The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division are glorified scammers! First off I was incredibly happy for the first few months, up until I realized the only time I could get through to the financial aid office was when I called and told them I wanted another financial aid counselor because the one I had would never return my calls or e-mails. I left numerous messages concerning my financial aid because I am a parent and my husband is also in school.
I started to realize maybe I was getting ripped off when I started getting e-mails that I needed to turn in more paperwork and income tax forms to the school and not getting through to them that something was a bit strange. I also have the aging and disability services here (since I am disabled) here in Texas wanting to help pay some of my tuition costs and my counselor there had an impossible time getting through to my "wonderfully slacker financial aid advisory" to get the information her excuse to him was "Your e-mails kept going to my spam folder" he said that is impossible when it's all the time, she only called him back once and never again.
Well finally we got through to her when it was time to re do all the FAFSA Application because I am almost in my second year. Anyway, the school told me I would get a stipend which I use every time I receive one to pay my electric bill for a few months ahead. My husband is a Navy Veteran and since getting out of the Navy we are having a hard time making ends meet he is also in school but he is on GI bill so its paid for for now... Anyway this school stole my whole stipend and we already received a disconnection notice. We rely on that money to live and this school could care less. I've called the financial aid office at least 3 times a day and sent an e-mail everyday for 3 weeks and they only got back to me once saying the check was being made out to the bank and would be deposited in the next two days, those two days were over 2 weeks ago. The money was at the Art Institute on The 26th of July! We are now the 13 of aug. Not only that I was supposed to get back a stipend of $941 then it dropped to $471 after they took out another bunch of money off the already paid tuition... These people are thieves and are masters of deception! They pretend to care about you only until you sign over YOUR money!
I've been maintaining a 3.8 GPA the whole time I've been at this school and that's while taking care of a baby, so I am a good student. I really wish I could get in contact with someone who can help me solve this issue because my family are already low income as it is, I can't wait for the time when we need to pay back the 100k of student loans from this school. It seems they keep adding more bogus costs that really don't exist to suck more cash from the needy. They only call when they need more paperwork to get more money from student loans and then you! Be careful when doing anything with this school. Yes I've learned a lot but I wont be in class much longer if my power gets shut off!
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