On the third day of my graduate-level class, I realized the instructor was unable to compose a grammatically correct sentence, much less instruct. I contacted my 'new student advisor' to drop the course. Long story short, my advisors strung along the withdrawal process to well beyond the drop date. I informed my financial advisor that I planned to appeal any tuition charges. She told me (in a phone conversation... This is significant, as I will explain later) that my student loan could not be accessed for a course I did not complete; in other words, I would be responsible for any charges, not my lender. This was good news to me, as it is certainly easier to appeal charges that have not yet been paid! Several weeks later, I reviewed my student loan account. South had charged me over $1000 for tuition, and had been paid by my lender. I then contacted accounting regarding my appeal (which they had ignored, probably figuring I would not notice the charges to my loan and would not pursue the appeal), and explained what my financial aid advisor had told me. Because I did not have this information IN WRITING, it was not admissible as supporting information for my appeal. I am still trying to have my tuition refunded.
This is a portion of my complaint sent to South:
As a graduate student, I was assigned a team of advisors whose purpose is to provide accurate information and assistance. The very definition of advisor invokes an expectation of trust and competence. My advising team failed horribly in upholding the trust I placed in them, as well as the University failing horribly at providing a quality educational experience. I embarked on the journey of graduate education with enthusiasm, and I expended a great deal of time and effort to make the experience all I hoped it would be. I am currently participating in another online graduate program that has more than met my expectations. My experience with South University was discouraging to say the least. I would expect the University be apologetic and quite honestly, embarrassed by the poor quality of education, the betrayal of the trust I placed in my advising team, as well as the handling of my complaint. A refund of tuition is a small and very reasonable request, and is the only outcome I will consider acceptable.
My advice; if you are a student at South get EVERYTHING in writing. Do not trust your advising team; they will mislead you. I have since enrolled at Kaplan University, and could not be happier.
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