Kaplan University

I just graduated from Kaplan in August and am currently waiting for my degree in the mail. I have actually experienced many of the things people have spoken about here. 1) The calls from the Admissions Advisor -  I honestly was always busy when he called, but he was very nice about it and always called back when it was convenient for me. 2) The Financial Aid office - I was doing good until my last term where I had to pay about 1600 which came out of nowhere, I thought, but after speaking and e-mailing MANY MANY times within the course of a week, we were able to straigthen out the problem. Regarding this, the problem that I had was that we were playing telephone/e-mail tag. E-mail is the worst way to communicate with Kaplan staff, but it provides written "evidence" so to speak, that you tried to contact them and vice versa. But once you do get in contact, they generally do help you out with what's going on. I do agree that there are incompetent people working in certain departments, but that can honestly be said about any organization. In the end however, the education I earned from the school was genuinely good. I had a great experience. I am planning on going to Law school and found this blog/post and figured I'd share my experience. I am afraid that my B.S in CJ won't be recognized by a traditional graduate school, but I guess we'll find out.

I read many of these post and I am really stunned on how little many of you really know about the enrollment process of any University . People posted that For Profit schools are bad because they are only after your money ( all schools are after your money, ask the dean at a major university when he has a house built for him/her on campus, for profit schools get your money for the convince, to attend class when you can, that’s why online is popular), you need to take an SAT( This is false, because some people do not go straight from high school to a major university, and most university have placement tests to display a future students ability) in order to enroll in a real university, and much more. These are not facts. The truth is that everyone’s situation is unique. Most people on this blog have no clue what they are talking about, so if you are deciding between the two you have some work to do. As a professional in this field, we both know that school is not cheap no matter where you go. When you do your research the first thing you should look for in a school is their graduation rate. The second thing you need to look for is student to professor ratio. Also check out the accreditation of the university, and the final most important thing you need to do, is research the projected salaries of the careers that you are looking into. The third one is very important because you can determine if the investment in the school is worth the return. When looking for an online school like Kaplan, actually talk to the adviser and be upfront on exactly what it is you are looking to do, and when you are looking to do it. Let the adviser know when you want to be contacted again, for further assistance. Those folks who posted that they get called seven times or more a day do not know the law. You can tell any one who calls you trying to provide a service, that you wish to be placed on a do not call list and by law they cannot contact you anymore. Even more powerful if you put it in writing by emailing the individual who continues to call. If you are on the fence about attending a for profit school they are all not bad! Ask yourself what is the question behind the question. People who slam any type of schooling probability failed, owe money, or are just ex-employees that are bitter at these outfits. I experienced both types of schooling. I received my undergraduate degree from a traditional university, and my graduate degree from an online for profit university, and both experiences were pretty much the same. The only difference was that I could not see my professor, but heard them during my lectures. Online just was a better fit, because I worked 50 hrs a week, spent time with my family, and went to school. Financial Aid is a whole different story. So if you have any questions or just on the fence, you can contact me at ericlan52182@aol.com, I will be glad to answer any questions.

Not all schools are for profit. Some schools are funded by taxpayers.Thats why colleges arent accepting as many applicants because federal funding is down. It costs more to the state to put them through school than you think. Most schools try to boost their image by attrating smart people that go on to startling achievements. Thats why private and public schools give out scholarships. Does Kaplan? No because all it cares about is ripping off anyone dumb enough to think the degree will be worth anything!!!! Their accredidation is bogus. If you go look at the reviews for SDSU ot UMASS or UNH or any other real university or real school no one would say this stuff about their school.

Kaplan Alumnin 2007 
Why did you get your Masters from another school if Kaplan was so great?  Kaplan offers a Masters in CJ.

Just a thought, but Kaplan nor ANY COLLEGE gives you "experience" in the work field. College is for classes relevant to your field of study. Experience has nothing to do with college. Several places won't hire because of "no expierence," but this double-edged-sword is well known.

All I'm goin to say is its horrible I graduated last May in the medical field so it will be a year n i have had 4 interviews n none will hire me cuz they say I have no experience!!! So yea Kaplan screwed me over!!!!!!!

I attended Kaplan for information technology. Compared to U of Phoenix, they are a much better school although very high pressure for sales. The counselors aren't worth anything. 
That said, the coursework was excellent and the instructors were knowledgeable, although some of them weren't very good at teaching. The UI had some issues, but the school worked with me to resolve them. All in all, I was very satisfied with my classes.

All I'm goin to say is its horrible I graduated last May in the medical field so it will be a year n i have had 4 interviews n none will hire me cuz they say I have no experience!!! So yea Kaplan screwed me over!!!!!!!

Everyone on here complaining about Kaplan are nothing but a bunch of whiners. YOU, YOU, YOU are responsible for your own  actions. Do your research, make sure you have enough financials to cover the costs of the school. If you lost a Pell grant, that tells me you lost it because you did not keep up your GPA. YOUR OWN FAULT. The school did have communication problems a couple of years ago, but is much, much better now. The ones complaining that money went back to FA, it is not your money if the first place. Why would you expect to receive those funds for your own pocket? 

Alright guys here's the thing... believe it or not I'm satisfied with my education at Kaplan. While I am currently a little confused about tuition, I can honestly say that I've learned more here than anywhere else. I am retaining more of the information I've learned than I did in high school or at the local college I attended before Kaplan. Yeah, sure, people have issues... but where do we not run into problems? 

Iam thinking to join Kaplan. Is it good University?

Financial aid at this school is the worst.  They are so rude and have zero idea on what is going on.  That is the only down fall of the experience so far.

Wow reading a lot of these hater comments just makes me laugh I actually graduated from Kaplan in September 2011 with a four year degree in IT I got my degree online in about oh two in half years. Im currently going back for my masters from Kaplan then onto UC or OSU for my PhD. I was able to get to get a job in my field with my degree within three months. I work as a tech at a local collage. So yes a Kaplan degree can get you a real job in the corporate world. 

So far I have absolutely no complaints. They have interactive classrooms and the professors are knowledgeable and answer questions. I don't know about financial aid office but they have not bothered me. Sounds like a bunch of millennials whining to me

My experience with admissions helped me with determining which program I chose to pursue. They helped me make the RIGHT decision. I took two or three classes per term in the Associates in Applied Science Accounting program in Iowa and graduated in April 2010. Through my own dedication to my classes, focus on the end result of graduation, and being persistent, I was on the Dean's list with almost a 4.0. I was employed the majority of my AAS program. I returned for the Advanced Start Bachelor's in Accounting program for the 201-2011 school year and am now two terms away from graduating again. I still made President's list once and the Dean's List. It is not easy but IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. You have to discipline yourself, stay on top of your class schedules for the next term, keep up with the FA paperwork each year after you file your taxes. Keep in touch with your adviser. Contact your instructors if you are getting behind, know you have an event coming up that you even think may possibly interfere with school This is your education,  you are the one responsible for how it turns out. I was partly an on campus student. I know that it is not easy for the Financial Aid department to do all the various things that they do. You must keep track of who you talk to ask for the same person when there is a problem that needs addressed. If you are not getting the help you think you need ask someone else for help. The campus homepage contains all the contact email and phone numbers for your campus teams. You may have to pay off an existing bill. Work with a Financial Aid person to find out what the options are. I had federal loans and grants but worked with Financial Aid every term to ensure that I was receiving the funding needed to complete my coursework. I also had one term where I only took one class during my first year and paid for that one out of pocket. My bill had to be paid before I could attend graduation and receive my diploma and I worked this out ahead of time. If you do the work that is required, the reading, the homework, the discussion boards, the web field trips (not all classes have this), turn everything in on time and do your best you will succeed. The accounting program is one of the hardest achievements a student can pursue, but even my daughter who has five kids earned a 2-year degree and landed a job that she loves as a result. I have had to turn down several job offers so I can complete school without interference which is the best for me, but, that is my choice, not because I had to, not because I can't find work, and not out of laziness. If you want it bad enough; You will work hard to get it. I must ensure that I do my best and work hard to achieve my goals. We are worth it. I'm sorry so many people think they have gotten a raw deal.Don't give up on yourself if you want it go out and get it.  

I had a very bad experience.  I filled out loan papers kaplan got the money they wanted and send the rest back to citibank.  Well without that excess financial aid I couldn't afford to get internet hooked up.  therefore I tried to drop the classes and got the runaround till after add/drop date.  They kept the money for classes I never took.  So I refused to pay the loan, now the government just took my tax return.  Don't go to Kaplan they just want your money

I have attended Kaplan once before and had to withdraw for personal reasons.  Then her recently I started back and sent in ALL the paperwork required and then the day classes were to start the financial aid department blocked me from my classes saying I was missing documents.  When I called in they said that I filed my taxes wrong and that I needed to have them amended by a professional tax person (who I had do them in the first place might I add) and then submit them back to the department.  I told them that they were done right and they said they wouldn't accept them and told me I could not attend classes so they un-enrolled me.  Worst school EVER to attend.  I only had about three more terms till I would have received my BA.  Worst experience ever!!!!

Im glad I found this website.  Before anyone enrolls at this bogus college please read this and the other issues thousands of students have had.  Google Complaints on Kaplan University.  Read about the fraudulent financial aid department.  This is my own personal story.  I began attending Kaplan almost 2 years ago.  Everything was going great besides the fake balance the financial aid dept. kept trying to come up with.  Every  term they came up with some crazy problem as to why my financial wasn't paid yet, so on and so on.  Finally the next to last term I get a letter stating that I owed approx. $1000, due to my financial aid being audited and the government decided I was getting to much money.  Well, after talking to about 20 different financial aid people no one could give me a straight answer as to why they were telling the gov. that I was a full time student when I was 2 credits shy (this is why my $$ got refunded).  So, my next to last term they block me out of my classes due to the outstanding balance, which made me fail all my classes.  After that my balance magically went up to $2000.  And as of today my balance is $2998.  Coincidently the same thing has happened to my cousin who also attended Kaplan.  However she took out an additional loan and paid them the balance.  I am not being so kind, I am going forward with getting a lawyer.  There are 1000s of other complaints just like mine out there about this school.  I would not attend this college if I were you.  I feel totally scammed and ripped off.  I am still without my degree, if this would not have happened I would have my degree as of Dec. 2012 and be working on building my daycare.  :(  

My nephew went to Kalplan fo medical assistant about one and a half years ago.Just by talking to him that he felt that he did not recieve the proper in class,and on hand training that he needs. He took the intership at a doctors,office that was not fully up to date. And the person teaching was ,not been very coporative in anwsering questions that were been asked. Now he is finished and feels that he's getting a bad review from the internship doctors office. He's been looking a long time for a medical assistant job with interviews. But when they call back that. One office told him that  their is something when they contact the internship doctors office for follw up.Is there a way that the school could send him to another doctors office for the internship training.Or is going to be a waste of his money. Not not going to find the job he went to school for. 

Hi my name is Cassandra I was wondering if I can go an enroll w/o having my diploma or GED cause im 17 turning 18 in 5mths . Em I to young 

Cassandra, please finish school and don't go to Kaplan college.

You do need a high school diploma or GED to enroll. 

My name is Rachel, and I am moving to Iowa, and want to come here. I want to know how the Nursing program is and how the school is in general? It scares me seeing all these negative comments about this school. Should  I not even try to attend?

Rachel, 
My daughter took the two year medical assisting program.It was a lot of hard work as any college classes are, but if you are truly dedicated to doing it, it will pay off. She got a job after graduation which she would not have otherwise been able to get. She is raising her kids on her own and is very happy with her job. She loves it and her kids are better for it too. Good Luck with your decision. I would do an internet search to see what classes are required for the certification you are looking for and see if Kaplan will meet those needs. Then call them with any questions before enrolling. 

I am familiar with the Iowa campus and it is great!  You should visit them and all other nursing schools of interest to make the right choice for you. I see alot of bad comments here too but realize there are over 70 locations. Each campus and student is different in their needs, behaviors, and experiences. 

I have been a student at Kaplan for a year now. I couldn't be more happy with my experience. If it wasn't for distant learning and their financing my books into my loans, I wouldn't be able to attend college. I work full time and have 2 children and love being a student at Kaplan!

Kaplan is owned by Washington Post.  I am starting class action lawsuit and ask anyone interested to contact me at 321-458-1814, attn Mike Wappler.  Kaplan and parent company engaged in unconscionable collection practices for fees not owed.  When first started told grants and loans would cover classes.  Only taking 2 classes a term.  Unable to access due to technological problems, Kaplan servers down, online not available, etc., numerous times yet no credits applied.  Bogus "technology" and other fees resulted in out of nowhere owing thousands of dollars on top of grants and loans for a couple classes, most times no books even provided.  Collection Dept then calls 3 plus times a day seeking to collect fraudulent unsupported debt, debt not credited due to their technological blackouts.  I urge anyone considering Kaplan NOT TO GO THERE as they tell you when you sign up grants and loans will cover, then next thing you know, your getting collection calls 3 times a day.  Join my class action against Kaplan and the Washington Post,  Michael Wappler, 321-458-1814

Hey e-mail me vossj08@gmail.com
wife is having problems with kaplan too. 

I just enrolled in Kaplan and went through my first week.  I am opting out today.  The classes are not what I expected, the tests are ridiculously easy.  I want a real education, where I'm actually going to learn something and this isn't the right school for anyone who wants to be challenged.  

(cont.)

After finishing the term, they suddenly informed me that there had been a "mistake" and that I was actually NOT getting $7,500 in loans and would therefore have an out-of-pocket balance. When I asked how this came to be, I was at first told that it was because I was "overawarded" in unsubsidized loans. However, after I pointed out that a student of my status was eligible to receive $7,500 in unsubsidized loans per year, their excuse changed. The next thing they told me was that some of my loans had been refunded because they did not have a certain document on file for me. Let it be known that they had never mentioned this document to me in any capacity and I was never asked for it, including when I received financial aid the previous year. Even when I asked what the document was and what I needed to do to get it in to the FA Department, I received no response and found out months later that my account was sent to collections. Now they were telling me to pay $8k+. Take note that the cost of the disputed term was $4,552, so where did $8k come from? So not only were they holding me accountable for their incompetency or deceptive business practices that lead to the rejection of my financial aid, but they were now telling me that I owed an outrageous, unsubstantiated amount of money.

Fortunately, I only communicated with Kaplan via email (a decision I made after reading so many complaints about them) and have proof of every single event detailed here. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and I will also be filing a complaint with the Dept of Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and my state's attorney general. I don't know what will come of any of it, but I know I will not allow myself to be scammed.

Please call me, 321-458-1814 to join the class action lawsuit against Kaplan, same type of unconscionable collection practices waged against me!

(cont.)

The biggest reason I would advise people to look elsewhere for their education is Kaplan's business practices, which are questionable at best and downright illegal at worst. For one and half years I had no issues with them, though I had seen many complaints about them online. I was just happy that those problems weren't my problems. That all changed last year when I applied for financial aid. Mysteriously, as soon as I as I filed my FAFSA, I suddenly owed money from my first academic year that they told me I would have to sign an agreement to pay before I receive my financial aid. I had proof that I did NOT owe (up until that point, I had been paying my tuition in full), so those claims ceased...for a few awhile. Even after previously proving that I had no balance on my account, I kept receiving bills and emails stating that I owed. On one occasion I was even blocked from classes for a week before I was once again able to prove that I didn't owe. The worst part is that these bills and emails (which I have kept for my records) made claims of balances that differed wildly. One week the alleged past due balance would be $4,850, while the next week it would be $3,282, and so on. This is evidence that Kaplan's records are either seriously erroneous or they are purposely attempting to obtain monies from students that they are not owed. I fear that many students who don't keep track of their financial status with Kaplan have paid Kaplan money that they did not owe.  

Lastly, I was also a victim of the FA Department earlier this year. I filed my FAFSA and was told by Kaplan that I would be receiving $7,500 in loans, which would fully cover my last term there (I was transferring after that term). I completed the financial aid process and proceeded with my term. 

The same EXACT thing happened to me, I am contacting an attorney.  My email is xoabx@aol.com.  I would love to get contact info if you are interested in filing a class action.  There are too many people out there they have done this too!

Please contact me for class action status against Kaplan as a member of the class!    321-458-1814

I have been to a brick and mortar university and I also attended Kaplan for a couple of years before transferring back to a brick and mortar. I can tell you that Kaplan's work, in my experience, is nowhere near as challenging as the work for the courses at the brick and mortar I attend (the University of Illinois at Chicago). I would compare the work at Kaplan University to work you would do in honors high school courses, if that. There is definitely A LOT of reading and self-teaching in Kaplan courses, which I do think helps many students learn more than they would learn at a brick and mortar simply because many students at brick and mortars don't read the text very often and rely on lecture notes, but the actual work that is asked of you (which is not much compared to a brick and mortar) is not college-level work and it is often a matter of just finding the answers in the text. There is little intensive critical thinking involved. In fact, though the amount of reading was not as great, the work I had to complete for my high school classes was more challenging.
 
Additionally, on the discussion boards and in seminars, I constantly witnessed many students being unable to spell, form basic sentences, grasp basic mathematical concepts, or follow clear instructions. Despite this, these students were still being passed and many of them reported having a 4.0 GPA. These are not things that you would see at a typical brick and mortar unless the student had known developmental issues. This is not intended to insult any of my former classmates who had trouble with mathematical concepts, spelling, or grammar, as most of us have weaknesses and we all deserve an opportunity to learn, but it is an observation that has made me question the academic integrity of this school. 

I graduated from Kaplan and I think it was the best experience. I ve been to several brick and mortar schools; while I was a soldier and they are easier. Brick and mortar schools allow more students to slide by than online does. People need to wake up this is the future. This same debate happened many years ago when Black colleges, community colleges, and junior colleges were attempting to establish themselves!!!! Best wishes to all that are seeking your education. GOD speed

It is my opinion that Kaplan University is a fraud. I have had communication issues with financial, student affairs, admissions. The school had a hard time getting my finances right. Now that I am in my last term, the day before graduation, I am told that I will not graduate. This school is a fraud!!!! Think twice before enrolling; make sure you get things in writing; I would hire legal counsel to review all paperwork before enrolling.    

Please call me to join class action against Kaplan and Washington Post  321-458-1814

I am in my very last term and I graduate with my bachelor's degree in a month. Here is an overview of my experience at Kaplan:

Pros: 

1. The teachers were very well educated. Each course I had enrolled in, they have virtual seminars where the teacher would have to introduce themself and they would talk about their teaching background and credentials and alot of my teachers had PhDs. One of my teacher was a professor from Harvard University and taught for Kaplan part time to make extra income. 

2. The courses were challenging but doable. Kaplan offers many online resources for tutoring and assitance with writing papers and such. I enjoyed most of my classes and some of the assignments were quite fun. I received a quality education.

3. Kaplan is regionally accredited with the same accrediting bodies as the brick and mortar schools.

4. Online education offers a lot of flexibility for those that work full time and have kids and other responsibilities. 

Cons:

1. Tuition is extremely expensive. Prepare to spend at least $1,300-1,500 per class. 

2. Some of the teachers did not put much effort in grading the assignments. There were some papers I wrote, which I must admit I did not put as much effort in as I should because I waited until the last minute to write them, yet I would get a 100 on my assignment! I was amazed. However, there were some teachers that harshly graded the assignments to the point where I had to resubmit them. It really just depends on the teacher's grading style.

3. You dont get the same experience as you would attending a brick and mortar. I would never recommend an online education over a brick and mortar education if the student had the choice. 

4. It is really hard to get a hold of the registrar's office. I imagine it is this way with any school you attend but I highly recommend you keep track of your curriculum and credits. There were a few times they tried to say I needed to take an extra course when I knew I didnt need it for my degree plan. Made me think they just wanted to bring in more money.

5. The financial aide office sucks! These people need to go back to school and learn math all over again. I completely paid off my degree and had confirmation numbers for each payment and kept a ledger of every dollar I owed and what was paid to Kaplan and they tried to say I still owed them money yet they could not prove to me why. I eventually threatened to get the board involved and file a complaint with the BBB if they didnt get it resolved and they finally fixed their error. 

So there you have it. I do not regret my degree with Kaplan as I am happy to have it, however, if I was coming straight out of highschool, I would recommend a traditional school. I think Kaplan is best meant for those of us that are are juggling our careers and trying to obtain a college degree. 

Everyone should decide for themselves if online education is right for you. 

To megansharp, no one is expecting the school to "bow down" to them.  However, it's your tuition money (whether it's student loans or out of pocket) that pays salaries and keeps that school in business, so efficient and courteous customer service isn't too much to ask.  In addition, you're mistaken about how student loans work.  If you complete at least 60% of the course, student loans do not have to be returned and you should not owe that money.  Kaplan purposely sends student loan money back well beyond the 60% cutoff specifically for the purpose of being able to pursue you to collect.  

I promptly left this school once I realized how awful it was.  During the admissions process everyone was friendly and quick to return calls.  Once they had my money in hand I couldn't even get a simple question answered without raising hell about it.  

It's "Diploma" not deploma.

I guess Kaplan does suck!!

I was enrolled at Kaplan University's online studies from 2007-2010. When I started they were all helpful and they took care of setting up everything. they calculated my loan amount and got it approved. I zipped through classes without a concern in the world. And they never told me they miscalculated my loan amount until AFTER I was ready to get my deploma.  i waited for it come and it didn't come. When I called to find out what was going on, lady on the other end was rude and actually thought it was funny enough to laugh at me when I said I want my deploma. She told me about the miscalculation and that even though they screwed up I wasn't going to get my deploma until I paid them almost $5000. So I don't have my diploma but I have $40,000 student due  and I can't a job in the field to afford to pay my student loan. So I do not recommend Kaplan anymore. And am having to try to get enough money for a lawyer so I can sue them to get my deploma because I had no control over calculating and requesting my loan. That was suppose to be a luxury you get with the Kaplan experience is them taking care of all the important 'boring stuff' as they said to me in the beginning. BE WARE OF THIS SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATIVE 'LUXURIES' THEY CAN BE MORE THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR!

Please contact me to sign up as a class member in class action lawsuit against Kaplan and the Washington Post, its parent corporation for fraud, extortion, theft, etc.  321 458-1814  Michael Wappler

I attended Kaplan for 6 months, during that time I received nothing that would resemble an education I am convinced that kaplan is a scam. If you feel the same way please e-mail me at frustratedkaplanstudent@gmail.com. The curriculum at Kaplan was horrible never once did a professor go over an content 

I'm frustrated with kaplan as well. They are a very unprofessional school, i have never had such a hard time getting in contact with anyone about my education. They keep you on hold for 20 mins before anyone can actually attempt to help you. Everytime i call a dept i get a different person that tells me something different you never get straight forward answers. They withdrew money from my account on the wrong date and for the wrong amount which basically left me in limbo in my personal finances and now i can't even get a response on when i will get a refund back even though i turned in everything they told me that was needed. i'm frustrasted and would never recommend this school to anyone!!

I've attend kaplan for 2 semesters or quarters or whatever it was. It's a pretty good school, Its the financial side of things I'm not fond of. I want to transfer to a better school, where I feel challenged, I get on the Dean's List and back to back and I got tired of it. How are our credits calculated?

I am graduating from Kaplan University this July, 2011 with a B.S. in Health Science. Kaplan has been a god sent. I am a divorced woman with two children and work full-time. Their program has given the flexibility I needed to complete my degree. It's an intensive learning experience, but the instructors help every step of the way. Excellent school. Thinking about returning for a Master of Public Health in the future.   

I joined Kaplan M.S. Psychology program for 2 terms and dropped out. It wasn't hard but very intensive. I am a mother of two boys and two jobs just simply cannot keep up all the readings and assignments. It's lot more intensive because it has to cover all topics supposedly for 1 quarter in 10 weeks. If you have lots of time on hand, you might be able to handle it. Otherwise, don't assume online classes are easier. It's actually harder in my opinion because of the fast pace. It's quite expansive too because it costs about $3,500 for 1 term. It's better to look for master programs that include the internship placement especially in psychology. Otherwise you have to count on your own luck!

The classes are more fast-paced, but speaking as someone who has been to two different brick and mortars and Kaplan, the actual content of the courses is nowhere near as difficult as what is taught in traditional universities. In my experience, Kaplan work was on par with what I was used to doing in high school.  

Been going to Kaplan University for a year now for my degree in IT. Best school financially. Great service and on top of that a person success is totally based on the person not the school. Stop being negative and take responsibility for your own actions hooah! 

I think this page is used ajax too. so, hard to post.

BE AWARE!!! I am a military wife here in El Paso, TX. I was recommended this institution by ACS and I am extremely disappointed! These people do not even know these proper enrollment process. I have been working with admissions and with financial aid to get enrolled and they KEEP giving me the runaround on the process.
I asked them for the Dental Assistant Program Plan to be able to submit financial aid applications and they have no idea what that is! They simply stated: "we don't have a plan" How can this be? Then, how can you know that it is a 9-month process? Oh My God! They are terrible! I am definitely going to another institution.

If you receive financial aid for an online school, do you get a refund of the leftover money like you would at a regular college?

Kaplan is having some major problme with their nusrinsing program. The core classes are great. When you hit pharmacy they do not properly prepare for the course or for the midterm exam. You could get a B in the class but if you do not have a passing grade of 75% on quizzes and exam they give you an F for the whole class and make you take it over again. If you do not pass it  the second time you out of the nursing program. The administration is not listening to what the students are saying and contintue this format. In the last class 8 out nine student failed the final until the instructor employed a curve and more students  passed and others failed. Not fair.

this is hell. hell with this university. never go to this

I graduated from Kaplan in December 2010 with an Associates in IT. I have been working in my field since January. As most people would be, I was a little nervous when I enrolled. However, my Admissions Rep. was very friendly, discussed with me my future plans and also my options. While attending Kaplan, I did both on-campus classes and online courses. The online course seemed a better fit for me, however I have no complaints about the on-campus classes. The instructors I had were very helpful and personable, they also made sure that I understood the materials presented. Tuition is more expensive than some community colleges, and student loans truly are a pain to pay back. However, unfortunately I do not come from a wealthy family, nor did I receive any athletic or academic scholarships. Furthermore, my wife began attending a traditional community college a couple of years back, did not graduate, and still had to pay back a significant amount of money.

I would recommend Kaplan to anyone who is interested in pursuing higher education. I would also choose Kaplan for any future educational pursuits.

Reading through these posts, it is mildly amusing that the vast majority of the responses with negative feedback are either written by the same person (who keeps repeating the same mantra, regardless of the post they are attempting to reply to), or by a person who misspells relatively simple words ("Hugh waist of time"?? This person even attempts to use "large" words to validate their comments, but misspells those as well.)

It quickly became evident that any response that contains a negative comment will be regarded as "fact and truth" by the "repetitive poster", whereas any comment including positive responses must be written by an "idiot" or by "stooges being paid by Kaplan".

I can assure you that I am neither idiot, nor stooge. Also, I am not being paid by Kaplan to spout praises (unless you mean that Kaplan paid me by providing an excellent education that landed me placement within a company that now pays me to do what I love to do...in that case, yeah they paid me to spout praises..not the praises of a stooge, but the honest, from the heart feelings of a proud member of Kaplan alumni.)

I am an alumni of Kaplan.  I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the support, coursework, and eLearning platform that are used at Kaplan are top notch.  I did not have any problems earning my Bachelors degree in IT from Kaplan.  When it comes to the Master level courses and support though, I have a completely different story.
The simple fact is that there is no real support for the Grad student.  If you have a problem with financials, ie like dropping a class, you will be charged out the wazoo.  The Ombudsman will not lend a helping hand when you escalate the problem either.  It is a complete nightmare and should be avoided at all costs.  Associate and Bachelor degrees at this university are good and the Master level are seriously lacking in all departments. You have been warned; STAY AWAY if you are looking for a graduate degree.

I apologize for the way both of my posts prior to this got published 4 times each. They contain very valuable information that I hope you read. Looks like I pressed the "Post" button too many times. 

I would like to add, Excelsior, Charter Oak, Penn Foster, American Public/Military University, DSST and Excelsior exams, and  many distance learning courses and certificates can help you get a professional 2-year or 4-year degree in business, technology or some area of science if you want to hit the ground running immediately after you graduate.

Don't ignore online programs offered by Arizona State University and Fort Hays State University either - you can complete all Bachelors coursework online at a rate cheaper than some on-campus in-state 4-year programs in other parts of the country. They both have a 90% acceptance rate.

Community colleges often let you take classes online as a non-degree student, and require no documentation of academic achievement to register if you are a non-degree student. I have never really explored community colleges, but there are so many out there that will let you take classes or do a 2-years program with them if you just have a GED (and sometimes even if you don't have one). You can then transfer the classes or associates program to so many number of cheap state colleges, both online and offline. Hopefully my last two posts will shed some ideas of places with very liberal acceptance policies.

www.apu.apus.edu - admits anyone with a GED or high school diploma to an associates or bachelor's. Only 250 dollars per semester credit online, or 750 dollars per 3 hour semester class online. This cost includes the textbook for every class. You don't even need an interview with them, just send proof that you completed a GED or high school diploma with supporting documentation and you are in. No SAT scores need, no GPA or merit screening.

You could also do extension class or certificates online (see www.extension.berkeley.edu), or register for CLEPs, DSST or Excelsior College exams, then transfer in all the gained credit to a place like Excelsior College (www.excelsior.edu) or Charter Oak State College (www.charteroak.edu) that also admit anyone with a GED or high school diploma, and that accept all transferred credit if it is an ACE reviewed exam or course, or regionally accredited course. You could do an associates at a place like Penn Foster, www.pennfoster.edu, then transfer in that credit to Excelsior and get a regionally accredited 4 year degree. Always try to hit regionally accredited in your highest degree, whether associates or bachelors. All colleges mentioned here just need a GED or high school diploma. You can generally register for extension classes and certificates, like at Berkeley, and for the exams mentioned, with just a credit card and no need to submit documentation. Everything mentioned is a very cheap way to get a degree, and available for everyone. 

Resources such as the 1 you mentioned right here will be extremely useful to myself! I will publish a hyperlink to this web page on my personalized blog. Im sure my site site visitors will locate that fairly advantageous.

I am in a graduate program at Kaplan for a master's of Science in Higher Education, Student Services. I completed my undergraduate education at traditional community colleges and universities.
I have found the program at kaplan to be quite rigorous, effective and informative. My instructors have all been pretty fantastic, even going so far as to be professional references and mentors. I have nothing but praise for them
As far as financial aid/student accounts, I have had no problems. I applied for and recieved federal stafford loan to pay for my education and have only had one proble. A charge of $39 that no one was sure where it came from. This lasted over two terms; I was not disenrolled because of it; and a solution was reached.
The biggest problem I had was, ironically, with academic advising. My very first advisor was attentive and supportive, however she left her position (no reason given to me) about 6 months after i started. Then I went through a series of advisors - about 4 in 6 months - and that was a little ridiculous, having no chance to create any rapport. A few months ago, they switched graduate advising to a group of advisors instead of individually assigning students to them. This is a big CF. i feel no support from that corner, and really have little use for them as I am in my practicum. My Practicum supervisor, however, is also great, responsive and attentive.

4 out of 5 stars from me. The problems I read in other people's posts strike me as the resultof not reading the fine print or paying attention to the details. These are FOR PROFIT schools - caveat emptor! 

Yes, I once felt like the majority of people here. 
The professors are cool and admin sucks... or They just want me to read... whatever you can think of ... 
 Due to a situation I had with FA and my lack of participation in class, I was dropped. I started at another college...which turned out to be a big mistake...
 I couldn't find a degree plan and into a second quarter, I still can't.
 I can't find my grades for last quarter,my advisor doesn't know my history so I am constantly repeating myself. 
 I have two degrees and they are asking / making me take lower level classes. no advance start program here.
 I don't know when I'll graduate ... I would have graduated this year with KU and it was on the website.
 The work is not easy...it is time consuming ... it will discipline you...
 The seminar is the voice of your instructor and you can ask live QUESTIONS!! This school calls a seminar a powerpoint slide show....

 KU is about education.
 The professionalism is second to not many...
 
 It is what you consider important.
 I found out that the grass is certainly not greener on the other side...I'm going back across the street....

Kind of feel it was a complete scam.  I signed up for the MCSE Boot Camp in early 2009 after an online search led me to one of those sites where they have someone from the school call you.  Asked the guy all about it; was told the coursework was interactive, a primary need of mine since I didn't have access to servers or anything to actually "learn" on.  I didn't want to just read a book.  The course was actually just a series of multiple choice tests and instructions to read a book; with only a handful of video demonstrations or "flash games" where you got to do the procedure in question in a mock windows environment.  Not nearly enough for me to actually learn much by.  I passed the course, could not afford to take the actual MCSE tests, and am now in debt $4k at 23% interest with nothing to show for it.  Not entirely Kaplan's fault, but I do feel the course was next to worthless; I paid four grand to be told to read a book and take a few practice tests.

i want to take kaplan courses at united state but at united state embassey in iraq when i attend the appointement they refused give me veza and told me to take kaplan courses online instead of going to united state because the students before me went to the states and didnot return to iraq but really i want to study their and pass the usmle then return to iraq and apply for prime menester scolarships what i should do???????

Please rethink it. Do not enroll in this school. I promise you will regret it. Tech people are rude. And most of the time you can not login. Please look for a school that knows you as a person, not a 6 digit number.
I am glad I am out. I would never advise anyone to attend Kaplan. If you do,,,you will be sorry.

I'm actually at a traditional college and it's not any better than what people here are saying Kaplan is.  I owe a lot of money in loans.  The price goes up every year.  They only want your money and there is no guarantee that I'll get a job. It seems that colleges whether online or traditional are just out for money.

Worst excuse of a Real Estate School EVER . Hugh waist of time and money .In A WORD they SUCK. its not about teaching its about them getting your money . They offer no help if a problem arises with thier newly implimented tests and refuse to admit you are a ginny pig for thier new program .

I have been searching to no avail about ga colleges who will accept my kaplan credits. I know I will probably be laughed at, that's not the point, I NEED to finish my degree at an institution where my efforts mean something. Like most of you, I have a family to support & a degree doesn't necessarily mean $$$, but if I am making this effort, I need to fix my mistake & re-route to make this thing right.

I have been going to Kaplan since late 2008 & yes, I do feel ripped off. I've never even heard kaplan until I moved to atl, ga & that was at a job fair. I figured it was legit so I went through the enrollment process (desperate to get back into school). I was going to a community college before kaplan but I moved & I knew I had to work so I needed something "convenient". I feel like I wasted 3 years of my life & money I don't even have. I feel like the "dope" somebody made a post about on here. I feel so dumb! If anyone can PLEASE direct me to ga colleges that accepts kaplan credits, it will be GREATLY appreciated! I have to get out of this, like, NOW!

as a side note when you add the school codes it is good research to look at how the school ranks by the federal government as to retention and graduation standings.. It is found as soon as you fill in the school code if you look. Many schools hide that fact and claim to not know it so as to avoid answering embarrasing questions.

you can chose. You can add as many school codes as you want to. It only gives them permission to se how much aide you get, NOT TO TAKE ANY WITHOUT YOUR FUTURE AUTHORIZATION

terrible school, terrible scholastic aide, over priced, financial aide runs scams to steal federal aide money and then double it back threw school loans to charge twice for every charge. Most people never know until they have long left the school. And no other university wants to accept Kaplan credits so ounce your shafted by them they keep right on shafting you!!

You are not obligated to attend a school by putting their school code on the FAFSA.  You may not have to pay for loans until after you leave school, but be careful, some of the loans are unsubsized.  These loans accrue interest throughout your tenure in school.

I am just wondering when i applied for my financial aid it asked for a school code i put kaplan because i felt this is where i was going. I have a few questions if someone can help if i put that on my financial aid DO I HAVE TO GO TO THAT COLLEGE OR CAN I CHOSE ANOTHER ONE and can any one recommend a good one online its just more convenient for me and my work. And i thought you only repay financial aid AFTER YOU GRADUATE NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR STUDIES?

JD:  What law school did you attend?  

All of these bad postings are BS, I ACTUALLY went to Kaplan University and honestly loved it!
Yes the financial aid was a bit stressful here and there but overall it's NOT a big deal!
Students that want to own their own business one day or plan on being successful without having a boss breathing down their neck I HIGHLY recommend Kaplan too!
This school teaches you how to balance time, money, and overall life! 
Kaplan also teaches you how to become a leader, and NO this is not someone that works for Kaplan to save their a$$ I'm just explaining MY experience with Kaplan.
Only thing is I'm not sure if the credits are transferable. Other then that Kaplan University is a GREAT school and In my future as an attorney I WILL be bringing this college up in A LOT of my interviews!

it isnt even accredited. Many employers state that this university isnt accept as proper education requirement.

To You:  I agree with you on a lot of what you posted, but if you are planning to go to a traditional university, be prepared to work twice to three times as hard to finish your degree.  You wrote that you do not think the seminars are necessary, and you do not pay attention to them.  Reality check; you are required to attend class at a ground school two to three time a week for each of your four courses(full time student).  For the most part your attendance is required and you do not get to write a short paper if you miss the class.  Please be aware that online schooling is easy and be prepared to work your _ _ s off at a quality state university.  I do hope your credits from Kaplan transfer.

kaplan is not at all good for the amount of money you spend to get a degree.

Kaplan so far online is okay far as the Money that you can get back if that applies to you. The work load is crazy. I thought online was for flexibility for working member? Not here! Unless you are in a graduates program, which requires something different. I enjoy online classes, but 10 weeks of the same instructors and to include a seminar for each class, really sucks! I wish I have really thought about that before hand. If you can't attend seminar, then there goes another paper you have to write as well as your other work, which is included. If you ask me, seminars should be optional, not required for part of your grade. Half the time I don't pay them any attention,except for to show participation. I really feel like I have not learned anything new! I am almost finished and I can wait to get through! Fast, quick, and in a hurry! I have really never had to read a book to pass the class or complete the timed test. I mean I'm just here to get my name on a sheet of paper to say that I have a degree. Yes it's a lot of work, but it is easy as heck! Time consuming, but I will finish the rest of my education at a campus. Employers really look at you funny when you say at an interview that you are pursuing an education online! So, I'm glad that I'm only an undergraduate and will have loans available for my bachelors. I am only completing my associates degree online to make time shorter! So, I tell anyOne online is great, but try to do your studies at a regular school, especially if you want to get a good job with a well reputable degree! Don't listen to the school reps or anyone bout that crap of a degree online is excepted almost anywhere. There job is to keep students coming online. No students then no one can make money. It's a business everywhere you go! But regular college campus has a better value for your money, it just may take a semester or more to finish than 12 months online! Then you look crazy at an interview with an online degree, especially one in the medical field! Who's to say you completed your own work and just actually completed your externship? Never would know right! 

Michele,

do not do it...run away.

I am working on all of the paperwork right now and was getting ready to enroll,but I am glad I saw some of these posts. I may reconsider. I also just saw on the FASFA website the graduation rate is only 23%. I am confused on what the right decision is?

I just enrolled my husband at Kaplan. It works for him since he's 40+ yrs old, has 21yrs work experience, already has a very good career and just needs the diploma to take him to the next level within the same company. I am a Rutgers graduate and I can tell you even classes from community colleges were not all transferable to RU. I had friends that had lost credits along the way. So it really doesn't matter where you go if they don't want to accept them they won't. My verdict is still out on the whole administrative portion of the education but I can tell you 17 years ago when I was at Rutgers I almost didn't get a diploma b/c of parking tickets so higher education is an administrative nightmare anywhere. 

I agreed with the previous comment about the education is good. However, the administration is DISASTER!!!! The whole university needs to work together especially the financial aid office.  It was a horrible experience. In addition, the employees don't even know how to properly talk the students.  I have pre-paid tuition paid through my company.  The financial department who's responsible for this was horrible!!!!  SAD!!!!

Wow, i am reading the reviews and now wondering if I have made a mistake. I am enjoying the experience so far and doing pretty well. The cost for the school is very expensive and what troubles me is reading that the workforce does not honor the school. I currently work for a large medical facility and pray once I am done, I won't run into that proble. I guess you can say there are good and bad results when you choose do educate online. I still have a couple years to go.

Amanda,

You are obviously an employee of Kaplan. By receiving 5 credits for s class just means you pay more for your subpar education.  

Currently in my 3rd term at kaplan to recieve my aa in applied science(legal stuides, paralegal) Things have been great. I love that the classes are only 10 weeks long and ytou recieve 5 credits verses a community college they are 15 weeks and recieve 3 credits. They dont have traditional semesters they have terms this allows you to reach your goal and graduate faster. Also, their finacial aid dept has been awesome to me. No everyone is made of money. There has been a few time i havent been able to make my payments on time and as long as you communicate to them they dont mind!

Ok i see all this negative stuff about the online school but what about on campus in actual classes and where they do actually give you hands on training?

Accredited universities that accept transfer credits are usually not-for-profit organizations. I am an actual pre-med student at well known colleges who gets offers from Columbian, etc. It will not transfer since Kaplan, and many other schools are not accredited national...even though they say they are, there may only be a handful of classes that are accredited. My advice to you in this economy is to go to a community college and get a real associates degree in nursing where things are hands on and you will get financial aid very quick in comparison and there are numerous opportunities for scholarships. I would wash my hands of Kaplan and these schools. Pre-reqs can be taken online at the community college and the professor's door is open for in person office chats for help. I know all this because through the national honors society of Phi Theta Kappa that I was an officer for at a community college to cut costs for an awesome four year university transfer. I helped many with transfer issues. Good Luck!!

You people are crazy to attend a for-profit school. You can attend a community college that is far cheaper with better instructors from RESPECTED universities. Most of the classes can be done online too. You get a high GPA and join an honors society to get scholarships for a four year transfer school to something like MSU, UTA, OSU, etc with no or very little loans. Do I want to hire a graduate from Michigan State University, Ohio State, University of Texas, etc or someone from Kaplan...hmmmm...most choose the respected colleges. Don't be scammed!!!! Yes the classes are flexible, but so are online courses at a community college. I know people living in Texas taking classes at MSU in Michigan online that is still cheaper that Kaplan, Everest, Devry, and all those scams.

Best regards: 
I want to enrloo in your university for getting a master degree in education I'm an international student but a permanent resident in ca,oakland. i 've submitted to pbt my score=463 so is that acceptqble in the admission ,what the alternative choice in case if you don't accept it, also I need some details about the programs you offer and about the tuition costsfor the whole process,and how long it takes to finish the master degree.

I have been attending Kaplan online University for the past six months. I am still waiting for my financial aid to clear. I have called numerous times and each time I get a little different story. Since I am unable to connect with a person who makes decisions I have decided to withdraw from Kaplan , as it appears to me they operate like a ball of confusion when it comes to financial aid. 

I am considering doing the same. I feel that the financial aid department is very INCOMPETENT! You have 20 people calling you in a day about the same issues. And you have to keep explaining yourself to them. I don't know why they do designate an officer to a specific number of students seeking financial aid. At least that way a student will know who to contact. I'm so FED UP! I like the curriculum. The professors appear to know what they are doing! It's the financial aid department that i have a Big problem with. I really would not encourage anybody to consider them if anyone is planning to take a course with them. Look elsewhere because before you know it you will be a victim and that's going to affect your studies.

I am having problems with my current college saying that Kaplan is not Regionally Accredited. Therefore my classes from Kaplan wont transfer. Does anyone know anything about this? Im very upset!!! (It was for the nursing degree)
Thanks

Kaplan is a GREAT school.. Please dont listen to bad reviews.. No Problems ever!! Excellent student advisors and teachers!!! I completed my Bachelors in Criminal Justice from Kaplan U...I attended another school for my Masters and I wish Kaplan offered PhD's I would reenroll.

Now that I've graduated from Kaplan I plan to go on a crusade to warn as many as possible to avoid the for-profit online schools. Kaplan is a rip-off, but it's not the worst. Watch late-night TV in the Chicago area and you're inundated with cheap ads from Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts school, Westwood University, and several others. Don't fall into their trap. Most traditional schools are answering the online challenge by developing their own online courses. 

A prospective student needs to realize that not all degrees are the same. A bachelors from KU is not in the same league as one from a state school. The problem is, the for-profit schools are not doing anything illegal (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here). Students willingly fall into their trap with the false promise of high salaries through a relatively quick and easy online college program. Unfortunately, in this case, you are not getting what you pay for--you are getting much less. A degree that is of very little value, especially considering what you will pay for it.

I was attending Kaplan Online. Their Finance Department was excellent in providing me with what was needed. I will say that I had a problem with some of the programs that we used for class and getting responses in time from Academic Advisors. Those were the main reason's for me choosing to go to another College. My Grade Point Avereage started to suffer from the programs and I dropped from 3.97 to a 3.07 and could not afford for my GPA to suffer much more, so I transferred out. I will say not all of my credits transferred, but 21 of my 55 credits did transfer. This is with any school though sometimes you can transfer all or only some. I know that I am paying a lot less for my credit hours due to I am taking courses at the University here by the house, so I am saving money.

I would like to say that I did enjoy going to Kaplan On-Line, and it was a great experience and that with the studies they provide and all the extra's it kept me up with the On Campus life as well.

I was wondering about Kaplan, and I took the academic assessment test or whatever they call it. The questions are freakin' EASY. Here are a couple examples...


What number is the next one in the sequence?

78, 72, 66, 60, 54, __

A. 45
B. 40
C. 56
D. 48
E. 43


Are these words...?

IRK  IRRITATE

similiar
contradictory
neither similiar nor contradictory


And these are questions that qualify you to enroll in their college level classes. SERIOUSLY? My advisor tried to stroke my ego by telling me how smart I was for passing my first try, but I ain't buyin' it.

She also talked to me for like 1 hour and 1/2 the first time I called and 45 minutes the next. Geeze! She kept saying the same things over and over. Then when I said I wasn't quite sure whether or not I had made up my mind or not, she said, "But don't you want to make a change in your life? Where are you going to get if you do nothing?" As if Kaplan is my last-ditch resort to make something of my sorry life. And she didn't ask it rhetorically either, she kept repeating it until I answered it.

After reading many of your posts here (in addition to my own experience), I think I am going to say "No." the next time I get a call.

@GUS - You don't understand, he didn't transfer credits to Harvard, he got his degree from Kaplan and was accepted into Harvard.

I just started at Kaplan about 8 weeks ago and it works for me.  Reading about all the negative comments about the school and problems makes me think we don't live in a perfect world!  Imagine that?  Listen, people, there are problems no matter where you go, what you do, who you work for, who you work with, and even if you own your own company.  Life is about issues and resolving those issues. I'm not a fatalist, but a realist, so have a good perspective on life and work through the issues...you'll make it.  

The best thing I can tell you is to never quit or give up because people don't determine your destiny, you do.  You are exactly where you are today because of your decisions, good or bad.  I feel like I have to be Tony Robbins today!  Geez.

An individual with a degree from Kaplan will not get accepted into University of Miami what makes you think Harvard will accept a Kaplan degree recipient?

Get Real.

Just wanted to make a comment regarding Financial Aide. I am in my 5th Term at Kaplan. The only complaint I have about this school is the pushy financial aide department. I have always made my payments on the 15th of every month and have never fallen behind and missed a payment. Well I got a phone call on the 1st of the month one day requesting that I make another payment. I told them that I had already made my payment on the 15th of the previous month and was budgeted to make another on the 15th of the current month. I was informed that my payment date had changed to the 1st of each month and I was obligated to make another payment. I was never informed of this change and on top of that they changed my monthly payment to a higher amount. I told them I would not make the payment on the 1st since I had just made a payment and they agreed to delay the payment until the 15th since they decided to make all these changes without my knowledge. Funny thing was at 8am on the 15th, I got a phone call asking to make my payment. I checked my email and again received another request to make the payment due to a "past due payment" I emailed them back and told them my payment was not past due since it was actually due on that day. I made my payment because it was indeed due, however, I was pretty annoyed about all the harrassment from the Financial Aide department. I really feel this school only cares about making a profit and not about the student's wellbeing.

To Gus: Kaplan is an accedited university there is no reason why Kaplan credits would not transfer to Harvard or any other accredited college. Besides the person had said that he graduated from Kaplan so he's not really transfering individual credits but continuing his education at Harvard. Credits and courses at any credited institution should transfer to any credited institution, some courses may not transfer and if you check with your advisors at your school they should be able to help you know the difference.

@ diane, just you wait. you are just starting so everything looks great, but as time goes by you will start having problems with financial aid, academic adviser, etc. I would advise to look for another school. 
Good luck you are gonna need it!

@ Diane!!

Congrats to you!! I also start classes tomorrow (however they are not my first):). Good luck!!

I have been a student at Kaplan University since Feb. 2007 and I LOVE IT!!! The only advise that I can give is that you have to be on top of your own account information!! Some of these complaints on here could of been taken care of sooner I am sure. I also have to say that as far as taking a course such as a medical assistant you are most likely better off going to a school that is hands on because that is what employers are going to want to see! Choose your program wisely. I had one problem with Financial Aid and it took me a week to get it worked out. However, I should of double checked MY OWN account information to make sure that all the grants, loans, and tuition were paid to the accounts as they should have been!! Humans and computers make mistakes so again keep track of your own info and the sooner you find a problem the sooner it will be taken care of!! I LOVE KAPLAN UNIVERSITY!!!!!

My first class at Kaplan starts tomorrow--I am a 45 yr old single mom, a veteran, and have never attended college. I put my oldest son thru college and he has encouraged me to get my own degree. My advisor in Military admissions has been on the ball--e-mails when he says he will, calls when he says he will, extremely efficient. I have not yet had a negative experience with any department in the school.

Stay away...

Hi, I have been going to Kaplan since 2007 and it is now 2010. I love Kaplan. Yes I have had fia glitches but it was my own fault. I stopped and transfered to a on campus school, a high end so to speak college here in Georgia. All my credits transfered to that high end on campus college from Kaplan. The thing is with my fia is I dropped out after 3 weeks of that on campus school as I had back problems. I came back to Kaplan and I did have to get a hardship loan because I had overlapping loans where I dropped out of that other college. Kaplan took me back, gave me a hardship loan, and now my fia is all correct again and my payments are defered. I have loved my professors, my classes and I love Kaplan. I graduate with a BA in psychology in August. It is to me worth the money. I have not had to pay out of pocket. I have had one statistics professor lay down so to speak backwards to help me. Even gave a special number out for her to help us. I would not have passed statistics without this professors help and I actually learned this math. I am VERY happy with Kaplan. Yes fia is a bit ruff sometimes, and the hold times on the phone for fiad is a bit long sometimes but I always get someone on the phone. My advisor for academics is awesome. I really love this college. I would recommend them to anyone. Take care

Kaplan's Financial Aid department is a complete joke. I finished my undergrad degree at a traditional four year university and never had a problem with the financial aid department; they were very attentive and most of all, very easy to get in touch with. I enrolled in Kaplan for my master's last year, a horrible mistake I still regret to this day, and was not impressed at all by the way the financial aid department handled my needs. I withdrew from the university within a week of starting classes because of the unprofessionalism of the financial aid department ONLY, mind you, the professor and academic advisor I was working with at the time were both very professional. Fast forward to the present, and I am now being harrassed by Sallie Mae for a $9, 000.00 student loan for 1 class that I only attended for a week! They call my home, my parents, friends, and thank GOD they don't have my work number or I'm sure they would be harrassing me there as well. I don't understand how an educational instituition as "reputable" (HA) as Kaplan can allow its students to suffer such harrasment. I have called and called the financial aid department to resolve this matter, but like many of the posters here, I too, have not been able to even get a call back. It's so laughable, the care and attentiveness that the university shows in the beginning is vastly diminished once they get done taking your money. It's wrong, and I hope someone definitely puts an end to these shady, deceitful practices soon. For all you Kaplan hopefuls, be careful!

Levi,
The University of Illinois has an online masters program in communication/medical writing. I don't know your field but if U of I is offering this program, perhaps they have others. The tuition was reasonable: less than $1,800 per course.

I just completed the Bachelor in Communication program at Kaplan and I can vouch for all the negative comments. The tuition is over $2,200 per course, but the quality of education is barely above high school.  Instructors are overly lenient minimalists who do no instructing: they just evaluate students' work and give the grades. Any half-hearted effort will get you an 'A' as long as you turn in the work on time. There are no lectures and no tests, just essays and discussion responses. The Financial Department is unethical, belligerent, and often wrong. They operate like Mafia loan sharks: Pay up, or else! They have been hassling me for the past week about an overdue bill, but my online statement clearly shows a $0 balance.

My advice is to avoid the online, for-profit businesses operating as "universities" and seek out a traditional college that offers online courses. I recently saw the opening line from Mary Howitt's famous poem: " 'Will you walk into my parlor?' said the spider to the fly." The poem reminded me of Kaplan. Online colleges lure their customers by weaving webs of deception about earning higher salaries with a college degree. Kaplan reaps millions in student loans, but their academic standards are abysmally low compared to the outrageous tuition they charge. With the right kind of accreditation, oversight, and academic rigor, online education could be a viable alternative, but that is not the case with Kaplan; they run strictly for profit.

They are lying car salesmen, beware. The next UOP in the making.

Tammy! 

Thanks for posting all the traditional schools that offer online programs. I saw your post after I wrote my comment. 

I've been planning on going that way, and I'm actually trying to weed-out all the online only schools in my search, so I appreciate your list of schools. 

Assuming you see this post, would you be able to list all the traditional schools out on the west coast that offer online programs?

I see a lot of negative comments about the school.That seems to be enough to not want to attend this University.
Of the few positive comments I've seen here, or really anywhere with the online programs I'm considering, I can't seem to find anyone who's graduated from one of these online schools stating how getting that degree helped them stand out in the job market, or helped them get work in their field of study?  
I entered an online masters program in education at USC back in May of this year. Unfortunately, I had to leave the program for financial reasons, and now I'm faced with trying to find another online school of a similar standard that's more affordable for me. Yes, I had student loans to cover the cost of tuition, and I even had a 5k scholarship, but I found that a 42k per year price tag was too much for me to want to deal with in government payback when I graduated. So, now I'm left with trying to find a quality program that's a more affordable payback to Uncle Sam. 

What a daunting task that has been. I can't seem to find any online program reviews that do not have a number of black marks from current and past students. I've read horrendous complaints ranging from the quality of education received, financial aid problems, rude people to deal with, a noticeable lack of interest in students with online degrees in the job market, to general service quality issues in many online programs.  

After talking to a few teachers about how they perceive online degrees I have yet to find one that supports getting a degree from an online program. The general feedback has been that a resume from an online school will get thrown by the wayside and the chances of even getting an interview are virtually nonexistent. 

It was explained to me by a counselor I met with at a junior college in my area that there's a certain number of old guard mentality. They'd still rather look at a resume of a student who graduated from a land based organization rather than an online program. He went on to say, is that right, maybe not, but that is the mentality right now.

Another recent conversation I had with a school teacher  balked at me when I brought up a couple online degree programs in education that I was considering. She said no one would even look at a resume from a graduate from either of those two schools. Not naming names, but these were schools that offer a high number of online degrees and claim to be highly respected regionally accredited programs.

I'm commenting on this because I've become really frustrated with trying to find a quality, well respected Tier I University that offers online degrees.  I find that an online program really seems to make sense for me at this stage of my life, but if to the people who are doing the hiring think that an online masters degree is a joke and isn't worth the paper it is written on I may have to find a way to still work full-time to pay bills and attend a land based program full-time. Yikes!

Lynn is correct. I had all my financial aid filled out and they advised it was going to cover 100% of my education. I have two classes left to graduate and they hit me with a bill for $4,000.00 and locked me out. When I asked them why I didnt get a bill they said I should have paid $100.00 a month even though the bills came in asking for $0.00. Basically they said oops and stopped returning my calls. My academic advisor was awesome but the financial aid group is horrible. Now I am deeply in debt and without my degree. TWO CLASSES SHORT. Its because of this I would never recommend Kaplan University.

Kaplan University!  That is a Joke, please do not enroll all they care is about money, anyone can get admitted, it does not matter, they do not require you to have more than 5 credits for transfer students.  You will end up with a debt of more than $50,00.00 dollars. The admittion advisor will put so much pressure on you that you might end up enrolling, they call you several times a Day, and leave messages stating "I am required to call you until you answer the pone".  So I won't stop until you answer and I'll get you enroll.

Hi again everyone,

I am writing again to make some corrections; I do have to repeat some classes, because of their curriculum, it is different from Kaplan’s.  I honestly have to tell you that the Ai Art of Pittsburg on line division is far better than Kaplan will ever be. My Academic Advisor just called me and talked with me again to clarify things to me. So what I am saying I jumped too quickly with this new college. I am jumpy because of what I went through with Kaplan. I sure hope that they take care of the 7,000 dollars they had taken for their Web design program and make it right. Citi Bank is a night mare, and I do not want to deal with them any longer. They wrongfully dismissed me and it was on their end. Student Accounts are terrible they kept locking me out of my classes two terms in a row, until they received my High Transcripts, in which they should had went after them at the beginning when I was enrolled. This college went after my H.S. transcripts how Kaplan did not?  Anyway, they failed me; because I was so far behind in my classes and the professors would not allow me back in to my classroom to make work. At the end they dismissed me, unknown to me. I found out a year later.

Hi everyone,

	About on-line colleges Kaplan and Ai Art Institute of Pittsburg on line division are not recommended. I thought Kaplan was going to make it right with me, and they sent me a form to fill out by email, knowing that I could not afford to buy ink for my printer to print it out at this time. I also had enrolled at this other college and it is not looking good there either. They will not accept any of my credits from Kaplan University, and they want me to take another year for my Associates Degree. I will not repeat any classes that I had taken at Kaplan, or pay for another year especially where I owe so much money already in Student Loans. People in today’s society cannot afford not to have a degree and for these on line colleges to take money from the Federal Government and then find a way to kick a student out of school and then tell them they were dismissed for failing grades. I am very ANGRY with these on-line colleges; I now call them college for profit. I need to clean up these messes, because it is a real mess, it is messing up my high grades and makes me look like a bad student, in which I am not and never have been.  I have been making telephone calls to see what I can do to clean up these messes from on line colleges.  I also have other plans to where I will be writing letters until I find some relief for myself. I wish now I would have listened to people telling me to go to a regular college. A person knows that those degrees are good and credits will transfer from one to another regular college.

I was first promised the wave of my technical fee and was told it would take less than two years to obtain my degree. Needless to say, no one would help me reverse my technical fee because I was told technical fees are never waved. Almost six months later when I happened to locate the form Ms. Walker signed waving my fee, I immediately faxed it in and my fee was waved. It took my persistence to achieve what Kaplan should have already done.
When I enrolled, they clearly stated my FASFA would cover my tuition and I would have extra to purchase Microsoft Word and other supplies I may need (this is why I changed colleges). With no phone call from my financial adviser, my FASFA was diminished due to the poor handling of my account. I tried several times to contact Mike Lisak, over three months later, (again with my persistence) I was able to get a hold of him. He explained to me taking two classes too many, I can only take one class at a time in order not to be in the negative. He also said he would maximize my student loans in order to ensure I will have enough to pay for my tuition.
This is alarming because this means it will take twice as long for me to graduate (which was not promised to me when I enrolled).I've never taken one class at a time. Since 2009, I continuously receive calls about my account, even though I reduced my credits in half. I Spoke to someone on Oct. 4th , 2009 at 11:30 a.m.  explaining I am requesting a different financial worker. I was told this needs to be escalated and a Katy Burke would call me. I waited, called again on Oct. 9th and was told a Tiffany Washington would call me because Katie Burke does not handle financial aid. I waited, On Dec. 23rd I called AGAIN and spoke to an Amy Cagle and was told a Teonna Perkins would call me on this matter. I must say, I am going to take this matter further if I cannot receive the support my money is paying for! To this day, I still have had no financial help with my concerns and frankly I have never experienced such unprofessionalism at a college! My grades have suffered because I am consumed with this quandary. 

This school has been a nightmare! I decided to withdraw from Kaplan with only a few more classes to take because now I'm told I will have to pay out of pocket? What happened to my FASFA? This school offers no support for their students. I graduated with my Associates from another college, but had the impression I would save money with my Bachelors with them, little did I know, this school cost me almost double to what they had promised me when I enrolled.

I recently gave them 3 expense forms because for some reason they keep misplacing them. A Ms Cooper had said my stipend check would be sent on Aug. 13th, 2010. To date, I have not received one. I received a credit alert on my credit displaying a personal loan was tried to be taken out through Kaplan on my behalf?! I contacted whom I needed to right away because I NEVER applied for this loan. This school is toxic.

Graduated from Kaplan. Started classes at Harvard (yes you heard me). Graduated from Kaplan with honors and pulling As at Harvard. How is that for a school that teaches you nothing ( as many claim)? Kaplan's financial aid is poor, I cannot dispute this, but my professor's were informative and experienced. Business Law was one of the most challenging classes taught by an acutal attorney. This is an online school, very little hand holding, thus, this medium is NOT for everyone.

To Each His Own is obviously a Kaplan Admission Advisor. Nice Try

Correction:

You expect people to believe that Harvard accepted tranfer credits from Kaplan.

You expect people to believe that Harvard excepted tranfer credits Kaplan.

Scared to Death,
You have made a good decision not to attend Scraplan. Good luck with your future endeavors!

I was going to pursue my BS in Nutrition Science through Kaplan... but reading all of these reviews has me scared to death. I DON'T want to have to deal with half-witted financial aid people. I don't have the time or money to waste. I called my brother who goes to Kansas State University and it's only $235/credit hour.... Kaplan is $370... That's NUTS. I think I will pursue other options... I don't trust Kaplan anymore.

Capella is better than Kaplan, UoP, AIU, and CTU. 
Post University, Troy University, University of Maryland University College, Walden University, Arizona State University has bachelors of Early Childhood Education degrees online. Look into those also. Best wishes!

if you have to advertise on TV, that is saying a lot... horrible.

Whatever you do DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL!
They continually lost my financial aid paperwork every term for THREE terms and locked me out of my classes every single time. 
Some of the teachers honestly don't care and are only there for a paycheck. 

I was going for my BA in Early Childhood Education and I'm now looking for another online school since I am a single mom and my time is limited.

I've heard good things about Capella University. 

Kaplan is the worst school I've been to. The academic advisors are horrible, the teachers don't care, they continually lose paperwork.

I filed a complaint with the BBB because of how unprofessional and uncaring they are at Kaplan.

Anything is better than Kaplan Im leavin after this semester. What a frickin waste of time and money. When I tell people what school I go to I get laughed at what kinda crap is that? Im gonna attend a school where I can learn something and not be the laughingstock.

I know for a fact Hodges is a good school. I attended Kaplan and South University and Hodges is way better than them both. I am now in my last year of getting my bachelors in criminal justice and I'm loving every minute of it. Go panthers!

You said "Hodges University is $450 per credit hour, you only need 122 credits to graduate with a bachelors, and doesn't have a reputation like Kaplan." That is probably true but Hodges is ranked near the bottom of the barrel according to university rating organizations. I would stay away from this place!

Travis
Your grades were not good enough to graduate near the middle of your class...do not dispute this, I have the facts.

Travis Matheny,
Since you graduated at the top of your class why didn't you recieve any scholarships so you could have attended a 4 year university/college? Everybody I know that graduated at the top of their class attended FIU,UCF,FAU,FSU,NSU,UM, Brown University, Georgia Tech, Bowie State, etc. I guess Kaplan was your only choice.

BTW before you try to play Mr. English professor please proofread your comment, you misspelled ivy and dam.

Kristin,
Hodges University is $450 per credit hour, you only need 122 credits to graduate with a bachelors, and doesn't have a reputation like Kaplan.
Florida Tech University Online $460 per credit hour, 120 credits to graduate.
Thomas Edison State College $7,190 a year for non New Jersey residents and $4,883 for New Jersey residents.

You have options your just not making the right ones.

Trish,
I'm glad you realized the BIGGEST mistake of your life that you were bout to committ. There are other online learning options and Kaplan isn't one of them.

Kaplan University is RACIST and practices racial discrimination in a variety of ways. STAY AWAY IF YOU ARE A MINORITY PLEASE....

I am in my third year at Kaplan and anyone that say's they have to dumb down the classes have absolutely no idea what their talking about. Also just to let you know "DUMMING" is not a word! Anyways, I graduated high school at the top of my class and I can tell you from experience that every class I have taken at Kaplan has been very challenging. The professors are at the top in their fields and no one absolutely no one gets a free ride. You have to work hard for every grade you get. I have looked over several curriculums from other online and campus based schools and Kaplan's curriculum is top notch. I feel for anyone who has had a bad experience with Kaplan; however the truth is no school, Ivey league or otherwise has a 100% satisfaction rating from their students. 

Absolutely no school is perfect, but Kaplan has came dam close. It is a great school and I already have been offered several internships from top companies in my area in my field of study, which is Psychology emphasizing on substance abuse. 

I will admit that it is very difficult to get in contact with financial aid and I can certainly see where that could cause problems for some students. However, Kaplan has thousands of students enrolled every single year and any company dealing with such a large client base is going to have difficulty keeping up with the demand. I personally have never had problems with financial aid and I too have been chosen for verification by the financial aid department on two out of the three years I have attended. However, Kaplan has absolutely no control over who is selected for verification, it is the federal government that selects you for verification. Furthermore, I was informed up front about possibly being selected for the verification process and was also informed that if I was chosen once, I would likely be chosen every time I applied for financial aid. 

I suppose you can say what you want about Kaplan University but as a current student of Kaplan I can tell you that it is a great school with a very challenging curriculum and extremely competent professors and would recommend Kaplan University to anyone!!!

I have just completed my second semester at Kaplan.  My financial aid process was smooth. I am taking 12 credits a semester and I am maintaining a 4.0 average. I didn't have to pay anything but $85.  The course work is challenging but managable for a FT employee like myself.  I don't have anything bad to say about Kaplan.  I am hopeful that upon graduation, I will be able to find a better paying job.  That is my only concern, and Kaplan has nothing to do with the economy.  I am taking a gamble that I pray will pay off. The worse case senerio is I stay in school a little longer for the Masters in business or stop at my BS next year and get a second job if I can't find anything paying more than what I make now.  I want to hear from those that say that the Kaplan degree is accepted by mainstream.

Kaplan University is the ABSOLUTE WORST ONLINE COLLEGE EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The keep harassing me about making payments on my student loan. I work part time and make just enough to pay my car payment and cell , and put gas in my car. I try to pay $20 here and there. Now they are at the point of kicking me out of school because I have not brung my account up to date which is 1,500. I spoke with someone in financial aid they lady said if you pay 10% of the 1,500 I can get back into school so I did. I called again because I was still blocked and I was transfered to someone in STUDENT ACCOUNTS the guy WAS RUDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and I mean RUDEEEEEE. If I would have know that this school was like this I would have never signed-up waste of money and time. IT takes forever to talk to someone in financial aid.

I currently attend online classes with Kaplan University and I love it!  The only bad thing I can say about it is that sometimes it takes awhile to get in touch with the financial aid department.  BUT STILL, they do return emails and if you are patient enough to wait on hold, they will answer your call.  The professors are better than the ones I studied under at my local community college as well.  Yes, it is expensive, but I know people who have taken online courses elsewhere that are jealous of the way Kaplan works.  It is a great school.  A degree is a degree and it is most definately better than just a HS diploma.  

I am majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in substance abuse.  I have no car and I live in a horrible neighborhood.  Find me another online school that is better, cheaper and is 100% online....I dare you.  I looked and there were not many options.  

And ps...people do get hired with Kaplan U degrees.  I know a few of them.  Do your homework before attempting to bash a school with SO MANY success stories.

with conviction, 
Kristin K

I just inrolled in Kaplan online this past july for my first term. The term ends on the forth of october and im anxious to see what happens. I am currently on active duty in the Marine Corps and pay for my education through the Tuition Assistance Program. Thus far, everything has been great although I am a little skeptical about the Universities recognition status! I am pursuing my A/S in criminal justice and would really like to know if it will be excepted in this particular career field once I leave the military. I am definitely going to do more research to see what this University offers in the long run before continuing with them for another term. But for the most part, at this point, I haven't really had an issue with attending an online school compared to going on campus... Given my current situation, it seems to work best at the moment.

Wow. Every negative thing everyone has posted is 100% true about my so-far experience with KU. First of all, they call me.. Like. no joke. About 7 times a day. My adviser, as nice as he tried to seem, was VERY pushy. Kept me on the phone for a good 2 hours, just filling in lines that didnt need to be filled in. And as for the Financial Aid dppt.. I just got out of the military, and I have my GI bill that i can use.. They told me that all my books would be free, they were going to wave TONS of fees for me, and a whole bunch of other stuff.. BUT. I would have to pay a 900 dollar enrollment fee? Are you effing kidding me?? Theres no way in HELL im ever going to pay that big of an enrollment fee.. EVER. My best friend, who is also military started KU, which is what made me look into it.. She absolutely HATES it, says the classes are wack as all heck, the teachers are RUDE, belittle her and never answer he questions without making her feel like an idiot for asking.. Isnt the greatest question in the world "why?". How are you going to learn if someone doesnt teach you? In my opinion, they are a JOKE and I will definitely be looking else where, and this school is horrible.

Why would anyone in their right mind pay more money for an "education" that's worth less than a cheaper one?  I seriously do not understand it.  Real colleges have online options and will get you a much more respected degree at a much cheaper price.  No part of this makes sense.

I honestly don't understand why anyone would enroll in Kaplan or any other for-profit.  It's just stupid.

I just enrolled in Kaplan, did my FA and all that. I'm supposed to enroll in classes tomorrow... WEll I got to thinking what the admissions advisor was saying about the credits. I'm going for an A.A.S in BA. He told me they go by the quarter credit system, so that basically means that every credit at kaplan is worth 2/3 of a credit at other schools, so the classes there that are worth 5 credits, really are only worth 3. So then I thought ok, so they're charging like $350 per credit(when I could pay $250 per credit and only end up paying 750 per class at another school which I didnt find out until after i did the paperwork) which equals out to 1750 per classes that are 10 weeks long. My AA told me that I would take 2 classes a term. So I went and looked at my degree plan as they call it and that says I have 21 classes to take to earn 105 credits in two years. None of this adds up! If I'm taking two classes per term @ 3 terms per year... well you do the math, it will take me WELL over 2 years to complete a two year degree! The point to all of that is this: if you look at the program, which to graduate you have to have 105 credits, and their credits are only worth 2/3 of a normal credit that ends up being 54 credits total for those 2+ years, but I"m almost positive that most states mandate that you have to have at least 60 credits for a degree to be recognized.. So i'm going to spend more time and money than necessary for this degree? BTW the total cost for this is around $35k for an Associates!!! I am now terrified because I've already done all the paperwork for the financial aid and student loans etc. I had read through this page before i did paperwork with kaplan and what I got from most of the complaints was that the financial aid department was just terrible, but the rest was ok.. The real concern should be 1. that people are overpaying terribly for an underpar education and 2. that you'll probably have to take extra classes to have your degree even recognized by the state you live in, much less your employer or soon to be employer.

I hope people keep getting degrees from Kaplan and other ridiculously underqualified schools, they make my real degree from a real college that much more valuable.  We have a couple (not too many, thankfully) of guys here in IT with online degrees from for-profits, and they're barely qualified to answer the dang telephone, it's sad.  As soon as they're gone the hiring managers aren't gonna touch another online degree graduate with a ten-foot pole, I bet.

Kaplan is the worst  online school possible. I started going to Kaplan about six months ago to obtain my BA in Early Childhood Education.

First of all Financial Aid lost everything I faxed to them literally 7-8 times in the 2.5 terms I was going there (I just withdrew today).

They would call my phone at 7 a.m. and then again at 8, and 9, and then 10. It's harassment to call somebody that much. 

Their curriculum   is 'dumbed down' so much that a 6th grade student would be able to do the homework NO PROBLEM! I was going to college to learn new things not go backwards! 

The teachers are rude, under-educated, and are horrible and answering questions.

DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL WHATEVER YOU DO!


I am reporting this school to the BBB this is clearly a' just for profit' school.

Kaplan is the "best of the best"?  Are you kidding me?  First off, let's have fun assuming you are correct (but you are not, and I pity you).  That's like choosing which wastewater treatment plant is better than the other.  It doesn't matter, because they all smell like sh*t.  Like the people on here with operational grey matter have said, Kaplan isn't a school, it's a company.  Anything that improves your education through them is against their bottom line, and guess which wins in the end.

C'mon, I knew anyone who enrolls in a for-profit has sub-par intelligence, but this is just sad.

I'd rather walk from Miami to Tampa before going back to Kaplan in the blazing sun. They freakin suck!

Way to represent your school, Kenia.  "Don't come to an online review site with any reviews that are negative".  Pretty dumb, my friend.

The Kaplan drones have come out in force lately, it seems.  I still don't understand how anyone can enroll in a for-profit school, and think they're getting anything other than a sub-par education.  You're not students, you are customers...no different than someone shopping for shoes at Payless.

Base on my personal expirience Kaplan is the best of the best..Negative people please got to another webside with your negativities we don't need that in here..

I read a lot about Kaplan pressuring people into signing up for classes and that University of Phoenix is better. One person said Kaplan called them 7 times a day, well U of P called me at least 10 times a day. I finally signed up and my first block of three classes was over $1500. The books were another $400 and they were online books, so there were only the chapters they used for the class. When I needed any help, there was none to be found. I am in my second term at Kaplan for Respiratory Therapy and for the most part I am perfectly happy. I don't like the fact that our tests are written by a bunch of pencil pushing number crunchers at the corporate office who know nothing about healthcare and respiratory care, but other than that I have had no problems. For my program there is about an 85% placement rate after graduation. I do attend on campus not online and I would likely recommend it to others.

I have been a Kaplan student for just over a year now and I have NO complaints. I'm an IT major with emphasis on Application Development and I can tell you that the academic advisers will do everything they can to help you. I have learned much about programming and web development and I am now a tutor for the school. My adviser even refers students to me that are struggling with their classes because he wants them to succeed. He provided a letter of recommendation for my as well. The classes, they are a bit challenging but it is college, it's supposed to be challenging. If you stay disciplined and dedicated, and use the resources they provide you will be fine.

I have attended Kaplan University Online since January 2008.  I will graduate in 8 months with a BS degree in Business Management/Accounting.  I have had a Stafford Loan for the entire time.  I have had to pay some out of pocket, but my loan has paid over 95% of my education.  The company I work for actually recommended Kaplan to me and they are an accredited school.  I have already gotten two promotions since I started, received tuition reimbursement (which I have saved to repay my student loan) and have continued to maintain a 3.7 GPA while still working 50 hours weekly.  I agree with an earlier poster, you reap what you sow.  I have never had a problem with financial aid, professors, or my academic advisor.  All have been supportive and kept me informed.  None of my professors have been bad, and all of my classmates have been great.  You have to want your degree and earn it to appreciate it.  By the way, I am 57 years old and this was the best decision I have every made.

Sorry, The number is (760)596-9239.  I wasn't wearing my glasses.

If you want information about how you will be scammed by Kaplan call me and I will give you every detail of how I got scammed.  (760)586-9239

Frank Cleary of houston, tx here!  Man, I got Kaplan and not only has it increased me, IT got me closer to justin bieber!  To you, I have over 5000! signed iPads to give away, only using net links and my twitter page!

I would never choose Kaplan again becasue they are full of it. I call the Fanancial Aid department, can barely get through. Then when I do talk to them its a different story from last time! This school sucks!!!! I would not advise anyone to go here at all. You are doomed from the start!!!!!!

Thank you Tami and good luck with everything.  Ms.Gucci, I appreciate your concern and respect your opinion.  I don't doubt that the accusations are true, I never said they weren't.  I simply pointed out that despite the issues that I hope get solved, it doesn't mean the education is not up to par or that the students are uneducated.  I know for a fact that they don't accept everyone because I personally know a few people that were rejected (and no they are not stupid people).  I had to go through a screaning process. As far as the education, I have had a great experience so far.  I am not attending an online college because I am lazy, but because I have no other choice if I want to get my degree without taking 5 years to do it.  The only thing that aggrevates me is that you have never attended Kaplan yet you feel you can judge the education level.  As I have said this program may not be right for everyone, but I'd appreciate the respect that I decided it was right for me.  Yes, more expensive but the program focuses more on business in the associates level than a majority of the colleges I considered.  So for me it was the right choice.  And I am proof that not everyone gets "screwed" by Kaplan.  I believe that everyone should be entitled to research there own prospective colleges and make their own decision.

Bethany,
To answer your second comment....there isn't a small pool of individuals who got screwed at Kaplan. We're talking thousands here. That is why the DOE is finally cracking down and is seeing first hand whats actually going on. Not only this site but, various others individuals are complaining about how Kaplan screwed up their life, education, money, and not to mention their precious, invaluable time. Maybe you are having a great time at Scraplan but, I highly doubt. 

I never attended there and dont ever plan to.

Bethany,
I'm so sorry to say but, at the FL campus(es) of Kaplan those are not false accusations. Those are plain, straight up facts. Even as far as online goes Kaplan enrolls anyone with a pulse.

Hi everyone, I have been reading your postings and I have written mine; I needed to vent and now I feel better as well as see things differently. I have been accepted into another college that is close to my home state. I am starting to feel comfortable, especially being in a smaller classroom setting and taking one course at a time for now, until I am ready to move on to half time. It is not that I cannot do the work at Kaplan I can and did with high grades; however, it all depends on a person’s learning style. Kaplan is a big university and so many students to a classroom. Not everyone can get the one on one attention that is needed sometimes. Yes, Kaplan has their issues, but keep in mind they are not perfect. A person needs to weigh out the positives and the negative’s in regards to college, work, home etc. 
	It does not mean a person is dumb or unable to learn, it depends on a student’s learning style.  Any college is expensive, I finally received grant money, scholarships and I was really excited so you see all that hard work paid off. I realize now I do much better in a smaller class then I do in a bigger classroom. I do not become so over whelmed easily. Keep in mind I have Voc-Rehabilitation as well. 
	I am working on putting Kaplan behind me and move forward, and make my peace with them as well as myself.

I wouldn't trust someone who got their doctorate online.  They obviously don't want to put much work into their advanced degree.  For Master's...maybe...but if you want a Phd you should have to put some work into it and NOT be able to do it in your underwear.

Everyone wants something for nothing, especially when it comes to college.  "I want a degree, but I'm too lazy to leave the house".

Who are Kaplan's customers?  The students who go into a large amount of debt to pay for the degree or the businesses that are supposedly eager to hire their graduates?
Either way Kaplan FAILS.  They fail the students by assuring them they will receive a quality education and they fail employers by churning out graduates that are not prepared for the workplace.
Save your money.  Go to the local tech college or university.

That's awesome.  You enjoy your so-called "education".

Anyone going to Kaplan, answer me this please:  Why pay more for an online degree that we all know isn't well-respected, when you could get a meaningful degree from a real school (ie, not a business) for MUCH cheaper?

There's a reason the federal government is trying to reign this schools in, because they attract dopes with unrealistic promises and they fail to deliver.  No one who really researched these schools would attend them!  How can you justify joining a school/business that's being sued for fraud?  I just don't get it, there is absolutely no reason to attend one of these schools.

It's obvious here that most of the lengthy, positive reviews that fix the blame on students having problems are written by Kaplan faculty. No respectable school avoids students for weeks when they have problems or need help. Some of the tests require you to answer the question wrong to get it right when the book clearly states the right answer and simple research confirms that the test is wrong. Quit wasting time with sock-puppet comments and actually improve your program.

Its comments like that that are rude and demeaning.  I am pretty sure he was being facitious given his response followed someone criticizing Kaplan students for typing like that in class or whatnot.  Even if he wasn't it is not right to make generalizations of any group of students from any school. I've moved a lot and have been to a lot of different schools.  Every school has every type of person. I go to Kaplan, I work hard, and I pride myself in my education. You do not have to agree that Kaplan is the best school nor do you have to agree that the program is right for you.  I believe what everyone needs to do is to research prospective schools and choose for themselves...not sit on a site insulting people or making them feel dumb for there decision in schools.  As you can see there are a lot of mixed reviews.  Perhaps its more common to find a negative review online but that could be in part due to the fact that if you have a negative experience you are more apt to make it known.  Perhaps I'm wrong but I have yet to experience anything negative with Kaplan.  They even call me periodically to make sure my classes are going well and see if I need anything, which is more than what I received from my local college.  Schools are like any business, whether they are deemed for profit or not, they need to make money in order to run.  For profit schools get their funding primarily through tuition versus grants and donations.  A school can have the best reviews, but then you could be in the small unlucky group that gets screwed or vice versa. I am not trying to convince anyone to go to Kaplan, my only concern is my own education, however, I am simply defending the fact that Kaplan is the right program for some.... and NOT because we are less educated.

To the 'It's Worth It' comment:
That has to be a joke. You can't even spell or form a proper sentence....you deserve Kaplan.

Colorado Technical University and American Military University (both for-profit) don't charge for books and they are $265 and $250 per credit respectively. If you want to avoid taking too many general courses, then it's best to go for an associate's of science or applied science.

@ Josh   On a couple of these, I'm not sure if they are for-profit or not, but most of them aren't. 

MGH Institute of Health Professions (MA)
Nova Southeastern University (FL)
Pace University-White Plains (NY)
Regent University (VA)
University of Illinois at Chicago (IL)
University of Massachusetts - UMassOnline (MA)
Morgan State University
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Amridge University
Georgia Southern University
Valdosta State University
United States Sports Academy
Texas Wesleyan University
Clemson University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Medical University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee, Health Science Center
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University

I agree the system they have set up for the credits is a little odd, and yes its a little more expensive. However I was looking at a online program that would give me the strongest background in business.  Most programs you spend your associates degree in general studies classes (ex. history, health).  For some people this is fine but for me, personally, it is a waste of time and money.  I compared course plan to that of other online and campus colleges and it was the most centered around business, even the english classes are business oriented.  Yes it is more expensive "based on credit hour" however you will not be charged extra for books, lab fees, or any other additional costs common amongst colleges.  It is all included in the tuition.  I also found that the price pretty much coincided with other online schools, Un. of Pheonix wasn't much different but offered less business courses to the Asocciates program.  AIU seemed great but were very unhelpful to me.  I took online courses from a local college and hated the set up.  To me it seemed that the teachers were overloaded, in order to get ahold of them I would have to go to the college which defeats the purpose of online classes if you ask me.  And I won't even start about there financial dep.  Every school has its issues. My only suggestion is when you do your research look into all aspects. When considering the price look at what is included in the tuition and compare courses in the program versus what the other schools provide.  That is how you will know a program is for you...not by other people expressing there opinion on whether they liked or disliked the school. Any school has good and bad employees, good and bad teachers, and good and bad classes.  It is all what you make of it.  I also know it is frusturating to have ppl typing random conversations during a seminar but at least we don't have to listen to it:-)

Tammy,

Can we get a list of online doctoral programs, I only see..

Univ of Florida
Univ of Maryland-UC

all you HATERS, you  know what, it do be expensive, but it can be what you get out of it.  I got out of it what I put in, EFORT.  What do you expect in life if you aint gonna put EFORT into it?  no college, campus or if it on the internet gonnag ive you something without  a big part of EFORT.im almost graduated in a semsand i plan to put what I GOT into work FOR ME and no person gone say what I got from kaplan aint as good as what they got.

My only complaint about Kaplan is that the tuition is excessive.  Also, if you are student loan/grant funded you need to make sure that you monitor your account.  There were 2 or 3 different occassions when my student funding exceeded the amount necessary for tuition and my account refund was not processed.  also, Kaplan is what you make out of it.  There were a lot of students who could barely spell and had no clue how to speak / write on a collegate level.  It was a little disturbing to make such an effort for a college degree and be forced to share a discussion board with people that typed using words such as, "wit, fa sho, etc."

Does Kaplan charge by credit hour? If they give you 5 credits per course when they should only have 3 or 4, it sounds like they are inflating the number of credits you need in order to get more money out of you. Why would you need over 90 credit hours for an associate's degree? Over $30,000 for an associate's degree? They've gotta be out of their minds. Anyone who would pay that has got to be out of his or her mind. That's about as much as Regent University charges (private school/not-for-profit with online programs) and it's tier 2. Kaplan is not even ranked amongst the national school list.

So my OPINION is that Kaplan is a good school that is accredited and you can easily transfer credits to.  It is not true that no college will accept transfer credits from Kaplan.  The credit system for the classes are a little different from most campus colleges, a class=5 credits versus the usual 3.  Courses can be transfered but credits will be reduced to what the equivilant course is valued at.
Do the research and determine if this online program is for YOU. And if you choose to enroll then read the fine lines and keep a close eye on your account, as you should do with any contract you enter into. Good luck with any decision you make but make sure it's your decision, otherwise you may regret the results.

First of all, I am dissappointed in how so many people not only can't respect other's opinions for the simple fact that they don't agree, but are outright rude to those who share different views.  
That said, I am a Kaplan student...I did a lot of research before deciding on choosing Kaplan and yes I heard about the negetive aspects and still chose to enroll.  I am not eligable for financial aid but have taken out loans and everything has been straight forward, however financial aid departments can be a hassle pretty much everywhere.  My admissions advisor was extremely helpful and not at all pushy.  I talked to many online and campus colleges and they were actually one of the least pushy. I believe those who say they felt pressured and that would be in result of the colleges insentive packages offered to admissions employees.  Even if you are paid sallary, if you could make more money by enrolling more students you would do what you can.  I do not agree with this but it happens with a lot of colleges, not just those labeled "for-profit".  Our country's military has the same method of pushing the "sales pitch" though its not money they are asking of us, it's our lives.  I respect the military and look past this flaw so why should I lose complete respect for a college due to this?  If you do your research and see that the program is right for you, then you shouldn't have to be "sold", it's a simple yes or no.
It is not true that they enroll "anyone".  The process might not be as difficult as some colleges but I had to write a letter, take a test and go through an interview before I could enroll. This was more of a process then when I went to a campus college.  
Yes, some of the classes are easier than others, and some teachers are better than others, but again no difference from any college.  Not every teacher has the same ideas on how to teach as the next.
I have read through every one of these posts on this site.  The most commical are the posts by people accusing anyone that has anything good to say about Kaplan being a "fake" or someone who works for Kaplan.  Also a couple that claim to be former proffesors or employees of Kaplan.  The one particularly by the former professor I don't believe...I would hope a professor would be more educated than to produce a such a comment.  So am I a fake because I am enjoying my experience with Kaplan?  
As for the accusations against the FL campus...I am sure there are employees to blame however its not neccessarily the school itself that is setting the policy for this behavior.  I am sure that the investigation will weed these people out and make Kaplan keep a closer eye on how their departments are run.

Tammy is the best.  ANYONE saying that they can't go to any other "school" because of excuses 1-50, just isn't trying that hard.  If you can't be bothered to do some simple research for online RESPECTABLE programs, you deserve Kaplan.  It really boils down to:

a.)  Expensive degree, not respected.  Seriously, I work in the corporate world, for-profit schools are "you aren't working here" schools.

b.)  A relatively cheap degree, much more respected than for-profits.  Even a community college AA is worth more than a for-profit BS.

Don't be dumb, ya'll.

I have been reading a lot of what has been written about “Kaplan University”, and I like what one of the ex-instructors said about going to college locally, and that was suggested to me by my Voc-Rehabilitation councilor as well as another professional that had been working with me.
	I am not the type of person that believes in law suits, but it was suggested to me to write to the Department of Education and let them deal with Kaplan University. Kaplan does not seem to have their ducks lined up in a row. For all new students, all these reviews that you are reading, it can be confusing but keep what you are reading in mind. I will not ever go back to Kaplan I had given them more than one chance, but they cannot seem to get their act together and yes they are VERY expensive and it seems as though all they want is money. They are not clear of what they need to new students.

Obviously, this is just the South, so just imagine how many non-profit schools across the country offer online courses and/or programs.

Even more traditional schools with online courses and/or programs.


Texas
Alvin Community College
Amberton University
Central Texas College
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas TeleCollege
Grayson County College
Lamar University
Midwestern State University
Northwest Vista College
Odessa College
Palo Alto College
Panola College
Prairie View A&M University
Sam Houston State University
St. Philip's College
Stephen F. Austin State University
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University, College Station
Texas A&M University, Commerce
Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Texas Wesleyan University
University of Houston, Clear Lake
University of Houston, Victoria
University of North Texas
University of Texas, Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
University of Texas, Dallas
University of Texas, El Paso
University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston
University of Texas, Permian Basin
University of Texas, San Antonio
Wayland Baptist University
West Texas A & M University
Western Texas College


Virginia
Blue Ridge Community College, Virginia
Central Virginia Community College
Dabney Lancaster Community College
Danville Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
John Tyler Community College
Longwood University
Lord Fairfax Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
New River Community College (Virginia)
Northern Virginia Community College
Old Dominion University
Patrick Henry Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College


West Virginia
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College (West Virginia)
Bluefield State College (West Virginia)
Bridgemont Community & Technical College (previously Community & Technical College at WVU Tech)
Concord University
Eastern WV Community and Technical College
Fairmont State University
Marshall University
Mountwest Community & Technical College
West Liberty University
West Virginia Northern Community College
West Virginia University
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
West Virginia University Institute of Technology

More traditional schools with online courses and/or programs.


Louisiana
Baton Rouge Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
CALL
Delgado Community College
Grambling State University
Louisiana State University and A & M College
Louisiana State University, Alexandria
Louisiana State University, Eunice
Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Louisiana State University, Shreveport
Louisiana Tech University
McNeese State University
Nicholls State University
Northwestern State University
Nunez Community College
River Parishes Community College
South Louisiana Community College
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University at New Orleans
Southern University at Shreveport
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of New Orleans


Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College
Capitol College
College of Southern Maryland
Morgan State University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland Baltimore
University of Maryland Baltimore County


Mississippi
Alcorn State University, Natchez Campus
Coahoma Community College
Mississippi State University
Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi Valley State University
University of Southern Mississippi


North Carolina
Alamance Community College
Central Carolina Community College
Cleveland Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College, NC
Durham Technical Community College
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Haywood Community College
North Carolina State University
Pitt Community College
Randolph Community College
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
University of North Carolina, Pembroke
Western Carolina University


Oklahoma
Cameron University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Rogers State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
University of Central Oklahoma


South Carolina
Clemson University
Limestone College
Medical University of South Carolina
Piedmont Technical College
University of South Carolina, Aiken
University of South Carolina, Columbia
University of South Carolina, Upstate
York Technical College


Tennessee
Austin Peay State University
East Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Pellissippi State Community College
Tennessee Regents Online Degree Programs
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
The University of Memphis
University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Memphis
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of Tennessee, Martin
University of Tennessee, Space Institute

All of these tradition schools offer online degree courses and/or programs. 

Alabama
Amridge University
Auburn University
Calhoun Community College
Enterprise State Community College
Jacksonville State University (Alabama)
Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
Northwest-Shoals Community College
Troy University
Troy University, Montgomery Campus
United States Sports Academy
University of Alabama
University of Alabama, Birmingham
University of Alabama, Huntsville
University of North Alabama


Arkansas
Arkansas State University, Beebe
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Arkansas State University, Mountain Home
Arkansas State University, Newport
Arkansas Tech University
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas
East Arkansas Community College
Henderson State University
North Arkansas College
NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Ozarka College
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas
Pulaski Technical College
Southeast Arkansas College
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University Tech
University of Arkansas, Community College Hope
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of Arkansas, Fort Smith
University of Arkansas, Little Rock
University of Arkansas, Monticello
University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff
University of Central Arkansas


Delaware
Delaware Technical & Community College
University of Delaware


Florida
Brevard Community College
Broward College
Daytona State College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State University
Gulf Coast Community College
Indian River State College
Northwest Florida State College
Nova Southeastern University
Palm Beach Community College
Pensacola Junior College
Saint Leo University
Santa Fe College
St. Johns River Community College
St. Petersburg College
Tallahassee Community College
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida


Georgia
Albany State University
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Brenau University
Columbus State University
Darton College
Georgia College & State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia State University
Georgia Virtual Technical College
Gwinnett Technical College
Kennesaw State University
Middle Georgia College
North Georgia College & State University
Southern Polytechnic State University
Southwest Georgia Technical College
University of Georgia
University of West Georgia
Valdosta State University


Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University
Midway College
Morehead State University
Murray State University, Kentucky
University of Louisville
Western Kentucky University

Just get your degree from a traditional school online. If you attend University of Texas online, for example, your degree will just say University of Texas. It won't say University of Texas Online or Distance Learning/Education. 

Anyone who is saying they have no other choices besides Kaplan is either lying, didn't do their research, or is ignoring all of the other schools people have listed. The only people who have to go to schools like Kaplan are the ones who can't pass a simple college entrance exam. If you can't pass one of those, then you need remedial classes and you aren't going to get those at a for-profit university. 

It just baffles me that people insist on paying 2 to 4 times as much for an education at a school that delivers an education at a tier 4 or below level.

I will be attending kaplan this month, august. My class starts on the 25th.I am taking up Psychology-substance abuse(B.A) and this is my first time attending college. I want to know is their anyone else taking up psychology.So far everything went well with the process of enrolling. My husband is currently attending kaplan and seem ok. I'm really excited about starting college and I really want to obtain my degree in Psychology.

Kalan has been the only way I am able to pursue my degree.  I was a 30 year old, just married and just had a baby.  There was no way possible that I was ever going to be able to get my Bachelors degree if it was not for Kaplan.  There are plenty of shady online universities out there and I know for a fact that Kaplan is not one of them.  I have had an issue with FA but to be honest, it was all my fault.  My GPA dropped quite a bit one term because I just simply did not put in my best effort.  Because my GPA dropped, I was below the standards of the university and had to be placed on academic probation.  You are going to come across this at any school whether it be a ground campus or online.  All I had to do was maintain the grades, which should be is my goal in the first place, and nothing will get in the way of me FINALLY getting my degree.  
I am truly happy with Kaplan and for everyone that has problems, take a look in the mirror and maybe there was something you could have done to prevent these issues.

HA HA, just add the ww w to the link.

forbes.com/2010/08/01/higher-education-student-debt-opinions-best-colleges-10-harkin.html

I am currently attending Kaplan University and I like it.  However, I am a Paralegals major and realized that Kaplan is not approved for ABA.  I would like to become a lawyer in the future and cannot do it attending an online college.  I wish I knew that before I started.  Anyway, if you are looking to further your career with a law degree no online degree is right for you!

don't bother listening to neighsaers or anyone else, if you want to reach your dream, then go for it, it was a long road, and hard, and lots of obstacles and troubles with the school, but i grauduated kaplan, yes with lots of student loans, but thats anywhere you go, and it did help me advance at my job, but i will quit for a new one easy.

Hi, I am currently attending a "physical" university, but due to family and work, I obviously am looking for something that will work with my schedule a little better than me getting up and going to school every day.  I know I will still have to get up for class online, but I am sure you all know what I mean.  All I want to know is, how well do employers respect the online degrees as opposed to physical university degrees?  I am afraid of the stigma that has attached itself to online degrees.  Can anyone tell me their luck with getting a job since having an online degree from Kaplan?

Google "electronic campus" and click on the first result. Wow! Look at all of those regionally accredited, non-profit schools in the Southern Regional Education Board that offer online degree programs. I bet most of them are much cheaper than for-profit schools and you don't have to worry as much about transferring credits or employers throwing your resumes in the trash.

I meant "books," not "bucks."

People are just trying to be good Samaritans by informing people that they have much cheaper options. With community colleges and public universities being so much cheaper than for-profit schools, it makes absolutely no sense to attend schools like Kaplan and UoP. The only people who HAVE to attend for-profit schools are the ones who can't get a high enough score on an entrance exam to even attend a community college. If you aren't smart enough to get into a community college, then college is just not for you. 

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of non-profit schools you can attend online.

I'm sorry, but your post makes no sense. It does matter if a college is expensive. You don't think there is a difference between paying back $30,000 in loans compared to $70,000 in loans? Your monthly payments for the $70,000 could possibly be unmanageable....that doesn't even matter. It's $30,000 compared to $70,000. It usually costs less than $3,000 a year to attend a community college and many of them have online degree programs. Why would you choose to pay several times more at a for-profit college, especially considering that FREE grants will completely cover the costs at a community college? You even get a refund check before you start class to pay for bucks. Even if you have to pay for books out of pocket, you will get the money back in a few weeks in a disbursement check. 

If you want to pay over $600 a month in student loans, that's you. Some people take the smart route and only have to pay a couple hundred dollars a month.

I'm reading the GAO reports as we speak.......for these for-profit schools I see a very bleak future coming. And the main institution they are refering to is Kaplan and it's subsidiaries....guess that means in 2 or 3 years there will no longer be a Kaplan University or College. FYI:If ya read it you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Did anyone get a chnce to read the GAO report on Kaplan, University of Phoenix and Everest College? It is an eye opener!!!! Finally, something will be done about some of the FOR-PROFITS that are not playing by the rules.

Wow....about time the DOE starts cracking down on these for profit schools.

I have a strong feeling pretty soon they will be investigating Kaplan online, UoP, Argosy, Strayer, etc. 

Face it most for-profits care about their pockets!

In addition to the Pembroke Pines campus, the company has student locations in Plantation, Delray Beach and Jacksonville, although most Florida students take classes online. The company also has a large administrative office in Fort Lauderdale. 


The Pembroke Pines campus opened in January 2010 and has about 160 students, company officials said. It offers degrees and certificates in such areas as medical practice management, criminal justice and information technology. Current students at Kaplan schools will not be affected, company officials said. 


Officials from MedVance, which is based in Baltimore, could not be reached for comment. The company specializes in training for careers in health-related professions.They have locations in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Stuart. 


The Governmental Accountability Office reported all 15 schools investigated had instances of questionable sales practices, which some say is an indication of widespread problems within the for-profit sector. 


"So many publicly traded companies have incredible unrealistic growth expectations," said David Hawkins, director of Public Policy and Research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. "Wall Street expects quarter after quarter of growth, so the schools feel pressure to shove in enrollment, and you get an untenable situation." 


Federal law prohibits admissions officers from being paid solely by the number of students they enroll, but the law does allow it to be a factor. And experts say it's a huge factor at many of these schools. 


"The admissions officers are nothing but paid recruiters," said John W. Andrews, a Tampa lawyer who has represented some former employees who have sued Kaplan. 


The Senate committee said it plans to request extensive documents from 30 companies operating for-profit schools. 


The federal investigators have referred the four cases of potential fraud to the Department of Education's inspector general. The Florida Department of Education also has contacted Kaplan and MedVance, but wouldn't say whether it's taking any action, said Sam Ferguson, executive director of the Commission for Independent Education. 


Hawkins said he thinks the investigation will lead to reforms in the industry. 


The findings concerned Kathy Mizereck, executive director of Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools & Colleges., which advocates for Florida's for-profit schools. She said she doesn't think these problems exist at all for-profit schools. 


"Whether or not someone feels too much pressure to enroll a student probably depends on the individual," she said. "But there are lines that people should not be crossing. This is a reminder that we need to stay on the right side of the lines."

Enrollment in for-profit colleges has grown from about 365,000 to almost 1.8 million in the last few years, federal officials said. In 2009, students at for-profit colleges received more than $4 billion in Pell Grants and more than $20 billion in federal loans provided by the U.S. Department of Education. 


During its investigation, agents for the Government Accountability Office posed as applicants at 15 randomly selected for-profit colleges. Using a hidden camera, agents also found potentially fraudulent practices at an unspecified MedVance location in Florida and one school each in Washington, D.C., and California. 


"I continue to be amazed by the questionable, and sometimes outright illegal, practices occurring within the for-profit sector," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D- Iowa, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which heard the report Wednesday. "Critics say that it is only a few bad apples, but we need to take a hard look at the entire orchard." 


Kaplan Inc., which is owned by the Washington Post Co., has about 50,000 students in its colleges, universities and online programs. 


Kaplan officials said they found the disclosures "sickening." "They violate in every way the principles on which Kaplan is run," said a joint statement from Donald E. Graham, chairman and chief executive of The Washington Post Co., and Andrew S. Rosen, chairman and chief executive of Kaplan Inc. "We will do everything in our power to eliminate such conduct from Kaplan's education institutions." 


Officials said they will take "all necessary actions — including termination — with respect to any employee found to be in violation of our clearly outlined standards and the code of conduct."

Did anyone read the latest Kaplan(Washington Post) article? Here it is guys.....
"Kaplan College suspends admissions at Pembroke Pines campus following federal investigation"

In an unprecedented move for the for-profit higher education industry, Kaplan College in Pembroke Pines, FL has stopped enrolling new students after federal investigators uncovered incidents of high pressure and potentially fraudulent and misleading sales tactics. 


A second Kaplan campus in Riverside, Calif., also put new admissions on hold, pending the results of an internal investigation. 


Among the incidents uncovered at the Pembroke Pines location, an admissions officer falsely told an applicant that the school had the same accreditation as Harvard and the University of Florida. The officer wouldn't let the applicant speak to a financial aid representative until she signed an enrollment contract. And he told her not to worry about repaying student loans because "tomorrow's never promised."

Not only does their financial aid suck, the classes suck also! And have the nerve to charge $375 per credit hour and you need 180 credits. Why so many credits?

Chris, 

In defense for Lynn, did you ever stop to think that maybe lynn was not incompetent, but maybe her financial advisor made errors and led her in the wrong direction with her loans and tuition ? My sister is a incredibly competent person and the same experience Lynn had happened to her, and I have heard it has happened to other students at Kaplan ! Their financial advisors are supposed to be knowledgable enough to correct mistakes they make and try their best to guide their students..the FA department at kaplan is horrible !