I started going to college in 2006. My first college was Eastern Arizona College, and it was great. It was also very affordable, and my credits transferred over smoothly to my next university. I left the college, because my sister and brother in law were working for University of Phoenix. It seemed like a great opportunity to make some big bucks. So I left EAC, before graduating and moved home to take a job with UOP.
I started working at UOP, and gladly took advantage of their education benefits. They let me go to school for free. I went to WIU for about a year, when they discontinued the degree that I was working towards. I was angry... So I opted out of the program, and switched over to University of Phoenix. A few months after enrolling at University of Phoenix... I was let go from my job. About a week before I was let go from my job at UOP, my husband lost his job.
So now we were both out of work.
I decided I should try and go back to school, but some place cheaper. So I tried Rio Salado. My credits did not transfer very well from UOP, or WIU... So I thought I better try a university. I was looking into going to Arizona State University or Western International University. I only looked into going back to WIU, because I didn't know how my credits would transfer over to ASU.
Because I don't have any money, of course I was looking into how expensive tuition was.
The first thing that I asked my enrollment counselor at Western International University, is if financial aid would be able to cover the costs of tuition? She told me that yes, tuition would be covered completely by financial aid. There would be no out-of-pocket costs. So ok... I was pretty happy about that. Finally, I'm on my way to graduation!
So I finish my first class, it's accounting... And I do great in it! Now on to my next class, business law... And I get a check in the mail. *Notice* I've signed up for financial aid before, and I ALWAYS opt to have my school use my funds for school first, and then send me what is left. So I got a check, and I was pretty excited. I used it to pay off my credit card, and that was a relief.
A week or so later... I got a bill saying that I owed WIU $1,500 dollars for the class that I was in. I've gotten these letters before, and before... It was a mistake. They had a problem in the system... So I didn't think twice about it. It must've been a mistake, after-all I elected the university to manage my financial aid funds. And HELLO, the enrollment counselor said that my financial aid should cover all my tuition. So I didn't even think twice.
A week passes, I don't think about it.
Then I think... Well maybe I should call the university to make sure, just in case. So I call the university and talk with my financial counselor. She tells me that "yes, $1,500 dollars is due on your account." At this point I'm frustrated, angry, and confused. I go on and explain that my enrollment counselor had told me that tuition would be 100% covered by my financial aid. Well I guess she forgot the $8,000 dollars or so... That I will still owe after my financial aid has gone through.
So my financial aid counselor completely and totally lied to me. Now I owe the university big bucks, and I don't even know how I'm going to pay them. Isn't this illegal? The enrollment counselor shouldn't have lied to me to get me enrolled.
I come to find out that I elected for "me" to manage my funds. That big check that I got in the mail though, still does not even reach any where near $8,000 dollars... So I'm wondering what exactly my enrollment counselor was smoking when she told me that information. Me and my husband had literally sat down the night before to set up a 2 year plan on what we are going to do for the next 2 years... And well this basically messes it all up. Now I got to figure out how to pay them, and figure out what to do. What should I do? What can I do? I need help! If I was to tell you anything, I would say get EVERYTHING in writing. I do have an e-mail with my enrollment counselor telling me that my tuition would be covered by financial aid. How can I go about reporting this? Is there any options for me? We barely bring in $1,500 dollars a month right now... How can I afford to pay them $1,500 dollars a month for my education. This is just ridiculous. Help me!!
0 comments