Westwood College reviews and complaints

I have been going to there 2012 - today 4 - 3 - 2015 when I found I was being scammed I woke up to find I could not log it to classes, called them to find out why I was treated badly on the phone and was told I needed to make a 150$ payment, but the loan agreement that I signed says payment will not start until 5 - 1 - 2015, So right there we have them breaking a legal binding contract.
Law suit is needed I contacted the Ombudsman group and filed complaints the ones who accredit them.

Please contact me.

I received a post withdrawal letter of disbursement which I completed and returned to the school requesting that all eligible title iv funds be disbursed to me. Since westwood college refused to do that I submitted an email to the westwood college online financial aid office requesting that the loans be cancelled. That never took place either.

I talked to Jackie Poland of Westood College in Woodridge il, i specifically asked after doing my homework if their program for Medical Assisting was accredited she said "yes by ACICS" after looking up the exact accreditation needed as below:
http://www.aama-ntl.org/cma-aama-exam/application-steps#.Upk1MOKmaHF
i waited until she called back and told her what i have learned only to be told she does not have to "defend her school" and that she "hates when people are misinformed by other colleges and i can take the exam under their accreditation, i told her no only CAHHEP AND ABHES accredited programs are allowed to take the CMA exams. she said "we could send each other articles all day long" i said not really, this says it all and left it at that. She also informed me i can talk to all the big wigs there and they will also tell me... of course they will!. Good thing i am smarter than she and the sad part a younger person would trust that they are being told the truth, as they should! how sad they taking advantage of people like this. I do not have time or money to be taken advantage of and i had emails with her claim but maybe not enough to prove to a lawyer, not sure. but i'm disgusted beyond belief by these hideous people.and would have gone to the ends of the earth suing them if i was gullible enough to believe her.

I went to college there for 9 months in 2005, I had to quit after 9 months and then they charged me 10, 000, through Sallie Mae,
Well I went back to college with a college in Tuscaloosa and they told me that Westwood is not accredited, they told me when I signed up for Westwood that they were indeed accredited but I didn't get any degree from them and got charged 10, 000 in loan . My credits cannot be transferred to any school apparently.
I would like my loans cancelled due to this seems to be a rip off where I can't even get a transcript and I never could get a grant but with Shelton State I am getting grant money to pay for my school not Loans.
thank you for your time in this matter,
Candace Johnson

I went to this school in 2005 for a while then i drop because i got sick, I found out that I own 26, 000 thousands of dollars and sallie mae say is my fault and I sign all the papers to cancel all loans and the school still crew me over. Yes $26, 000 of private and federal loans.

Westwood college is scamming the goverment. The cancelled loans are still being cashed in by westwood along with pell grant funding even while the student is not attending. If the student has/had the apex loan owned by westwood college, which comes after you sign up,.. This is collected through the goverment subsudidzied loan system, plus westwood college collects a pell grant on top of the empty numbers which in return is totally free money. These are the biggeist thieves I have ever encountered. Smiling while they take the money!
The insider

I am at my wit's end with this degree mill. They lied to me in every way, shape and form. Ben my admission counselor (Salesman) stated credits would be transferable, now they post on the website they are not transferable. Degree can be used to obtain a better position or higher paying job. Now they state is only gives you the tools to succeed..lies, lies, lies. Even the Dean, School of Technology of WOL who I met lies to me about future accreditation. Where does it end?

Westwood has voluntarily dropped from Regional Candidacy. As I work a second job (nights and weekends) trying to pay for this now $80, 000 education that is worthless, trying to stay afloat of this financial h**l that this college create, my anger grows. So what did I learn that cost me $80, 000 and nothing but grief, financial insecurity and embarrassment? That For-Profit schools like Westwood are out to make money off the backs of those who want to succeed and have dreams by lying and making false promises. They are in it only for the money and will not supply you with an education that will allow you to enter the job market. You will be placed so far into debt that no matter what job you apply for, you will not be able to realistically pay it off timely and if you do get a degree from them, it is better used as toilet paper.

I was duped and feel like I’ve been made a fool by attending this joke of a college. Yes, I am trying to pay off this bogus debt. I have been in the IT business for over 20 years, hold certifications in Cisco, Microsoft and database administration, all obtained prior to Westwood. Here's how great they are, of those that graduated from Westwood with me, here is a list of their current positions as of today: Manager KFC, Walmart Clerk, Homeless and Unemployed, Clerk 7-11, Student (went to a real college to start over)

Now the have a placement guarantee that is really not a guarantee. See the other posts to see how it works. It's your money that they are giving back to you if they cannot help you find a job. You are still paying for it and once the six months are up, you are still saddled with outrageous school loans. No one who graduated with me was able to work in their field of study and failed to keep their promise of job assistance. Westwood college (joke) needs to be shut down. Westwood ruined my credit, finances and future dreams. I am amazed at the amount of fraud, deceit and lies from this degree mill. Online research has provided me with some interesting information.

On 04/20/2011 the BBB accreditation wassuspended due to recent government action concerning the marketplaceand its customers that demonstrates a significant failure of thecompany to support the principles and purposes of BBB accreditation. The matter will be reviewed by the BBB's Board of Directors at its next meeting.

On December 14, 2010 the Colorado Commission of Higher Education (CCHE) changed Westwood College's status from Full Authorization to Probationary Authorization due to it's probation order from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. The Department of Veterans Affairs has pulled GI Bill funding from all three Texas campuses of a for-profit college accused of misleading advertising and enrollment practices.

At the December 2, 2010 regular CCHE meeting, Commissioners voted to defer action for Westwood College until staff had received notification from the Accrediting Commission for Career Colleges and Schools. Department staff received a "Continued Probation Order" from the ACCSC on December 9, 2010. The ACCSC reviewed the September 1, 2010 Probation Order and the school's response to that action at its November 2010 meeting. It was determined that the school has not demonstrated compliance with the ACCSC's requirements relative to student achievement outcomes.

Additionally, Westwood College was requested to provide information with regard to compliance to several and various state agencies and other accreditors given the allegations of the Government Accountability Office August 4, 2010 report.

On April 6, 2009 the United States of America (on behalf of the United States Board of Education) filed an Amended Complaint in the United State District Court of the Northern District of Texas. Charges filed indicate the business was in violation of state law prohibiting a failure to comply with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for Proprietary School Operations. Particularly, some charges related to unethical and/or misleading recruitment practices, failure to report unsatisfactory job placement rates for graduates, and/or failure to properly register school representatives. The matter was resolved by a settlement in March 2009.

In 2009, Westwood's parent company, Alta Colleges Inc., of Denver, agreed to pay the U.S. government $7 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the Texas campuses of submitting falsified federal student aid forms.

Wow...and they have the nerve to tell me they are transparent?

I attended Westwood College from [protected] and received what I thought was a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. This Degree cost me $67, 000 in Sallie Mae loans and Apex loans. Originally I did not question the cost since Westwood was a private school. But after applying to several schools for my Master's Degree and being told that unfortunately they could not accept my degree due to problems with Westwood accreditation. I was pissed. I get pissed every time I see the commercial for the westwood success story because I now know it is all a lie.

As it was explained to me when I first enrolled at westwood, was that the campus I was enrolled at, was applying for its regional accreditation and by the time I graduate it should be accredited. The process takes about five years and I would still be able to go to other schools to further my degree with no problem. They did inform me that I would not be able to use my degree to work with Chicago Police but suburban departments would take my degree. This is false. Every job I have applied for in the Criminal Justice field all said the same that my education must be from a four year fully accredited university. Every university I have applied to said the same thing, that I could try to transfer my credits to see which ones are transferable or I could return to school for another Bachelors degree. I was disappointed after that. First off I am left holding this large loan that I must pay regardless for a fake degree that I can not use. Then in order for me to go back to school I would have to apply for most likely more loans that I can not afford.

I spoke to a representative at westwood in regards to what I had been told and this person told me that none of this is true that other schools are going off of old information, not the current status of the school. But, yet I am still being told as recent as three weeks ago, that Westwood is not accredited and my degree with them is useless. At most the degree I received will be looked at as just a diploma if I took all my general classes or a certificate program. Which means I would still have to go back to school for a degree. Which means another three to four years for a bachelors and another 40 to 60 thousand dollars.

The Department of Education needs to step in and do something about these schools that continues to rip off people like myself who has to work full time, but, wants further their education in a career field. My best advice is avoid Westwood college and schools like them.

Institution of higher learning my A$$.
I am at my wit's end with this degree mill. They lied to me in every way, shape and form. Ben my admission counselor (Salesman) stated credits would be transferable, now they post on the website they are not transferable. Degree can be used to obtain a better position or higher paying job. Now they state is only gives you the tools to succeed..lies, lies, lies...

Even the Dean, School of Technology of WOL who I met lies to me about future accreditation. Where does it end?
Westwood has voluntarily dropped from Regional Candidacy. As I work a second job (nights and weekends) trying to pay for this now $80, 000 education that is worthless, trying to stay afloat of this financial h**l that this college create, my anger grows. So what did I learn that cost me $80, 000 and nothing but grief, financial insecurity and embarrassment? That For-Profit schools like Westwood are out to make money off the backs of those who want to succeed and have dreams by lying and making false promises. They are in it only for the money and will not supply you with an education that will allow you to enter the job market. You will be placed so far into debt that no matter what job you apply for, you will not be able to realistically pay it off timely and if you do get a degree from them, it is better used as toilet paper.

I was duped and feel like I’ve been made a fool by attending this joke of a college. Yes, I am trying to pay off this bogus debt. I have been in the IT business for over 20 years, hold certifications in Cisco, Microsoft and database administration, all obtained prior to Westwood. Here's how great they are, of those that graduated from Westwood with me, here is a list of their current positions as of today: Manager KFC, Walmart Clerk, Homeless and Unemployed, Clerk 7-11, Student (went to a real college to start over)

Now the have a placement guarantee that is really not a guarantee. See the other posts to see how it works. It's your money that they are giving back to you if they cannot help you find a job. You are still paying for it and once the six months are up, you are still saddled with outrageous school loans.

No one who graduated with me was able to work in their field of study and failed to keep their promise of job assistance. Westwood college (joke) needs to be shut down.

Westwood ruined my credit, finances and future dreams.

I am amazed at the amount of fraud, deceit and lies from this degree mill. Online research has provided me with some interesting information.

On 04/20/2011 the BBB accreditation wassuspended due to recent government action concerning the marketplaceand its customers that demonstrates a significant failure of thecompany to support the principles and purposes of BBB accreditation. The matter will be reviewed by the BBB's Board of Directors at its next meeting.

On December 14, 2010 the Colorado Commission of Higher Education (CCHE) changed Westwood College's status from Full Authorization to Probationary Authorization due to it's probation order from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has pulled GI Bill funding from all three Texas campuses of a for-profit college accused of misleading advertising and enrollment practices.

At the December 2, 2010 regular CCHE meeting, Commissioners voted to defer action for Westwood College until staff had received notification from the Accrediting Commission for Career Colleges and Schools. Department staff received a "Continued Probation Order" from the ACCSC on December 9,
2010. The ACCSC reviewed the September 1, 2010 Probation Order and the school's response to that action at its November 2010 meeting. It was determined that the school has not demonstrated compliance with the ACCSC's requirements relative to student achievement outcomes.

Additionally, Westwood College was requested to provide information with regard to compliance to several and various state agencies and other accreditors given the allegations of the Government Accountability Office August 4, 2010 report.

On April 6, 2009 the United States of America (on behalf of the United States Board of Education) filed an Amended Complaint in the United State District Court of the Northern District of Texas. Charges filed indicate the business was in violation of state law prohibiting a failure to comply with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for Proprietary School Operations. Particularly, some charges related to unethical and/or misleading recruitment practices, failure to report unsatisfactory job placement rates for graduates, and/or failure to properly register school representatives. The matter was resolved by a settlement in March 2009.

In 2009, Westwood's parent company, Alta Colleges Inc., of Denver, agreed to pay the U.S. government $7 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the Texas campuses of submitting falsified federal student aid forms.

Wow...and they have the nerve to tell me they are transparent?

Megan Hansen Statement for Senator Durbin Forum 4-28-11

Hello, my name is Megan Hansen. First, I would like to thank Senator Durbin for holding this forum and inviting me to share the story of my experience at Westwood College. Unfortunately, it’s not at all what I had hoped it would be. I graduated in March of this year with a degree in Criminal Justice, after attending Westwood’s O’Hare campus and taking online classes. I’m now $65, 000 in debt and have wasted three years getting what’s turning out to be a worthless degree.

My dream was to work as a parole officer and then go on to law school, but that doesn’t look very realistic at this point. After graduating, I quickly found out that most agencies won’t call me back when I apply for jobs, and most traditional colleges don’t recognize Westwood’s degree or credits. My pursuit of higher education and the promise of a rewarding career have come to a screeching halt.

When I first saw Westwood’s TV commercial about its Criminal Justice program more than three years ago, it really caught my eye, because it said I could be done in 3 years, instead of four. So, I called the school and went in for a tour. The Admissions Rep made it sound like Westwood’s Criminal Justice program was one of the best. I would get all this hands on training and be taught by teachers who actually worked in the field. She made it sound like I was practically guaranteed a job when I graduated, and that the school would help me find a job.

It all sounded amazing, but when she told me about how much it would cost, I started having second thoughts. She said it would be $14, 000 a year, which sounded like a lot, but I later discovered it was even more than that. I just recently got an account summary of what my last year cost, and it was $26, 000 for just that one year. The two previous years were also more, coming to an additional 8-thousand dollars above what they told me it would be. Seeing how much this ended up costing is part of the great stress I deal with every day.

When I left Westwood that first day, I was still on the fence about whether to enroll, but then, they kept hounding me, calling me over and over, and telling me how great the school was, until I finally decided to go ahead and enroll; a decision I regret to this day.

Now, I’m finding out *all that Career Placement help they promised has turned out to be just a bunch of emails about job openings that I’m not qualified for, could have gotten without a degree, or are too far away for me to even consider. Worst of all, when I do send my resumes out, I never hear back from anyone. I send emails trying to find out if they’ll consider me, and no one ever responds.

I’ve also tried to apply to several “regionally” accredited schools in the Chicago area, but none of them will accept Westwood’s credits. It’s so frustrating, because the Admissions Rep never said anything about how Westwood didn’t have “regional” accreditation or that my credits wouldn’t transfer to most other schools. When I found out that the school’s lack of accreditation might be a problem, it was more than a year after I enrolled. I confronted the Program Director about it, but she kept reassuring me time and time again, not to worry. She said Westwood was a candidate for “regional” accreditation and would become accredited. Westwood never did get the regional accreditation, and I just recently learned the school has even withdrawn its application.

I went to school to better my life, but I’m still working as a receptionist in a doctor’s office, as I have for the past six years. So for now, I don’t really know what to do. I can’t afford to pay back my $65, 000 in loans, which are deferred for now. In September, I’m getting married, which is right about the time I’m supposed to start paying on those loans.

This should be the happiest time in my life, but instead I’m full of anxiety about what the future holds. I can’t get a job in my field, I can’t continue my education at a traditional school, and I can’t pay back my loans.

Getting a college degree was supposed to give me a brighter future, but all it’s done is put me in a worse position than if I never went to college at all. I hope other people looking to further their education will listen to my story and be very careful before they sign up at one of these schools. I don’t want them to end up like me. I wasted all this money, and, now I’m totally sick to my stomach and don’t know what to do.

After searching around, hoping to get into a bachelor’s program where I could move into management, I was contacted by a Westwood representative by the name of Ben who told me nothing but lies and mislead me during the application process. Yes, at the time, they were seeking Regional Accreditation. They had their ACICS accreditation but I was told by the recruiter that they were way past the point of candidacy and it would be only a short time before they were Regionally accredited. False promises, lies about their accreditation and several years later, I graduated. Took my degree to my current employer and after HR review, they explained to me since they do not have Regional accreditation, I was out of luck and could not be considered for management. My employer would not even allow me to apply for educationally assistance or reimbursement because this “college” was not a valid institution.

So I tried taking my transcript to 3 local community colleges and was told the credits are non transferable. Went to 2 local “for-profit” schools with ACICS accreditation as well and was also denied. Tried using this fake degree to apply for several positions with SCE, IBM, Oracle, Wells Fargo, and a hand full of respectable and known IT companies. Received nice thank you letters but was told that I did not meet the minimum educational requirements by two potential employers because this ‘college’ did not meet their criteria as an educational institution. Yet, I did meet the experience portion of several but because of my lack of an actual degree, was denied an interview.

So now, several years down the road I see that Westwood has voluntarily dropped from Regional Candidacy. As I work a second job (nights and weekends) trying to pay for this $50, 000 education that is worthless, trying to stay afloat of this financial *** that this college create, my anger grows. So what did I learn that cost me $50, 000 and nothing but grief, financial insecurity and embarrassment? That For-Profit schools like Westwood are out to make money off the backs of those who want to succeed and have dreams by lying and making false promises. They are in it only for the money and will not supply you with an education that will allow you to enter the job market. You will be placed so far into debt that no matter what job you apply for, you will not be able to realistically pay it off timely and if you do get a degree from them, it is better used as toilet paper.

I was duped and feel like I’ve been made a fool by attending this joke of a college. Yes, I am trying to pay off this bogus debt. I have been in the IT business for over 20 years, hold certifications in Cisco, Microsoft and database administration, all obtained prior to Westwood. Some people have hobbies, collecting coins, boating, needle-point. Starting today, my hobby will be to go online at least once a week, visit as many websites as I can and spread the word on what this school did to me, financially and emotionally, and of those that graduated from Westwood with me, here is a list of their current positions as of today: Manager KFC, Walmart Clerk, Homeless and Unemployed, Clerk 7-11, Student (went to a real college to start over)

No one who graduated with me was able to work in their field of study and failed to keep their promise of job assistance.

As a former educator and someone who spent time at Westwood, I would suggest staying as far away from this school as possible. Admissions reps will tell you a mountain of lies and endlessly harass you until you enroll. They lack proper accreditation, and none of your credits will transfer to ANY decent school. Anyone that tells you differently is lying. Faculty and staff care little for the quality of education or for their students welfare. In fact, the system is purposely designed to confuse anyone who asks questions (especially when it comes to financial matters) and there is open hostility to any student who dares buck the system. Do not go to this school. The only thing you’ll get from Westwood is an astronomical bill, poor quality classes, and a worthless degree.