I attended a UoP campus from 2000 till 2002 and completed all of my Bachelor level requirements. I had three general education classes to complete before I could get my degree (two math (which I hate) and one science). For me, it was worth the expense to take the classes with UoP online because with two small children and subjects I had no interest in, it was too difficult to focus on one class at a time for 16 weeks each (I know because I’d already tried to take math twice from a community college; I withdrew both times).
We moved in 2002 and I wasn't able to complete my final three courses until May. I received my diploma and a copy of my transcript from UoP in June. Because I'd had such an enjoyable experience with the school to that point, I decided to pursue my Master's in Teaching degree online. I enrolled in July and began classes in August. There was no tuition for my first class, so by the time I started the second, financing was in place.
In November my family planned a vacation to visit my mother-in-law who didn't have internet, so I was unable to complete the online work. I requested a leave of absence for one five-week course. The request was approved and I planned to return to class the first week of December. When I returned from vacation I checked my schedule so I could purchase the books I'd need and to check if there was advance work to complete. According to my schedule, I was to resume classes in January, not December. I shrugged it off, thinking the holiday may have affected it somehow.
In January, I checked again and discovered I'd been dis-enrolled. I received a letter from the college stating I was on an unapproved leave of absence and that I owed them $4700. When I asked why I owed so much, I was informed the funding for my Bachelor's degree had also been sent back. I explained to them my Bachelor and Masters degrees were separate and I'd already received my diploma and transcript for the Bachelors. They proceeded to advise me the financial policy is - in order for them to retain money from the bank, I have to complete 15 hours of study and I'd only done 14. Let me add my grades were excellent and reiterate the fact THEY extended my leave of absence, not me. I said I wanted to continue with my degree program and was told I couldn't until I paid the money. I wasn't working at the time, so I didn't have $4700 to throw them - if I did, I likely wouldn't have gotten the loans in the first place!
I wrote a letter to the President of UoP and his reply was the same - I had to pay the money NOW or the debt would be turned over to collection. Suffice it to say, it was turned over. I spoke with the collection agency and we worked out a payment plan - I send them $100 per month until I get a job and can send more, or the debt was paid. I sent a payment to them in March and it was sent back to my bank. I thought maybe I'd miscalculated my remaining balance and had paid the loan off, so I waited for a letter or some sort of acknowledgement from UoP or the collection agency. When nothing came, I called UoP to talk to my "Financial Advisor" to arrange final payment. I left him my IRN and phone number for him to return my call - which, naturally, he didn't.instead, I got a letter a few days later from a DIFFERENT collection agency for $930 (which is right around what I thought I still owed). So now, the old collection agency is on my credit report – it’s scheduled to fall off in 2012 - and the new collection agency will be (I'm sure... I haven't checked) on my report. I've been so frustrated with UoP for the way they've handled my situation that I haven't even attempted to contact the new agency.
UoP is still holding my Bachelor's degree hostage - although with only $930 remaining on the account, it's obviously been paid for by now - so I'm unable to get official transcripts to show "proof" of my education. I attended UoP for two years and have paid over $20,000 for my [now useless] degree. My fear is that when I do finally pay it off, they'll tell me my classes are obsolete and I'll have to take a few others to get "today's" BS/BM degree & even though I already have my diploma.
Based on my first experience with UoP, I would have highly recommended the school to anyone who asked. Now, I think UoP should come with warning signs - maybe I should look for the fine print next time I see an, "I am a Phoenix" commercial on TV, they may already have them.
BOTTOM LINE: I do not recommend TODAY’S University of Phoenix.
Whatever you decide, be very careful in your research and take your time making the final decision to enroll. If you have any doubts, whatsoever, then you need to take a step back and try to uncover the reason (s) for them. This many complaints about one organization should definitely give you pause to wonder.
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