Kaplan was the parent school of the College that I had been attending (Hesser Community College). I held a 4.0 G.P. A at Hesser, and never had a problem with loans, billing, or issues with the staff at Hesser.
In the summer of I was moving away, and wanted to continue my degree program, but could not make the 2 hour drive to Hesser College everyday. So I made the foolish choice of signing on with Kaplan University.
I had no issues at all with the initial process, and my student admission contact, Libia Marsack, was awesome. I got all of my necessary paperwork in on time and even ahead of schedule. I was officially enrolled in Kaplan by June 20 and I was scheduled to start my first 2 classes in August of and I started the classes without a problem either. I actually enjoyed the classes and the instructors that I had been assigned.
The first issue with Kaplan began about 4 weeks into things. I logged in to my account to find my name misspelled. I contacted student services over 42 times in the course of 3 months, and they never did get this problem fixed.
I finished my first 2 classes with an A in one, and a B in the other. These classes finished right around the beginning of October. I then signed up for my next 2 classes that were supposed to start at the end of October.
On October 12, I was contacted by my Financial Aid Adviser DD Walker. She informed me that she needed a copy of my new husband's (we were married in June of and didn't even live with each other until a few months before the wedding) 2007 tax return.
Where we had just moved into a new house, I had told her that I wasn't sure where it was and that it would be a while before I could locate it. I then asked her why she needed it, to which I never got a strait answer. She then informed me that I had 24 hours to produce the tax return. I told her that was impossible, and demanded more time. So she was kind enough to give me 72 hours.
I immediately contacted my student adviser, Juliet Young, and Libia Marsack and told them of this conversation. Neither one of them could understand why Financial would need the Return, and they promised to get it straitened out. But that I should find the return anyway. So I searched to no avail, and contacted the IRS and requested that one be sent to me.
I then contacted DD Walker again, and told her that I had put in a request to have the Tax Return sent to me, and that it would arrive in a week or two. I also told her that I would have it sent to her via fax, email, and regular mail as soon as I received it. She said this was fine.
Sure enough 3 days after the conversation, I get a call from DD Walker demanding the return, and she put another 3 day deadline on me to which I argued and demanded her supervisor, she then hung up on me (She claimed this didn't happen on later conversations).
So, on October 21 I received the Tax return in the mail.By 4pm that day I had faxed and emailed a signed copy of it to Juliet Young, DD Walker, and Libia Marsack. Juliet Young, and Libia Marsack both acknowledged that they had received it and even sent DD Walker a copy of it themselves.
On October 22 I went to sign into my new classes to find that DD Walker had barred me from taking any further classes for an indefinite period of time.
I tried repeatedly calling and emailing my contacts at Kaplan to no avail, and could not get reinstated into my classes. I was told I had to wait until the next set of classes started in 2 months.
I then kept receiving crazy automated emails from the Financial Aid dept saying that I was missing every piece of my Financial and Student paperwork. The only person I could get in touch with during all of this was Libia Marsack, and she could not understand any of the emails that I was getting.
On November 25, I received an email out of nowhere stating that I was officially withdrawn from Kaplan University per my request. I had never requested to be withdrawn, ever, in any way shape or form.
December of I received my first bill from Kaplan for $3,600.00 for the classes they would not let me take. I continually tried to get this straitened out through financial aid with no success. And I have been contacted by 26 different collection agencies. All of which I tell exactly what happened and have provided all the emails between me and Kaplan to on some occasions. Once they hear what happened, they just stop calling me.
It has gotten to the point that Kaplan is trying to contact me personally again for the $3,600.00 instead of using collections. I have told them that I refuse to pay it, and will go to the BBB with it if they do not cease and desist. I now only hear from them once every couple of months, instead of 7 times a day (They even called at 6am once).
I do not recommend Kaplan to anyone. And I strongly suggest that you do not give Kaplan a chance. I have heard nothing good about them, and have experienced nothing but grief from them.
If there is ever a class action suit I would love to get in on it if possible. I don't even want any money, I just want to see them put in their place.
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