University of Phoenix [UOPX] review: unethical business practices! 65

If you have the time to attend a regular state university, then the University of Phoenix is probably not your best bet as they do not offer the variety of degrees nor do they offer the typical college experience.

However, UoP is a great, legitimate, alternative for those who can't attend classes because they work full time, live far from a typical ground campus, or have other factors keeping them from sitting in a class all day.

The tuition at UoP is very much average for yearly in-state tuition costs at four year colleges, and significantly less expensive than out of state tuition costs. Classes are shorter, but more intense. Students are still completing the same number of credits in a 'semester' as they would on a ground campus, they just take one short class at a time rather than four or five long classes at the same time. This makes it easier to manage.

Degrees earned at UoP are just as valid as from any other major university that is regionally accredited, such as Oklahoma State University. Call the Department of Education for yourself. As for transferring coursework, UoP has articulation agreements with a wide variety of colleges so its very surprising to hear that they had to be sued just to give up a course catalog, especially considering one is found easily on the internet.

Transcript fees are found at any university, as is overnight postage if requested. Check with any college.

Unethical business practices are thrown around by all sorts of people who make lofty claims because they didn't get something they felt entitled to get. If these same things, or worse, happened at a state university nothing is thought of it because they are not 'for profit'. However, since UoP is for profit suddenly everything is a major outrage, like $7.00 transcripts.

Fact is UoP is the most scrutinized university in the nation because it receives the most federal student loans. Nothing has come of it except for two whistle blowers in California citing illegal enrollment compensation practices, which has yet to be proven true (the whistle blowers would be eligible for a cut of the money if they win).

The question is, can you trust a school that's had the following said about it...(from the Nation Online)

"A recruiter could earn $750 for each student enrolled. Management pressured employees to enroll as many students as possible, and to do 'whatever it takes.' If a prospective student could find a better or cheaper option at a local community college, recruiters kept it to themselves.

Employees told investigators they learned that only one thing mattered at Phoenix: getting '### in classes.' Federal law, however, mandates that college enrollment counselors not be paid a bounty per student, to insure that counselors do what is best for the student, rather than for themselves or the company."

Or this from a front page New York Times article on the UOP

“Their business degree is an M.B.A. Lite,” said Henry M. Levin, a professor of higher education at Teachers College at Columbia University. “I’ve looked at their course materials. It’s a very low level of instruction.”

In November, the university’s reliance on part-time faculty caused a problem with Intel, hundreds of whose employees it has educated. Alan Fisher, an Intel manager, said the company had decided to pay for employees to attend only highly accredited programs. Although Phoenix is regionally accredited, it lacks approval from the most prestigious accrediting agency for business schools, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

John J. Fernandes, the association’s president, said the university had never applied. “They’re smart enough to understand their chances of approval would be low,” Mr. Fernandes said. “They have a lot of come-and-go faculty. We like institutions where the faculty is stable and can ensure that students are being educated by somebody who knows what they’re doing.”

I attended UoP online for four short months. I was planning on transferring to classes on campus after my second set of classes, but by the middle of that set, I was done with UoP. I wanted to go to school for a Bachelor's in Elementary Education, but my enrollment adviser told me that I would have to get an Associate's degree first and they don't have an Associate's in Elementary Education. Subsequently I was put on the Associate program for Business Management (which I had no interest in) and was told that when I was done with that I could then go into the Bachelor program for Elementary Education. When I started classes, I was taking their "Into to College" class and an English class, then started another English class and a Critical Thinking class. These classes were taught by "professors" who had MATHEMATICS degrees! There was one assignment where we were supposed to watch some cable news program and do a paper of some sort on a story. At the time I didn't have cable (and still don't) and when I informed the instructor of such and asked for some sort of alternative or solution, he argued with me over it. I had no way to complete the assignment, which was worth about 20 points, and because I argued with the instructor, he somehow managed to dock me more points than the assignment was worth. That was the last straw for me and I promptly told them that as soon as that second set of classes was over, I was done.

I dropped out in August '06 and by January I was enrolled in another school. UoP kept calling me and when I answered they would ask if I was ready to come back to UoP. I told them I was enrolled in another school and that I was not ever planning on going back to their school. They would end the conversation and then the next week or the week after that they would be calling me back again. The school I am in now is so much BETTER than UoP, and I am taking online classes from a traditional university the same way I was with UoP, it's CHEAPER, I'm going straight for my Bachelor's in Elementary Education, and the instructors actually have degrees in what they're instructing! Imagine that!

I being a parent and a fill time working mom thought Phoenix would be perfect for me. The Student Counselors push the fact that I only need to be on line 3 days a week to complete all of my classes. They made it sound perfect for those of us that already have tight schedules. BOY WAS I MISGUIDED! I was finding myself on line doing class work 6 nights a week online until 1:00a.m. in order to be able to do well in my classes and complete all of my assignments. There were several students who were only in class the 2-3 times a week and they were failing both classes. This to me is a FALSE ADVERTISING SCAM TO TARGET MOMS AND DADS WHO WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. It go so bad that I was not getting any sleep and when I had to finally call my counselor to ask for a couple of months off one because too much strain on family and two because I almost had a car wreck due to lack of sleep. They told me in order to get credit I would have to complete the other 2 classes in order to get credit for the block. They were only willing to give 1 month to me or I would not get credit for that block. Looking back all I could remember is how they stressed the fact that they work with busy schedules and working people to help them get the education and that they are there for their students. UOP IS IN IT FOR THE MONEY! The GREAT PERSUASIVE COUSELORS REELED ME IN knowing it is nearly impossible to make the grades going to class only 2-3 times a week. Therefore when students find outt that in order to make good grades , they really suckered you in.With the class work and assignments there is no way that is possible to acheive an A. I did have A's in both of my classes but like I said I was walking around like a zombie and never had time for my family. SO FOR PHOENIX TO BE TARGETING PARENTS AND FULL TIME WORKING PEOPLE, THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

This is not a school anyone would ever want to attend,a waste of time and application fee for any serious student. A weird experience NO one shoudl endure...bias towards certain persons and demographics looming at every corner,AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

The problems with UOP are deeper than most here realize. In a case out of California, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ex rel. )
MARY HENDOW and JULIE ALBERTSON,)
)2:03-cv-457-GEB-DAD
Plaintiffs,)
v.)UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX,)
Defendant.)
the tremendous amount of fraud is being exposed in a case the US Supreme Court ruled needed to be heard when they tried to dismiss it. We are not speaking of they have problems, we are talking of an enormous case of fraud committed against consumers and the United States Government itself. Adding to that the United States Justice Department informed the Judges, they agree and support the lawsuit as did the Federal Board of Education against Apollo Group Inc. the parent of UOP. There is noted an apparent increase since the case came to light against students who may or may not provide potential testimony as the case grows. Few if any of the Professors have been certified to teach a class. Lee Finkel head of the Office Of Dispute Management is actually an INsurance Liability Attorney in Arizona, so the odds of a student resolution appearing from work, he has published, is always going to be in favor of UOP to increase stock for stockholders. The majority of their counselors are not qualified to recommend anything to anyone and the financial has a goal to increase stock pay offs for stock holders. Their own stock holders sued them for fraud and won just months ago. The Founder John Fueler has failed at almost all other enterprises he has engaged in. One involved charging 50k for the cloning of pets, folded. He promotes the legalization of illegal drugs on the Street and has a open attitude of I can do as I wish irregardless of Government laws, which has been published repeatedly. They hire those associated with Government connections from the inside in order to gain clout to pull of what any other College would be prosecuted for. Though they receive accrediting, that involves a ten year span for recertification between. At this time, with the rulings and investigations by the Fed. Dept. Of Education, whatever accrediting they have received is overthrown by fines and charges from 9 million dollar fines of EEOC violations to fines for stealing from the Government. Why actual prosecution has not occurred to key figures in this scam is something that has never been addressed.

I transfered from a well known universtiy in Detroit and I was a parttime student. I had to take my Grandmother who is 97 years old and work, so I had decided to attend this university to finish school sooner. Well they found out that my financal aid was in place and all we had to do was transfer it to their school and get my transcripts. Well it so happened that the school I came from had semesters and this school was full time only, in which I was not informed. After I started to attend, by the second class I was approached by my financial adviser, who I had never met. I was informed that I had acquired a balance of $2,850.00 or more due to the fact that my financial did not cover my entire tuition. So, I called the feds and they informed me that the school already knew that before they signed me in, because you have to transfer at least 42 credits for them to get enough to fully cover the cost to be a full time student. Since then I had major surgery, and the classes I had at that time where a repeat of the ones I had at the previous school. When questioned about review of this I was told that only the main campus in Phoenix could do the evaluation. This has happened to at least four other I work with or had association with in the field of criminal justice. They have been hounding me ever since, and others that this has happened to. We need help to get this resolved, these practices are unethical.

This school is a total fraud. I posted attendance in class and was still auto-dropped. They sent me a letter stating that I withdrew myself after posting attendance. This is a complete and utter lie.

Now, here we are in April 2008. I am trying to attend another university. Phoenix is responsible for updating my NSLDS record, however, they swear up and down that they are not. I spoke with the people at the NSLDS and they said if Phoenix refuses to update it, to let them know I'll be going to the BBB and Attorney General for fraud and embezzlement of goverment funds. This school is totally a waste of time, there are so many other more reputable schools that are online out there.

Now Phoenix is telling me that I owe them $1, 770 because they had to return funds for classes. They want me to take out a loan to pay them off. Not going to happen, whatsoever!

I am having the same problems as you. I too had to pay for my 2 classes. I wonder if we can contact Sallie Mae regarding how the school mis informed us to get eh funds from Sallie Mae and it was never disbursed to the students?

I attended phoenix in August of last year but January of this year i transferred to another college that was better. Phoenix said I owed them $4417 for the classes since my loan was sent back to salliemae on their behalf. Now i can not continue my education because phoenix will not release my transcript to my present college I am attending. What can I do? Please someone contact me at my email address Kimberlybridges83@yahoo.com. Thanks!

I currently attend the University of Phoenix and the experience has been positive most of the time. Most of the professors seem to have degrees from major accredited universities. Sometimes it does get frustrating when you get a professor who doesn' teach very well. I'm sure every student experiences courses that sometimes make you very angry due to poor teaching and instruction. This does exist everywhere in a lot of schools. The educational quality is the main thing that worries me about the University of Phoenix . Will employers look at a Univeristy of Phoenix Business Degree like ant other state university busines degree? Can it help you advance your career with a degree from their university?

I currently attend UOP, I was checking to see what complaints the school has. I worked full time and I can't take full time classes. This school made it convenient for me; I know the classes are short and you spend more time doing the work. But I feel the only way to solve this is which companies will accept a graduate from this school. I understand that the staff is unstable and I hate to continue a program if I don't get anything out of it after I graduate. I'm not having problems yet so far, but I do agree that the staff should be stable.

I am half way through my program, and I have a 3.92 GPA. However, the only reason I have such a high GPA is I work my butt off 6-8 hours a day 6 days a week. When I was enrolled I was told I would have a flexable schedule, because I am a mother of four. I have had nothing but problems over the last 12 months through UOP. First, most of my teachers did not provide feedback until it was to late, and the assignment was already due by the time they got back to me. Then the books they provide are horrid; they do not cover everything you need to know. I found myself spending hours searching the internet for the information I need to complete my work. Why am I paying for books that do not provide the information I need to complete my assignments? I am starting to think I made a BIG MISTAKE attending UOP. Is there someone I can make complaints to reguarding UOP? To anyone who is thinking about attending UOP DO NOT DO IT! If you do you will regret ever doing so!

The fact of the matter is that UOP/Axia gives you the responsibility to manage YOUR OWN TIME. If you had really been auto-dropped for attendence and disputed it the faculty would have reconsidered. It's not in their best interest to dump people out of their programs over technicalities.

When they say that you can do the degree on a part time basis, they're not saying that you can do it in 4 hours a week - you have to put in the effort and the time. So if that means 2 hours a night 6 days a week, it's certainly better than 8 hours a day, 5 times a week. It's all relative.

I have been doing a AAIT with Axia for almost 2 years now and have found the experience rewarding. I can manage my time better, have better organizational skills and have learned a lot of interesting (if not valuable) facts.

It's better to have read all the facts ahead of time before getting into any of these kind of programs. If you can afford to do night classes or day classes at a brick and mortar college / university - then do it. Online education is probably not for you - and having the spare time to do in class education is much better. But if you're in the situation that many of us are with full-time jobs or families to deal with, online may be the only option.

There isn't much difference between the online experience and the correspondence experience - they both require a lot more "self-starting" and are not applicable to everyone. Some people find the classes too easy - if that's the case then you should be in another school.

Personally my experience has been very good with UOP/Axia and I recommend it to the person who has the discipline to keep at it and can dedicate the time to work on it.

Please stay away from UOP - their web site has technical problems that effects student's abilities to access the site and upload homework. If your homework does not successfully make it to the teacher's hands - your grade suffers, regardless of it being due to a server or network problem. We have been complaining through their bureaucracy and the staff has been hiding behind paperwork and draging things out waiting for us to give up and go away. The result of this technical glitch for us was a lot of hardwork and money and a D+ to show for it. Stay away from UOP - they are all about the profit and don't care about students except for their money.

The previous posts are very interesting. I found a couple that really hit a chord.

First, flexible means you are online when it is convenient for you, not that you do not have to put effort into the program. I commend a 3.92 average, but you would have to work just as much at a brick and mortar school to attain the same grades.

Second, books provided by any educational institution have pertinent information missing so that the student has to do some RESEARCH to answer questions. An education should not be spoon fed, the more work put into, the more taken away by the student.

Third, I completed a masters with UoP and only experienced technical difficulties a couple of times. When I explained to the instructor what had happened, I was given full credit, never once were points deducted.

Sometimes it almost seems silly some of the complaints just because it is the University of Phoenix. Traditional schools have their problems as well as other online institutions. But, since UoP is for profit, great target. I enjoyed my experience and most of my classmates did as well. The shame is that only complaints get aired.

I wwish some one would have told me about this school before I let them steal all of my finical aid.This school suck it is the worst thing I ever seems in my life. and the way they do your finical aid is so very wrong. And I ready do have to pay that money paid. I really thought that this was a great ideal taking classes online, but this has became a nightmare for me. Now I am almost through with my classes I am thing about leaving for good

I'm really surprised to see all of these complaints about UoP- I'm currently enrolled in the EdD program for Curriculum and Instruction, and I've been working harder and learning more than I ever did as an undergrad at a "real" school. Let me tell you that the University of Pittsburgh was a real nightmare! I am actually able to speak to real human beings at Phoenix- at Pitt, I'd have to wait on the phone for an hour, or try to make it to their office hours (10-3). Phoenix is great for adults with real jobs and families, and that's their intended student base. Every university has complaint sites, and unfortunately there will always be consumers who have a terrible experience.

Good luck to all of you in the traditional colleges you seem to think you'll find success. The truth is most of you won't complete a college degree, regardless of the school you choose. And, guess what... traditional schools will expect you to look beyond the textbook, participate in class (online or otherwise), work hard, and write well. Are you under the impression Harvard University counselors are telling students about less expensive options? Do you think Columbia University professors are all great teachers? Do you think because you are "moms and dads" you should be expected to do less work? Again, best wishes to you all at your future fantasy campus.

I was told I could just do my school work on my days off of school, that is why I transfered from going to class 3 days a week for 4 hours a day, to the UoP. I was told just do my work on the weekend when I was off, post it, and I was done for the week. As soon as I signed up, and class started, I was told I would get a call about how to get around the websites, and a call from someone about getting credits from my past school, as well as those earned in the Navy transfered over.

I never got either call. I was told I had to sign on 3 days a day, post something meaningful in repsonce to people just posting "I agree" and there was due days.

After asking where I could find everything at on the site, I was told to call tech support if I had trouble with the site working, then ignored.

As for my credits, well they claimed my school closed, and they could not get them transfered. So I called that school, who said no one has requested them on my behalf.

My credits from the Navy..not gotten those either.

As a recent graduate of UoP, some of the comments made on this page have to do only with individual issues. There were comments made about the amount of time a week that is required to complete the assignments being extreme. My thought is if your in college what do you expect. I have attended a "regular" campus setting and had a full course load of 5-6 classes. At UoP I had 2 classes at a time for nine week intervals, trust me accomplishing homework for two classes every week was considerably less stressful then for 5 or 6. I found the staff to be understanding and helpful as family medical issues arose. I had the ability to take up to 3 weeks off between classes, in a typical campus setting this would be impossible. The costs are the same if not cheaper then other online schools and the website was very easy to navigate. I plan on continuing my education through UoP and hope that those that read this page don't assume that because some had a bad experience that it is that way for all. My suggestion is to research all schools that you are considering and attend the school you feel confident in. Too many people are consumed with concentrating on the negative, every school I researched had complaints against them, there will always be unhappy people. Make your own decision based on fact.

I read over and over how this school is just a diploma mill and how they are not a recognized school. As a student who is about to graduate, I can honestly say that it is no different than any other school except you do it online. It is always funny to read, how they someone thought it would be easy only to find out it is not as easy as they thought. There is also the argument that they are legitimate because of a lawsuit involving recruitment which violated federal law... which they settled by paying a huge fine.

If you don't want to do the work, then don't go to school - any school. If you want a degree where your classes are online and the weekly schedule is workable, then try online education. UOP is an accredited school just like ASU or UCLA. There are pros and cons to online schools and UOP, just like any other school.

The bottom line is that if you want an education, you'll have to do the work.

Go to court and file a pro se action. Even if it is small claims court, you can easily win if UoP doesn't show. Just make a motion for ruling in your favor by default. If UoP does try to fight you, they will spend more money defending. Economically, it would be better for them to settle with you. What have you got to lose ?

I'd like to add to the realization that the University of Phoenix conducts unethical and unprofessional operations, which leaves a student vulnerable to rapid failure in their courses.

Let me start by acknowledging that I am presently a student of the University of Phoenix - Online Campus. I enrolled back in April 2008, as I was eager to pursue a rewarding degree in these tough economical times. My course of study is in IT.

I was lead to believe, by an enrollment counselor of the University of Phoenix/Axia College, that the course that I was interested in, deeply involved my career pursuit. I relied on my enrollment counselor to sort of "coach" me into taking the right path to substantiate my course of study and my career goals (big mistake).

After lengthy paperwork, heavy processing and identification delays, I was finally admitted. It took about a month for all of the requested paperwork to be processed, as the University of Phoenix/Axia College treated me like a criminal with a record. I was forced to go through extensive measures to prove my identity (and this was beyond normal measures of driver's license and social security card). I do understand the concern for potential fraud, but believe me when I tell you that I was very thorough in presenting my information to the University of Phoenix from the very beginning. I have always been good with organization and providing hard documentation.

Prior to my being admitted, my enrollment counselor advised me of the "financing options" of my education. I was reluctant to pay for the course up front, due to my not being able to afford it. Like most people, I took the financial aid avenue to pay for my tuition. I chose Sallie Mae as my financing option.

In conjunction to my financial aid, I was told by my enrollment counselor that I was eligible for a grant as well. The grant was said to allow me to pay for some of my schooling (books and such), as well as living expenses, since I would be attending the online campus. I figured, "Great, it could have proven financially difficult for me to sustain school otherwise." I live alone and I have no assistance from anyone. Therefore, I have been pretty much forced into a life of being independent and truly earning a living.

I explained all of this to my enrollment counselor, as she seemed to sympathize with my situation (I now realize that it was just an act to get me to enroll). The enrollment counselor assured me that they would make certain that I was properly enrolled and that I would receive the promised grant, to assist me throughout my schooling with the University of Phoenix/Axia College. I unfortunately fell for it, and things quickly began to turn around for the worst...

After my successful enrollment, I began my classes around the end of April or beginning of May. I received my first block of classes and I endured my first nine weeks of two classes that I was setup to take at a time. I was never initially consulted about my taking two classes at a time, so this was one of my first negative experiences in a series of them.

It was a struggle for me to keep up with all of the work for two classes at once...especially the classroom "Discussion Questions, " that each student is "required" to participate in, or it will affect their grade. Also, the instructors were very distant with supporting me as a student and truly being there for me and my new experience with online schooling. When I sought guidance and assistance from instructors, I would be given answers that I didn't understand. When I would attempt to get clarity, I would be directed to a "course syllabus, " (which many times proved to be vague) or I didn't receive a response at all. Of course, time would pass and I would end up being "hard-pressed" to get my schoolwork completed and turned in to avoid loss of points against my grade. This became a daily and typical classroom actuality. It was to my understanding, that an instructor is supposed to assist a student with understanding what the student is learning; that's the traditional student and teacher/instructor relationship. What are they really being paid for if an instructor insn't completely helping a student with learning?

I found out the hard way how non-caring and unconcerned a good majority of instructors are in connection with students. I soon discovered that all of the responsibility of understanding the class, materials, assignments, policies, etc, ultimately falls on the student. How's that for a setup of an accredited education institute? Well, at least I've been learning something of real value...The University of Phoenix/Axia College is a scam that seems to evolve only around monetary gain and playing a numbers game with students. If one student fails because of the harsh policies and procedures that are implement to work against the students of the University of Phoenix/Axia College, then there will be other unsuspecting students waiting in line to get in and the process starts all over again.

The harsh policies for students of the University of Phoenix/Axia College can easily cause a student to be "dropped" from the course, while the school still tries to hold a student liable for schooling costs for the entire cost of the course. The enrollment counselor, academic counselor and other staff then "team up" and make an extreme effort to make the student suffer a burden of responsibility, regardless of what the student may be experiencing in their real life.

I encountered some unfortunate events in my life, which caused my Internet to be turned-off for a considerable amount of time, I oftentimes had trouble with the virtual classroom (i.e. applications not opening, student assignment and research sites being inoperative, instructors not responding to posted threads and all types of other things). On top of everything, I worked full-time. There was even a death in the family most recently, that was treated by my enrollment counselor, academic counselor and other staff, as if they could care less and that I still needed to maintain my classes and assignments, or be "failed." It seems that no room was even being allowed to mourn for the loss of a loved one. It has been horrible...

These circumstances are not supposed to be held against a student. However, it is most likely somewhere "worded" in their policies that a student has to accept all of the responsibility of such occurances. Therefore, no matter what a student reports, to justify a late assignment, PC downtime, faulty assignment applications, a death in the family or whatever, the University of Phoenix/Axia College will still try to make the student take all of the responsibility. I find this to be one of the worse scams out there.

After lengthy battles with my enrollment counselor, academic counselor and even instructors, they all seemed to know how to come together and support each other to ultimately "blame" me, even though I experienced poor treatment, continous frustration due to lack of support and my potential failure of class. I again found out the hard way, that there is no real support once a person becomes and official student of the University of Phoenix. The rules and policies of the University of Phoenix/Axia College are setup to completely "abandon" a student once they are enrolled. The sad part is students that are enrolled are paying thousands of dollars of tuition fees and book costs (even though it's all online), only to be abandoned.

Another reality, is that once these con-artists have all of a student's personal information, they try to take advantage of a student. They use threats of the student potentially being dropped from their course and still having to pay back the student loans. They also use threats of the student potentially not being allow to apply for financial aid again in the future, or for a considerable amount of time (years).

I honestly wish I never got involved with the University of Phoenix/Axia College. The staff of the University of Phoenix have proven to be focused only on getting their money from a student and they do not care if the student fails.

The bottom-line is, they've done their job by fooling a student into enrolling, and once this is accomplished, they can potentially manipulate any of the students' issues, concerns or problems to their financial gain and advantage.

I'm sure I am not the only one who has experienced the University of Phoenix/Axia College scam. Hopefully, others can read this and learn from the experiences of myself, and others, who fell for this scam. I urge a potential student to stay away from the University of Phoenix/Axia College, as they do not truly care about their students, nor do they really care about the success of their students. I say this with confidence, and even though there may be some good staff or maybe even good operations of the University of Phoenix, their predominant operation is to make money off of a student and move on to the next.

I hope to take part in a class-action law suit against the University of Phoenix/Axia College, to get my life back from the University of Phoenix. I made an unwise investment into their scam. I simply want out of the University of Phoenix/Axia College, without the loss of my financial aid (or future financial aid), and definately without any penalty or financial loss against me.

I will be initiating an email mini-broadcast to some of the executives of the University of Phoenix/Axia College. My email will address my concerns and it will request immediate resolve. If I come across anything worthwhile for others, who have experienced this scam, I will gladly update you on this site.

Please note: As far as the address listed for the University of Phoenix, there have been two addresses included for the convenience of the consumers who were scammed by the University of Phoenix.

If someone has something positive to say about the University of Phoenix, then they must be employed there! The school is a SCAM. I got out of there in the nick of time. The degree from that school is useless. I was enrolled there but withdrew a week before classes were to start and thank god I did. Im now attending Mesa Community College and I actually have one of the enrollment counselors from UofP in my Psychology class. She told me that she hates working for them but continues to until she can find another job. She said the enrollment people are pressured to enroll as many people as possible and that she hates lying to people, telling them how easy it is to get a degree and knowing that the degree will be useless. She says all the enrollment counselors know that UofP is a joke but its there job to suck people in.
After I withdrew, I was stalked by my enrollment counselor. Im lucky I got out of there with my financial aid before it was to late.

I attended a finance class for 3 weeks with a grade point average of an A-. Storm Ike hit the City of Houston with a powerful impact leaving behind massive destruction. The University of Phoenix took advantage of students, closed its doors and with many of the other local businesses. There was no communication from UOP except that students needed to attend a make-up class. I was given a D+ in finance. My grade averages is an A- and has been for the 3 years that I attended the University. I filed a grievance to know resolution about them taking my money, approximately $1, 400 for the class, closing the University doors when the storm hit, and failing to communicate students' expectations and issuing low and failing grades. What an insult to one of the University's finest students. I would not recommend one student to the University if this is the way they treat students during a catastrophe. There was inconsistencies in faculty grading as some members averaged out the students 3 weeks and grading them accordingly. How inconsidered and uncompassionate. I was without lights for 13 consecutive days. Sleep deprived and food deprived. All other resources such as libraries and forms of communication were shutdown for weeks after this storm.

While I agree that UOP is expensive, I knew that going in. I had an awesome enrollment counselor who followed through with everything she promised me. She did such an oustanding job I was able to help my fellow students. If I was unclear about anything. I would be making some phone calls so I was gained a better understanding. I am in my 4th week of my first class, and recieved a D because I had forgotten to attach my week 2 assignment. However my professor told me to resubmit it and no late points would be assessed. To me that sounds like a generous offer. I have not found any negative experiences. I recieve calls all the time by my acedemic team to let me know they support me, and any calls I make to them are always promply returned. I am saddened some have such a negative experience, but really what s your part in the situation, and how do you reach your solution?

Yes, I have had a suit against the University of Phoenix going on now five years. Been dismissed and have intervened in the Hendow/Albertson action as well.

What the problem with Phoenix is that it does not comply with the academic year of the law, Title 20 USC 1088, which is 30 weeks of instruction; 24 semester credit hours. The Department of Education has not granted Phoenix a waiver on the Instructional Hour Component as well that mandates that Phoenix provides the instructional hours.

In the Bachelors Program, under student aid, states 4 weeks of instruction for 5 weeks for 3 semester credit hours is 20 hours of instruction. A semester hour by United States law in the student loan program, which Phoenix gets over 90% of its income from, is one half of the academic year. Thus, it is the law a semester credit hour is 15 hours of instruction - no if, ands or buts about it. What Phoenix is doing is tantamount to fraud, charging the government for 45 hours of instruction when it is only providing 20. So bad is a degree in Phoenix, that a 120 instructional hour bachelor of science program would be 20 x 40 units or 800 instructional hours. Thus a Bachelor of Science Degree at Phoenix, as compared to an associates degree at a community college requiring 60 credit hours or 900 instructional hours is even 100 hours short of an associates degree. Thus resulting is the solid fact, Phoenix cannot be accredited it is 100 instructional hours short of an associates degree in the bachelor of science degree program.

But worse is the fraud on all the colleges in the united states. It is a fact that Phoenix provides 800 hours of instruction and charges the government for 1800 hours. That's is right by law, 15 hours of instruction for one semester credit hour, at 120 instructional hours in an average bachelor of science degree equates to 1800 not 800 instuctional hours. Thus Phoenix which received 2.3 billion dollars in 2006 stole from our government in the Title IV student loan program over 1 billion, one hundred and fifty million dollars.

And of course getting 20 hours and dividing it by 15 does not equal 3 semester credit hours as Phoenix states but only one hour and 20 minutes, of which is only one and 1/3 credit hours. See Title 20 USC 1088 to see the truth for yourself.

I graduated from UoP in 2008 from the Houston campus. I started my first class (GEN300) online and realized about the third week into that class that posting to discussion threads was important to earning participation points. Because I failed to review and follow the syllabus correctly, I came out of that class with a C. From there, I signed up to take ground courses at a UoP campus. Some of the courses were difficult to grasp and some of them were easy. Given that I work full time and have family responsibilities, I had to learn to manage my time to attend the classes and get my assignments completed on time. I also was accountable to other team members for weekly projects as well. Long story short... I completed my degree and feel extremely relieved. Do I think I can go into the corporate world and be completely functional? NO. All jobs require specific training to the needs of the company.
Yes.. I have had my share of frustrations with academic counselors not responding to my inquiries on time. Yes, I have had some facilitators (instructors) who appeared to not know what they were talking about and virtually "rockheads." If I had to do it again, I would not hesitate to return to UoP for another degree. Yes, it is expensive, but I found no other institution that would allow me to attend classes five weeks at a time; around my work and family schedule.
Some of you are complaining about this institution. I met many like you in person. Most of those I know are lazy and want the other team mates to do the work for them. They have to be held by the hand all the time. Well... a college student has to learn to be self sufficient and productive, and learn to work with others. These are a few life skills needed in the work place. If you cannot handle following instructions of a syllabus and do nothing but complain, how can you get through any university? How can you expect to be productive and get promoted if you cannot be positive in what you do? I've read most of the grievances here and some do not have supportive arguments to their statements. So therefore called "fallacies."

Good luck to those who choose to earn their education in any institution. Just know there is not an educational institution that is perfect. Set your goals in a reachable and sensable fashion, and stay with them to completion.

Does anyone know if a Code of Ethics existes for the professor's at UOP? I ask because as students there is a Code of Student Ethics that we must adhere to. I agree that this Code exists but is there one for the professors? I am currently going through a horrible time with the school regarding one of the professors.

The school has made it virtually impossible for me to obtain any information I have requested regarding my complaint. Warning sigh!

As an employee of UOP, I will say that after reading MOST of these complaints, it sounds more like ranting than anything else. Like someone else mentioned, every educational institution has it's benefits and it's downfalls. I can honestly say without bias, this is a great school. I am a counselor and speak to my 20 students each week, and out of those 20, maybe 2 or 3 have had issues. That's pretty good odds compared to what I hear in the beginning from them about the school that they attended prior.

Obviously, we can't all be "phoenixes". If you are the type of student that has failed in the traditional environment, and prefer more hands on, this could be a great program for you. If you are a lazy student, who is looking for a program that it one night per week, but you really think all you have to do it show up and participate, then you are mistaken. One thing I have noticed is that the students of this program are in their own culture. We deal mostly with "professional procrastinators". Those who have always been "too busy" for education, or have just not found the right fit yet. Also, we have those who are firsts in their family to graduate, and have either no support from family or very little. It can be a really great experience, or a really bad one, all depending on how you look at it.

I urge you, if you are considering feeding into all the negativity, to ask yourself what are your alternatives? Do you have the flexibility to go to a traditional college? If you have other options, we are usually more than happy to assist you no matter where you choose to go. We even keep the information at our fingertips for you to use us as your resource when finding out other colleges price of tuition, financial aid info, curriculum, and more. Why make 10 calls when you only need to make 1? We aren't the cheapest college, but we aren't the most expensive. Some would say- you get what you pay for. We pride ourselves on the service we provide our students, increasing their probability to graduate. Granted, you must do the work. But during those hard times, when you want to throw your computer out the window? We are here to listen.

We really try to make it an easier process for you to get into college, because most of us know that getting in is more than half of the battle, and it can be quite the discouragement. We are here to support your decision to go back to school, find your true motivation so that you are less likely to stop (as many have before) and we are also here to see you graduate! The reason we don't stop calling you is because there are plenty of students out there that appreciate being called and pushed forward toward their goals. How often in a JC would you get a call from a counselor to give you support? Yeah that's what I thought.

We are here to see lives change, because it is such a great thing to be a part of something positive. If students want to consider that a negative, that's fine! We don't care to call students who don't want change in their life! Simple as that.

Please think again before seeing us as all for profit. Sure, we are a profitable business, as we definitely should be. We have plenty to offer, and our graduates can tell you that as well. In fact, most of our leads are from referrals and alumni! Not once have I seen a graduate call or say how they regretted their experience. They have a wonderful graduation team, they meet lifelong friends on their learning teams, and they learn a lot about themselves. How they learn, how they interact with others, their strengths, and their weaknesses. It's a scary process, learning about ourselves, and at the same time, exciting!

Some of you may have legitimate complaints. We are the largest private university in America. We are bound to not do everything right. But it isn't in our best interest not to improve. We aren't out to get you! LOL I promise.

Who am I? Just an enrollment advisor. Not a perfect one, either. A little about my job: I make 0ver 100 calls per day and out of those I talk to maybe 3 students. At least one of those hangs up on me or curses me out. It's sad, really. Students request info and when we try to reach them to give the info- we are a "bother." I admit- after making so many calls and hoping for one nice person to answer the phone, even I start to sound repetitive and boring. But that 1 student that talks and appreciates what we are doing, will make my entire day.

My job is to do whatever is the best interest for the student. Not to enroll everyone. That is a false statement. The issue if anything is that not enough students are deciding to go to school because of the economy. This is the time to move forward, not sink deeper.

So if you want to be a Phoenix, go to the website. Call us and form your OWN opinion.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I was extremely mislead from the beginning and as many times as they tell me my best interests were taken into consideration, they weren't. My main concern was how my previous completed college credits were going to transfer and before I know it, they had me signed up; credit card number and all. They told me I would see how many trnsfer credits applied after a few weeks but by that time I had already been pressured to start class. I TOLD THEM FROM THE START MY MAIN CONCERN WAS WHAT CREDITS WOULD TRANSFER. They didn't allow me ample time or suggest other options and never once went over the cost of the rediculous fees for admissions. A friend of mine got his masters from here but after reading some of these blogs, I seriously regret my decision to attend the U of Phoenix. High pitched sales tactics were not expected from a "supposedly" good school or how they make themselves out to be. I expect this kind of sales pitch from a used car salesperson, not a college. BEWARE ALL! Make sure your best interests are being considered, not theirs!

Why you should Read the Following: 25 years as a student at 7 different collages including Privet and State. 15 Years of working within Privet, and State Schools. I've heard it all.

My takeaway from this is that the people who gave the school Neutral or Positive feedback make so many more legitimate, non-circumstantial points, compared to the folks that had a bad thing happen, and want to point a finger. I fear that as someone who hasn't had a perfect education experience (nor should I have expected one) people coming to this website and reading this could miss out on a very purpose-fulfilling educational degree program. UOP and more over Privet Education is not for everybody. But I chuckle when I read 90% of the complaining in this forum can be said for any school at anytime. Here is my advice and I think it almost cover any issue anybody faces in collegiate studies.

~Know what YOU want from YOUR education?
~Know what your educational needs are? (flexible schedule, more hands on, etc)
~Understand your true motivation, and driving force.
~Consider some of the road blocks or obstacles that may come up, think of plans to work through them, and think which School can better adjust for it.
~Research on your own all the Financial Options that are available to students. (Pell Grants, Call Grants, Stanford Loans, Privet Loans, GI BILLS and Scholarship.) And understand the implications and benefits of each one.
~### what your education and the POSSIBILITY of a better future is really worth to you.
~Talk to your friends and family about creating a net of supporting you in the time you will be going to school.
~Make sure the school has been around for a while and is accredited.
~BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TAKE YOUR EDUCATION IN YOUR OWN HANDS, DON'T LOOK FOR LAZY/EASY WAY OUTS, TAKE YOUR EDUCATION SERIOUS, DO REAL RESEARCH, and DO THE INTELLIGENT THING THAT ALSO FEELS RIGHT.

Lastly, do not expect there not to be unforeseen obstacles or things that happen which may seem unfair. Life is unfair, schools are not run or employed by saints/perfect people.

Good Luck

The UOP sucks and anyone who thinks differently is working for them while they are typing positive posts. Think about it..why would anyone that was happy with the school be reviewing the complaints board. All of you ### can kiss my ###. you fake bithces and fake ### instructors.

I cannot believe all of the horrible experiences outlined here. What do you people think college is all about? You have to work at it. I have a full time job that gives me 50 hours a week and two kids and a house. I am online everydayworking towards my degree. Even if it is just 30 minutes to see what has been posted; I am there. You have to devote yourself to any college. You have to develop the skills of time management and work it.

I could never atted a brick and morter school and be eligable for financial aid if I didn't attend an onlione university. UOP is accredited; thats all that matters. You have to take that piece of paper and work an interview to get a job. How do you get a job when you don't have a degree? You show the person that you have what it takes. The paper gets you in the door. You have to do the rest.

I understand that there are issue's that come up that we find distastefull. Doesn't that happen everywhere? Don't you struggle in all aspects of life? Aren't there road blocks everywhere that we have to overcome? I am not an instructor, and I don't work for UOP. I am a struggling father of two living in Michigan trying to WORK my way out of a bad auotmotive economy.

WORK the problem people. Stop blaming this or that, and work it!

Before I attended University of Phoenix, I thought online degrees were a joke. I attended UOP and started classes, and let me tell you, I did not have a social life for 2 years. I worked harder online than I did in a brick/mortar building. I feel like my education at UOP was well worth it. It is a serious curriculum, maybe a little expensive, but all-in-all I am proud to be a Phoenix. It takes dedication and committment to attain any degree and anytime I had problems, my counselors, professors, and tech support were right there to assist me. I will tell anyone that online is much tougher, but if you stick with it and communicate with the staff, you will succeed, I did.

My husband spends practically 24 hours each day trying to make sense of the subjects he's given. There are no breaks not even for winter and summer holidays like there are in the real world. There is no time for any personal life because he's stitting there forever. There was perhaps one or two classmates that he could count on for help in explaining the subject matters. But this was only in one class. The rest of the classes there is no one to depend on for help. He contacted a tutor online once and this boob asked my husband how he did the problem, what program he used to figure out the problem. He ended by telling my husband to go ask someone in his class. Some help. How this boob got a job as tutor is beyond me.

The class provides a roster of contact phone and email addresses, but once when he tried calling no one answered their phones. It's really bad. He is not being taught in the traditional sense. The instructor seems to interact seldomly and leaves the students to teach themselves. This is ridiculous. The only difference between Univ. of Phoenix and just ordering books and self-study is that you can't buy yourself a degree although that's what you do when you get trapped with Univ. of Phoenix. I had a stupid, tenured professor in my major and he assigned us the textbook and left the room each time. He never taught us because he could get away with it. I feel this is similar to what's going on at Univ. of Phoenix.

I must say also that from what my husband has told me some of the students are really nasty types-real a**holes who think they know everything and put down others like my husband who is struggling. I'd like to ask those know-it-all's if they knew so much then why they're only now doing their MBA programs. Their attitude is so disgusting that now know why they're so many nasty managers out there.

I just wished my husband had not wasted his money on this crappy so-called MBA program. He could have had a better experience if he'd have signed up with the local university I am sure. He just thought it would be better in terms of studying as he works. Well, it's just not that way because he's tied up struggling and like I said is online almost 24 hours daily.

If anyone is considering Univ. of Phoenix for their online degree program DO NOT DO IT. It's a ripoff!

Btw, I agree with Tanya Suss' comments. I read these positive comments about UOP and they seem planted. There is no way that UOP can be a fantastic school with knowledgable instructors who are genuinely interested not only in teaching but in their students' welfare! Why? Because the majority of comments are the total opposite of what these positive comments say. Not only that but the negative comments are more telling, descriptive than those general comments which dismiss them as only rants as well as those that say UOP is completely faultless.

Sure I went to traditional university (bricks and mortar) and had a few absolute dolts passing for professors, but never did I have to suffer to get my degree as how my husband is suffering to get his.

Another thing is the damned lie about the flexible study hours and so forth he got sucked into. He could've accomplished more going to school in person even with a heavy work schedule I am so sure of it. But now he's stuck.

I, too am a Phoenix. I received my Masters of Organizational Management Degree in 2004. I thought the best thing about the school was the flexibility. Now, don't get it twisted, there is work that has to be done-you personally must find the time to do it. I attended classes on ground. I found the experience interesting. The most benefit I received from UofP was the weekly speaking assignments. I have a real fear of speaking in public, and I must say that once I graduated the fear has lessened, not gone-just lessened. Another thing about UofP that I am actually proud of is the fact that my writing skills were strengthened because of the professors who taught there. OMG, if you leave UofP and do not know how to write a paper-APA formatted paper-shame on you! It was my experience that I had excellent, qualified and competent teachers. In Marketing classes, I had professors who were involved in marketing-whether it was many years working for someone else or running their own business. In my Business Law class, the professor was a practicing attorney, and on and on. I must say that I am not so sure that the professors at UofP should or have to be tenured like the ones at the "regular" colleges, because once a student finishes the class-mission accomplished-does one really need to continue to be connected to the professor? That was not my experience at my "regular" undergraduate university, either. I am sure there are problems that are experienced as with any school/program or whatever. I believe that everyone's situation is different and should be taken on a case-by-case basis. I recommended UofP to my sister and she absolutely hated it! She was not a team player and hated the team approach to the classes. Now, I know firsthand that my sister was more of the problem than the solution, however, she will never admit to that. So with that said, I know you get out what you put in at any university.
Good luck to all, wherever you go!

I have been attending the Univ. of Phoenix for almost a year and am very happy.

I study the syllabus and ask questions if I do not understand when an assignment is due, I then create an "Assignment Schedule". If my assignment is due on Mon. 10/5 by Thursday 10/1 - I have it finished and I am posting it to my forum. On Friday I start the reading for the next assignment.

For all of you students who think a regular college is better - Dream On. I attended a university before UoP and was disappointed. I dreaded my Monday morning class I knew for two hours the instructor would talk about what he did all weekend. I had another instructor I could not understand and was told he was the only instructor for that class. A class I needed for graduation.

If an individual does not do "Due Diligence” before starting something then they have no one to blame but themselves. Before I started classes I knew exactly what I had to pay out of pocket and what my FASA loan amounts would be and I knew exactly what the class policy was because I studied the manual.

And for that person who wrote that anybody who does not agree with him/her must be on the school's payroll - I am not paid by the school and I repeat I am NOT paid by the school!