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I thought about going back to school, and was pretty excited about attending International Academy of Design and Technology. I applied online, and soon enough, I had a phone call. After exchanging my goals and past education, I was going to be 'reviewed' as to whether or not I was going to be accepted to the school. A day or two later, I got a confirmation call that I had in fact been accepted. So, I filled out my FAFSA and other information, and noticed soon after that I was owing about $637 every MONTH. Now, I was certain that it had been covered under FAFSA or student loans. That brings me to my current situation. I've tried contacting numerous people from Financial Aid, my Academic Advisor (who e-mailed my information to Financial Aid and gave me a phone number.) and the Registrars Office. These have been e-mails, phone calls, and even chats you can access on the website. Not a single person has yet to contact me after many phone calls.
To go a little more in depth, to show you how much they 'care', I started up a chat session with The Financial Aid team. I typed in my situation, hit enter and a "Please wait until a representative joins the chat." Waited, nothing. Waiting some more. Nothing. After about an hour of watching, "A representative has closed this chat session."
All they want is your money. They don't care otherwise. Do not go to this college!
I enrolled in IADT lst year, While there I had no bad experiences, but I let another school Ashford University convince me that they could give me a better and cheaper education, to make a long story short, that school was a fraud. When I pulled out I did get a refund for the classes that I didn't take and the promised left over money from my grant $754. the other funds were sent back to the lender which allowed me to get into a different school, Biggest mistake that I ever made, Whereas IADT supplied me with all my books, headset and any other materials that I needed to make my experience in the classroom easier. The interactions with the students and the teachers online was very positive. So guess what I pulled out comlained to the Federal goverment about the other school, and reenrolled in IADT, The process was quick easy and simple, is not that what we are looking for? I appreciate all of the positive comments, as I agree with what you are saying. especially Mr Picky and Egrnenvy.
What a lot of the kids on this site failed to research before going to this school is that it is a FOR PROFIT school. State schools are less expensive. I couldn't find a local school that offered Graphic Design Bachelors that was 1) available in my city - Denver, CO and 2) available that would work in my schedule. So I chose online and I knew it would be pricey because it wasn't a state school. Private for profit and not for profit schools are always more expensive than state or community colleges.
Oh and you want to talk expensive? I went to the Art Instittue Online (AIO) and realized that I would be paying an extra $20, 000 more to finish the Graphic Design BFA program if I stayed there, so I transferred to IADT Online. It's not perfect. My Student Advisor is an idiot, for example. But, I have been impressed with the school. The interactive experience that is offered is great. The projects for class assignments are challenging and interesting. I have a Bachelor's degree from 20 years ago that I earned at a traditional school. That was a better experience, but the online learning experience is great for flexibilty of schedules. The staff at the school is very accessible and professional. I never heard from a dean of my department when I was at AIO--but here I know who his name is and have interacted with him. I have earned scholarships that were never available to me at AIO. AIO was the first Graphic Design online programs and since 2009, new programs have been developed. Kids need to check their facts, stop whining and be glad they have the opportunity to get a higher education. Not everyone gets this opportunity and NO PLACE IS PERFECT! YOu need to take ownership of your education and not blame it on others.
IADT Truth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wel2J-RviWQ
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
CEC - Career Education Corpoartion the company which owns IADT along with numerous private for-profit colleges is under Federal investigation. Students will suffer. Watch the Youtube video below.
These are schools owned by CEC:
IADT - International Academy of Design and Technology
AIU - American InterContinental University
Brown College
CTU - Colorado Technical University - CTU Online
Brooks Institute
Le Cordon Bleu
CCA - California Culinary Academy
Sanford-Brown College - Sanford-Brown Institute
Briarcliffe College - Briarcliffe Online
Missouri College
Collins College
Visit my Youtube group and watch the 1min video -- it explains everything.
http://www.youtube.com/user/CECOAdvocate
IADT is a Scam School -- (Read Review Below This)
IADT is a private for-profit school run by a corporation (CEC - Career Education Corporation)
They have shareholders. Profit over education, in addition to the numerous lawsuits against the schools and the corporation are hard evidence of corruption.
STAY AWAY FROM IADT!
Google Search "Students sue IADT" or "IADT Scam" and see what comes up - absolutely rediculous they can get away with this -- wrecking peoples lives and driving them into debt.
This school is ###. I am not saying so bc of the tuition. Bc i do think technology comes at a high price. I am saying this school is ### bc the teachers are spread thin, they dont teach you how do do the things you need to know, they dont care about their students, the faculty is crap.. There are a few teachers who do their job. and for them i am greatful. I was so stoked about this school when i first started. and one slip bc of personal reason i was put on they they dont matter list. There are a lot of students on that list. I know when i say that this school is crap i can say other people feel this way. i am currently an IADT student who is proud to say im ready to move on and pay for a school that is going to help me and teach me what i will need to learn to suceed in web design. So Peace out IADT... and i hope you dont take down any students when you fall to pieces... FULL SAIL HERE I COME
I had similar experience as the original complaint. They deserve a big fat F in communications. I am a disabled student, went back to school with some state assistance and chose IADT Online through Tampa, Florida, for its flexible hours online. The application, review, and admission process was straightforward and easy. The first two years went fine. Then suddenly, in the third year that I would have been graduating with a bachelor's degree in Web Development, everything went downhill. The invoices billing my state assistance for payments, did not go through, nobody followed up or communicated to me that my state assistance did not get the invoices. Four months later, I found myself kicked out of the school due to an outstanding account. My portion was paid but not the state assistance's portion. I tried so many times to call and contact someone at the accounting, was reduced to having to deal with them via e-mails. There were numerous requests to have copies of the invoices forwarded to myself and the state assistance caseworker helping me. We had to do this five times and it took six months. Then after invoices were verified, payments went to IADT Online's accounting department, but they said some of the payments never arrived. Another 4 months wasted tracking down those checks and canceling them and re-issuing new ones and trying to get a hold of them to verify they received the payments. Then there was the last remainder that I had to pay except there was no way of paying it anywhere. They had cut off my online access, there was no paper billing, nothing. They just sent my account over to a collections agency. The collections agency is actually easier to contact and actually talk with someone than anyone at IADT Online's account/financial offices. You could NEVER get a hold of anyone at their offices. Granted, the teachers and courses were great, it was the accounting/financial department that was a complete failure. Nobody is there, it's run by a bunch of squirrels running in their wheels. There's always a different person trying to contact you and you try to call back and it's a different person, because that original person who contacted you the day before, is gone! Before this mess, I was a Dean's Student. Top grades, excellent coursework. Just had problems with their accounting/financial department.
Please, please, please do not attend this school. I feel bad for anyone they sucker into their online program. I just completed my final class and I am now a proud owner (NOT!) of an AS in Web Design. I rarely regret anything, but I regret attending this school. Please save your time and money and go to a real school.
As a former TEACHER at an IADT, I can heartily assure you that these schools are interested in nothing but parting unsuspecting students from their money. The teacher pay is rock bottom, though many of the teachers I knew there did, in fact, want to teach well. However, it's hard to attract and keep good teachers when the institution makes it so obvious that good education is their very last concern.
Beware of "colleges for profit." They are not real colleges. Degrees from IADT mean squat. Any employer will choose a graduate from a real university over a graduate from a fake college. And as many have pointed out, anyone with a high school diploma (even with a d-minus average and a criminal record) is instantly accepted. Being "accepted" at IADT means nothing. Graduating from there means even less...It basically means you have been fooled and ripped off by a big corporation.
My advice? Go to a community college. The tuition will be a fraction of what you will pay at these For Profit schools, and the education will be real.
I was also a former IADT teacher and left because it was more important to pass students to keep them happy instead of actually teaching them the skills that would be needed for a career.
The first department chair would hide from students, the second grew the program then got moved up and his replacement drove away pretty much all the full time faculty. My office was next to another department chair's and I remember her going in and complaining that she could not keep the teachers, that she needed team building. I was in disbelief, lady you personally were the problem and no about of team building was going to change that.
At Feldman, Fox & Morgado, we are investigating several for-profit colleges, universities, academies and their parent companies for fraud, misrepresentation and violation of Unfair Trade Practices Acts. Visit our new site and even if you do not see your school listed, we may already be conducting an investigation and want to hear your story. We look forward to discussing your case soon.
EducationFraudLawsuit.com
Do not apply to this school. I am a former teacher from ITT Technical Institute in Lake Mary. I have first hand experience working with Melinda Matheus. She is not to be trusted. When the director of your school tells you that we are all about profit and stresses that, there is a problem. In her short time with ITT Tech, she was investigated for sexual misconduct with an instructor. If you look at her LinkedIn profile she cannot keep a job longer than three years. Is this the type of Director/President you would want to attend a school a?. I mention this because she is the one setting policies at the school. Her judgment is everything when it comes to hiring, grading policies, etc. Move on and do not consider this school.
I graduated IADT Schaumburg Illinois In spring of 2013. My last semester our school dean I believe came into our classroom to address the fact that they were reapplying for accreditation, and not to worry because he believed that we will receive it. WTF was that? I immediately tried transforming to the Art institute where they told me most of my credits wouldn't transfer over and if I were to join them I would loose a year and a half of class making me a softmore. After about 2 weeks of freaking out we got news from IADT that all was great and we were now accredit.
Its been a year and a half since I graduated with a "BA in Merchandising Management" and my career service lady is no where to be found. When I was still in school she was sending me BS retail jobs that I could get on my own w.o a bachelor degree. I told her I was looking for something different so she just stopped emailing me! Now I'm $80, 000 in debt from this BS school working part time at a modeling agency that I found on craigslist ( making $500 every 2 weeks at the age of 25). I have deferred my loans as much as I could and am freaking out because I have nooo idea how I'm going to repay them. With the break down I owe $730 a month to pay off my loans. Meaning I will have to live with my mom for the rest of my life with my current income just to pay off these loans.
The cherry on top of this story is when I went back on to the IADT site which is Stanford Brow now, all of the IADT alumni phone numbers and emails are disconnected! How am I supposed to find a job when I keep calling and emailing non existent numbers and emails? This is ridiculous. I'm currently trying to file a lawsuit against this joke of a school so if anyone can help me out before they come and repo my car and all my other assets that would be great. AleenaM1989@gmail.com
Looking to file class action because the school defrauded students and I have proof! Not only did I graduate with honors our BIM (Building Information Modeling) class was not even announced on stage at graduation! They grouped us together with the Interior Design graduates which we were not! I will be seeking a lawyer to file class action in near future. I believe the proof I have will stand up in a court of law.
I have been a graduate of IDT Schaumburg since 2013 with my BA in Merchandising Management. With $80, 000 debt and no after college career advisory I have been stuck for 2 and 1/2 years working multiple part time positions just to pay off my bills. I have deferred my payments until I no longer can, and finally qualified for low income based repayments. I have slowly started teaching myself some career search techniques that I have learned online but I'm starting to freak out. I am a 26 year old college grad living at home with my mom and at this rate with no proper career training, maybe not even a real degree, and $80, 000 in debt I probably will live at home forever.
I am former student, I went 58, 000 dollars in debt to this school. I could not afford to pay more to graduate. So they did kick me to the curve. I agree with all the people who have said that all they want is your status as a human for numbers and your money. They don't care, and if there is a class action against them, I plan on signing up against them. I'm truly not happy with them. I learned my work at my own teaching and practice, the teachers need to be more trained to teachhave rather than a social. IADTONLINEBOOKS@WORDSOFWISDOMBOOKS.COM Of Tampa Florida.
The research shows that IADT's CEO was embezzling money. He was living in New York at the time. That is why the school closed. The financial aid department is a joke. If you can not afford it, do not attend. With the amount of money you are paying you would think they would have you a job lined up after graduation. Wrong. It's high priced for no reason. They get you private loans so you can get more money to pay them and then don't want to give you anything to live off of. The housing department is a joke as well. You pay to stay in a normal apartment with run down furniture and 3 other people. For the price you pay you can stay alone. I'm not sorry, it was the worst mistake of my life. I now owe $73, 000 for 1 year at IADT. You tell me what's the problem with this picture? I wouldn't have minded paying that price if I was guaranteed a job. If I had know that, I would have went to regular community college. There are no perks for attending this school over a University or community college with design program. I had funny feeling about this school after reviewing the documents myself. Originally, my mother set this up and went over the paperwork. I was 18 years old and new to the college world. This has haunted me for 10 years now and will continue until I die. I can't afford to repay this. Good luck to the rest pf you. May God be with you in this situation.
Attention: If you know Anyone who went to one of these listed schools with worthless credits and degrees please read.
*IADT - International Academy of Design
* AIU - American InterContinental University
* Sanford Brown
* Le Cordon Bleu
* Briarcliff
* CTU - Colorado Technical University
We are filing a class action lawsuit with Morgan & Morgan. If you would like to join the suit Go to http://www.forthepeople.com/ and fill out information under contact to join. Put IADT in the header. Tell all former students you know. :)
I tried and nothing came up. Has it been dropped?
I know I was robbed. I have since enrolled in a new school and my financial aid works for me. At IADT all of my money went to them, no matter how much the loan was. I never received a dime of my money. They hogged every penny. I will look into suing their fraudulent, greedy behinds as well. I do have that worthless diploma, and none of the work I did there was accredited. My school now would not accept any credits from them. I asked the entrance program in the beginning if they were accredited; she lied.
My son went to IADT - Sacramento and enrolled in the BIM program. 3 months before he was to finish his degree, the program was closed. I contacted the Borrower Defense and found out that this school does not qualify for loan discharge since not enough complaints have been reported. After reviewing his subsidized and unsubsidized loan from Nelnet and what was on my son's account activity, the amounts did not match. The student loan (Dept of Education) had a larger amount then what my son actually received. My son has no degree, no job and his repayment on his loan is due. If there is anyone who went to this school, check your loan. If you received fraud contact Borrow Defense at [protected] and make a complaint. The more complaints they have they will start an investigation.
How can we contact them?
My daughter complete 4 years at that institution she has two loans and I have two parent plus loans. At the completion they did not place her on a job as they promised they would do at the end of graduation and their credits were not transferable as they promised they would. We still on the hook for those loans.