Ashford University : Business Administration Reviews
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 17, 2012
(email verified)
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This Place is FRAUDULENT and a SCAM
I wish I can rate them as zero. OK here it is, Im going to tell you the truth, only cause Im losing sleep over it. I am an Admissions Counselor employee at Ashford. This place is so un-ethical and full of fake people its disgusting. So here's the deal. We pretend to care about you, like the snake that puts on a fake smile and stabs you in the back. An Admission Counselor's job is to "hold your hand" for the 1st 5 weeks. These are actual words used in training class. For new employees, you think you are about to enter into a career and the world is great. For old employees, its the "whoever pays me" and "puts food on the table" ideology that they are loyal to. I cant blame them in this economy, because a job is hard to come by.. but for they all know deep down inside what they are doing, but block it off or ignore it for the undeniable strong fact that Ashford pays, and they pay well.
So we "care" for the 1st 5 weeks, WHY? well let's break it down as simple as possible shall we..
each unit is $390, making 1 class $1170.
the technology service fee is $1290, there are many other fees but lets just start there to make it simple. so $1,170.00 + $1290.00= $2460. Financial Aid will give "ANYBODY", i mean ANYBODY, thats any US citizen, or legal resident with a GED or diploma who wants to enroll in college full time $9500 in loans and sometimes up to $5550.00 in Pell grants. Each class is only 5 weeks long, and Financial Aid takes about 5-7 weeks to process, so once you finish your 1st class (which a 5th grader can pass), they are already got you for $2500.00+. Drop out or change your mind if you want, this is now their money from the Financial Aid and now you owe the government. You feel so smart now so you enter your 2nd class, which is also a breeze.. by the 2nd week of your 2nd class, your charge for the technology service fee is $1290 is now in stone and unrefundable. Assuming your a genius and you finish your 2nd class, so now you owe $3670. so my job was to take care of you and make sure you show up and finish your 1st college course (what a joke), and once you finish, I hand you over to an Academic Advisor that is in chargeo of 400-600 students. WOW! get the picture yet? But what's really genius is the CEO. Damn, what a mastermind... GENIUS!
What they are selling is the dream.. the dream that your dumbass can graduate college. They mainly target the South, because they know these are poor areas and if we can only get somebody on the phone, we tell them to close their eyes, and picture getting the degree. will it change your life? get you that high paying job you see in the movies? Sure you can, why not? Jimmy down the street graduated, so can you. All you have to do is click "APPLY NOW". Sure, these online programs will work for those who REALLY need this service, but notice the below 30% graduation rate? lol.. All the counselors here know what they are doing, we discuss it during lunch, after work, over the weekends etc... We all speak amongst ourselves how this place is a joke and its sad what we are doing to innocent dreamers but we do it anyway cause nobody is really hiring out there. We all know the deal, but we all turn away because he who feeds you has REAL control.
OK, now lets look at the BIGGER PICTURE and what this is doing to America. They are selling debt to hardworking Americans. A debt that they wont get out of because school loans are forever, even if you file for bankruptcy. I used to have that attitude, that if they're dumb enough to sign up, I get paid. and gettin paid comes 1st, its the American way. That is after 1 year into the job, and I decided to call back most of the students Ive enrolled. Out of over 50 students, only about 2 made it past the 3rd class. So I checked up on them and all of them are now in debt. Some have newborn kids and no support system whatsoever. Some of my students were the sweetest and nicest people youll ever meet, but they're so nice that they get suckered by snakes like me with the gift of gab of "painting a picture" in your head. OK, im done, you can figure the rest out on your own. So much bullshit and politics in one building.. you have entry level employees who get promoted into managers, directors, and HR, who's EGO's suddenly got a lot bigger since theyre new role. Last year, they were square JOE who had no friends coming in, after the promotion, they all of a sudden have all the balls in the world since they basically determine the future of you being employed or unemployed. promotion, attitudes and egos... I get enough drama from this place that I dont even watch TV anymore. they should make a reality show about this place.
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Marshaashe
(In Progress) on December 4, 2011
(email verified)
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Happy so far..............
I have been attending Ashford for almost a year now, finishing my BA in Accounting. So far I have been happy. You may have to contact FA a few times if there is a glitch, but if you are persistent, it gets taken care of. The academic advisers call about once a month to check on you AND they always have returned my calls. The coursework can be challenging as you advance, well at least in accounting. The couple of beginning classes you take can seem a bit simple, and you must pass those with a C or better to stay in, but if you can not pass these classes with a C or better, maybe you should rethink your goal of attending college. I transferred out of another online college which was a freaking nightmare and wish I would have went here first. Everything is spelled out for you when you begin, IF YOU READ THE PAPERWORK THEY SEND YOU! Financial aid is somewhat your responsibility, but if you eligible, you will get what your ELIGIBLE for here, well at least I did. The professors will NOT hold your hand and spoon feed you, but if you complete the work assigned and put effort into it, you will be successful. I am looking forward to graduating, and actually considering them for a masters if I choose to continue, though it would be a MBA, and I would rather have a masters in accounting. If your a busy person, or have some other issues that make attending college difficult, this is a great place to go.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 12, 2011
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Do your research on the school
I am a former student of Ashford University, just having left the school in May 2011 to transfer into Bellevue, University. I will neither say that the school is outstanding or horrible, but this school does have its issues.
The reasoning behind my leaving the school was because of the lack of professionalism on the staff's part as a whole, to include the degree auditing department, business office, and the financial aid department.
The auditing department continuously lost my transcripts and then gave me credit that belonged to someone else. The business office as well kept loosing my documents and I had to resend documents to them. Now the financial aid department is a whole different story. Now being that I am in military, TA pays for part of my tuition up to $4500.00 and my GI Bill pays for the portion TA doesn't cover, so there is never a lapse in payment for my classes.
My classes are always paid for approximately two weeks after my grade has been sent out by Ashford University, and I have always maintained a zero balance, I checked this daily. However, I got a bill from Ashford University for $1050.00 and they couldn't explain how this happened and said it had to be paid. I paid the bill, but this is also the straw that broke camels back, and is when I decided to transfer to Bellevue, University which is a more reputable school, that is private and non-profit.
In closing, I would advise everyone not to just use these post as your sole deciding factor on whether a school is good or bad, but research the college navigator web-site I have listed below, to get informaiton on perspective colleges before making a decision to attend a particular school. This web-site will give you a wealth of information, about student default rates, graduation and retention rates, accreditation status and many other things.
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 12, 2011
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Not a Typical University
I just applied a few days ago. Like most universities, this would mean I wouldn't be starting until the winter like I intended since I applied so late. My plan was to go back to community college and get a lot of the general electives out of the way (history, math, economics) for a semester before going to Ashford for financial reasons. My "guidance counselor" (aka a sales woman) called me literally an hour after I submitted my application. Since then, my phone and e-mail has been blown up with messages. I explained my financial situation, seeing as a class at my school costs about 300 dollars, and I'd have to pay 2,000 for my first class at Ashford and wanted to make the most of my Pelle grant. They took 51/62 credits, which I had no issues with. However, the woman went from telling me transferring classes from my transcript was no problem and how they take 89 credits to telling me how "dangerous" it was to continue at a community college for basic classes accepted every where (US History and Intermediate Alegebra, for example). Soon I had 3 different people (a "manager", a financial aid advisor, and my guidance counselor) calling me each once a day and getting frustrated because they would call me at strange times while I was at work when I've told them time and time again I'm not coming until winter and didn't expect to be pressured into signing up the same day that I submitted my application.
Basically, it's very clear that they work off of commission and after being borderline harassed for over a week now..I'm so turned off by coming to this school that I don't even care if it's a great school or not. Perhaps your institution should be a little more friendly and less obvious that you're just working to get your credit on your pay check instead of helping people get an education.
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Schelly
(Graduate) on May 17, 2011
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Your Focus = Your Reality
Institutions differentiate themselves to provide value to various markets. Traditional schools focus on students just starting out who need a well-rounded foundation to get started in their working life. Online schools focus on working adults who need to earn their degree to advance in their careers, but have little ability to schedule classroom face-time.
Reading these reviews is instructional. Note that those with primarily positive comments tend to write well, understand how to research information for themselves, and don't expect somebody from the school to "tell you the fine prints" (nperkins36, 2010, para 1). In short, if it confuses you that the University is located in Clinton, Iowa and its employees call you from San Diego, CA, this program may not be right for you. If it upsets you that the school uses one edition of APA rather than another, you may not have the temperament needed for college. If you do not understand that most college work involves "teaching yourself" then do yourself a favor and do not apply to *any* college or university. Try a vocational technical program instead. There is no shame in this - just go to the kind of school where your needs are best met.
Overall, after 30 years in my field I found that earning my MBA/IS confirmed a great deal that I experienced in my working life, and expanded my horizons in the way I looked at a number of issues. I learned a lot. This is because I read a lot, researched a lot, communicated with others in my class a lot, and participated in the discussions a lot. I liked some instructors better than others, but I reminded myself frequently that these are human beings who each have their own views and preferences just like I do. I did not attend their classes to enjoy myself. However, in most cases I did enjoy my classes.
The Ashford experience was totally different from my (early life) bachelor's pursuit, where I attended a brick-and-mortar campus. Nobody cared about my educational career more at that school than at Ashford. That isn't their job. This is college - not a K-12 cradle school. The reason the first campus experience was different is because the focus was different. I didn't know much of anything as a young person, and I tended to focus more on memorization, trying to learn processes and understand how things work. When you're a working adult, you tend to focus more on learning new ways of doing what you already know how to do, so you can do them better.
Ask yourself what your focus is, then find a school that will best meet your needs and help you make your educational goals a reality. If all you want is somebody to hold your hand and walk you through your education, you will be disappointed with Ashford's educational offerings. Personally, I was very happy in my experience with Ashford, and I earned the degree I expected to receive as a result of my extensive research. No more, no less. I was satisfied with the service my counselors provided because I didn't expect more from these front-line workers than they could provide.
If you find yourself angry (not just about school, but about anything in life) remember this. What angers us most in others is often what we dislike most about ourselves... we just don't want to admit it. As another wrote, do your homework and take personal responsibility before you sign any contractual agreements and you'll be okay.
Personally, I loved Ashford and selected the school because my research proved it offered the greatest value at the lowest price of any other MBA program, including those offered at state-run institutions. As another reviewer wrote, you are not likely to become a Fortune 500 CEO after earning your MBA here because the institution is not accredited by AACSB and does not have a GMAT requirement.
You get what you pay for. Govern yourself accordingly.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 30, 2011
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A college is a college, you wil learn if you choose
The negative comments must be taken at face value; the rhetoric written is typical of online raving. AU allows students who choose to learn an opportunity to do so. There are many degree holders from other regioanlly accredited institutions who are clueless about what they learned in lecture halls. At AU, you can opt to sleepwalk and probably earn a degree, guess what? You can do so in any school in this country. However, why not choose to learn and get credit for your knowledge? I am certain that some critics encountered problems and that happens in every school, we deal with humans after all; make no mistake, the respopnsibilities of earning income or credit for education lies with each of us. AU can be an educational experience for those who make it that! Some derogatory comments actually are useful as the administration has continued to make positive changes, especially in light of Federal demands. AU, as most other RA online colleges, will raise the bar on admissions. Finally, I must comment that my nephew graduated from a top ten college and told me that tuition at his school has been raised by 100 percent, all schools do at some point. I am not happy about it either. I am in my 6th class and attended an IVY league school many years ago. Guess what, you get what you put into anything that is worthwhile in this life. Time management and total dedication to learning is the key at this school. Do not enroll if you are not willing to learn independently, in fact, skip the entire "college experience", for most schools will soon offer most courses online.
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Evamarie
(In Progress) on October 30, 2010
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Please consider Ashford
I personally found the classes to be easy; however, I attended private primary schools and completed my secondary education at two college preparatory schools; so I was well-prepared for college-level work. For personal reasons, I never completed my college degree, but I did attend various junior colleges. At 41, I returned to school. I am now 43 and I graduate in 50 days. I believe my educational experiences have afforded me a different perspective from most people. I consider Ashford's curriculum to be on par with most “traditional” universities. I have done the research and read numerous reviews.
For the record –
“Ashford University is a regionally accredited institution and their credits transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. They are recognized by the Higher Learning Commission which is a member of the North Central Association of colleges and schools” (watsonlisa15, 2009, August 10). Furthermore, “This university has received Quality Matters(TM) Recognition for two years in a row--which acknowledges Ashford's commitment in assuring its courses are based on rigorous, research-based standards” (watsonlisa15, 2009, August 10). This is all verifiable.
It is not just an “online school” – it has a real campus folks. In fact, as a previous reviewer also noted, President Obama delivered a speech at its campus when he was still a senator. You can read about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/us/politics/13obama.html.
You can get financial aid – it’s called Stafford loans. I have invested thousands into obtaining my degree – but it’s far less than I would have paid at U.T., Austin, I can promise you. Do I have to pay it back? Of course I do. Higher education is not free.
I empathize with anyone who experienced difficulties during the financial aid process. However, please remember that like every major purchase you make in life, you must do the research and educate yourself. Do not rely solely on others to guide you every step of the way. Like the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.” People must be responsible for their own decisions and actions. There are plenty of resources to educate you in the financial aid process. I started here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
I hope it will offer perspective students additional “food for thought” about Ashford University while deciding on which school to attend. Please research all the facts on a school before you make your selection – whether it’s this school or another – just do your “homework” before walking on campus or signing-on for the first time.
As someone with a 3.95 major GPA, and a 3.97 cumulative undergraduate GPA, I have received exactly what I put into it – a solid education. Like the other reviewer, I too will proudly accept my BBA degree from Ashford University. They offer a decent education at an affordable price.
I wish all of you the best in your future endeavors.
Eva Marie
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 30, 2010
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Kids....
It seems 99% of the reviews are posted by angry little kids who were spoon fed for the past 20 years. I am former ARMY and currently contracting in Afghanistan, so my options for schooling are pretty limited. I have taken five classes so far, and have since doubled my course load (6 credits every 5 weeks). If you are military/former military books are free and tuition is discounted. This is an affordable option for myself and other vets, and on that note I cannot speak about the financial aid department that seems to be the number one complaint here. Almost all of my science/math classes transferred over, as well as some military education courses.
It seems everyone here cries about not having there hand held at all times. All I can say to that is good luck in life, maybe get mummy and daddy to work through your issues for the rest of your life. It is an accelerated program which works for me. I had 70+ credits from a brick and mortar school, and there is little difference between sitting in a desk and staring at the wall or sitting in my hooch and staring at my lap top. I think the classes are easy at Ashford, and felt all of my science and math classes I completed before were easy as well. You get the syllabus, you do the work, suck it up, drive on.
Yes, the enrollment advisors try their hardest to get you into school. Does that mean you cannot do the slightest bit of research on your own? Absolutely not, but I know how hard www.tryasearchengine.com can be to use. My financial advisor is quick to respond and post my information through VA so I get reimbursed for my classes. My academic advisor responds to my emails within hours - I write a message in Afghan and get a response the next day (same day for her).
Issues with the cost of tuition? Research other schools... all expensive. A college degree is not cheap. Join the ARMY, see the world, get a college degree. For half of the people ranting on this board, it would probably do you some good.
Will this degree help me on the outside? I do not know. But I imagine having a degree and at least showing my future employer I have the motivation to better myself and work for things will get me somewhere.
The caliber of student? Yes, there seems to be quite a few people who struggle to write a halfway decent sentence, let alone put a thought down on BlackBoard. Is it the same sitting in a lecture hall? Yes. Is it the same in life? Yes.
I am satisfied with Ashford, and honestly have no complaints. I could cry about the delivery of my books and the fact I have not received them yet, but I am in Afghanistan after all. Once I post this I will jump on USPS and post some angry hate mail for them.
You can't be miserable all of your life young buck!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 20, 2010
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A little more than okay
I found the classes to be fairly easy. They are strict about receiving their funds. But like any school, you can't attend unless you have the money to pay for it! Some teachers are more involved than others (as with all schools) I attend my local college as well, which supposedly is an excellent school, and I consider the material I learned there to be equal to Ashford's. Online means you pay for convenience, which of course means higher tuition and what not. I'll be graduating this year, really have no complaints. As long as you have a plan as to how you're going to pay, there should be no problem. You won't be "dropped" from your classes or what not. And as far as people complaining about the books, go to any school's bookstore and see how much the books are. Ashford DOES NOT make custom books, they only say ASHFORD UNIVERSITY on it. You can get the same book on eBay for $10.00 without ASHFORD on it and it is the same exact book for class. I have paid between $8.00 - 45.00 for my books on eBay. I don't know if I will stay for my B.A. I will be doing research on other schools, but it's a good school for your A.A.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 8, 2010
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The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
I attended the University of Utah. Ashford's courses are just as challenging. As you get higher up in the degree program, class sizes get smaller and more focused, just like they do at the brick and mortar colleges. The drawbacks of online learning; facetime and the chance to work through solutions. My current textbook was a rush job. There are 'self-study' questions after the learning objective is covered, but the solutions are at the back of the chapter, so you have to flip back and forth to work the problems. Far better to put the solution to the problem there, then several variations with references back to the learning objectives to reinforce the concept. Then go on to the next objective, then the problems at the back of the chapter. This way, you have the reasoning down.
I also had to protest my grade when my first accounting professor was yelling at me in caps. Then he downgraded my course work. I turned it in on time, properly cited and it was the equal (if not better due to spelling and grammar) of the rest of the students. He gave me a zero on my final paper. I documented each and every contact with him; did not use email (he never responded) and when I protested my grade, Ashford saw it my way. They have a grievance process just like any other university, and they resolved the issue. My grade went from a C- to an A. I filled out the survey for him as well. Here is the good part: During the time that Ashford was evaluating my grade, they released the Dean's list. I wasn't on it because of the evaluation, and they weren't going to put me on it. HELLO?
I EARNED that bloody A, and I EARNED IT in the time frame of consideration for said list. They revised the list.
Thank you. That was all I asked for. Would I use Ashford for my Master's? No. I think I got a solid education that will stand me in good stead. I got out of it what I am putting into it. Their tutorial service is a JOKE. Not only that, the tutoring service uses people from other countries who do NOT speak English (spare me the righteous indignation of your outraged offense), do NOT get in contact with you and then the chalkboard is totally user unfriendly. As someone who is paying BIG BUCKS for this, I want that portion of my tuition refunded so I can go to the online tutoring center of choice and get better instruction for the problem.
Is this unique to Ashford? Nope. I submit you will have similar problems. You just have to fight for your grade after you have studied and worked for it.
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Jmckinney1978
(In Progress) on October 26, 2009
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Rought Start, but Worth the Wait!
Ok, I've been in my program since June, and I am finishing up my 4th class. I had a VERY VERY rough start dealing with financial aid. Unfortunately, it took 5 months for my financial aid to get processed due to errors on my part and miscommunications from AU's financial aid office, however, I can say that it's worth the wait. They have a generous transfer credit policy which helps you graduate sooner. Although I had a headache trying to get through the financial aid process, and many times it was difficult trying to reach people to talk to (enrollment counselor, financial services advisor, academic advisor), but I will say this: IF you can get through the headache of miscommunication, waiting to hear from someone, trying to reach people and can't sometimes, you'll be satisfied with the school overall afterwards. I think the only complaint I really have is that it would take days for a return call back or email from my enrollment counselor, academic advisor and financial services advisor, which often got on my nerves. HOWEVER, I look forward to becoming an AU alumni...this is my honest opinion, and I don't have any other complaints about MY INSTITUION OF HIGHER LEARNING!!! GO SAINTS!!! :-)
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on May 31, 2009
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absolutely not worth the time
I am writing this on behalf of my step-sister. She separated from the US Navy last year and wanted to get her college degree. When she asked me for my input, I suggested she research her options very carefully. Nearly one week later, she informed me a local online consortium had contacted her and offered to accept her military training as a substitute for nearly ALL of her prerequisite 100 and 200-level credentials. Having spent several years working alongside a colleague who later became the president of a very well reputed corporation, I decided to inquire about the bona fides of an online university in today's business world. Sadly, her response was what I feared most-she told me to tell my sibling, "absolutely not worth her time." Unfortunately, my sister did not listen. She paid her enrollment fee and expected classes to provide her the necessary instruction to permit her to find suitable employment in the business community. Almost six months later, my sister had her BBA in marketing. To date, she is yet to find a job paying more than $28,650. Her total bill for materials and instruction: more than $50,000. Several potential employers have suggested she transfer her units to an accredited university, like USD or National. To my sister's disgust, these schools will NOT accept any of her upper division work, and few of her accredited transfer credits from the US Navy. SDSU told her she would likely have to start at the Freshman level, if they admitted her at all in lieu of her attendance/degree completion at another university.
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