know have to pay back. For something they would not even let me get!!! Seeing how I was below poverty in the first place, how did they think that I was going to pay the loans back!!!
So, hurt, angry and bitter, I begain to check things out.
When I added up all the Financial Awards given to me, and the Grants paid to them for me, and the cash, (which I could not really aford to give), together I got different numbers.
With the new 07 student loan for the finale semister covering the last 6 classes added to the subtotal, they owed me money. And they had already pulled some money out of the new loan that was for classes starting in June, this was March. I had not even started the last semister yet. So why was I kicked out of school with only a few classes left to be able to graduate for not making payments on an amount that was already over the tution fee? This was so wrong, but it gets worse.
I wrote emails to every staff member I could get in touch with, this was not easy because they completly cut me out of even getting on thier web site. I was asking for help, advice or any suggestions on fixing this horrible situation I was in. The student advisor called me at home after recieving one of my emails and suggested that I talk to the Finance department. I said I had already done that several times, they call wanting money 2 to 3 times a day, everyday at home and at work and it has yet to do me any good, but I was willing to take any suggestions so he patched me through to a person named Kenya.
I explained to this, person, my nightmare and was crying (embarressing myself) asking what, if anything, anything at all I could do about this. I had recently lost my job and was extremly worried about paying the rent and stuff like that. This person, says to me "You need at least $2,500 to get back into your classes. (Notice how it increased again) I said "You gotta be out of your mind, I can not come up with that much money" after sitting there with my mouth open in disbelief, and not having anything else to say, I hung up. I was devastated to say the least. My hopes just crashed to the floor around me.
Okay, maybe that was not the most appropriate response, but was surely understandable for someone who was upset and was told that. This, person, called me back and very hatefully said "YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND IF YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE GETTING BACK IN THIS SCHOOL!!!" and then slammed the phone down. This unprofessional behavior was coming from the staff of a school that teaches how to conduct business??? Wow. I cried myself to sleep.
I had nobody counciling me during any process of enrollment, participation, or being DUMPED besides the CTU staff. I was on my own.
For this reason I went through so much detail to explain this in length because I want you people to understand how you can be manipulated by money hungry business corporations under the title of "HELP" for you. All the while you are feeling proud of your accomplishments and feel like you are achieving progress in your goals.
IF you are JUST wanting a degree, AND have the MONEY to do this, then by all means add this to your lists of things done. And be proud of it, for it does take a bit of effort.
IF you want a COMPLETE EDUCATION and EXPECT to learn it well, then pick another college to attend. You will not get that here. IF you are already in field with some knowledge of the content and want to better your position at your job, this can be accomplished but you will have to learn it for yourself using the books and other resources they make available to you. If you can afford the tuition.
But... If you are looking for a way to pull yourself out of poverty by obtaining an education to enable yourself to make more money, so you can support you and your child... Run!!! As fast as you can to someone that can guide you towards your dream. Someone that has your best interest in mind. Run, i say... As fast as you can. They make hell sound like help.
Please learn from my mistake and do not let this happen to you at this school, or any other one. If this detours ANYONE from following my steps, then at least I have accomplished something. Too bad it is not something that I can use... Or eat. Even though I can see how this could help you progress in your job, or possible help get you a promotion, I am still unemployed, the 142 college credit hours I worked so hard for has not helped me to obtain employment. I am broke, I have used up my grants and loans, threw away about $1,800 dollars that I desperatly needed for living, and wasted 2 years of time during a very critical stage of my life.
I am depressed, my hopes and dreams are crushed in small bits, and I am very unsure about my future that I thought, or was lead to believe that I was reaching out for. But, like a dangleing carrot, it was jerked out from in front of me right when my fingers touched it. The core staff at this school did this to me, after being well informed of the effects. And they allowed this cold hearted, cruel and mean, person, named KENYA, to smack me upside the face delivering it.
The bad feelings that I have for this Institution does not in any way reflect negatively on the dedication of the Instructors or the students who I enjoyed classroom with. And I am going to figure out a way to get these last 6 classes, somehow, somewhere in order to get the degree I was striving for. But it will not be at this University. And I am not out of my mind.
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