Ashford University

I have read all of the horror stories written here and on other misc websites. However, I am here to say that I am receiving a good quality education at Ashford and I will be graduating with my Associates degree in business in just over a month...a fact that I am very proud of, along with my family and close friends. I was forced out of a long standing position and had no luck finding any other work even though I had plenty of experience, due to the fact that I did not possess a degree. I signed up with this school after PLENTY of research and I am not the slightest bit sorry that did. I had been at Ashford 1 1/2 years when I was hired for a wonderful job due to the fact that I was about to obtain my degree and they were impressed that I had a 3.9 GPA, was a member of Phi Theta Kappa through the school and have been on the Deans list since I began...ALL things that traditional schools offer. I have also received a raise because of my additional education and been informed that when I graduate I will receive another. I will also receive special consideration over my co-workers for promotion if I continue on to obtain my bachelors degree, which I am considering. I have never been harassed by Ashfords student advisers and as a matter of fact, they have been invaluable to me! The worst problem that I have had in two years was a temporary difficulty accessing my next class and my student adviser had the problem corrected before the end of the day and I started the class on time. All in all, I highly recommend Ashford University and advise anyone reading the negative posts on the web to consider that every school is going to have people who have had problems and although some of them are very real, many of them are completely unjustified due to the student themselves causing problems. Many of them do not like to write and believe me, if you attend online school there is A LOT of writing...there has to be! Just do your own research and don't be afraid to call and ask questions...I did it two years ago and now I am graduating! Woohoo!

I honestly feel for those that had bad experiences with AU, but my experience has been GREAT so far. I find it hard to hear that people complained that the classes weren't challenging enough, or financial aid disputes, or even one complaint that their online faculty worked only part-time. The whole point of online school (at least in the beginning) was to help working people obtain their degrees. The classes are set up for those who just don't have time to go to a regular college. You have a new class every 5 weeks until you graduate with very little breaks, but that is so you don't have such a work load and you can still get your degree in the expected time frame. For those who want the experience of an on-campus college...then go to one! I love Ashford University because I can take care of my family, go to work, and be home while obtainig my degree. I also would like to add that this is not a fly-by school, you have to put forth effort to reach your goals! So I say this, if you are a working parent, looking to better yourself, this is the school for you. However, if you want the traditional college experience and anything that goes with it...just go to a traditional college and leave AU alone because it "wasn't what you expected"! Again, most online colleges may let you be lazy and just pass you along, but not Ashford. They expect you to do your best and do challege your intelligence, and that is probably why they're accredited (unlike many online schools). By the way, my instructors, financial adivsors, and student advisors have all been GREAT!

This University tries to scam Military memebers after claiming to be "Military friendly". My husband was in the middle of taking a class when he was called to pre-deployment training. He submitted all of his paperwork in order to not have to pay back the course since he was serving his country. Months later we are getting threatening e-mails saying his account will be going to collections if not paid. After numerous e-mail and many voicemails not being returned, we are at a loss of what to do. Do not fall for their "Military friendly" scheme. THEY WILL SCAM YOU!

After reading many of the previous reviews, the negative ones are a joke! How credible is a review if the person writing it has no idea how to use a period, appropriately capitalize letters, spell, or use proper grammar (since it is an academic review, not a text message)! Not to mention, the many complaints based solely on finances. Apparently, if all a person has to complain about is how he/she dropped or failed a class, yet had to pay for it (of course), then he/she obviously should have stayed in school! Or, how about the ones who, most likely, only enrolled into school to receive stipends; then, want to complain for not receiving as much as they thought! My honest experience, thus far, at Ashford University: My enrollment counselor, accurately, answered all questions that I had, and remained very supportive in the enrollment process! My academic advisor has either had all of the answers to my questions and concerns, or used his available resources to find them! The first couple of courses that I've attended was filled with students who seemed as if they have never even attended middle school; they have either failed out, or dropped out (I wouldn't be surprised if they wrote one of the previous reviews on here)! My courses have been very informative, and will be useful in the professional world! As a reminder, a student must read the textbook chapters and other course material in order to actually learn something; once a student does this, he/she is less likely to post a negative review about not learning anything! For military students, the tuition discounts are awesome, and books are free! Ashford transferred in all 26 of my credits, earned from my previous "real college" (negative reviewers, 2009-2012)! I have loved, nearly, everything about this school, including the easy-to-access online Student Portal! Time management is everything, however, if you care about the amount of knowledge you obtain from your educational experience, anywhere! I just love the fact that Ashford requires each student to evaluate their current time management skills, then teaches each student how to improve them! I love that each course is only 5 weeks long; this really helps me get through the difficult ones! There are, also, so many educated, and supportive, instructors and professors who teach these courses! To make your Ashford experience a positive one, all you have to do is this: 1. Be self-motivated and driven to earn your degree 2. Utilize effective time management skills 3. Thoroughly read the instructions for course assignments and discussions 4. Log in and post at least once a week to maintain required attendance qualifications 5. Read, and turn in assignments on time 6. Maintain an open mind and a positive attitude about your progression in life! Everyone has the ability to succeed!

This is a great school. Don't listen to the nay sayers with the financial aid problems. I had no problem at all and the university was extremely nice and helpful. You have to be ready and take care of it yourself and fill out the FAFSA properly and in a timely manner. This could be part of their problem. My enrollment person helped me all the way and the financial aid department worked closely with me to fill out the paperwork when I made an error in applying for financial aid. In addition, they are compassionate. I had to take a month off for medical illness and they were right with me. Also, the classes are challenging. Admittedly, the first two classes are pretty easy. Some students in those classes wrote on a 2nd grade level at best and they were failed in the classes - they went on facebook to complain, which is how I know they did. This is far from a diploma mill. You have to work for your grades. I would recommend it if English is your first language and/or if you can write really well in it. If you don't you will struggle and your grades will reflect it. Just about every class you have a paper to write. Usually about 10 pages or so. They are very strict with grammar, etc. There is a little wiggle room for effort, but not a ton when it comes to grading. Some instructors are real ball busters.

They lied about how much was in my student funds then my tuition went up twice ina month. like wtf and then i was NOT able to transfer my credits. they lied from day one and stole my loan money

I am currently in my fifth class here at Ashford University. I keep reading all of these reviews about the financial department, and I think a lot of it is who is your financial adviser. I have not had a single problem with my finances, any questions I have had were all answered either the same day or the next day. I would send a quick e-mail out and would get a call in return. My classes are fairly easy, I do not feel over-stressed about the workload. If you are the not the kind of "do-it yourself" person, then this is not going to be the place for you. As long as you keep up with the reading, discussions, and assignments, then this program really is a breeze. It's all about time management. I also LOVE how military friendly Ashford is. Classes and materials are discounted, which really save a lot of money. My husband and I live off of his income alone, since I am a stay at home mom at the moment, and we don't make a lot of money, so to get that extra help to make school affordable is amazing. I truly have had no bad experiences with any of my advisers or teachers and would sincerely recommend Ashford University.

The school is nothing but a business trying to make money. At first they seem helpful, but as soon as they get you in, they only try to line your pockets. I had 41 transferable credits and it taked a couple weeks once you are in to post. They only gave me 5 of these credits, I had only enrolled in the school to complete my AA, but at that rate I am starting over again. They made me take the introductory class I had previously taken through CTU, which is a much better school. After I had realized they were only going to give me 5 credits, I decided to drop the class and go somewhere else, I was only in the second week. They told me I would have to pay $350 to drop out of the $750 for the simple introductory class. I decided to continue the class since I was on tuition assistance and was basically going to the school for free. I would have had to pay the $350 out of pocket or pass the class and have TA pay the entire amount. So I had decided to continue. On the third week I had completed all of my assignments early (thursday) I did not need to turn in another assignment untill the following thursday. I had logged in monday after turning in the assignments on the previous thrusday to review what I need to turn in on thursday on the fourth week. When I went to turn in my week four assignments that Thursday, I had been locked out of my class for not logging in for a seven day period. Which I had, just did not complete any work for the simple fact that I didnt need to. I contacted the faculty and had to write an appeal to be let back in to my class. I was not let back in until the following Tuesday of week 5 and now behind a weeks worth of work. I had asked my teacher for an extension, which she had approved. When I went to turn in the assignments, I was told I was too late and the final grades had been submitted, which resulted in me failing. The school is horrible, they will bombard you with emails and phone calls for no real reason. Save your money and go somewhere else. I cannot begin to describe how many glitches their system has and how many times I submitted work only to get a system error which resulted in me writing the assignment over again. Nothing on their system is completely functional, regardless if your computer is fully updated etc.

A friend of mine started at Ashford almost two years ago. Since she started, there have been a handful of our other friends that have started. Finally, I started. In the two years that friends have been attending this school, I have not heard a single bad thing about it. When it was time for me to go back to school, I did my research and decided that Ashford would be the best fit for me, too. They're cheaper than online programs through local colleges and universities. If you want a cheap education, an online program isn't for you. I'm only in my third class, but so far, everything has been great. No, you can't just sail by. If you don't do the work, you do NOT get the credit. The teachers have been welcoming of any questions one might have and they do a pretty good job of getting back to you in a timely manner. There are also TA's, who do a great job of answering questions as well. The first class, EXP 105 is, what I take to be, an intro to online college class. I've taken classes at a local college and they require the same type of class. Loans don't get disbursed until you've completed a certain number of classes, which is typical of ANY college. Also, for the first class, you are charged $75 for the course, but you are also reimbursed the $75 a few days later. When it comes to books, there are cheaper alternatives rather than buying the books directly from Ashford for a 5 week course. On Chegg, you can rent books for a few weeks and then return them. Best of all, for every book rented, they plant a tree! Also, you're not stuck with an expensive book that you don't need! The books there aren't expensive, either. There is ONE $990 technology fee that you have to pay, but every other school that I or my friends have gone to have had technology fees, even the local community college. It should most definitely be expected of any online college. The bottom line is that you only get what you put in. If you don't ask questions, you won't get answers. The staff doesn't hold your hand and lead you through everything. This is college, not elementary school. You have to do things for yourself.

I attended Ashford until I wised Up This school is a joke they prey on your financial aid I am now attending a real college as soon as i told Ashford i was transferring to a real college i started flunking every other school i get straight A's Don't let there enrollment advisors fool you they get paid for you to Sign up they will tell you exactly what you want to here I hope you don't make the same mistake as me and attend this joke of a school.

After being out of school for many years, I decided to go back to Ashford University to finish my AAB, and to move on to my BAOM and MAOM. My experience has been excellent since 2008. I will graduate in 3 weeks. It has not been easy. On subject material that is challenging for me, personally, I have allowed extra time for my work, and I have managed to be on the Dean's List 3 times with hard work. I would recommend it to all working people with the drive and desire to finish school and still have a life.

This is an honest review of my experience at Ashford. I have been attending for almost 2 years and will complete my AA in business very soon. 1st of all, you have to realize that no 2 people will have the exact same advisors and instructors, so experiences will vary. That sounded like a disclaimer if I've ever heard one! My enrollment advisor was excellent, as she should be! They want you to enroll in their college and bring your money to them -- right?! I have had 3 different academic advisors and they have all responded promptly to any questions and concerns when they came up. These 2 departments were sufficient and deserve an "A" for their support and effort. The financial aid dept is a completely different animal! I have had numerous financial aid advisors (too many to count!) and they were all inept. They (as in all of them) DO NOT respond to any questions asked and if they do it will be weeks, if not months, when they get back to you. Your academic advisor seems to not be able to help either when you voice your concerns on this issue. So beware of this fact... they are a FOR PROFIT institution and are owned by Bridgepointe Education and based in San Diego, CA. This is certainly more about business and money than education. If you apply for financial aid expect to receive it - if you don't want any more you will keep getting it and it is difficult to give it back, because the financial aid dept will never get back with you! They act like you are trying to run a scam or something when you want to discuss your finances with them. I have the money to pay out of pocket for my tuition and only wanted 1 disbursement of student loans. I now have 2 times the amount I originally wanted. I'm bummed -- I don't have the time to deal with trying to resolve these financial issues constantly. The quality of education varies. I have learned things in some classes, and not a thing in others. I really had to concentrate in the math and accounting courses, because if you cannot teach yourself the material -- good luck! Most of my instructors were prompt with answering questions, but I feel that a lot of them replied to discussion posts and assignments with "canned" or pre-prepared responses that were not even pertinent to what you or a classmate wrote. Not all of them, mind you, but most of them! Disscusion post plagarism happens often! I cannot tell you if it is addressed, because I am not privy to correspondence between other students and the instructor. Some students do not possess college level writing skills, or high school for that matter, yet they seem to show up in other classes on down the road -- what does that tell you?! I tried hard at 1st, but have loosened up as time goes by. I still have a 3.9 GPA and sometimes even skip whole assignments. I make the Dean's List every time it comes out. I thought this was a great accomplishment at 1st. Now it's not so great because I hardly try at all (apparently I don't have to) and still make it no problem! The tuition is reasonable if you are a military vet like myself, but if I had to pay full price plus the cost of books, I would definitely go to another school. Try buying your books on eBay instead of new -- then resale them there. I get my books for free, since I am military, and then sell them there for whatever I can get after each class. College textbooks become obsolete after so long, so there isn't much use in holding on to all of them. Some are good to keep and reference though. My tuition rate stays the same, $750 fixed per course (military), but the regular students often see tuition increases -- at least once or twice per year. This may happen at every university, though, so be prepared for this. Is the degree worth anything to potential employers? I'm not sure, but it is an accredited university, so I would hope so. If you want to get that piece of paper saying you have a degree from an accredited university, then Ashford is okay for you. If you are going to pay $1100 plus per class, and want a more quality educational experience, then I would research a higher ranked, NON PROFIT university to spend your hard earned money at. I hope my review and time spent writing it helps someone out. I am looking into Liberty University for pursuing my bachelors -- does anyone have any knowledge of this school they can share with me??

Ashford is like any online school, it is what you make of it. That being said, the classes are not hard or easy, just classes. IF you truly want to learn something, do NOT go to Ashford. You will learn very little, with next to no support from your "teachers". If you want a degree, then try Ashford but, I fear the degree from Ashford won't be worth much.

I was very sceptical about pursuing a online degree. It took several calls from my Enrollment Advisor, to feel at ease, or for me to feel sure that Ashford was a real University. I must say that you do not have to worry when it comes to Ashford. My Enrollment Advisor Has not let me down his phone line is always open. My Academic Advisor has always returned my calls. The Financial Aid Advisor made sure that I received my Financial Aid, and helped me to receive my stipend check(It was not delayed nor short changed). I feel that the course material is great and the technology is current. I have had no problems so far with my instructor's corresponding.

Opposed to many reviews here, I did not feel pressured into enrollment with Ashford. I am content in my decision to get an education with Ashford, and my enrollment advisor is a very laid back, sweet woman that knows what she is talking about with anything pertaining to the enrollment process or Ashford in general. I am in my fourth course and I still keep in contact with her every once and a while, even though I have a different acedemic advisor. My first financial advisor was a dissapointment and it aggravated me just trying to get ahold of him, let alone the ONE conversation I had with him, which proved to be a complete waste of time because of his incompitence. I now have a different financial advisor who has answered any and all of my questions within 24 hours or less. I would advise anyone having problems with one of thier advisors to simply ask to speak with a different advisor, not a supervisor, just a different advisor in that department, instead of complaining about it on a review board. I am maintaing a 4.0 GPA, though I am still early in my education, and I have worked hard everyday since my second course (the first course was really easy, mainly there just to familiarize people with the online enviornment). I manage a large hotel and am also a single mother, and Ashford has worked into my schedule wonderfully. I find all of my coursework challenging and when I am doing my school work I always learn something new. My instructors, with the exeption of one, have been absolutly great. I know for a fact that a degree with Ashford IS accredited, because I have done extensive research to make sure it is; calling various HR departments, asking supervisors of accounting companies and businesses, etc. All over San Diego California, New Mexico, and Iowa(because those are the places I travel to for work). I have not had one company tell me that an Ashford degree is not acceptable. People who say that Ashford graduates are laughed at are rediculious, I don't think we will see anyone laughing when an Ashford graduate is running the business your working for.

I love this school. All the staff are very helpful. They are willing to help you with anything you need. It is very organized and thoughtout. Classes are chalanging but yet not too challanging. I wish that they had financial ade for books, but Other than that this school is awesome!

Great School. Amazing support. Worth every cent for a regionally accredited establishment. Very kind, understanding staff. Involved. Challenging...you will learn. Credits will transfer to almost any college should you choose to transfer. Apply!!!!!!!

I initially enrolled with Ashford in May of 2006. I was able to transfer in with 30 credits from my local community college, which was great. Also, I LOVED the fact that I was easily able to take a 6 month leave of absence when I gave birth to my son in Sept. of 2006. I am currently just a few months away from obtaining my AA in Business. As soon as I get my AA, I am then going to continue my education with Asford and pursue my BA in Psychology. So far, just about everything has been great. My enrollment advisor, Marcus Hillman, has been awesome! Even though his obligations to me ended after he got me signed up and enrolled in my first classes, he has continued to email me or give me a phone call every once in awhile just to see how I am doing and to give me encouragement. My academic advisor is Erik Peiperdink and he has also been amazing. I have bugged him SO many times with numerous questions, and he has always been great about responding to me right away. The one negative thing that I have experienced with Asford is their financial aid dept! They have switched my financial advisor on me several times...and each one that I have gotten has been awful. They never answer my questions, or if they do, it is usually the wrong answer that I am given. All in all, the teachers have all been great, I have been learning ALOT in my classes, and I really enjoy the fact that I can work on my assignments when it is convenient for me and my hectic schedule. Also, I just noticed that Ashford was listed as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News and World Report, which I thought was awesome. As for the person on here who did not have a good expereince, what were the names of the teachers/advisors who weren't doing their job correctly? Because as I said, so far I have had great experiences with everyone at Ashford, with the exception of the financial aid department. I love this school and I cannot wait to fly out to Iowa in May of 2009 to receive my BA in Psychology!!!:) (I am not going to attend the ceremony for my AA...I am going to wait until I get my BA)