Ashford University

After reading many of the negitive reviews on Ashford University, I would like to give some input into my own experience at this University. First of all, every credit in which I had from my previous institute of higher learning were transfered to Ashford University and excepted. Secondly, the curriculum for the Psychology, and Social and Criminal Justice BA are very competive and the oneline classes are comparable to that in which I took at a regular classroom. The only difference I have found is in that of the student. If you are a student who is really interested in your education, then this school could be for you, however if you are looking for a school where you can basically just breeze by, then I suggest a different school. All schools have their pro's and con's. In my situation with Ashford University, the pro's certainly outweighted the con's. I will have obtained two BA degrees in April 2013, and I have learned much while attending this school!!

I am six classes into my degree online and I love it so far! Ashford is a very supportive and compassionate faculty. i have had some really good teachers. I use the mobile app on my phone and it is a major convenience. They have state of the art technology and offer many programs. Google the university it has been around since the early 1900s and has a traditional school with athletic teams and all. So far I love being able to work at my own convenience! the only issues I have are that it is kinda of pricey. But all education is expensive!

Like many of the comments here, this institution needs a solid review by the Board of Colleges. My first 3 social sciences classes were organized and resourced at about a 5th grade level. If you're hunting for a degree certificate and don't require an education, this is your school; and at around $250 per credit hour you're surely paying dearly for the certificate. A year after my disenrollment, a mysterious $350 fee appeared that prevented me from obtaining transcripts, so apparently they intend to keep soaking you even after you've stopped attending. Watch out for Ashford University.

I am in my 4th class at Ashford. In many ways it is a great school, however like any college it has its drawbacks. The biggest issue is that currently Ashford is in the process of redesigning many courses. As a result there is some confusion among the instructors. As they were not aware of changes. I am not sure why or how this occurs as the information on the redesign is all there. Once instructors are made aware all is adjusted and the flow is fine. I am enjoying the classes. If you are not self-motivated and able to learn independently I would not recommend this school, as many people really struggle when they are not able to learn independently. For me it works so far. Advisors have been responsive, for the most part. I really cannot say anything negative.

I have just completed my Bachelor's at Ashford and have really enjoyed this school. I researched many other colleges/universities online, and Ashford worked the best for me. One thing I really liked about it is that I was not put into any "groups"- for some assignments at other schools, they put you into groups and make everyone work together. This left me waiting until midnight sometimes for my other group members to post/email their work to the rest of the group. I hate relying on others for my overall grade on an assignment; especially since all contact with them is through email only. I had completed my Associate's somewhere else and had to do group work in some courses, so eliminating that aspect was a huge benefit. Also, the courses were really interesting, and I actually learned a ton- all of which I utilize in my career. One thing about most online courses is that not everyone is at the same intellect level. You definitely can see that clearly when their work is all posted online for all to see. That was a bit disappointing at times, but no biggie. Overall, it was great and definitely worth going.

I hate seeing poor reviews for Ashford! I have been attending for my BA is psychology for a little over a year and I have a little less than a year to go. The materials and instruction is comparable to both of the physical schools I previously attended. The accelerated courses are a dream come true for those who want their degree sooner, or those who get bored easily. With every school there are problems like the ones I've seen attributed to Ashford. So if you are having problems with this school then welcome to life. It simply sounds like those with problems are lacking life experience. I haven't had any issues with Ashford sans my ditsy and annoying course advisor. She is kind of stupid but hey, so are a lot of people. Advisors probably get paid $12-15 an hour so are you really surprised? Be your own advocate and stop expecting people to hold your hand through life.

They transferred all of my community college credits (78), so that really helped with money and time. I cannot think of any other way that I could have gotten my BA, without a huge investment in time, money and aggravation. Some profs were great, others were ok, just like any other college. I started in fall of 2008 and will be done this April, less than 2 classes to go. I can't wait. I may just go for my Master's after I take a little break. You do get burned out from doing papers all the time, but that's what college is supposed to be like. If you are motivated and can work independently, it's for you, if not, then online education is not for you. Great value and experience for the money.

To those of you who are considering going to Ashford: I enrolled in Ashford a little over two years ago. I am set to graduate in March and have been very pleased with the last two years of my education. Please keep in mind that the majority of individuals who seek out a place to write a review are going to be those people who have had a negative experience. If you have had a negative experience with something, it is natural to want to share it. If you have had a typical/positive experience, aside from friends and family, it's unlikely that you will seek out a place online to share that experience. Any and all schools will have students who are unhappy and/or had negative experiences. It's kind of like your job - some people you work with like the job others hate it. But, those who hate it are usually the most vocal. It's the same for any website posting reviews of a school, so do not let the reviews discourage you. Trust your instinct. I am receiving my degree in Social Science. I have been pleased with the classes and the course work. The majority of my professors have been professional, knowledgable, helpful and attentive. Like any school experience (think high school) there are going to be unattentive professors and I have had two of those in the last two years. I work full time (40+ hours a week) and have found that Ashford's attendance policy has been very accomodating. The coursework has been challenging, but not overwhelming or un-doable. Some reviews have stated that the books are expensive. They are. We are in college and college books are expensive. period. However, for those who need an alternative to puchasing books new, search Google for "Ashford Mom Books." There is a website where current Ashford students get together and exchange, purchase, and sell old Ashford textbooks to and from each other. I have found this to be very helpful. Some reviews have had trouble getting the Admin or FinAid offices to return calls. I have never had this problem. In fact, my advisor has called regularly (probably every 10 weeks) for the last two years to see how I am doing and if I have any issues or questions about anything. I have really enjoyed my experience. I hope this review is helpful and, if you are considering going to Ashford, do not be discouraged by the reviews. Good luck!

I transfered from another online school and I immediatly fell in love with Ashford. It isn't until you have a problem that you realize that there isn't much of support system established here. I enrolled in the undergraduate program of Psychology. In the my degree progress it spells out 120 credits for completion. The class requires 30 credit hours of upper level classes. These are not considered your major classes, only classes in the 300 or higher level. What is odd is the class syllabus on requires 8 classes of 300 level and 1 class of a 400 level class. When I asked my academic advisor, they explained that I have completed the degree and they refunded my financial back to the lender while registering me for Grad school. I called to check on my degree status only to be told that I have to complete 3 more credits. When I asked my advisor how could this happen, they could not answer. I asked what class do I take being that I have completed 120 credit hours in my field and there are no 300 or 400 level classes left in psychology. I am still waiting on my answer. This has been a month long process with no answer. I will not attend this school for my masters and can't wait to be finished with this place.

Ashford is a great school however, sometimes it takes the instructor a while to respond back or explain your error on an assignment. The teachers grade the assignment but do not give out adequate information as to why you missed what you missed on an assignment. I will be graduating in 8 months so hopefully everything turns out smoothly.

I have been in school at Ashford for almost 2 years now and I have not had any major problems the classes are a whole lot cheaper than the University of Phoenix, their classes were about $1100 a class my classes have ranged from $700-$1000. The classes that cost $1000 are my core classes. I also believe that by reading these post is not a good way to make up your mind about getting a degree online do your research before you make that decision. Go to the department of education and see if they are accredited they are and this is an actual university located in Clinton, Iowa. This was the best move I could have ever made for myself. If you are willing to do a lot of reading then this is for you. I went to an affiliate of the University of Phoenix and I had to log on everyday to check in with Ashford I just have to log on Thursdays and Mondays. If you want the flexability then this would be the right school for you. I have been to a B & M school and I had problems with my academic conselor and financial aid advisor so I just feel that any way we decide to go we will still have problems. But if you do not fight for your education then you do not need to go to any school. Because we have to fight for our education because no one else will it is up to us this is our investment into ourselves and it is up to us to make the experience a good or bad one. Someone said that they tried to get the number and address of the school so that they could talk with the dean all they had to do was go to www.ashforduniversity.edu and all the information is there.

This is by no means the worst institute I've ever dealt with. To the individual that does LE in the military, they take more credits than most do. I had 6 years AD/MP and earned 54 credits. Ashford accepted 40 of them. Most universities only accept 6-12. The instructors are not all that bad. There are a few that I'd rather not deal with again. I hate calling my financial aid and my academic advisers, but I can rest assured knowing that at some point I'll get an answer from them. Although at times it is months after the fact. In 6 months I had 4 different FA advisers and 3 different academic advisers. Other than those offices, it isn't all that bad.

I am into my second class. I am a 33 year old mother of a two year old, and wife to a man with two jobs. There is just no way I can do the schedule of a community collage. Honestly, even if I could the one time I had to deal with the community collage employees I wanted to pull my hair out. My enrollment counselor has been absolutely amazing. Calling me back close to 10 times over a months time to see how my choices were coming. Always nice, never too pushy. As far as the cost of the books....they are expensive EVERYWHERE. My husband went to a state collage for his bachelors and University of Phoenix for his MBA. No matter what school you go to books are always hard on the pocket book. It is harder, but you can still find Ashford books used too. I have found an $80 for $30 and a $88 book for $42 both on EBAY. As far as my teachers so far the only one nit-picky thing I can think of is that it took 2 weeks to get our grades from the first week of assignments. The only reason I say that is because I was SO excited to get my grades. By the way I have gotten full credit on every assignment so far. The assignments are all about writing. As you can see I love to write so I have NO PROBLEM! Basically, you will have questions about your reading assignments, and one quiz or a written assignment. My assignments so far have been essay style questions. As far as value. Just as any other online degree it is very expensive, but as I have said before I do not have time to go to a traditional style collage, nor do I want to be in class with a bunch of 18 or 19 year old kids. I LOVE not having a certain time I have to log in! It is the only way to go! Yes, it will use all of the Stafford Loan money and yes I will owe them close to $40000 when I am done. I will also be able to almost double my salary with the experience I already have. I researched and looked into every school you can imagine for over 3 months and they all have their flaws. Ashford had the fewest. Bottom line that you will probably hear from your enrollment counselor is if you do not like to write and are not a self starter then this is not for you. You have to be able to read 4 or 5 chapters at a time and write a response about what you read. It is a lot of work. I spend about 5 hours a week doing my assignments. Think about how much time I would have to spend if I had to drive to class 3 or 4 days a week. I hope this helps and if you have ANY questions feel free to drop me a line shannon_zook@yahoo.com Shannon Zook

I am in my 5th class at Ashford. I too am discouraged by the reviews on this site. Financial aid, professors, advisors, etc. are problems at all colleges. Unfortunately, some people get caught in the bad experiences. The financial aid policy was the same at the community college I went to. You have to do your research before choosing a school. You have to find your fit. I researched 3 online schools before choosing AU. I love the 5 week format. I get ADD with regular classes. I've already gotten the gist while the professor is going on and on in lecture. The online format lets me go at my own pace (within boundaries). I'll finish my degree in half the time I would have on campus. I have a 4.0 for the first time in my life - and my enrollment advisor sent me a congratulatory email. As with any online program, you need to be disciplined with your studies. Time management is very important. AU is not a waste. It is unfortunate that they do not cover books under Financial Aid. But I get my books 50 - 60% off anyway from eBay, textbookx, or campusbooks.

I will obtain my Bachelors of Psychology in August of 2009 and have been pleased with the amount of feedback, support and information learned while attending these online courses. I have yet to be hassled about money, yet to experience lack of feedback or any other amount of unprofessionalism. I do agree that some of the students do have a hard time reading, writing etc., but I admire and commend their tenacity to continue with their education. I do not know how much it will aid them in the near future if they are still struggling in college. I do not like how expensive the books are and feel that the books that are purchased through the online bookstore should be versatile enough to be found at cheaper sites. I understand that textbooks are always being updated, but it is becoming a burden that I will not miss once I graduate from Ashford. To any perspective students, I say that Ashford is like any other University. They strive for excellence, the professors expect excellence and they are very helpful and supportive as well as the Ashford staff. If you are looking for a school where you can learn, feel the support, be able to contact staff anytime and graduate with a feeling of accomplishment and no regret Ashford is the school for you!

I am about to graduate in a few months, and there are a few thoughts I wanted to share with you. While my overall experience was a nice one, I would strongly suggest not taking a class titled "Man's Dependence On the Environment." In short this class is a joke. For starters, you are required to purchase an on line lab. What the hell for? The same material is in the required text book. Additionally, you are required to spend additional funds on a book, to choose a topic for the final paper. This information is available on line FOR FREE. There is no reasonable excuse for any student to have to purchase these items. Overall this class I a giant joke. The chapters are all the same: Mankind is evil and destroying the environment I get it! We consume to many resources. If you have been given this class, fight them to get another class, as this is a giant waste of time and money.

Let me put this in a list form since there is a character limit: Good - Great value for military members and veterans. Discounts include waived technology and application fees, free books, and discounted tuition (currently only $250 a credit hour). - Great instructors. My current instructor has a doctorate and the teaching assistants all have master's degrees. - Don't expect to automatically pass. The classes are demanding. Bad - Blackboard is hard to learn and navigate. Links are spread out all over the place and it takes a few weeks to learn the system. - Some advisors are more involved than other. I have a great enrollment advisor but the other advisors keep to themselves. - School is not a diploma mill, but they are now owned by a private company (Bridgepoint Education). This scares me as businesses are in it for one thing: money.

Online degrees are not "easy" and Ashford is no exception. Their 5 week semesters keep you on your toes. All the courses follow a basic pattern so once you get into the rhythm you will know what to expect each week and you can manage it. Most of the professors have been great - they become very involved with the course and will give you feedback quickly. I am currently in my 7th course and have only had one professor who wasn't up to par. College is expensive - whether on campus or online - that is a fact of life. Administration has been supportive every step of the way. It's the level of support I would expect from a private university. Honestly, I can't say anything bad about the institution.

There is a percentage of very negative reviews on this board about the quality of this institution and its students. I have had no troubles at all, and I take offense to those who call those of us enrolled and participating as "sub-par" students. I would challenge any of these individuals to an intellectual debate. I have received straight A's and received valuable feedback from my instructors. I always get my questions answered promptly and while I agree the best avenue to a higher education is in an on-campus environment, many of us do not have the luxury of a close proximity university to reasonably attend, especially with fuel prices where they currently stand. So to those considering an online route through this university, keep an open mind. Yes, some of the students encountered through the Blackboard system are not quality students, but some are very bright. Keep an open mind. I have had no problems and have received prompt support. I am as skeptical as anyone but am satisfied so far.

I'm currently in my third class and I'm pretty happy so far. The only recommendation I have for the school is to pre screen it's applicants a little bit. I almost dropped out my first class because of the intelligence levels of some of my classmates. They could not read, write, email, or communicate in any way. I understand this school wants to make money and eventually these people will fail out...problem solved, but it was pretty ridiculous! You would see a sentence like: "i thinc this clas Is good cause It teches me to thinc!" To anyone that wants a real education, the above statement is a joke. After the first couple of classes though, you start to see the riff raff filter out and the classes become more serious.

I personally think that things are excellent at Ashford. I am a little concerned about the students that they allow in the class. I'm only at the end of my first class, but some of the students can't spell, write, or communicate clearly in any way. There should be some sort of test with a minimum requirement. Without it, the average to above average students think they are wasting their time.

i was enrolled there for my BS in psycology. my advice is to run in the other direction. nothing but headaches. expensive headaches. The professors are decent human beings but for everyone in the office WATCH OUT. these are the folks handling all your paperwork. I had to get an attorney involved to straighten out their mess.

I am absolutely amazed at the education I am receiving from Ashford University. I have learned more in my (just over a) year here then I did when (physically) attending another school after high school. The staff is great, the instructor are fabulous, and my adviser is a god send. I can not wait to graduate but in a way I will be sad, I will be sad that this wonderful experience will be over. I recommend that all of those who are serious about going back and who are committed to doing this check out Ashford. It's been the best decision of my life.

I was completely scammed by Ashford University. It is most likely my biggest regret in my life. I had already completed a degree at another school that I physically attended and had on line classes also. I graduated on the Deans List and Honor Roll and even had our second child while studying, working hard and getting A's. Then after our 3rd child was born I wanted to further my education. I simply called Ashford for some info and was hunted down everyday as if the recruiter (aka ADVISER) was a bloodhound. I finally gave in and after they received the student loan papers-got their money-the adviser fell off the face of the earth. No one returned my phone calls when I had trouble with not receiving books etc...and now I'm in collections for an additional $2,000. in fee's that were never mentioned to me at all from the bloodhound (in addition to the student loans). It has ruined my credit and is now trickling down to the rest of my interest rates because of this. They are harassing everyone in my family and there is nothing that I can do. I consider myself an intelligent person and I can't believe I feel for the used car salesman tactic. Just an example: this adviser even said to me "do you want to be a mom who never furthered her education? What a disappointment" I still can't believe it-I should have hung up and changed my phone number.

I am currently enrolled with Ashford to obtain my Bachelor's in Psychology. I am not very far along as of yet but I was curious about how others feel/felt about Ashford so I decided to Google it and see what I could find. I read through most of the posts, both good and bad, and I have to weigh in with my opinion. I see quite a bit about not getting responses back and having difficulty with money and/or feedback. I have to say that I'm about to enter my fourth class and I've not experienced any problems with communication, feedback or money. I am a FAFSA student and I've not received any invoices or calls from them asking for money. I am receiving responses from any and all Ashford staff members in a timely manner and thus far all of my professors have been quick to respond to my posts and emails. I will agree that the classes seem pretty easy but I am a fairly good student and enjoy the classes. This is a tremendous help with passing. If you are not enjoying the class or enjoy attending school you will struggle, no matter what school you choose. Not every student is finding the classes easy but they are sticking with it. I don't expect every class to be this way. I will also agree with one of the posts that the grammar from a lot of the students is horrendous and I'm very surprised that these individuals have made it through life in general, let alone any job they are currently working or previously held. However, I have seen comments by the instructors about those errors and that they are in danger of receiving low grades. We are only allowed to see our own grades so these postings that claim you pass anyway, I don't know how they know this to be fact as they do not have access to other student's grades. They are assuming they are passing. As far as not receiving full credit for posts because of not meeting criteria, it is clearly defined what is required of us for posts. If you do not meet the criteria you do not receive full credit. I have received full credit for every post I've written. I am maintaining an A average because I am applying myself. It is my opinion that the students who are complaining about Ashford and their way of doing things were expecting it to be smooth sailing and easy to get a degree, simply by showing up and doing as little as possible. I'm betting those same people do the very same thing on their jobs as well and wonder why they aren't being promoted and/or losing their jobs. Ashford, so far, has been a positive experience for me. Apply yourself and do your best and stop worrying about other students. Get your degree and be proud of yourself for sticking with it. Don't quit because it takes a little hard work and then bash the school because you didn't apply yourself and weren't handed a degree.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I am actually in the BASS/Ed program (Social Science with Education Concentration). I feel that I will receive my BA with more of an understanding of pedagogy and general information relevant to my subject area of choice. I have always received attention and was able to transfer in 57 credits with no problem. I also used the PLA option and have sped up my degree.

I'm a Psychology major at Ashford. I'm pursuing my doctoral and I'm getting my undergraduate education at Ashford. The faculty have been extremely supportive. The curriculum is based on a conceptual framework where subject matter and laboratory experiences are given in good sequence. I have found it to be logically organized and internally consistent. I'm pleased by the abstract guidelines they use for developing the carriculum. This college has plenty of value.