B.A. Psychology Reviews

Very Pleased

By: uctechrichard (In Progress) on November 7, 2009

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I am finishing my BA in Psychology on the 14th of next month. This is the only online course I have taken, so I have nothing to compare it with. I had approached several colleges which offered online formats. Ashford was the only one that actually responded by phone. This told me something. My only concern was that, I had an enrollment advisor who was replaced by an academic advisor after the first course. Have had two since. I am applying at Grand Canyon U. for my graduate degree in counseling. It is my understanding that that one advisor will be with me through out my education with them. In addition, some people have advisors who check with them on a regular basis. The only one who checked in with me is the current one who called me once. Some of the students do seem subliterate in their forum posts. Besides these slight complaints, I have had a good experience. Ashford applied a lot of my previous experience as life credits. For instace, I received credits for attending Combat Engineer school for the National Guard (for building materials) and for a hazmat course I took as a volunteer fireman. The classes are demanding, requiring lots of reading and writing. APA format is strongly enforced. This is good, I am finishing my education at Ashford with a sense of accomplishment. Instructors are supportive and responsive. Financial aid has gone smoothly. It has paid for all my classes and have received stipend checks two or three times a year which helps with finances. The text books have been excellent. My last concern, as I am graduating, has been for the transferability of my credits. Ashford is regionally accreditted. The military advisor at GCU, who is assigned to me told me without hesitation, that my credits would be accepted. At 55 yrs of age, I have always wanted a college degree. My wife is a T 6 spinal cord injury, and I work full time. The online class has allowed me to meet all my responsibilities and get an education. If you are motivated enough to utilize an online format, I recommend Ashford. It is a challenging course, but a whole team is at your disposal to assist you. Thank you Ashford for an over all good experience.

a joke

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on July 27, 2009

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I am a student at this present time and I'm in my third class and this will be my last class. I will admit that I didn't do my homework about this place and I know that Imust get out now once I receive my last check. in a few weeks I will definitely know whether this school isn't worth anything after I enroll in my community college next week and see what they ha ve to say about transfering their credits in Psy 202 and English Composition 1 . I have not had one problem with them until I started reading all the reviews and plus my sister work for the Justice Department in California and she had alot to say and this is why I got to go, and not only that alot of companies don't hire or tolerate these online degreeso I guess I can say that I have to pay back money for nothing.

Love the classes - frustrated with admin

By: piper4915 (In Progress) on July 17, 2009

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I have been enrolled with Ashford since January 2007 and my experiences were great up until last October.  The school changed it's stipend disbursement process requiring 7 weeks of coursework completed before receiving 30% of a students stipend and the remaining 70% would be disbursed upon completion of 14 weeks.  I have had to request economic hardship 2 times because I cannot afford their $100 books every 5 weeks without the funds that I am accruing interest on.  Ashford enrollment and academic advisors are great, but their financial aid dept cancelled my loans 2 days before disbursement claiming I failed a course.  This course was re-taken the previous year and passed, so it was a mistake on my FSA's part.  The worst part of this refers to the fact that I found out about the cancellation by mail through Iowa Student Loan, NOT Ashford.  They didn't even call to inform me of the cancellation.  The financial aid manager stated she would try to recover the funds, but it is now July and I lost $1300 of pell grant money due to their mistake.  My funds finally arrived on July 7th and I'm still awaiting the hardship approval - but I had to drop the current class because I couldn't afford the book.  I have been paying out-of-pocket since May for expenses that my $3500 stipend should have absorbed.  I am now looking into transferring as I have trying to contact all of my advisors all week stating my disappointment, and I still have not recieved the time of day.  Having a 3.6 gpa obviously doesn't mean that you'll get treated as a person here - not a good school if you don't have the $ to fork out $100 every 5 weeks for books.

Love it!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on July 16, 2009

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I love Ashford. The teachers have been wonderful, the flexible timing is perfect for me, and purple is growing on me!

Never In my life have I been so shocked

By: bharmon_71 (In Progress) on July 16, 2009

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I have never in my life been so disgusted with a so called university. getting enrolled was no problem whatsoever, just like everyone before me has attested to. Once in my class (ADULT DEVELOPMENT) I was first shocked at a few of the students that couldnt even put a sentance together or spell the simplist of words. I have no problem with that, however How can they be enrolled in a course like that.
the next thing that shocked me was the fact that they wanted us to do a paper in APA format. Well that is fine but ashford's APA guidelines are not the same as the NATIONAL APA guidelines. I kept bringing this to everyone's attention, I.e. teacher, teachers assistant and my enrollment advisor. I know I am abviously anal about it, however it sends up red flags when a University can not even get the APA guidelines right. Ashford specifies left margin at 1 1/2 inches. where APA clearly states every margin is 1 inch. APA used to be 1 1/2 but changed to 1 inch. anyway after this it just went down hill. I thought to google ashford reviews and I was mortified, in my class everytime a student asked a question, the instructor would say I really don't know. I mean gosh shouldnt you know? your teaching the course.

well anyway so I spoke to my so called academic advisor and the person over my student loan. oh my gosh I have had better customer service at a fast food drive through.
they are downright rude etc. anyway I told my advisor that I was quitting to attend a real university like ASU and he said "im excited to not to have to deal with you anymore". 

Please do your homework and dont go with this school.. a complete and utter rip off, and they treat you like crap to boot as an added bonus.

Two Happy Students Here

By: gherwick1 (In Progress) on July 11, 2009

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Both me and my husband have been students at Ashford for over a year now and are loving every minute of it. I know that it takes a lot of work but we both have straight A's and with the help of my advisors, all 3, we are doing great. We get calls checking in with us every few weeks as well as emails regularly. I love this school and so does my husband. Those people on here complaining need to realize that school is a second job and you have to want it and be willing to earn it.

HORRIBLE

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on July 1, 2009

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I'm writing this because there is so much pressure to attend this school. They contact you at all hours, even after I asked them to please remove my phone number from the calling list every single time. They try to be your friend and then get you in front of a computer to apply to the school. When I said that I wasn't ready because I had to make this decision with my husband's support. The advisor didn't seem to care and all I had to do was apply to the school. Because of these pressure tactics, I enrolled at another school on MY terms.

Just Graduated Two Weeks Ago- An Honest Review

By: kmcurrie (Graduate) on May 4, 2009

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As a recent graduate of this university, there are some great things to report and there are only one or two items, which are less than positive.  Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.  If for any reason you are scheduled for a class titled Man dependance on the environment, demand another class.  This so called class is the biggest joke, and waste of money I have ever seen.  You are required to purchase a book, which you can get for free online.  The class is nothing more than the same topic expressed every week.  Oh and let's not forgot the mindless online lab (50.00 you will never get back)  It's rare I would ever say a class is worthless, since I believe all education is valuable, but this class is a waste.  Additionally it takes seven weeks to get any money back from your student loans.  There is no reason any school should take this long to refund YOUR money.  After all some students are living off their loans, and can not wait seven weeks.  Now we have this out of the way, my overall experience has been pretty great!  The professors generally care about their students, and want them to succeed.  I have made many friends, both in the student body and staff.  I would highly recommend this school.  However, I will offer this suggestion.  Be sure to give yourself enough time on the written assignments.

Very happy graduate

By: gander3402 (Graduate) on April 28, 2009

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Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the quality of my education at Ashford, and feel a high level of school spirit. I will graduate on May 9, 2009, and am a new member of Alpha Sigma Lambda. I worked hard and took nothing for granted. I was well-pleased with the materials and the Blackboard learning platform. Discussion board postings were interesting and engaging. My classmates were always respectful to me, a much older person.

I believe I have achieved a treasured goal in life, as I did not have the opportunity to go to college sooner. Thanks to Ashford and its staff and faculty for everything.

Ashford is a great school!

By: crawfords47 (In Progress) on April 4, 2009

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I am a single mom. When initially signing up I almost backed out. I thought no way I can complete my degree on-line this cannot be legit? I am so glad with a little help from my advisor- and yes I am sure they get commission so what! I am on my sixth class it is really fantastic. You have to work hard to get a good education, nobody will hold your hand. I hate attending classes and don't have to deal with annoying people that keep you late because they never stop talking etc...Seriously I love Ashford and feel the decision will be life changing. This is a great school and I am not an employee just a nervous single mom with the same worries as anyone else. So if your considering Ashford go for it don't listen to negative comments. Nothing will always run perfectly smooth no matter what you do. Thank you Ashley for being a wonderful advisor and always promt! I think most prof. at Ashford are great Ionly had one that was so so. But in a class setting you get one in the bunch . So enough said JUST-DO-IT. Thanks Ashford.. I Love technology!!! Andrea C.. CT

Ashford graduate

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on April 1, 2009

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I chose Ashford because it was the simplest online psychology program that I could find through my research. I'd had a spotty academic past and they were able to sift through my years of random classes and use it all for general education requirements. I only had to take three general ed class, and the rest of my classes were in my major. Also, I was able to take two classes every five weeks (it was not easy) and complete my all of my major classes in one year, start to finish. I was able to finish my degree (finally!) while staying home with my young son. It was not easy, I had to work very hard to get mostly A's. Just like every other school there were some really crappy teachers, and some really great ones. It was a great program for what I needed. I was also highly motivated and I zipped through the program with no problems.

Environmental Engineering SCAM

By: mylabelles (In Progress) on March 10, 2009

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I have worked in Environmental Engineering for more than 22 years.  When I started there was no degree in this field. Now I would like to have a piece of paper saying what I know. 
It only took one course to find out this is nothing more than a milking house.  My initial adviser was excellent. He hunted me down for weeks and said everything I needed to hear in regards to finishing college. He was able to squeeze me into a class that had already started. This is when the problems started.  I couldn't order books because the deadline was passed.  So I had no books.  They redid their website and it gave me several problems. Here is a quick list:
I could not easily long into classes.
I could not find a password from my professor to log into a writing lab center.  Emails and phone calls were ignored.  Bad professor. There are several logins through out the school. I would have to say that I needed help on every set up of login, because it was hard and changed for each login area. They say it is that way for safety reasons.  You can email fellow students and find out that several of them have the same problems. We helped each other out because our professor was only a screen name and not a touchable responsive person. 
They said I would have to pay ZERO for school and grants or fee waivers would be given to cover costs. Sounds to good to be true.  It was. They sell you this program of free and send a big dog collection agency after you  are locked out college for not continuing courses.  Mind you that they lock you out.
I was told by my financial adviser on several occasions that FASFA would pick up the bill. This adviser is very slow in returning calls, but will respond to emails same day. This is good if you are online 24/7. To get my information for financial papers he would call like clock work. Once enrolled that all stopped.

DON"T BE FOOLED BY some of these posts.  There is a good chance that some of these positive posts are employees. They require employees to take courses of study from their University.

My degree is not available from the college.  Once again, they will say anything to sell you on college. I need to stop there because I have on touched the tip of an iceberg.

My suggestions would be to seek local State Colleges and Universities before using Ashford. Even with out books and an absent professor I got a "B" or better on Quizes. It is easy, but requires time.  To bad they are dishonest and put some of that blame back on you as a student.

Don't Believe the Bad Reviews

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on January 27, 2009

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The University isn't perfect but you will get an education if you put in the time and effort.  Don't take on-line courses if you aren't a self-starter.
Financial Aid can be a nightmare; don't blame the university for the red tape.

The 5 week classes are no different than the summer classes you take at a traditional university.  Most of the professors are good to excellent, but you will find a poor one every once in a while.  That happens everywhere.  If you google them you will find they have the credentials they claim to have.  

On the positive side, there are about 20 students in most of the classes.  You have access to the professors that you would not have in a large university.  You can text them, email them, or call them.  They respond quickly.  

Text books are expensive everywhere.  You know ahead of time what you need and you can buy them online-anywhere  Most are standard textbooks so there is no problem finding used books.

I don't know why people are complaining about this school, but my guess is that they don't realize that education is expensive.  Some may not understand that online learning is the responsibility of the student - not the instructor or the school. No one is going to spoon feed you the information; you have to want to learn.


I have a previous degree from a "real" school so I know what I am talking about.

Satisfied Ashford U. Alumnus

By: paulrovens (Graduate) on January 19, 2009

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I went to Ashford University (Online) from January 2007 until my graduation in September of 2008. I have a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Ashford.

I felt that my two years at the school were very challenging. Overall, I got a lot out of my education. I am currently enrolled in grad school at a local state college and doing very well. After taking five week classes for two years the state college's semester system (15 weeks) seems much easier. I feel Ashford prepared me for grad school. My bachelors has also paid off in the job market. 

Overall, Ashford is a good school for working adults who want to better their lives. To be successful you need to take full responsibility for your education. Most of the complaints I've read are from people who were looking to be spoon-fed by school administrators. When they were not babied they dropped out.

So Far, So Good

By: stupafly (In Progress) on January 12, 2009

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I just wanted to say that I am in my third class at Ashford.  The stipend payments were disbursed exactly when they said they would be in my notification via email, and the date of the payment under "financial information" link online coincided with when I received my check several days later.  I already knew there would be a wait for the first disbursement, thanks to my enrollment advisor letting me know, but my first set of books was free, again, just like my enrollment advisor indicated.

Speaking of books, I tend to buy mine on Ebay.  They are a lot less than at the online store.

As for Ashford being a diploma mill, I would disagree.  So far I have a 4.0 grade point average, but the average grades for each class (which are posted) are much less than mine.  The quality of some of the posting on Blackboard is poor, but I believe that people there are graded fairly.  My three teachers so far have been very responsive to any questions I have had.  

There are brick and mortar institutions where you actually have to wait all the way until the end of the quarter to receive any stipends for left-over funding.  So that would be at three, six, nine and 12 months, if you attend even in summer.  I don't feel the seven and 15 week policy is unreasonable.

Not Perfect, but who is?

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 26, 2008

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There are times when we have a bad experience. Not everyone is perfect. I was at University of Phoenix and had a problem with a professor there. I had questioned the questions I had gotten wrong on a test and she said I can not give you the correct answer you have to look it up. Nice. People complain about the school, have you looked on the BBB for U of P? hundreds of students have complained. There is not a perfect program on-line,please post when you find them. Ashford has been pretty good when you put in the time. I have seen some lame postings in class and see the lack of quality in their work. My last class the average score was a 60% and I got 96.4 for my work.

Don't be Lazy

By: davidslade78 (In Progress) on December 16, 2008

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After a few kinks and being a new college student, I find the Ashford experience to be great.  After reading some of the negative reviews on this site, it appears the problem is with the person, not Ashford.  Having to pay for books and Microsoft Word are common college expenses.  Not everything could be covered under Financial Aid.  The books can be pricey, yes, but you can also rent textbooks from sites like bookrenter.com for a fraction of the cost.  They will not hold your hand (as you are a college ADULT now), but will walk you through the beginning steps.  By the way, I have been going to Ashford for over 2 years now non stop and never have had the issues that some of these people have.

Ashford University

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 30, 2008

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I am not at all surprised by the handfull of people that have posted with complaints. They state that advisers, professors, etc are sometimes uncaring. I wish to ask them if they ever stepped foot in an actual college or university? I have seen the same form of uncaring, unknown individuals as you have seen from an online college.

As for those that commented about any "poor folk" could pass. I would have to beg to differ on that. Just like anything else in life, you get out what you put in. If you don't do the work, you fail. Plain and simple. 

As for the comments on the professors being "housewives", I would like to see your proof on your assumptions. I did research on some of my professors and found what they stated in their introductions to be valid and truthful. 

I have attended Ashford for over a year now, and yes, I've had my share of issues. I've spoken to a friend who has done both "regular" and "online" schooling and understands when certain things happen. If you can't reach them by phone, e-mail them. I have kept 99.9% of my communications with Ashford by e-mail. So financial aid has a new policy, did you RESEARCH it? Its not their doing, but a FEDERAL order. Don't always blame someone else for your own failures.

I am studying for a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice. I have a friend who attends online with me. She would be the first to come forward if anything seemed "easy" or "fishy". Also, I had dropped out of high school ( but did obtain a GED ) and these classes are NOT a cakewalk. 

If you don't like a college, then move on. Just because Ashford is owned by a private company, doesn't mean its bad. Look at other public colleges, look who runs them. A "Board of Regents" - sounds business to me.

never again

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 25, 2008

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the classes are very easy and my enrollment advisor is great as for everything else this school is the worst i have ever seen. my finance guy lost my paper work 6 times. they screwed up my loan twice. i was told i was getting 7000 back and i got 3900. that money is missing and im the one stuck paying it back not them. In the year i have been with them i spoke to my advisor twice. they sure are not on the ball with anything. I should have left the first time they messed up all my aid papers but i got a new advisor and thought everything would be great from here on out. Now i realize it was just a waste of time. not much time however concidering i have a 3.5 and have not read any of my books for any of my classes.

Ashford? Absolutely!

By: valerieahoward (Graduate) on November 17, 2008

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I enrolled at Ashford in June '06 and graduated in Dec '07 with a BA in Psychology. I had a wonderful experience. The 5 week intensive classes were just long enough to keep my attention. The only reason I did not continue at Ashford for my graduate degree is that my major wasn't offered. Now I have 10-week courses and find myself bored around week 6. Ashford kept me on my toes. I loved that I knew what to expect with each class because each class follows the same frame work (weekly quiz, discussion posts and responses, papers due in week 3 and week 5). It worked for me. Sure, there were classes in which the instructors were not as visible or available, but as an online adult learner, knowing how to work without supervision should be part of one's make-up anyway. This happens in B&M schools, too. I excelled at Ashford and was ecstatic to finally finish my B.A. with a 3.93 GPA at the age of 36. I earned every A. Ashford is no diploma mill. You study, do the work and put effort into it, you get good results. If not, well...then, not so much. I drove with 10 members of my family and close friends in a bad snow storm from Chicago to Iowa to the B&M Ashford for graduation and it was worth it. I truly accomplished something and am a role model for my kids and anyone who never thought they would have the chance to go back to school after making some bad decisions in their youth or just because life threw them a curve. I recommend Ashford to anyone who is computer literate, is a self-starter, and works well without supervision.

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