Ashford University

Stephanie January 23, 2007 at 3:30 p.m.

I have been in their BA program from over 8 months and I'm getting to my degree faster than I ever imagined. I enjoy the classes and tuition is a lot cheaper than uni's by me.

Stephen February 23, 2007 at 6:10 a.m.

Anyone who want's to become a teacher should really look into this school's BA/teaching certification program. This is so awesome and I am able to use Financial Aid when I was told by other schools that I do not qualify. I'm going to be a teacher in 2 years!!

Sheila McIntire May 5, 2007 at 11:17 p.m.

Hi All!

I did some research on AU and I was pretty impressed by the advisors and the programs they offer. I learned too that they just raised the number of credits they can accept in transfer to 99. That is a lot more than most schools. They do have a partnership with Rio Salado College to help those take some of their Education courses with AU and transfer them into Rio's Education program after completing the BA, which is sort of like double dipping.

My recommendation is that you call them and take the time to ask all of your questions until you are satisfied with the answers. Then, get started! Best of success!

Sheila

Jason T. June 8, 2007 at 7:53 p.m.

Thank you all for your kind comments. I am an Enrollment Advisor here and am proud of the help I provide. Choosing the correct university is a huge decision. What I find rewarding is the fact that we don't "sell" our school, we are truly looking for motivated individuals who have goals. If I can be of assistance answering your pre-application questions please feel free to call me 877.241.9893 ext. 7157. or email jason.thomas@ashford.edu.

Randy Swzartzstii June 21, 2007 at 12:21 a.m.

My experience with Ashford University was terrible. I think the Enrollment Advisors do an okay job, but providing you with specifics and details on the many programs they offer, they seem lacking in knowledge.Yes they call you and email you 500 times a week but they need to be more prepared to answer more in-depth questions. My friend graduated from Ashford University but she will be enrolling in another University's Graduate Program.

Alma July 20, 2007 at 3:49 p.m.

Ashford is a joke. I should have known better when the enrollment advisor screwed EVERYTHING up from day one. He listed me with the wrong major. He emailed me information for my first class, which turned out to NOT be the class that he enrolled me for. In turn, I purchased the books for thr wrong class. 3 weeks later, I finally got the textbooks (that part, as far as I know, was the bookstore's fault not the school), only to then find out that I had the wrong books. They sent me the correct books overnighted and THEY paid for it, which was wonderful. They gave me a student advisor who proved to be the ONLY person that knew what the heck she was doing, so she is the reason I gave them another chance. Their textbooks are specific editions to their school and after 2 classes, I realized that neither textbook was organized well, did nothing in terms of explaining ANYTHING, and was written like someone with ADHD and dyslexia. The second instructor I had made no attempts at interacting with most of the students, and my emails were left completely ignored. When I had finally had enough and asked to be withdrawn, the financial aid person says to me, in her exact words mind you, "Well since you are withdrawing so soon you know you'll have to pay us some money for it right?" EXCUSE ME?! I was never told this (and who would have told me besides the enrollment advisor who admittedly did not know what he was doing)? I am not paying them a penny, and I flat out told them that after EVERYTHING with them, how dare they expect a penny more from me. I mentioned this to my student advisor and she said that she would look into it and take care of that for me. These people are incredibly clueless and not at all organized and I would absolutely advise people AGAINST Ashford University online.

Violet July 23, 2007 at 1:58 a.m.

I am not going to use my real name, because it seems like there are ashford employees reading these posts and I am currently, seriously looking into going to this online school. I am soooo nervouse because everything sounds so good, like the amount of credits they transfer and the price compared to other online schools is really good. The stuff about the instructors not answering e-mails doesn't sound very good. I might wait a while before I make my decision. Financial aid is good until sometime in 2008 so I am not going to rush it. I am so glad I found this comments page.

Sally August 4, 2007 at 2:10 a.m.

I just enrolled in Ashford Univeristy. I'm anxious to go to school! Everything sounds "so good," and I think their programs are good! After reading these comments, now I'm "ify". I'm wondering if what I did was right or stupid? I don't like loans, but they set me up for a stafford loan. I'm just going to set aside what I don't use and then pay it back. I'm trying to be optimisitic about all of this, and hoping they don't mess anything up. Hopefully, everything turns out great!

Patrick August 6, 2007 at 7:21 p.m.

Aloha. Ashford University has so far been like a new beginning for me. My advisor has been very helpful to me. I do think he sees my concern though. Like the saying goes, "if it seems to good to be true, it probably is." But I do start tomorrow and I'll give it a chance. If all is well and all my credits transfer, I should have a bachelors in organizational management in one year. The company I work for just came out with a new educational financial aid. Everything will be paid for if I make "A's." So the exitement starts tomorrow.

Violet August 10, 2007 at 1:43 a.m.

Ashford does sound very expensive. When I talk to the financial aid dept about it they make it sound like I don't have to worry about it because everthing is paid for by financial aid, but I was hoping that I could have some of the loan for some of my needs here at home like, upgrading my computer and buying some supplies. Using the money for clothes, computers, books, even bills to keep your internet and phone are perfectly legal. At a traditional college you can have the loan money sent to you directly and then use it for what you need. They tell me that with online school I must sign over ALL of the money that is awarded to me by fafsa and whatever is left over after their fees will get sent to me. I will probably be lucky to get 5 bucks for a pad and a pencil. I was also told that they would give me a voucher for books. Because I complained that I would have a problem paying for their outrageously expensive books. Believe me, I have gone to a traditional college, a for-profit technical school and now I am applying for my bachelor's w/ Ashford and I think they take advantage of people and squeeze them dry of every cent they can get. Honestly, its pretty disgusting how students are trying to make an honest effort and schools just want to rip you off. Sorry, for sounding so bitter, but it's how I feel at this point after so much education and such little return. I really hope that in a year I am raving at how wonderful Ashford was and how I was wrong about this whole comment, but I guess we all have to take the risk and hope that in the end it's all worth it.

confused and upset August 11, 2007 at 1:34 a.m.

also I contacted my advisor explaining to him what was going on and he never has responded back..

hebrews111 August 15, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

Where are the comments from students who are still studying and ones about to graduate?

Comment September 10, 2007 at 2:08 a.m.

Ashford University is owned by Bridgepoint Education, Inc which is a for-profit company. "Bridgepoint Education is unique in the for-profit education industry ..."

http://www.bridgepointeducation.com/abou...

At the top of this page - "For-Profit: No" ?????

ASHFORD ORGANIZED CRIME October 1, 2007 at 6:03 p.m.

ASHFORD ORGANIZED CRIME?

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is in addition to the complaint against Ashford University, in regards to college loan that they are refusing to refund.

The reasoning behind my assumption that Ashford University is part of a conglomerate that is money laundering is that I believe that Ashford University is either creating identities of instructors on-line, or buying the right to use the names of individuals with qualifications and then creating web sites to confirm and legitimize the information. Many of these web sites appear to dead end. There appears to be no governing law that requires identities to be confirmed or any system that would allow for that. Congress should enact legislation that would confirm identities for all on-line instructors. It is much like the mortgage crisis that is gripping the country. People that are not qualified for mortgages are not required to provide income verification. Unqualified borrowers are defaulting at an exponential rate. In contrast, unqualified and or phony instructors are instructing the classes in a marginal way and may have many different identities. This may include support personnel, such as financial aid counselors, as well.

I would also like to state that an on-line college would be a great place to engage in money laundering, as it would provide a thorough way of inflating enrollment by thousands or tens of thousands of persons and funnel that income through the organization. Ashford University can make up any number that they would like for enrollment. What a great cover for organized crime! I would like to add that it is a well known fact that organized Crime buys companies that are highly labor intensive, such as Ashford University, in order to engage in money laundering. It is a claasic example! This could be a huge scheme, right there in Middle America. There is a smoking gun here and with some research it should be easy to uncover. It does sound like a great conspiracy theory, doesn’t it? It could even be that the financial aid department and/or related departments are actually double-crossing the organization. There is something going on here and it includes corruption and dishonesty. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the million dollar tax abatement for Ashford University in 2005 and I would like you to read the following letter from the community newspaper in Clinton, Iowa. It makes a lot of sense.

Me October 10, 2007 at 2 a.m.

I thoroughly checked out Ashford's accreditation & it is legitimate, so I seriously doubt that a lot of your crack pot theories are on target. Yes...a lot of colleges online are made up just for scams & profit...but this one is actually a real physical school with legitimate accreditaion...so I really see no merit in your argument & I think you need some serious meds for your paranoia &/or psychosis!

CANDACE October 18, 2007 at 7:26 p.m.

I LUVVVVV THIS SCHOOL FOREVER AND EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aaron October 20, 2007 at 4:19 p.m.

comment continued...

Whenever you enter a contract; make a purchase of any kind; you should always make certain that you understand the terms and conditions of the agreement. In trouble situations such as the one wherein a disenrolled student is charged for the time s/he spent as an enrolled student before deciding to withdraw, the fact is that terms of the enrollment agreement explicitly explain these charges and why the student is charged. You will pay for what you use. It is your responsibility, as a consumer, to take the time to read your contract and ask as many questions as necessary so that you are clear about what to expect and what is expected of you.

Know that people who complain "loudly" are, generally, people who are the parties responsible for the discrepancies or misfortunes they complain about. If you are interested in learning or buying something, do the necessary research on the product(s) you are considering purchasing and, as importantly, the merchants for and manufacturers of those products. Read customer/ client reviews carefully and do not let the overly-excited energy of those who rant and rave inaccurately colour your growing opinion of said product(s). Conduct your research wisely and think of yourself first, in every regard; it is YOUR decision, your investment and your future. True, but also understand that an academic institution is making an investment in you as well. It costs a school upward of $2800 (average) to enroll a single student and the school needs to make sure that they will be able to make a solid return on this investment-- if for nothing else that the good of those students who are committed to completing their education.

Trish November 12, 2007 at 9:18 a.m.

I really can't see why or how anyone could have a bad experience at Ashford. They really have done wonders in helping me achieve my goals. I enjoy my classes and have had the opportunity to meet some really wonderful people. Ashford University will provide a great learning atmosphere if your willing to learn. If your not serious, don't bother. Anyone who isn't ready to succeed, will ultimately fail at everything they do.

dave November 21, 2007 at 12:14 a.m.

I guess there are no comments from people who are currently taking classes or about to graduate from ashford because they are happy. It would be nice to hear from those happy people, instead of these fake comments of just how GREAT ashford is from the advisors and employees. I wouldnt pay attention to these sites anyways.

Travis November 26, 2007 at 3:06 p.m.

I don't know about everyone else, but I had a great experience with Ashford. From the very begenning, everyone was professional, phone calls and e-mails were returned in a timely manner and I never had any issues. I hear alot of stories about books and the book store. For all the college students out there, Who pays full price for books? You can go to half.com and buy book for 30-50% off the school price. I think I only had to buy 2 custom books from Ashford, the rest I bought else where. Other than that I just finished and I have no complaints. Ashford is a good school and is very convenient for working class people like myself. So I give it two thumbs up.. Oh yeah! If this school was scaming they would not be accredited, actually they were just ranked one of the top schools of 2008 in America's Best Colleges, so how did that happen if they are so horrible. Go figure! It is just with everything else in life, everything is not for everybody.

sarah lynn November 28, 2007 at 2:15 a.m.

I sure hope someone can help! I was considering going to either Northcentral university or Ashford university. I was wondering if any students that have taken classes or graduated to contact me. I consider school a serious step in ones life, so i just want to get truthful information...please help - Blissfulkittycat@yahoo.com

Dr. D December 18, 2007 at 5:27 a.m.

Having a Ph.D. in engineering I decided to change my field of learning to education. I went back to Ashford to recieve both a BA and a MA to enable the teachhing of management classes on line. I have found Ashford University to be an excellent school with top notch educators. Most of the educators have MA or PhD's from very well established school. Education is what you make of it, don't blame bad results on the school when online education is not for everyone. As far as class I think you will find the cost of 4 year degrees higher on the average, yes community colleges are less expensive, but they only offer 2 year degrees. I have recommend Ashford to many people I know and everyone of them have no complaints.

Danny December 22, 2007 at 9:37 a.m.

I've been an on-line student with Ashford University for over one year and a half, and I've never had any problems. I only have five classes left to graduate. Ashford University gave me a second chances because of my bad gpa from my past years in college and they took care of my financial aid for me. Because I have to study, read and write more often by myself, I've improved in those areas a lot. I've received thousands of dollars on grants, that being beside my Standford loan. I would recommend this university to others.

Happy Camper December 26, 2007 at 12:10 a.m.

I'm so glad I chose Ashford to complete my BSHCA. I love this school and everyone has been so helpful. I was so confused when it came to picking a college to attend but now I'm confident that this was a good decision. I'm enjoying my college experience and looking forward to achieving my degree.

MJ December 31, 2007 at 5:23 a.m.

Hi,
I was a student at Ashford University until I became ill and had to withdraw. My experience with AU was great and I will be returning to finish my degree. The student advisor I had and the professors always helped me out when I had questions. I am married with two small children and found AU to be the perfect choice for me because community colleges only offer a two year degree and the nearest four year college is almost sixty miles away. Another reason why I liked AU was the fact that it was a real school with a real campus and I would have the option to graduate with my class in cap and gown if I chose to.
I feel bad for all of you that had a bad experience, but you can have bad experiences at any school. Good luck to all of you.

confuse January 11, 2008 at 5:35 p.m.

what's the maximun "class" you can take? the lady told me one but you may double it in the future but...when?

SHK January 12, 2008 at 5:04 a.m.

I am a little lost at this point, I want to make a change in my life and find the right school,but it is a little hard with all of the neagative things being said.

Mike January 17, 2008 at 7:38 p.m.

I attended a land grant university in Oklahoma before chosing Ashford. The cost are similar after all fees are added in and some of the complaints about financial aid on here I also had at Oklahoma State University.
I personally enjoy being able to use my own learning methods in the online format because I do not have to decipher what the intent was of the in-class instructor. It is in black and white and I can go back and re-read the expecations in the Learning Blocks if I have questions about my initial interpretaion.
I am in the Social Science program with an Education concentration and I have enjoyed my time in it so far.

it's been a nightmare January 22, 2008 at 7:15 p.m.

I finally decided to further my education and chose to do so online. I found Ashford on the internet. I took one class and it went well. I then started another class and ordered my books well in advance from a company that they suggested. I didn't get my books until 4 wks into the course. My advisor told me to go ahead and drop the class and retake it.........not telling me that I would have to repay my grant for the class. I started retaking the class and finally got ahold of The Department of Education in my state and found out the class I was enrolled in would not transfer, so I didn't finish the class and now they are having a collection agency after me to repay for the two classes which is $2,100.00. I got nothing from this college and was just trying to better myself and now I have a big debt. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I was told by their collection agency that they would pursue it and take me to court and it will end up costing me a lot more. Has anyone been sued by them??? Any help would be appreciated!!!

eeeeeeeee!!!!!! January 22, 2008 at 11:51 p.m.

I just got off the phone with an enrollment advisor earlier, she will be calling me tomorrow. I'm suppose to have an answer for her then....After reading all these comments, I can't help but think maybe 'happening upon this site' was for a reason. I think I will wait to hear back from the real university I was hoping to get accepted into.

GOOD SCHOOL, IDIOTS NEED NOT APPLY January 28, 2008 at 5 a.m.

I recently got my BA in Organizational Management from Ashford. I live in Pa and DID NOT have to travel to Ashford's campus in Iowa in order to graduate. Some of the negative comments I have read are so absurd, its proof that some people have nothing better to do then to go online and start trouble. This forum is a joke and its obvious that the people who are whining about Ashford are not doing their research! I am currently pursing an MA in Organzational Management through Ashford and enjoying the experience. Ashford offers every opportunity to succeed. If you can't order your books in a timely fashion or get your financial aid straight then you don't belong in school, PERIOD!

Not Pleased February 12, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.

Ok.. Here is the deal:

The enrollment advisors are just terrific in getting you to sign up, yes they are patient, they know how to talk to your 'emotions' really well, and that is fine with me; I was jazzed to sign up. But then it went downhill.

After enrolling, I realized they totally lied to me about getting Financial Aid (I had given them my info and they said I would get a ton, I ended up getting nil, nothing). So they BS you on that big time. Furthermore, the MOST FURSTRATING PART was never getting a freakin' phone call or email back after enrolling. Not from ANY department. EVER!!

My enrollment advisor initials I.Q. completely fell off the face of the earth after I enrolled. He never called me back in my first week of classes, when I had questions about how I was going to afford all this since Financial Aid did not come through. Well, that wasn't important anymore since he got his slice of the pie. Considering it's an online school, you'd think that they would REPLY TO EMAILS (non-face to face contact) - but that was equally as hard. I don't know what their problem is over there. I'd be ill advised to sign up to this school because the support system is not there after you enroll.

Don't Blame Ashford! February 14, 2008 at 1:29 a.m.

Once again people are blaming Ashford for their own shortcomings. It is up to the individual to take the proper steps to enroll, order books, apply for financial aid and pass the courses. If you are unable to get financial aid through the federal government there are plenty of alternatives. Quit crying when your enrollemnt advisor does not call you back right away. Ashford has more than just one person to answers your questions. My experience with Ashford has been great and it is frustrating to see incompetent people writing negative comments.

Kim February 19, 2008 at 6:40 a.m.

I am currently enrolled in the BAOM program with Ashford. My experience so far, has been phenominal. I have tried traditional schools, UOP online and Ashford by far works best for me. I knew that my only viable option for completing my bachelor's degree was by doing it online. Going to school online is not cheap. I know this because I have done my research. Compared with all the other accelerated adult learning and online schools, Ashford is one of the lesser expensive schools. My sister attends San Francisco State Univ and they use Blackboard for their online courses, too. My sister is almost complete with her bachelor's degree with SFSU, but desires to complete her Masters online, perhaps even with Ashford.
I have been very impressed with the responsiveness that I get from Ashford. I didn't have the same problems as other posters because I did my research. There were no surprises. Also, compared to UOP online, I feel like I am getting a much more valuable education from Ashford.
I highly recommend Ashford Online, period. Yes, it is expensive, but when I think about the convenience and what I will be gaining, it is so worth it. I believe that the folks that have complained are not being very objective. Any of those issues that they have raised are some of the same issues that my sister complains about SFSU, her community college and imagine the complaints I here from current UOP students.
If it is a cheap education that you want, then go ahead and toil with going to school three or four days out of the week for several hours a day. I will be cruising right past you to my degree and into my new career.

john February 26, 2008 at 6:04 p.m.

Did anybody get an MBA from Ashford and if so how did the job market accept the degree?

Do you want an education or not? March 7, 2008 at 7:12 a.m.

Ashford University, I am strongly considering! I want to finish completing a BA and then an MA in Organizational Management. Any skeptic that wonders about any online school should check out this link http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ and get over themselves. Do you want to learn or not? I think a lot of uninspired individuals think that they will be rewarded a degree online without effort and they find out that isn't the case. Ultimately after this rude awakening they want to discontinue their educational path. Well, I'm not saying that some injustices are impossible by Universities on or off line, but more than likely it's from a lack of inspiration on the student's part. Notice, Ashford University, AIU, UOP, and others are listed on the web link above. In order to be placed on this link, the school must meet the scrutinized requirements of the US Department of Education. Also, visit wikipedia.com. You can get all the information you need about a school, just type the school name in the search. Are we not in the computer age my fellow degree seekers? Do your homework, kids, do your homework and the bounty of options will unravel. Happy hunting and hoorah for online degrees! Get your degree and be proud of what you've done. If an employer doesn't accept your degree just dismiss them, although I seriously doubt they will, since most employees don't have a degree at all. That means you are still in the running towards becoming Americas Next Top Employee. And who was the nut that came up with this "for profit" stuff. Every higher learning institution is "for profit". They offer you a service and experience "an education". When you find a "for free" university, please let me know? I want to go there. I just love learning. Don't you just love learning too?

About Ashford March 8, 2008 at 4:51 p.m.

Ashford brought me to the road of earning my Phd. I was a campus student at Ashford and completed my Bachelors and Masters there. Now, I will be a doctorate graduate next year from Liberty University. They are an online and on campus university that offers Phd Degree Programs. It hasn't been a cheap road, but it is worth it. Once you earn a higher learning status you cherish it, because not many people have the opportunity, or just don't possess the dedication, or the willingness to work hard for a degree. Not many employers turn away Degree graduates. Just think of that if you are still pondering on the cost of an education? A better salary for a lifetime and larger retirement is well worth the blood, sweat, and tears while you still have the clear mind to do it.

Jasmine March 11, 2008 at 8:15 p.m.

I have earned some credit through life experience. Ashford calls it PLA (Prior Learning Assessment). They don't just give you credits for your experience. In my case, I had taken courses in Health Care Administration that were part of a certification program through a private company. They evaluated my certification and awarded me credit. There was some work and documentation required on my end in order to prove that college level learning took place. Ashford allowed me to receive credit for my previous time, energy, and investment. Ignorance must be great Joe...you can say or do anything you want and don't have to hold yourself accountable.

amanda March 19, 2008 at 11:28 a.m.

I am currently enrolled in their online program for psychology and I can tell you it's not a 'bogus' school. I did attend another university for 2 1/2 years and not all of my credits transferred and not because of grades either, I am a a 4.0 student. And Jasmine's credits for her courses in health care administration are certainly applicable. What AU is trying to do is simplify the non-traditional students time due to our already hectic life schedule and why take classes that you have already taken? It's not like they said 'Oh you have done this and this and have this experience from work and life in general so we will give you credit', what they said was you have been certified and have taken classes that co-inside with our requirements and classes so why make you take them again. In most non-traditional schoolers they are middle age with a multitude of classes already taken and certificates already achieved so why shouldn't they apply?

Joe, you really should know what you are talking about before opening your mouth. It's not just credit for 'Life experience', it is credit for classes already taken, courses already taken, certifications already achieved.
And why would you want to get on here and belittle anyone for going out and achieving their goals? What you said in your posts can be mentally damaging to a non traditional student who already feels like they are behind in life and are trying their best to get back on track. I have spent much time researching AU and let me tell you darlin, it's not BS and AU is not the only school out there who gives PLA credit.

D March 20, 2008 at 4:01 a.m.

I like Ashford University. I have had problems at many schools, from Community College to University of Arizona, to Ashford. Sometimes I have to send a second e-mail, or call my advisory to get an answer for me, but if you push for it and stop waiting to be spoon fed you get your answer. It is easier for me to get answers here than it was at University of Arizona where you had to wait for slow bureaucracy to push paper until you got something approved months later.

You get as much as you put in. If you read all of your assignments, spend time writing carefully though out papers, you will learn from this school.

Joe March 20, 2008 at 5:42 a.m.

Mentally damaging... it is the real world of business I prepare her for Amanda. As a hiring manager for a Global Fortune 500 I think my opinion matters. When weeding out applications from for-profit schools I look to see if they give too much credit and require too little documenation for PLA. Ashford gives way too much and requires far too little to support the knowledge base. If they are so keen to have you get credit they should make you test out of it like normal schools do. If they did that then they would lose enrollment... heaven forbid. It is also the first sign of a diploma mill... not saying Ashford is, but it is a sign.

Easy does it, folks... March 20, 2008 at 10:18 p.m.

For online students, the fees are as follows:

Tuition - $257/ credit hour for 100 level classes & $330/ credit hour for 200 - 400 level classes.

Technology Services fee ( A ONE-TIME CHARGE ) - $990
Compare this to other schools repeated charges of a myriad of different - and unexplainable - fees that, generally, add up to an excess of $2500 in the end.

Graduation fee ( charged when petition for graduation is submitted) - $110.

Application fee ( unless you receive an App. fee waiver ) - $55.

Period. These are the only fees that are assessed an online student unless they choose to go the PLA route, use additional tutoring services, miss payments, write bad checks to the school, choose a concentration for their program, etc.

Textbooks are your responsibility. Note to those who do not know: NO school gives you textbooks for free. When a rep. from a school tells you that your books are "included" in your tuition, what they mean is that the extra amount for textbooks has been added to the base tuition rate for their classes OR the school will be keeping your Financial Aid overpayment amount and paying themselves for your textbooks and shipping them to you. It is up to the institution to make this choice. Rather have your Financial Aid overpayment amount (stipend) sent to you? Enroll at Ashford.

That's it. Plain and simple.

Also, there are NO Bachelor of Science degrees offered at Ashford U., only Bachelor of Arts degrees. I suggest that those of you who do not know the difference between the two degree types do your research.

Another thing: Financial Aid refers to ALL forms, programs, etc. of aid for, in this case, school. Financial Aid does NOT refer to the Pell Grant or "free" aid ONLY. Federal Student Aid, also known as Title IV funding, is/ includes a large group of different aid programs. When a student completes her/ his FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), s/he is "blanket" applying for ALL Title IV funding. This INCLUDES Stafford loans.

If you don't want to get "screwed," do your research. When something like your investment in an academic degree program fails -- and you applied to a Regionally accredited school -- blame yourself because you did not do the proper research/ ask the necessary questions or pay attention to what your responsibilities were.

Tamatha March 21, 2008 at 6:50 p.m.

You should ask to talk to Charlene Nicoletto or Aaron Holst for they know what they are talking about. Cant say the same for others.

Joe March 23, 2008 at 10:25 a.m.

As fellow HR staff for major corporations I think you can appreciate the daunting task of sorting through thousands of applications per week. We do not have time to see if they are a go getter or a lazy SOB by looking at a doctored up CV. The two major criteria you base the time to use setting up an interview for potential candidates are experience and schooling. The experience and the company you worked for get the most weight but the reputation of the school helps too. Getting a degree from Ashford is just ticking a mark on the application, getting a degree from a highly ranked program is a badge of honour that catches my attention. I see so many online degrees hitting my desk along with the traditional what else am I supposed to do? There isn't enough time in my life to set up interviews for most of them.

Joe March 24, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.

I am glad someone finally found you and gave you a shot. You obviously have different criteria given your circumstances but you are by far the minority of corporate HR. I am the majority and people reading this should know what they will face in the REAL world of corporate hires.

When going through paper that is all I have to make an initial decision. If you have good experience that no one else has you will be meeting me for an interview, regardless of your degree. It's not like I just throw them away. If your experience is equal to someone with better schools I will obviously take a look at them first. If that doesn't work out I will call you. The fact you graduate with a 4.0 when you couldn't even get that in HS should tell you something about the school. Getting a 4.0 from an upper tier school is rare but these online programs have 4.0s by the boat loads.

Watch out for Phoenix... they have the same accreditation as Ashford. Watch out for schools that offer too much PLA that require too little documentation. The fact they can get you a BA in as little as 12 months and offer 99 transfer credits is bogus. At least UOP doesn't take 75 credits of PLA like Ashford, only 60. Watch out for degree programs that don't have professional accreditation which is something Ashford has not received. Business degrees should have AACSB, technology degrees should have ABET, education degrees should have NCATE and your program of Psychology should have APA accreditation. I don't see Ashford on the APA list...

http://www.allpsychologyschools.com/find...

How do you become a hiring manager at a Fortune 500 without a college degree? It is a prerequisite.

amanda March 24, 2008 at 5:25 p.m.

Joe,
I also want to point out that you don't see Ashford on that list of APA accredidation because that list if for all graduate and doctoral programs and the schools that offer them. I also want you look at that list, Argosy is an online doctoral degree program and they are on that list, does that make it okay for me to go get my doctorates online from them?

BA programs are never going to be on that list, just for your information

Emma March 25, 2008 at 2:12 a.m.

Joe,
I have read all your posts and what I can't understand is why you are so very negative about this school. Who burned you? I am currently enrolled at AU, and did not receive any "PLA" credits, only credits I actually earned from an accreted university. I only had 33 previous credits, therefore it will take about 3 years for me to earn my BA. Never was I told that I could have my degree in 12 months, not at Ashford anyway. UOP did tell me it would only take about 12-18 months at almost twice the cost of AU. You need to realise that there are so many people that truly want to better themselves by continuning their edcuation, but are unable to attend the "B&M" schools. You could be curshing someones "hopes and dreams" insinuating that a degree from Ashford is useless. I feel that is completly crule, and irresponsiable, of you to make a comment like that just to make your point seem valid. I'm persuing my BA to become a teacher. I am surrounded by 4 of the top ISD's in my area (N. Texas). I contacted them all to question if they accept teachers with on-line degrees. Not only do they except them, but a total of 7 teachers were hired just this past year alone (two with Ashford degrees). I'm sure Ashford could use some improvement, but nothing is perfect. Including your arrogent and hatefull comments.

Joe March 25, 2008 at 7:15 a.m.

to Emma: Who burned me... online graduates I hired who failed to perform and got me in trouble.

Who at Ashford says you can get your degree in as few as 12 months... the website.

http://www.ashford.edu/online/

If you didn't take advantage of PLA then you wasted a ton of money. They will give you 75 credit hours of it and up to 99 overall... 99!!

Am I crushing peoples dreams... don't know. I am telling people the reality of it though. If you folks haven't called around to HR at jobs you would like to work at and asked them what they think about ONLINE education with NO professional accreditation then who is to blame for dreaming what they shouldn't... not me. If your hiring manager has a professional accredited degree they WILL look for people of similar ilk. The only thing that can save you is working an entry level job at a high profile company for awhile to give you the experience that is going to catch my eye. This is fine for people in their twenties with no families but single mothers can ill afford to make such sacrifices for their families at later ages.

Teaching... there are always openings for teachers, they can't get them to replace those retiring fast enough. That is not a very good example unless you show us they got the job in a very competitive school over traditional candidates. They probably went to work in high risk schools. They have to get people to volunteer to do that. If you put up someone who has an MAT from The Citadel and an MAT from Ashford The Citadel grad is going to win.

Joe March 25, 2008 at 8:11 a.m.

BTW... I came to this review site considering an online doctoral degree. I still am but it will have AACSB professional accreditation behind it, if I can find one.

typo... US News and World Report

amanda March 25, 2008 at 11:27 a.m.

And Joe yes you can get into grad school before you graduate, it's not like I don't graduate for another year, I graduate this spring and go to Cornell this fall. These are not hopes and dreams this is reality and i take great offense to how you ahve been talking to me.
I am also amazed at how I have to explain everything, it's like you want so badly for me to be wrong that you question everything in a negative manner just waiting for me to be wrong or to not answer so you can feel right and you do this because you are losing the argument, your argument style is very similar to that of a child and while I admit you did get the best of me in your comments it's now rather amusing to see some one of your stature, a citadel alum, a global 500 hiring manager for a regional office acting this way.
As far as I am concerned you don't have bragging rights over anyone else here just because you went to Citadel and you really should stop being so pompous and arrogant, it's not very becoming and it makes you look like a brat. And I am not name calling, I am telling you you look like a brat the way you are behaving on here.

(and I never said I held the same ranking job as you, I just said I was a hiring manager for a forbes list company, you are with out a doubt higher up then I but to refer to me in a rather negative manner as a college drop out was a bit below the belt since you don't know the circumstances or me.)

syryn22 March 27, 2008 at 7:30 a.m.

That is my philosophy, Amanda. Who wants to work for an employer who doesn't truly value their employees? There is a lot more to a potential employee than just a degree. Experience, maturity, great inter-personal skills are some things that come to mind when I think of a great future employee. I would not be impressed with a student from Harvard or Stanford barely passing versus an Ashford University student making straight A's. And if that student with bad grades from Stanford doesn't have any work experience, please tell me how in the world would they be better than the Ashford University student with straight A's, work experience, and maturity. It's a little narrow minded to exclude candidates simply because they attended an online school. Like other posters have said, online education is the wave of the future. As a matter of fact, this is the method used by many Japanese students. American students are just now finally getting the great opportunity and convenience of online education. Many "traditional" universities are offering online degrees. Educational institutions are recognizing that there is a hugh market in working professionals who want to finish their degree. As I am getting my degree at Ashford, I am also networking in my field, taking trade courses and honing my computer skills. This is what people who drive their future do when they want to succeed. And, I really think a recruiter who only "judges" a person by where he went to school is doing his employer a great disservice.

Be Aware- of Joe March 28, 2008 at 12:11 a.m.

If you read Joe's posts, it will only make you dumber. Oh geez...it's happening already. I can knot evan spel anymor. Thankz a lot joE for spreeding your stoopidity on the word wid web.

amanda March 29, 2008 at 6:57 a.m.

I am sorry but I am not using a different alias, I was out of town on business, I tell you, the nerve of some people! I am gone for three days and you think I am using an alias, why would I, I have nothing to hide and I would never bash another under a hidden name, that is immature and stupid. This is too much drama for me, I have better things to do with my time, like real work and my school work!

Also i was not avoiding the question, I didn't even know there was a question for me until now!!!! I have been out of town people, good god, my life does not revolve around this forum!

And I am assuming that was you Joe, you probably thought I made that attack on you but I did not and if you read the bottom of this you will see I mention that you do bring up valid points and your posts are actually helpful in making people aware of what to expect when applying for jobs, I think it's great we got your opinions and your side, now people can be prepared when they come across HR people such as yourself who have had bad experiences and they can understand why they feel the way they do and hopefully prove them wrong

And syryn22, I may have taken what you said the wrong way towards me...but it sounds like you were agreeing with I said, yet it sounded like you were trying to make a point to me, shouldn't your comments have been directed towards some one else? I completely agree with what you said and that is what i have been arguing.

and while I do not necessarily agree with Joe he does bring up valid points, for example, it's the bottom line that when you have a degree form an online program you are going to have to prove to your future boss that you really worked at it and didn't just slide by, is that right or fair...no, but it's the truth. With people and their ways of thinking in the business world so while I don't agree with what he said, he does speak the truth about how potential employers will look at you and you need to know this and be prepared to deal with it.

and to answer your original question Joe, my PhD will be concentrating in perception, cognition, and development.

amanda March 29, 2008 at 7:05 a.m.

now, I just got in fro a long business trip, I plan on sleeping my weekend away, if I don't post it's not because I am avoiding or using any alias, I am simply tired and I of course feel a need to post this after my last attack. By the way, grow people! Are we not all adults here?

"Joe", The Intellectual Lamb of GOD April 1, 2008 at 6:46 p.m.

No, forgive me. I think he really thinks he is GOD. Get a GRIP, Mr. Over-Educated for the rest of the general public. I do agree with your philosophy on the importance of degree criteria in education. I happen to have a Phd. in Neuroscience and Bio Studies. My son is unable to continue his studies at Princeton University due to needed rehabilitation after being injured in a car crash involving an intoxicated driver. Forgive me if I am misled, but you seem as though you are here to insult others pursuing an education. Everyone will not receive an Ivy League education. Does this make them less intelligent? No. Although, my son will not attend Ashford, I took it upon myself to leave this comment after finding this site during our search. The point of an education is to contribute to society, not to disperse negativity and superiority upon society. My son will complete his MS from an online institution of the highest accreditation possible from a well known university, but this will not make him more or less important than the next student desiring to better themselves in any way they choose. My son is still a young man and has his entire life ahead of him. People, young or old, always investigate the credentials of an institution and the degree programs offered before enrolling. I stand behind Joe 100% regarding that issue, but remember there are many pathways to education. Always pursue an education based on your own personal needs and goals. No one holds the key to "Educational Superiority". This includes those hiring in "Corporate America". If an opportunity is meant for you, you will receive it with hope, prayers, hard work, and determination, regardless of the obstacles placed in your path.

Joe April 3, 2008 at 3:06 a.m.

Sorry Amanda, but it looks like we have an imposter in our midsts. My last entry was...

Joe March 25, 2008 at 8:11 a.m.

To the retired Captain, thank you for your service as I hope you would recognize mine. I did go to The Citadel and am proud of my education there. As a hiring manager I can ill afford to take the luxery of setting up interviews for hundreds of applicants. I have to take what catches my eye and run with it. I have researched the major online programs to find which are worthy of my review and which are not. That is actually a dual purpose of me frequenting this board. If you come to me with one of these degrees and have experience that catches my eye I will give you a shot.

To the pretentious neuro-scientist, I don't know where you get the notion I think I am god's gift to the intellectual community but you are mislead. I am a mid-level manager with a mid-level degree, I never claimed to be anything else unlike your PhD in Neurology and your son who went to Princeton. My condolensces for his disability and my prayers go with him to see him well. I get your point about getting the best education possible as that is my contention as well. I really don't see where you disagree with me. I'm not saying don't go to Ashford or UoP, I'm saying don't go there if you can go somewhere else because you are setting yourself up for discrimination that need not be if you can avoid it. The Captain echoes the point brilliantly.

Reply to- paabell April 22, 2008 at 12:22 a.m.

What exactly do you mean?

Angie April 24, 2008 at 10:33 p.m.

I just got off the phone with AU. I'm just applying to the school and trying to see if it's right for me. I was just told that b/c my husband is in the military that I get military benefits. They are

No Admin fees
and all my books are free and they ship them to me for free.

like I said, I’m just looking into it and finding out if its right for me but so far, the military benefits are wonderful. If you are military I would suggest that you ask about it, it can’t hurt any.

Confused..HELP!! April 25, 2008 at 4:15 a.m.

Does any one have a

Bachelor of Arts in Social Science w/ Education concentration?

What can you do with this degree? Do you have to go on to more schooling after getting this degree to become a teacher? Does this degree mean anything? All I can find on the website is that after you get it you go on to get you teaching degree? I’m so confused. I’ve been looking it up all night and I can’t find a straight answer.

Joe April 25, 2008 at 6:42 a.m.

@Confused...HELP!!

You are in the position most History majors are faced with upon graduation. Half of those go on to teach social studies while the others either go to law school or various other professions. You can go into: paralegal, marketing research, editing, grant writing, journalism, political campaigns, government research, historic societies, museums, non-profit organizations, library, archives or any number of fields that want liberal art degrees.

Can you teach with that degree... only if you have done student teaching and achieved certification. Ashford has you go on to Rio Salado College in partnership so you can become certified. If you want to become a teacher I would suggest finding an NCATE accredited college. I think WGU is the only online school to offer an NCATE degree. If you don't know what that is, it is the gold standard of education programs.

Judy April 25, 2008 at 3:13 p.m.

Joe, do you by any chance work for UoP? I know that some UoP people have been known to try and bash Ashford because they are considered more quality then UoP...

venicia April 29, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.

I would like to know if anyone here has graduated from Ashford
I would also like to know if Joe did you ever attend Ashford?
From your post's it is clear you are very hostile toward this school and I wonder why? Certainly a young person would not have a great deal of experience but some people have done really impressive things in life and should have credit for that. Knowledge is power that is why most colleges accept CLEPS testing. Do you know that you can challenge almost any school by passing tests this is for really smart people Joe. Are you really smart ?

Sarah April 30, 2008 at 2:01 a.m.

To Joe:
There are many people going to this website to read reviews from real people who actually went/or are currently enrolled at AU. I think you have made your point that you don't like it. Now after over two months of posting smart remarks to people to make yourself feel like the man you probably aren't....maybe it's time to get a life and stop coming on here! Hahaha seriously....find something more constructive to do with your time. All your doing is making a fool of yourself and proving you have no life! Now please....come back with a stupid comment! I couldn;t care less, as I won't be wasting my time coming back to the same sight again!

Coursework May 5, 2008 at 8:51 p.m.

I wanted to know what sort of coursework is required for classes under the Universities Bachelors Program. Is it Paper Based or Exams also or what?

Get A Life. May 14, 2008 at 5:32 p.m.

This is to Joe. Don't you have a life? If you are so successful, wouldn't you be engrossed in your collegiate managerial affairs? Stop visiting the same post and other online post of other online universities trying (notice I used TRYING) to diminish the reputation of these accredited organizations. Yes, they are all accredited, Joe. Don't you have a degree? Why are you on the post? You have a job, so why don't you work or is your job being a nuisance and germ to the online community of the independently intelligent? Get an intelligent hobby, Joe. Posting comments constantly on a message board seems to be such an insult and waste of time to your supreme knowledge and intelligence. Many so called for profit schools are actual brick and mortar traditional institutions that happen to offer online degrees also. Yes audience, Ashford University is one of them. I'm 2 courses away from receiving my Masters and I thank Ashford for it all. I'm not telling others they must go to Ashford or anywhere else for that manner. Avoid individuals with a dictator characteristics and statements. It is your education and choice where you go. Do your research, and enjoy learning. Note, I'm a traditional Bachelor of Science student and my employer is very supportive about my degree that I will soon complete and has already discussed my promotion with me upon graduation.

Tony May 27, 2008 at 11:29 p.m.

Don't do it! I used to work for AU and would seriously warn anyone from taking classes/courses there! The staff are ALL about how many students are enrolled. In fact, you'll get fired if your numbers are off for a week! There is absolutly NO concern about enrolling the right students, or the students that will benefit from the program. Don't take my word, see for yourself, request more information and be harrassed about "getting the application in by the deadline" The deadline is always that week's Friday. Oh and the application fee? It's waived for this week only, if you apply now.

Be smart and don't go to this school!!!

Joe May 29, 2008 at 5:29 a.m.

Well GAL, I happen to have a need to keep abreast of online programs as it is part of the HR aspect of my job. Recieving 99 credit hours for transfer of which 75 being Life Experience is absolute bunk. There isn't anyone who has refutted that succesfully, especially after I posted how easy it is to achieve it. Finishing a degree in as few as 12 months is an Ashford selling point... these are two signs of a diploma mill. Having open enrollment in the online portion is a third. Having no professional accreditation is a fourth. False advertisement by saying it is a top accredited university is the fifth. Ashford is at the absolute bottom of 4th tier schools and that isn't even rating the less afluent *scoff* online program. You can patronize me all you want but all you gain is my pitty for having wasted so much money on a degree that resembles so many other diploma mills on five different levels.

Terry June 3, 2008 at 11:30 p.m.

I am currently enrolled in my 4th Class at Ashford BA Business Management program and overall I have had a very good experience both academically and with their instructors and support staff. They took all 72 of my credits and with that I should be completing my degree sometime early in 2009. I couldn’t be more please. It is a bit tedious to feel like you have to procure your books from their bookstore but other then that its been fine. I am lucky enough to have a co-work taking the same classes as I am but a few weeks behind so we split the book cost. This has worked out great. I have also found some AU books used online so I do have options. After reading some review I will have to verify they are the best choice when pursing my Masters but so far so good. Good Luck

Juice June 6, 2008 at 3:49 a.m.

Hey S*it for Brains, Ashford University located in Clinton Iowa, with its College of External Studies located in San Diego, CA is regionally accredited, reconized by the department of education and the comission of higher learning. Ashford is not a diploma mill nor illegal. Get a life Numbnuts!!

Merry June 7, 2008 at 2:33 a.m.

I have been attending Ashford since May 2007. My experience has been positive. Over the last 20 years I have over 120 units in "normal" college coursework, changed majors several times, and have 20 years of work experience, but no degree. I am thrilled to have found this opportunity to complete my degree online. Ashford transferred over 80 units and with attending full time since 07 I will complete my Bachelor's in September 08. My advisors have been satisfactory, classes differ with the instructors, but as the coursework progressed the classes became increasingly difficult. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would encourage anyone who is self motivated and takes responsibility for their result to take online courses.

The one caveat is that online classes are definitely set up for adult learners who have work experience. I have seen situations where classmates don't appear to have any work experience and no knowledge of what their goals are in life... I think they must have a difficult time completing the coursework.

Content in Seattle... June 10, 2008 at 7:02 p.m.

Many of the comments here have no perspective. In the current situation that we face as a nation, I think that online education is finding its place in our society. I am a student at Ashford, in my 5th course and currently in the middle of my Junior year.
I am cynical, and was really quite apprehensive about how fast-paced the process was in getting enrolled. However, I have found that the education is similar to my coursework at brick and mortar schools which Ashford has been since 1918. I have attended the City College of San Francisco, Montana State and University of Mary; what Ashford offers isn't the same experience that I had at those instutions. What Ashford offers me is the ability to work, approach learning in a manner where I can be focused and get a degree.
A quick comment on ivy league schools, Joe. Yale graduated C student George W. Bush, look how good he's done. What I mean is that it's all relative, education is important whether done online, at a Junior college or University. Every school will have positive and negative experiences that happen on campus. If people cannot keep that in perspective I have to ask what are their expectations about life.
Most negative comments have nothing to do with the education experience only the experience with the administration of paperwork and financial aid.

Joe June 12, 2008 at 7:19 a.m.

Why are you so concerned with what I think? If you don't like what I have to say then ignore it. I must have hit a chord of truth it if bothers you so much.

Joe June 13, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.

My so called "crusade" is against diploma mills. Ashford is not one as I stated on the CSU blog. Timed/quality proctored tests and a real faculty list keep it from being such. I'm not going to go so far as to say it is on par with a good state school but it is better than RA schools like UoP, Walden. I have said it before here and I will say it again. Ashford is good credential for those listed undergraduate degrees... I think those are a good investment, but an MBA without AACSB doesn't get much attention. Some of these degrees fit and some don't. People will have to decide for themselves. It isn't up to you to tell them who they should or shouldn't listen to. Just state your debate and move on rather than trolling after me with disparaging remarks. It only makes you look unobjective.

Cindy June 18, 2008 at 7:13 a.m.

I am getting ready to enroll at Ashford. I have read all of the above comments, however, is there any thing else I need to be aware of other than the efforts on Joes part to inform me and any one else about the PLE stuff? It is rather interesting to me that his initial blog started way back in 2007 and has continued up to a few days ago. Joe must really be dedicated to his cause. It would also appear to me, that most of the complaining being done is against enrollment advisors. Is this true? How does a perspective student find out what is actually true or not? I keep reading that the student should be responsible for getting the right information, and doing their reasearch

Joe June 18, 2008 at 11:06 p.m.

This Joe didn't come here until late Feb. of this year. I was looking for an online doctorate in business because my life is too busy to attend classes. I have since found it a good place to explore the values of online education and apply that to hiring in my company. I'm glad you are aware of the PLE stuff and hope you notice Ashford makes false claims as being a "top accredited school" when they are actually an absolute bottom accredited school. I also hope you bothered to read the reviews that give this school a failing grade. If you don't want someone messing up your financial aid take heed.

How do you know they are going to screw it up? Read other people's experiences. This financial aid department is a disaster.

Joe June 19, 2008 at 10:16 a.m.

If you read the reviews you will see they don't reimburse unused loans right away making them eat higher payments. They don't communicate with the students until they have a problem with their monies. If you have a problem they won't get back to you. They screwed up someone's FAFSA and ended up charging them the whole lot. Many people complain of the $990 technology fee that they sneak in there. $990 for a technology fee?!?

Ron June 20, 2008 at 1:51 a.m.

I cannot believe the previous negative reviews. It seems as though a case of "me against the world". People lets not blame others for our failures and lack of motivation. There is a reason that the online program only takes those over 21 years of age. It is an attempt to separate those that are immature and unsure of what they really want. Ashford has helped me throughout my career. The classes that I have taken have real world results and they are easy to relate to everyday life. A student wanting to go to school online must be self-motivated because there is the absence of a physical teacher to "hold your hand" and make sure the work is completed. Online classes are definitely not for everyone.

Hans June 20, 2008 at 7:32 p.m.

I tried really hard to read all the posts here... the whole thing made my stomach queasy and my head spin. UGH.

I very much liked what one poster said about resumes and life and college... (paraphrasing from memory) there are dumb people with high class credentials and there are low class people from crappy schools who are brilliant. It runs the gamut.

What really completely sickens me is the horrible focus on paper and resumes as if that could POSSIBLY encompass the totality of a human beings experience, soul and spirit. This is why America pretty much just grosses me out.

I question wanting to spend my life and expend MY soul and body working for companies OR people who are so small minded, mean spirited and petty as to judge people based on what school you attend.

Try going to the Amazonian rain forest and approaching a tribal chief with your resume. Our country is so completely focused on "business" and profit making and GREED that it makes me ill.

While I realize that's the way things may "be", just because things ARE a certain way and the majority follow one another doesn't mean it's correct or appropriate. I seek true wisdom - NOT just book larnin' and material and social validation. I long ago determined that I had no desire whatever to be just like other people or to win any popularity contests, nor have I any desire whatsoever to give up my mind and spirit to be chained to some corporation and spout inane drivel just to fit in and be accepted. Yech.

I'll make my OWN choices and if they don't involve having a mortgage, paying off a colossal loan and credit card debt, driving an Aston-Martin and wearing fancy Italian calf skin loafers with tassels and prancing around like my s**t doesn't stink, then so much the better.

Life experience most certainly DOES count, as does scholastic acumen. What is readily apparent is that there are no simple or easy answers, but there are many many roads to Rome. I will follow my heart and keep my own counsel. Thank you and "go get 'em", wherever you get it! :)

JD June 23, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

hey Joe,

What's the point of starting school if you are going to drop out of your first class? As far as I know, financial Aid (loans or grants) will not cover withdrawals or failures. and every school will still charge you its fees.

Correction June 24, 2008 at 1:09 p.m.

"JD June 19, 2008 at 10:10 p.m.

couple things: Joe, there are no 100% online PHD programs"

There are many. Check into NorthCentral University, Capella, University of Phoenix, Walden, Nova Southeastern, etc.

Liz Scott June 25, 2008 at 11:55 a.m.

I posted comments in this forum several months ago when I first started at Ashford. I can tell you from real life experience that Ashford has proven to be better than I thought. I was already enrolled for 2 weeks when I stumbled upon this sight back in 11/2007. Being that I was already enrolled I was quite terrified that maybe I had made a mistake. I've been an A student in the Honor Society all my life and I was worried this program wasn't going to challenge me academically. I'm here to tell you, once that first course is over, the educational aspects take a turn from "That was easy" to "Professor, can I please have an extention on my research paper?" I mean, you may not be sitting in a classroom, but they make up for it by dishing out 8-10 research papers every 4 weeks. The second week of class has some sort of essay requirement for every class which is usually 4 pages. I remember when I first started, there were several students in the course where you could definiatly tell that English was a second language. You could also see in the Introduction how in the beginning of the class there were 30(or however many) people enrolled in the course. As the course progressed, that number would decline as the course content became increasingly complicated. At the end of the course, there would be maybe 18-20 students who didn't drop the course because of the content. I only had 8 tranfer credits from the University of Houston when I started at Ashford so basically I was starting from scratch. I'm by no means unsatisfied with my Ashford education as I know I have been challenged intellectually(which I demand from a college). I'm not sure if it's my course sequencing that had provided me with such an outstanding experience or is it the intense research I'm doing to keep my GPA higher than 3.75, but what I want to say is anyone who truly received a 4.0 at this college-my hats off to you! I'm in my seventh course and I will be very proud of my degree. Also, I'm an RN trying to familiarize myself with the health care administration aspects of the medical field. Note to site owner: This site does not offer review for the BAHCA degree I'm pursuing-just wondering if it can be updated. Thank you for your time.

KiJo July 2, 2008 at 6:46 a.m.

I am baffled by the negative feedback about Ashford. Not once have I had a problem with communication with Ashford. Yes, I am independent as a person, including the work I do. I don't desire or need a lot of hand holding. In high school, I was an A student in Honors and AP courses. I decided to take a different path. I had my children young and now they are a bit older, I can now finish school. I work a full time job which does not leave me much free time to go to school full time. I am now an A student at Ashford. Not because I am sliding by. The work is challenging (thankfully so), but I manage to pick myself up and turn in the assignments on time. I am in my sixth class and I have enjoyed the experience thus far. I was fully aware of the costs associated with obtaining a degree from Ashford. I have no issues with my financial aid, and I get quick responses from my advisors. When I call tech support, for the most part, they are helpful. Again - I am independent, so I typically figure things out on my own. I work in an enviroment when emails are the best form of contact - so what do I do? I email the advisors. I keep my emails short and sweet.
The professors are great and they do not just hand out good grades. There is a section in our online platform that allows us to see the running grade average. Many times, the average grade for an assignment is mid to low. The professors express their expectations explicitly. There are times when I am like, "wow, this is more than what I expected!" But then I am grateful for the challenge.
For all of you self righteous people who have SOOOO much to say about a person's CHOICE in education, please sit down and be quiet. We get it. Ashford or any other accelerated education program is not good enough in your precious eyes. Good for you. I take it you have a degree from an ivy? Say, Harvard? Oh, let me guess...Princeton. Well, let me tell you something. I don't really need this degree. I make 75k a year w/out a degree. When I get my degree, I will be making six figures. Some of us do go to school to broaden our horizons, expanding our minds.Ashford does that for me quite well.
I have attended other universities, and Ashford works for me best. Nothing wrong with that. What's even better is I am not really concerned about employers quivering over my Ashford University Degree, because there is something special about ME. I have many years of experience in the line of work that I do and coupled with my degree, I am a desirable candidate.
I went into this experience, eyes open. Please don't blame the advisors, or the tuition costs, or my dog ate it. They all sound like a bunch of excuses, sore losers and complainers. Stop being a victim. Take ownership in the fact that you failed to read the fine print. You failed to ask the right questions. You failed to exert the effort needed to succeed. Suck up and buck up.

Jack A July 4, 2008 at 1:33 p.m.

I contacted Ashford about PLA credit and it is ridiculous what they will accept. Since they are so liberal with life experience how can I say no? I know the degree isn't respected but I just need a cheap RA degree on top of my DETC degree to get my applications reviewed by grad schools requiring RA degrees. I did get a laugh when I googled the school and it said "Top accredited online degrees."

More to follow...

Dr. Matthews July 9, 2008 at 7:07 p.m.

Notice to all:

First, I would like to say that I am a tenured professor and program director of an allied health program, so you can be assured that I have some knowledge of what I am about to say.

Next, I have amusingly read through all these post because I have an applicant for an instructor position that has a MA from AU.

Next, sorry folks but "Joe" is correct. You all will believe what you want but the fact remains: AU is a 4th tier school without any programmatic accreditation in the professional programs. THIS DOES MATTER. AU does have regional institutional accreditation but lacks specific program creds.

Next, life experience credit is whole heartidly frowned on. Try to transfer in a "book of the month discussion" in to a state university and watch hilarity insue.

Next, AU has problems. I have checked with proper agencies and the schools has many complaints. From a educational leader point of view: these problems should have been fixed long ago to ensure quality education, but for some strange reason they continue.

Finally, Folks do yourself a favor and research before you buy. Dont be fooled by the admit. 'reps' and dreams of easy quick education. Choose your education wisly. And those of you taking shots at Joe, I have noticed that Joe has been honest, strait-forward, and respectful. He is telling you from an HR point of view the reality of choosing this type of education. Instead of scoffing and insulting him, listen to his advice and wisdom. Good luck to all of you.

J. August 6, 2008 at 4:08 p.m.

This school accrediated,legal and offers degrees, so I attended. AU lost their MAT teacher certification license and many want to be teachers failed their student teacher course or phase, because they did not know anything! Nothing! My experience was embarrassing and a few other peers experienced the same. Save your money and go to a real school.

Dr. Matthews August 22, 2008 at 9:21 p.m.

Coo Coo,

You may believe what ever you like, that is your God given right. The fact is Joe and I are not the same person. I only know of him from reading this forum.

I had an applicant for a faculty position in my healthcare program, who has an MA from AU. I have to ensure that if I hire somebody for a teaching position their credentials and education are solid. BTW: I did not hire him because of the lack of accreditation of his masters degree. There you have it.

I believe as an educator and education program director, that everybody should be well informed about the education they choose. If you believe I am a professor or not, i really don't care. I do not seek approval from some know it all who hides behind a forum

I want you all to understand something: I am not telling you AU is bad or dont go, they are an accred. university and I am sure they have many wonderful characteristics.

What i am saying is: (Fact)
-AU lacks programmatic accreditation
-AU is 4th tier
-Life exeperiance for credit is academically frowned on in most cases.
-AU has many formal complaints against them
-AU masters admissions standards are non-existant

BTW: sorry for the typo yes I did mispell the word staight, thanks for pointing that out on an informal forum.

C.L.Matthews,PhD

Hmmmmm August 27, 2008 at 5:10 a.m.

This is proof that Dr Matthews is full of BS and is really a fake wanna be professor. This quote was taken from his posting above "If you believe I am a professor or not, i really don't care."

Your a fake!

Rain August 31, 2008 at 11:10 p.m.

What is going on with these people saying that community colleges have classes for $14 or $20 per credit??
My community college charges $160/credit. Get real people, college is expensive.

P. E. Scott September 12, 2008 at 6:37 p.m.

This college is wonderful, and I love it. To know something about this college, you would have had to attend it. The people who have left bad remarks about this college, are mostly drop-outs who are angry with the administrative staff. They are angry because they thought they would get the money from their student loan-if they droped out. When they found out how many fees dropping out cost them, they became angry with this university and began bashing them. This school is accredited and State colleges like the University of Texas, accept their transfer credits. I have already looked into it, so basically the people that are out to get Ashford are just posers. Get a life and find something else to be angry at--your the one who dropped out!

Hmmmm September 16, 2008 at 5:25 a.m.

More proof that Dr Matthews is far from being a teacher of academics. His quote from the last posting was "But I am a academic and we are much harder on this than any other industry, so he may do very well some place else."

Next time try "But I am an academic"
Not "But I am a academic"

Come on now, your are a total fake. I hope that you are teaching your students to proof read their documents before they turn them into you for grading.

More Proof Please!

Hmmmm September 27, 2008 at 2:23 a.m.

@ Dr. Matthews

Here is more proof that you are soooooo not an academic.

Your Quote " The only thing that I ever tried to convey to this forum, is that AU lacked the appropiate programmatic accreditation for a particular masters degree (MBA)."

Do you know how to spell appropriate or what? Guess not.

Your Quote "PS: Go f#@$ your mother" Sooooo not academic.

Fact: I graduated from a Division I university.Go Wolfpack!

Fact: I could care less about Ashford University because they are not a Division I school and I would never attend this university

Fact: You can post on another board and if I found out about it, I would call you out as a fake on there also.

Fact: You are a legend in your own mind wanting everyone to believe that you are Dr. and an element of the academic world.

Quack Quack Quack

Dr. Matthews September 29, 2008 at 4:31 p.m.

Hmmmm,
How does it feel being an admissions rep for a 5th tier school?

Besides, didn't I tell you to go fuk your mother.

Hmmmm October 1, 2008 at 1:14 a.m.

@ Dr. Matthews
You are still a fake. I can assure you that I don't work for Ashford University. You don't see me defending this school in any way at all. I told you in my last post that I would never attend a school like Ashford because they are not a Division I university. I can honestly say that there are too many traditional universities that offer online or distance education and anyone in there right mind should consider that instead of attending a school like Ashford, which has no rankings at all. However, that still does not change the fact that you are fake. You are not a real Dr. or someone who has obtained a collegiate level education. That is the bottom line here. Your postings are proof of that. You are living a cyberspace fantasy if you think that you can come on here and convince people that you are some sort of teacher of higher education. What you need to do is turn the computer off in your mom's basement and pull your underwear up; You fake wannabe!

PS: Go Wolfpack!

Hmmmm October 5, 2008 at 9:08 a.m.

@ Dr. Matthews
I noticed that in your last posting, you even spelled your name wrong. Come on now Sir! There is also more proof that you are fake. Your quotes below are proof positive.

"For someone who cares nothing for Ashford you seem to moniter this forum quite frequently"
How do you spell monitor Sir? Certainly not moniter.

"I have BS from Sam Houston State University, a MS and PH.D from the Unversity of Texas." = bad grammar and spelling Sir. You left out the "a" in front of BS and you misspelled University. You are certainly not an element of the academic industry.

Now, I want you to quote any of my postings where I have said anything to defend Ashford University. I have not had one good thing to say about this school. Please show everyone where I have said anything good in an effort to defend this school. You can't, simply because I have not.The bottom line here is that I am pointing out the fact that you are a fake and certainly not a person who has the education that you are claiming. Sam Houston State University and the Universtiy of Texas are excellent institutions. Stop using those universities in your behalf. You are making them look bad on here. Didn't I give you some advice at the end of my last posting? I guess your underwear are still around your ankles.

Go Wolfpack!

Don't have one to give October 19, 2008 at 12:53 p.m.

In reponse to it's been a nightmare,
get yourself a lawyer They will stop the Collection calls. a cheap way to go is through paid legal services.
AU knows what they are doing. The people who are interested in going to AU (MOST)do ask the right questions AU advisors just give people false information. They have been train to do just that. And that's deceiving for anyone who really wants to finish school. Save all of your work and Correspondence from anyone who works at AU make sure you have names and dates and time. Always keep because this will come in handy. If you have to take them to court!!! But don't pay if you know they did you wrong.

This is for:
it's been a nightmare January 22, 2008 at 7:15 p.m.
I hope everything is better for you I know this can be very
emotional.

Cindy October 22, 2008 at 11:40 p.m.

Jennifer, all I can say is "good luck". Hire yourself a lawyer, that's what I am doing. Here is the latest. Just, to let you know I have been attending Ashford's online program for over 2 years. The financial aid award letter was sent to me on July 22, 2008. Fed. Unsubsidized Staffard and Federal Subsidized loans and Pell grant to be disbursed to my account on October 7, 2008, which they were. Award letter states that if any excess funds remain on your account, a refund check will be mailed to you approximately 14 days after the funds have been disbursed. So, I was expecting a check after the 14 days as the award letter states on approximately October 21, 2008. On October 13, myself and who knows how many other Ashford students receive an email from Ashford that they have implemented a new policy. You will now receive your money 7 weeks after your disbursement for 30% and 70% of the balance 14 weeks after that. The financial advisor tells me the cut-off date for this was October 6, 2008. How convenient for them. We are not talking a couple of hundred dollars here. This was a substantial amount of money, that I use to pay bills and rent so I am able to attend college. I would love to here from lawyers, other students on this. Please, please look into other colleges. This isn't the first time that I have had trouble with financial aid with Ashford University. I believe the process is quite simple. You apply for aid, you receive an award letter, you disburse remaining funds 14 days after your funds go into your account. Any other financial aid "horror stories" from Ashford University. One other question, once these funds are in your account from Stafford and Pell grants are they in a bank for Ashford University?

LB October 24, 2008 at 4:39 a.m.

To: Cindy

Of course these funds are in a bank for Ashford, they are making some big fat interest off of the student body's awards. I called today and asked about the 6th being a cut off and the person I spoke with said "there was no cut off". I was probably told that because my financial aid got in Oct. 1st. Of course this information didn't come from my financial advisor JW, she hasn't bothered to return any of my numerous calls. The simple fact of the matter is that there is no reason other than the fact that they are wanting to collect interest off the money that is due to the students. If you do the math on how many students and an average of financial aid per student, it is a lot of money. Given the fact that they are holding it for 14 weeks, that is over 3 months of interest for them. Cha ching! My family and I were counting on these funds to help with our costs of living as well, I have 4 kids to support while I am trying to further my education. I understand your frustration, I am feeling it as well. I have never seen a University ran this way and I think that the students need to stand up for themselves. I have already spoken with a very good lawyer, he gave me some great phone numbers to get me in touch with the right people in Iowa that can help me. Let me know if you would like the numbers as well, I am more than happy to share them!

Sherry October 28, 2008 at 7:31 a.m.

I am in my second class at AU and recently have started my developing some doubts about my decision to attend here. Granted, I'm only in week two, the instructors don't seem to be professional or organized. The grading system seems to be a little "off." Students are getting full points for discussion posts that aren't written clearly, correctly, or precisely covering all points specified. I haven't had any trouble with financial aid or anything else people have mentioned, I just don't feel like I can really get a 50 thousand dollar education here. Hopefully the classes will become more involved, as I am in level 100 classes for the first year, and those are kinda lame. But, in the meantime, if there's someone who reads this and is working toward a BA in Psychology from AU, and are past your first year, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Also, why is so many people talking about accelerated degrees? I was told it was a four year degree program..

LS November 1, 2008 at 1:45 p.m.

My current class has 18 students. The lower level classes may have a bit more.
The first class you take - no matter how many credits you come onboard with, is to help you identify your long term goals and it will introduce you to the online process. That class has all types of students, and many will drop out once they realize that this is a real degree and not a joke. During your first class you will have to take an English Language Arts Proficiency exam - you can take it when you are ready and there is a tutoring website to help you prepare. If you fail it you can prepare again and then take it again. If you still can't pass it you will be enrolled in a college level English course. You need that because there are research papers due for every course you take. If you can't write a college level paper you will struggle. They give EVERYONE a writing coach. These people will help you with format etc.
I'm not doubting the people who are complaining about the administration but honestly - I haven't had one single problem.
My original enrollment advisor checks in with me periodically. My academic advisor was promoted (he was great) and they gave me someone else. She's fine - answers my questions but I still miss my original advisor who really was a great guy.

I will finish my degree in June - I came onboard with a lot of credits so I was able to start taking classes in my major right away.

Some of the books you can buy from discounters online and others you have to buy from the school. Yes they are expensive - but textbooks are expensive.

I would not hesitate to do this all over again...and I am PAYING for this degree.

Good Samaritan November 7, 2008 at 5:13 a.m.

I see more fluff reviews have been posted. If you are serious about investing your money (or your financial aid) into an online college, I highly recommend you read ALL of the reviews on this page. Ashford may be accredited, but that doesn't mean that they offer quality degrees--take a look at their catalog and you'll see that they're all in the Arts. Do you know what an AA or BA in Psychology will get you? Nothing because Psychology is traditionally considered a science, and your future employers will expect you to have taken science courses. As a former advisor, I can't even tell you how many complaints I heard from former students whose degrees were not recognized by brick and mortar universities OR by potential employers.

Peter November 7, 2008 at 5:20 p.m.

I was thinking of attending this online university, but after doing some research and being treated really badly from the admission staff when I could not enroll for the semester they wanted me to enroll I decided to go somewhere else. The admission advisor actually had the guts to tell me that I have to prove to her that I wanted to go to graduate school and that if I did not apply when she told me that I would be denied and I could not apply for a year. This is all without me submitting an application. My suggestions go to another institution.

To Stef and LB November 12, 2008 at 7:54 p.m.

To Stef

If you get fin aid, your school will receive a dispersment every 4 classes (or 12 credits) just as your would if you went to a reg school. If you get your dispersmint before you have any classes done they will hold the total amount of the 4 upcoming classes and issue a check of the remainder within 14 days.

And to LB:
the Vet that had problems with the school and TA you might want to look in to it. Because as far as i understand NO TA pays 100% of your school Unless you are also getting you GI Bill. And the GI Bill should be paid right to you. But if your sure that your TA is covering all of you schooling the i would contact the loan agency that you get your school lone through and have them stop sending the school money. I just want to let you know, if you didn't Ashford, as a Vet, or Active military member, they will pay your Technology fees, all of your books and the shipping to your home. Keep up with your student portal and keep an eye on your moneys .It's easy to keep up with when it's on your student portal.

Dawn November 18, 2008 at 9:31 p.m.

Valerie, I am very interested in hearing more about your experiences with Ashford. I have just enrolled to begin December for a BA in Psychology. If you wouldn't mind sharing I would love to hear.

Ashford = DIPLOMA MILL! November 21, 2008 at 8:47 a.m.

Ashford sells life experience degrees! Buyer beware!!

John November 23, 2008 at 8:33 a.m.

I have attended Ashford for almost 2 years now and let me tell you about my experiences. So far this year, I have had 0 contact with my financial aid advisor Heather. I have sent numerous emails, made over 15 phone calls, all just to make sure they received my financial aid application. Not one return email or phone call. I have not bought a book in my last 12 classes, that's right. I just look the stuff up online. The assessment quizzes,you can look those up online as well. I have questioned the quality of my education for the last year now. I checked with a few local colleges and Ashford is accredited, and they told mw they would take my credits, so that is a relief. The only reason I am staying is so I can get the financial aid to pay for the classes I have taken so far, once they are paid for, I am outta there! Some teachers are good, most don't seem to care. My comment on not buying books, I have a 3.90 GPA-what does that tell you about the quality of the degree?

Josh November 24, 2008 at 6:49 p.m.

First off, I'm still enrolled and about to finish my first class. I'm pretty upset with the entire experience. I was very cautious when I signed up. I told my enrollment advisor I wanted all my financial aid taken care of prior to starting classes. She pushed me in a nice way. Every day 2-3 emails and at least 1 phone call. Trying to get me under way. I was suspicious and kept to my guns saying that I wouldn't start until I found out about the financial aid. I did all the paperwork on my end right away. I guess that is where I faltered. I didn't waste any time getting my end done and fully expected them to do the same....

So I get the phone call I'm approved for such and such amount and can start on the 28th of October...Great. I do, its now late november and oddly enough my student loans haven' t been deferred yet....weird. I thought this was all done already.

I called Sallie Mae and they advised me that they hadn't heard from Ashford at all, not for the loan for the school, and certainly not for the deferment request....

At this point I placed 4 calls to my financial advisor, left 2 voicemails and wait 24 hours. No response, I then sent an email and waited 8 hours. No responce. At this point I emailed my enrollment advisor and told her what was going on. She replied quickly with a form for me to fill out and told me I would hear from my financial advisor in 20 minutes.

2 hours later I emailed again saying that that was a long 20 minutes and I hadn't heard from anyone. About 30 minutes later I finally got an email from my financial advisor with another form to fill out. I filled it out and sent it back......

She received it and told me it would be taken care of. 5 days later...I call Sallie Mae, they still don't know anything about Ashford.

So I ask.........how can you enroll me and tell me my financial aid is in order.....and not even have the loan paperwork done yet????

Rob December 9, 2008 at 6:43 p.m.

Joe when you said "Wow... more financial aid problems. Like we never saw that coming. If Ashford has 'screwed' you out of your financial aid please go to the BBB and file a complaint. If they take longer than 14 days please do so as well. It is against the law for them to hold on to your money." Here is what the email says-"Ashford University’s stipend process has been updated to provide funding for your coursework throughout the academic year. Effective October 13th, 2008, Ashford University will begin issuing four stipends per academic year. The amount of funding you receive will not change, only the scheduled disbursement of the stipends. This change will allow the financial aid disbursements to better coincide with the timing of anticipated charges for the courses in which you enroll. Thirty percent of the payment period’s stipend will be available for disbursement after the seventh week of successful continuous enrollment, and the remaining seventy percent will be available after the fourteenth week of successful continuous enrollment." Is it illegal? And if anyone knows any place i can call to find this out please let me know.

Not Quite Free Application Fee December 9, 2008 at 9:51 p.m.

For the record guys...your application fee is only free if you actually enroll. If you apply and then decide you don't want to go, or if your FA isn't approved and you can't pay for your classes in another way, then they will charge you for the app fee later. So don't buy into the whole line about them waiving your application fee. Also, don't buy their bull about promotions like a wavied app fee or $100 book credit. Ashford does these "promos" EVERY month but the advisors still tell students that they're a limited time offer to push them to enroll early so they can meet their weekly/monthly quotas.

me December 10, 2008 at 12:57 p.m.

As for the $15-20 dollars a unit at a community college, that is pretty close. I carried 25-27 hours most semesters and my tuition and lab expenses were under $600. Please remember that includes lab fees and insurance (which is required and I carried a lot of classes with labs)and not my books. I would never recommend buying new books to anyone unless the book can't be found elsewhere. Great prices at places like Amazon. Most community colleges have online classes and are willing to work with the adult student and around work schedules. I would recommend everyone here at least looking into their local community college and at least talking to them. If you choose Ashford, at least you can say that you chose the right option for yourself at that time.

B December 17, 2008 at 8:38 p.m.

If anyone is depending on their excess funds for books etc. it could be a long wait. Ashford is a nightmare

I'm a transfer student and they were aware from the beginning. I complied and immediately faxed to them the form authorizing access to my transfer units.

Did they submit me to Sallie Mae as a junior, which is correct. NO! I was submitted as a freshman and my award not only didn't provide excess funds, but didn't even cover all tuition. My first award date was Sep. 9, 2008.

Then it took about 8 weeks before I started calling to see when the revision would finally take place. they kept telling me they'd send emails to the processing office, which by the way have no phones. Ha!

Finally in week 11 we get an answer back from processing. I was denied the revision. There reason was because I'm a freshman. The idiot who received the request never bothered to check on my current status, the credits were clearly there.

Then I have to be resubmitted for a revision. After an additional 3 weeks they finally sent me a new award letter dated Dec. 9. It's Dec. 17. I still haven't gotten my check.

And, lastly, I just finished my third class and the instructor was from another planet. she couldn't communicate enough to answer a simple question. she was always apologizing for off the wall broadcast emails asking for the wrong thing. She admonished me on my draft reflective paper which was 3 pages (cuz it was a draft). She said, "i told you I wanted 8 pages for a draft." when I challenged her where she said that, she never responded. the final was supposed to 8 pages. Ashford should be ashamed of hiring someone like that and collecting my money for it.

Nate December 28, 2008 at 7:20 a.m.

Well I'm looking for a new "home" school because my current school (with online and B&M campuses) is cancelling my major in favor of something slightly less rigorous.

I'm curious as to how AU is in terms of classroom instruction? I see LOTS of people have issues with financial aid and that is of no concern to me--I have one of the best tuition plans in the country: so long as the school is recognized by any CHEA organization *AND* the student is awardede real univ credits or CEU credits then they'll pay 100% of the tuition and any fees for application, proctoring, registration, credit evaluation, challenge tests etc AND pay for up to $300/class for books. Nothing would be out of pocket for me as the school would either bill them directly or I use my corporate World Visa for up-front stuff and then expense them when the course is completed.

Having tuition paid for is a plus as it allows me to maintain privacy by not having to give out my SSN (I can't file for the tuition tax credit and don't use any finaid so there's no requirement for me to give it out). It also sounds like I'll avoid a lot of hassles dealing with the finaid counselors :-D

So, since I pretty much have a blank check, I'm also very curious about how AU handles transfer credits? I have about 300 credits (no, I'm not kidding) scattered across 8 well, 9 now, schools--just never anyplace long enough to amass them into a degree since online schools weren't an option until this most recent school. So am I going to have problems getting a transfer credit assessment or would it make sense for me to perform my own assessment and send in a "suggestion" of what classes I've taken should substitute for AU courses?

I'm debating between AU, Capella, Strayer and St. Leo. Hopefully this site can help me decide.

Thanks all.

Rick aka 'Tinman' January 1, 2009 at 10:37 p.m.

I just enrolled in Ashford University to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social and Criminal Justice. The first person I spoke with, Joe Altieri, aka Joker but when it comes to knowing his job, the benefits and the overall professional character for wanting to see a person excel and achieve...Joker knows his job. I am also in the armed forces and the advantages for me to earn my Bachelors Degree is perfect for how easy they make it. I've been reading some of these comments...grow up people...I admire folks that want to advance and get educated but how you approach a situation will determine how both sides will handle the matter. Jenny, enroll in the classes you want to and excel beyond what your own expectations are. Talk to Joe. He'll walk you through step by step and has a goal that all anyone has to do is ask and not let a fail if he can help them achieve. He has code of professional ethics but he'll tell you straight.

Josh January 6, 2009 at 1:22 a.m.

Can anyone tell me who has recently enrolled if the $990 tech fee is actually covered by financial aid. My enrollment advisor told me that it was but I would like to make sure as I cannot afford to incur any out-of-pocket expensives (aside from books) at the moment.
Thanks

Joe January 16, 2009 at 7:04 a.m.

Chris, you should try it out if you feel it is the best option available. Just note that you will be paying a $1000 tech fee even for one class and any PLA fees you paid will not be refunded.

Chris January 17, 2009 at 5:39 a.m.

Joe, thanks for the tip. I'm definitly going to have some hard questions next time I talk to my advisor. I don't even recall a sigle word about a tech fee; this must be why they've been hastling me about getting my FASFA turned in. There's really no sense in rushing to file one anyway since I'm in the military. One of those great military perks is that 100% of my tuition is paid for, which will pay for atleast 6 classes a year at AU. On top of that, books and fees I was told are waived under AU's military scholarship. So I will surely be curious to find out about this so called "tech fee".

Mia January 20, 2009 at 1:53 a.m.

Joe I had to read this and laugh. The number of typos were astonishing! You said you work in "the defence industry". Did you mean you hang fencing, meaning wooden boards? DEFENSE is the correct spelling there. That was THE one that just tipped me over the edge!
Doubtful you have a college degree at all. You can't even spell the type of industry you are supposedly employed by! I would advise anyone looking into education, whether it be online or otherwise, to do personal investigations using a variety of different methods. People like "Joe" are just here spreading venom. Obviously he's paid by someone else to do this. Probably the only real job he has is to sit on this board and type disbarraging comments to anyone who enters.
Amazing!

Eli January 21, 2009 at 2:17 a.m.

I checked Ashford university for accreditation and found that they are a regionally recognized program. From the research I gathered this is good news. U of Phoenix is also regionally recognized. I just have to decide which is best for me on my road to becoming a paralegal.

Tiffany January 22, 2009 at 8:43 a.m.

I just transferred to Ashford Last week. I went to kaplan and recieved 60 credits, I then took one class at Phoenix before withdrawing myself and I am so far enjoying Ashford. However I was wondering if anyone knows how long it will take to have my credits transferred and what they will except from a Nationally accredited school like Kaplan. I will say that I love that ashford does not do group projects, whick both Kaplan and UOP have alot of.
Thanks

DISGRUNTLED January 27, 2009 at 12:17 a.m.

I just had the most horrible experience. it all started with the poor spelling skills of my instructor. she was short and never there for me. she got onto other students for spelling when she couldnt spell. secondly, this got me looking into the school. on the texas board of education coordinating boards website it lists ashford as an fraudulent and substandard institution. i called to verify. they said the actual campus is legitimate and that the online courses or degrees you recieve are no good to use in the state of texas. i asked him to look it up for me and it turned out to be true. well i called the school and they assured me that this was a lie and that the online program is completely legit. i dont want to spend 43,000 dollars on a degree that will be turned down when i apply for a teacher certification program. it is also stated on this website that it is ILLEGAL to use this degree in texas and you could go to jail. if you dont believe me call the education board in texas yourself and ask them. secondly i called to get the classes dropped and im going to recieve a bill from them soon for 800 dollars for a class that is a complete joke. if you like the reading and posting your feelings atmosphere then i guess its the school for you. but how do you expect to be real knowledgeable in your area of education without ever taking a single test? I wouldnt dare sign up with ashford if i were you. to much fishy business surrounding the organization. thirdly, why is there enrollment team located in an entirely different city and state with advisors that have never even been to there campus in Iowa. makes no sense to me. i dropped the course and filed a complaint with fafsa. im sickened and disgruntled with the whole institution. good luck to all!

Joe February 8, 2009 at 3:54 a.m.

Under Title IV, the school is only allowed to delay your check by 30-45 days. If it took six months for you to recieve it, then Ashford is in violation of Title IV and can be denied recieving federally backed student loans.

mybear February 10, 2009 at 8:46 p.m.

I am in the process of finishing up my degree at Ashford. I could not be more pleased with my advisor, and most of the teachers. Their have been some that I do not think really cared but most of them did. I have had no problems with my aid but I am having a hard time understanding this holding it for weeks. I feel if I am paying the interest they should not be getting the interest. By the time my 14 weeks is up to recieve all my aid I will be finishing up at Ashford. I am wondering does anyone no if it is legal even though they say it was approved by the department of education.

totally pissed February 17, 2009 at 3:37 p.m.

Ashford has pissed me off. I am a veteran, and a current student at this school. first off where the hell is my 70% stipend. It was supposed to be mailed out on the 10th, then when you call you have to be down right rude to get any answers I called the VA, and according to them this school has been reported several times by other veterans. While the VA can't tell you which school to go to they strongly encourage ppl to try a different school when it comes to ashford.

Jacob March 3, 2009 at 8:52 a.m.

I like the five week schedule and a lot of work gets crammed into these succinct courses. Also the research papers are up to par with any State University requirements. Having seen my friend's (an A and B+ student) research papers from Queens College and others from NYU, Cornell,and Hofstra University I can attest to this.I also tutor college students to support myself while I take some teaching credential tests over the coming months.Many people also judge community college and term it "thirteenth grade," but nothing could be further from the truth. Now, if you want to be an engineer or mathematician then N.C.C. is a great school, while Ashford does not offer these options at least in the online program.It depends upon your goals, time available, age,finances, familial responsibilities, and ability to self motivate, as to what you decide.

I do know from attending Stanford part time (can not afford to go there full time, and online is a more accommodating environment plain and simple)that there is course work with equally stimulating classroom discussion and standards for grammar, diction, thesis, and thoroughness for the papers and essays written, while the tests at Ashford are far easier. Still Ashford does employ highly educated professors and maintains an accredited curriculum. I found my laboratory coursework very valuable elsewhere, however, the writing experience in Ashford coursework is highly valuable and educational. I am self motivated and a lifetime learner,so Ashford is not for people who need their hands held.

Jacob March 3, 2009 at 9:05 a.m.

Most colleges award some life experience credits. CLEP can be a useful set of tests for people who do not require certain coursework.

Stephanie G. March 15, 2009 at 3:02 a.m.

I have been attending Ashford University for 3 years. I will have my degree in 2 months. I really like this online school. I have a great advisor Ian Foster, who insures my satisfaction. This school is real and is great. If you do not like your advisor switch, if you drop a class you have to make sure that you do not log in any more or you will be charged. It makes sense so stop blaming the school for your actions or lack of action.

NUSREEN March 17, 2009 at 5:29 a.m.

I have the worse enrollment, financial and academic advisors in the history of ashford. AU contacts are just there to look pretty. I really want to know how the stipend checks are distributed. I was thinking about going to a local community college too. I dont have a problem with the education I just have an issue when ever I need help. My sister is in ashford and she doesnt have these issue. I dont get it I WAS SUPPOSE TO RECEIEVE A FREE BOOKBAG AND IT NEVER CAME. WHAT THE HECK IS THE TECHNOLOGY FEE. MY FINANCE AVDISOR SEEMS TO HAVE A THING FOR MY ENROLLMENT ADVISOR AS SHE DID THE FINANCE WORK WITH ME AND SCREWED UP. I was really nice and patient but now I'm having second thoughts.

Shani March 23, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

These comments are hilarious. I have not been to a college that charged $20 per unit. If that was the case, more people could afford to go to college. These classes are cheaper to what I have come across and I went to a popular state university. Ashford is cheaper, believe that. I have checked numerous programs. I'm in the MBA program. Every school gets just as many compliants as compliments. Nothing goes perfectly at any school. My first year in undergrad, the school ran out of dorm space and I was without a dorm. so things happen.

Dan March 31, 2009 at 1:14 a.m.

If you have very few credits and don't care where you graduate, Asford is great. If you have over 60 credits, don't fall for the "99 credit transfer" scam, they will only transfer about 60. I took "Business Law" at a major University and they would not transfer that to "Business Law" at Ashford becuase it was not a matching course. Are you kidding me? That happened to most of my transfer credits. Ashford is ex-University of Phoenix folks, so expect that pressure and they only care about money.

@ Dan April 2, 2009 at 3:51 p.m.

While I agree with you that Ashford is "after your money", they are a for-profit institution and this makes sense. I must disagree with you about the transfer credits. I transferred in with only one class of traditional education. The remaining portion of transfer consisted of CLEP/DANTES and military training. In total Ashford accepted 93 SH in transfer. I have completed the useless PSY 202 that they require, and now only have 8 courses remaining for completion of my BA.

I have only completed one course so far, but I am finding my Ashford experience to be quite enjoyable. My academic adivisor is surprisingly VERY responsive, and usually gets back to me within 2-3 hours. They have accomodated various requests that I have had, and even re-evaluated a few of my CLEP/DANTES credits and awarded additional credit that was not included on the original evaluation. Based on my short experience I would reccomend Ashford University to anyone seeking a BA.

Greg April 15, 2009 at 6:56 p.m.

I am currently a student at Ashford working on my bachelor's degree. Before Ashford I attended AIU to complete my Associates. What a nightmare that was. Among all the other debacles there...on top of the financial aid I was getting I had to pay an extra $300.00 out of pocket to get my AA degree.
At Ashford, not only do I not have to pay money out of my pocket (except for books, which I would have to buy at a traditional college anyway,) but their tuition is low enough that the school actually sends me a check periodically.
Can you go to a brick and mortar school cheaper? Sure. But for those folks like myself that don't have time to sit in a classroom all day, or don't want to take 10 years to get a 4 year degree... Ashford is an excellent choice.
I agree with several of the posts above... you will get out of the experience what you put in. Some folks are going to complain no matter what. My suggestion is make the right decision for yourself, not based on what I, or anyone else says.
Good luck!

Myself April 19, 2009 at 9:56 a.m.

Hi, has anyone graduated from Ashford and actually has a job in that field??

Fools Rush In April 20, 2009 at 2:33 a.m.

(Continued)
Then he proceeded to tell me about additional loan-based help I could get...which I am STILL waiting to hear word on. So I asked if I could take a break to pay on that ISU bill so all of my 99+ credits earned at ISU won't be worthless after my fourth class (deadline to turn in transcript).
Reply:
"Any breaks in attendance affect your financial aid by delaying disbursements." (No details were given about this delay, of course.)

I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, I'm trying to understand why I was rushed to enroll when I suspect the school knew full-well that I'd be coming up short and unable to get my transcript released. Did they really think I'd just say, "Oh well, I'll just forget about my transfer credits and rack up another $40,000 of debt by starting all over."

I can't wait to see what kind of a bill I'm going to get stuck with when I tell them that I can't continue with classes until I pay ISU in full. I will definitely be coming back here with any response I get. If my BA in Communications is going to be laughed at, I will not be spending another dime on this school.

Niki April 22, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.

Is anyone taking classes online at Ashford for psyhcology??I just enrolled and I am intrested in finding out as much as I can about this program.

Yolanda April 27, 2009 at 9:49 p.m.

I am seriously considering enrolling in the online BA program with a concentration in PR/Marketing. Any feedback on this program?

Justin April 29, 2009 at 5:50 p.m.

For those who have graduated from Ashford, have employers/hr recruiters looked at your degree?

I asked a high profile staffing person and she said it didn't really matter where people get their degree(online ground etc), as long as it is from an accredited university. The employer then goes on to interview the canidates. It's more about the employee fitting in well with the employer that matters.

Loralei April 29, 2009 at 10:20 p.m.

If Joe, the one with so many bad comments about AU works in the Defense Industry, why does he spell it "defence"? Just curious.

Todd May 2, 2009 at 12:13 a.m.

Hello, I am currently enrolled at Ashford and my experience (thus far. And I'm almost done)has been nothing but positive, seriously.
Initially, I was very trepidatious about attending an online college of any sort. I knew that as an adult learner (over age 21)an online college would be beneficial to me (everything is on my time and etc);however, just the idea of not being able to goto a physical classroom bothered me so much.
So, I did my research when I considered. Financially Ashford was my best bet out of them all. Moreover, it had my major. Sometimes, I felt like it was too good to be true; however, the school was not promising a quick and easy route to graduation (which was a bonus).

After seeing that Ashford is regionally accredited and a physical college campus (in conjunction with the online program),that President Obama actually spoke at during his campaign, I was sold.
My enrollment advisor, Aaron, was extremely hands on and legitimate. There was not a week that went by, during my first two classes, that he was not heavily involved. After I aced those classes (with A+ pluses)he did not call quite as frequently, but by then I didn't need him too.
I had an excellent rapport with ALL of my professors thus far. When I e-mail them they respond promptly. When I have questions my questions are answered.
My degree credits (from my previous school)all transferred and I am set to graduate in November of this year.
Most important of all I feel like I've gotten a great education. The fact that I have to write research papers practically every other week lets me know that this school is cares about producing well rounded students.

For all the people complaining about having to purchase books or bad professors and etc...etc...People, it happens. Sometimes you have to just roll with the punches in order to better your life. I knew this was not going to be a free ride, but Ashford is less expensive than MOST.
If you are a liberal arts major of any sort this really is the school for you.

Nursecrissy May 6, 2009 at 10:12 a.m.

I don’t understand why everyone is giving Joe a hard time. You should be asking him questions from an HR perspective to help you prepare for those tough interview questions that HR will ask about the worth of your online degree. C’mon people. Those of you that are attending or have attended AU or any other online school, haven’t you asked yourself how your online degree will be regarded in the workforce? If you haven’t, then you should. You have to do your own research to find out what accreditations the online schools have, and how your future employers or job markets will value your online degree.
For some people, an online degree is just what they need to move up in a position at their current job. I know Caterpillar promoted an employee once they receive their degree (yes, even from UOP!) from on online school. One of my friends is in a midlevel management position @ CAT after graduating from UOP, BUT she was already an employee. I think that makes a huge difference, whether or not you are applying for a position internally or externally. And who knows, she may not be getting paid as well (today) as someone who graduated from Bradley University or any other AACSB accredited school. I don’t think she will find herself in a VP or CEO position either, due to her online degree. BUT HERE IS THE BIGGIE: I don’t think she wants to reach that status either. A lot online students don’t need to see themselves as CEO’s, CFO’s, etc…. therefore an online degree is perfect for them (us) if they just want to move up the career ladder with their current employer to live comfortable lives.
Now, those online students that are switching careers have a bigger challenge ahead of them. For the most part, these people will be externally applying for jobs and I believe it will be tougher for them (us) to get hired because they are competing against other applicants that have 1.) Experience 2.) Degrees from AACSB, ABET, etc., Accredited brick and mortar schools.

Rebecca May 11, 2009 at 9:04 a.m.

I agree with the current attendee's and graduates. Most of the former students who have complaints, I wish you luck. Have fun running from school to school. I am presently in my second class. Ashford is not perfect, but as someone above me stated, "you get out what you put in.' The problem with the "complainee's" Do your homework, don't sign a lease or contract before you read it. You sound like fools. You are blaming the staff for your mishaps. If there is something you don't understand before enrolling, get clarification. My enrollment advisor was great in answering every question I had for her.

Angela May 13, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.

I personally had a bad experience. When I first was enrolled the advisor made everything sound so great. Little did I know 3 weeks into the course the tuition fee's went up and I all of a sudden was hit with a Technology fee of $900. I can never seem to get a hold of the Finacial or academic advisors after several emails and phone calls. Very disappointed!

Ashford is not so bad. . May 20, 2009 at 7:53 p.m.

I have been attending Ashford University since October and so far everything is great! I have not had any problems with them and they transfered all 56 previous credits i had. I would recommend this school to anyone who is looking to better their education online. I don't know how so many people have had problems, but maybe online learning is not for them.

Amanda M. May 21, 2009 at 9:32 p.m.

For those asking about Phoenix University, (I also looked into them) you have to do group work, so if your team mate doesn't do his part, both of your grades suffer. I wanted to be in control of my grades so I went with Ashford......I am taking Psychology and Criminal justice at Ashford, and questions e-mail me ....

amanda52602@aim.com

@ Joe May 24, 2009 at 5:57 p.m.

That is what this site is all about, isn't it? It is a review of online degree programs; hence the name onlinedegreereviews.org . If people are unhappy with the Ashford University online program, this is the place to report their views. I am glad you like the on campus program.

got a better idea May 27, 2009 at 12:38 a.m.

Just as my name implies I have a better idea. Insted of bickering about the negatives of Ashford, why don't we focus on the positives, like....um....well....I'l think of one soon.

@Joe May 27, 2009 at 12:43 a.m.

This is the best question here: Why is Joe so awesome? Everybody worships him around here. Is he the One?

Currently Enrolled June 8, 2009 at 12:59 a.m.

Everything seems fine. I'm in the MBA program and it is difficult. The instructors have been good so far. It seems like most of the comments on here are from undergrads complaining about how it's so much cheaper at a community college, etc. The MBA program is about 18K compared to 50 to 100K at traditional universities. You get out of this what you put into it and I can sell myself to any potential employers so I'm not worried about reputation of the school. It doesn't matter that much. Heck, I hire people all the time and the most important thing to me is how well they will fit into the position I have available and how well they know their stuff.

Brad June 9, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.

I had just left a review and one thing I forgot to mention is that the Professors have been great. I have not had any problems with them returning my emails (all were replied to within 24 hours). I did have a couple times where I disagreed with a grade I received in an online quiz. I explained my position via email and why I thought my answer was correct. They corrected my grade and both professors did it because I explained my point of view and used a references from the text to show it. If you act like an adult in your discussions with them you will be treated like one.

as others have said, this is a school that is great for those who are mature, independent and motivated. If you need someone to hold your hand through life, this is probably NOT the program for you.

Good luck in furthering you education and do the research needed before investing in ANY program, whether on campus or online!

Arthur Wood June 12, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

Ashford University has ZERO regard for its students once you get passed your core classes for your degree. This could be the reason why they have you take your core classes up front.
For my wife and I, they have totally added, deleted or changed classes without regard to either one of our schedules or books ordered. Ashford FAILS to call you or email you to coordinate their changes.
STAY AWAY From Ashford. WE are NOT the only ones to have these issues.
THere online academic advisors are ROGUE.

Brett Michaelis June 18, 2009 at 6:23 p.m.

I am entering my Junior Year at Ashford University. Did you know that Iowa is the leading corn state in the United states at over 4 billion bushels per year. Iowa also leads in the production of soybeans. Iowa is moving towards ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Check this website out. One day this mighty state might fuel the entire United states and maybe the world with clean burning renewable fuels. check out this web site www dot iowarfa dot org

I attended a local community college in California for 3 years and had problems with my cars and paying for gas insurance etc. Ashford University has made this so much easier for me. The classes are all the same boring classes you will find at any University; in fact they use the same textbooks. I have just completed almost all of my general education requirements and now I am moving towards my Degree course work. The price is not great like a local community college, but the price is good for University rates.

I seem to be doing well; I made the deans again this year. Take a Look
www dot ashford dot edu/deanslist/

J June 24, 2009 at 8:29 p.m.

I know nothing about Ashford except for the fact that I have an interview there tomorrow to be an enrollment advisor. What I do know is that some people on here are talking about the cost of the schooling.

I just graduated from a California State college with a B/S in business administration. I was in school for 5 years (pretty standard now a days for a state college). Cost me a pretty penny. From what I have read Ashford gets you out in 12-24 months. Thats 3 years less than me. Once your out you can look for a full time, decent paying job. I worked a restaurant job for 5 years struggling to pay rent.

You need to look at cost of school in many ways. Not just tuition fees. Theres SO much more than that.

Angel June 25, 2009 at 8:05 a.m.

Initially my experience with Ashford University was great. It's been 9 years since I graduated with my bachelor's degree and now that I am a stay at home mom I decided to entertain going to school online. It seems more convenient, so why not? I had a great enrollment counselor name Zia. She was great at following up, keeping her appointments, and returning my calls. I was ready to go, I made the decision to enroll, but something said do more research.

I enrolled into the Masters Program for Early Childhood Education. I called the NYS Department of Education and I was told due to the interstate reciprocity that I had to call the state education department within the state the school was in and they had to be a teaching approved program. Come to find out they are not approved. When I contacted the enrollment counselor she seemed surprised and stated she would look into it further.

Her supervisor called me and tried to assure me that they never had this problem with any students from New York. So I called the state education department of Iowa, which they're school is based out of an was given the same answer, "they are not a teaching approved program". Furthermore, I was told you would receive your diploma from a school in Arizona, called Rio Salado. Finally I called back my enrollment counselor and told her, that I was withdrawing from the program. Her attitude towards me changed and she said she told me that getting certified was my responsibility and that since I was not happy with her findings that she would release me from the program. I said "your findings", I'm the one that researched this further to come to find out the NYS will not accept your program. At the end of all of this back and forth I was exhausted and discouraged and explained that to her. Ashford should have all the state requirement laws listed instead of the potential student going on a wild goose chase. She said there's 50 states how can we keep track of all the requirements. Well that goes without saying that they don't have it together and I'm glad I was able to find this out ahead of time before it was too late and I wasted more of my time and money.

Fran July 2, 2009 at 2:45 a.m.

I am filing a complaint regarding Pell and Loan fraud. I enjoyed Ashford until I deceided to stop. YES the enrollment advisors are great-it's their job to "sell u the car" The instructors are great, it's their job to make sure u get the "warranty" but stop or change schools....

If you have experienced financial wrong doing please contact me at

fransothermail@yahoo.com

This is for financial wrong only sorry complaints regarding customer service are simply a waste.

Read this

www.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/diploma_m...

Not foolish at all July 9, 2009 at 12:37 a.m.

After reading all the good and the bad on the web about Ashford University, I have to side with those who have had a bad experience. Despite reading the posts about the bad experiences, I enrolled anyhow. I have attended both traditional and online schools in the past and have received my degree within them, but never have I experienced an enrollment tatic like the one I experienced at Ashford University. Nor have I attended any school without knowing the awarded financial aid amount prior to the start of class or made payment arrangements. Because of the uncertainties, I officially withdrew on the first day of class. That's when the truth and lies began. My enrollment advisor must work on commission, because when I informed him I wanted to withdraw, that's when he put on his high pressured super cape and tried to persuade me to log into class. I feel if I had logged in, I would have been taken on a long ride to recovery. After standing firm on my discision to withdraw, the advisor's cape then turned him into the grim reaper. He became very unprofessional and stated he doesn't know how to withdraw a student. Per Ashford University's Catalog, the steps of withdrawing are listed. I'm not foolish nor uneducated by a long shot. Ashford University may very well be a good school or maybe not. But it's the financial aid procedure of uncertainties and the high pressure enrollment advisors that ward off any perspective students. "Enroll at your own risk" should be cited on their home page.

Nicole July 13, 2009 at 5:21 p.m.

The Academic Advisors at Ashford University are terrible! I have been attending Ashford for the past year, and have had problems with the Advisors from day 1. My first advisor was continually very rude and acted as though I was bothering him whenever I needed anything. When I asked him about career fields with my Academic major, and what kinds for things I could do with my specific degree, he said very rudely “I don’t know! It’s listed on the website somewhere!” I informed him that I had been advised to discuss this with him, per my enrollment advisor; he blew me off and never helped me with my questions. Following that, I would have to make multiple phone calls and send multiple emails to receive any kind of response from him, if I was lucky to even get a response. One instance in particular, I went 3 months without a reply. I had wanted to drop a certain class; I emailed him requesting to drop…no reply. I left multiple messages on his voicemail, (since he never answered his phone) over wanting to drop, still no reply. 3 weeks later, he finally got back to me. At Ashford, you can drop a class during the 1st week at no charge. The 2nd week, you pay half the cost. The 3rd week, you must pay full price. It is unfair that because of his unprofessionalism, I had to pay full price for the class, when I had certainly given ample notice that I wanted to drop. He was very rude and told me that he has hundreds of students to deal with and doesn’t have time to reply to email. First of all, the number of students he is dealing with is none of my concern. If he is overloaded, he needs to take that up with his boss, not me or any other student for that matter. His attitude was extremely unnecessary and quite unprofessional. Needless to say, I requested a new advisor. The questions I had, were certainly not out of line and most were simple, everyday questions, but questions nonetheless that I needed a response. Upon receiving a new advisor, I was hopeful for a much more professional work relationship, however this was unfortunately not the case. While the new advisor is much friendlier than the last, she is also very difficult to work with. She is extremely difficult to get in contact with. Typically, it takes weeks (yes, WEEKS) for her to return my calls or emails. There are some things that need a response to sooner than that. I am to the point where I just give up with the advisors at Ashford University. No student should be left to feel like they are “bothering” the advisors. An academic advisor should be helpful throughout the enrollment of a student, not rude, unprofessional and virtually unavailable. I am in the process of furthering my education elsewhere. School is hard enough when working full time; I need advisors who are on my side and willing to help me along the way…Apparently this cannot be obtained from Ashford University.

Don't attend this school July 14, 2009 at 11:41 p.m.

Ashford University is a horrible academic institution. It's really no different than the University of Phoenix. All of the enrollment advisors are almost like telemarketers, and there is extreme pressure on them to sell, sell, sell.
I feel that I have a lot of room to speak on this issue, as I graduated from there with my BA in Business Administration. I reluctantly rolled into the Masters program, but they continued to screw up my finances, scheduled me for a course I already took, and worst of all they messed up my BA diploma. Today I withdrew in the middle of my MA program and plan on continuing my MA elsewhere. HORRIBLE.

Lastly, Ashford feels like a fly-by-night school. There is virtually no work to be done in the classes and obtaining straight A's there is no challenge. I told my academic advisor that they were like a borderline degree mill, and that CHEA may very well see this and pull their accreditation in the future. She agreed that the courses were, in fact, super easy, but that it's not about the grade I get, or other students who don't even try and pass, but about how much information I take away from my textbook. WOW!!!

Better Choices Out There! July 16, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.

There are approximately 53 people that are students (either former or present) that have taken the time to write a review (not just make a comment; most of those people do not have any real experience with the Ashford)that have had absolutely terrible experiences at Ashford. That is about 32.5% (hence the 6.59 overall average). True, the majority have had either neutral or good experiences. However, for me 32.5% disgruntled, truly upset and angry current and former students is way too high for me to even consider this university. Secondly, Ashford is not the only accredited online university. In fact, I believe there are numerous other better choices than Ashford. I am not saying Ashford is bad. I am only saying if you really do your homework on this, there are better choices for sure.

Robyn July 22, 2009 at 6:05 p.m.

I have had an excellent experience here. I also had 40 credits transfer from previous schooling so 1/3 of it is already done. The enrollment was quick and easy and all of my classes so far are great. I also love the fact that the classes are only 5 weeks each it is great for me, I lose interest quickly so by the time I am bored with a class it is over. I think it is all in how you learn. I think the 5 weeks is plenty of time for each class. When I was attending college at Mount Aloysius the summer courses were only about 5-6 weeks long, so its like I am taking summer courses all year long.
It may seem like a lot to do all year round but really as long as you make a schedule and stick to it you can do it. I take it one week at a time.
As for price I paid 300-400 per credit there as well so the price is no big deal compared to what I paid before. The actual price I would have paid there was about 5,000 more a year than I am here. For the most part so far my grants have covered the cost and I still took Stafford Loans just because I know they send me the left over money and right now I can really use it, but I am also saving some of it so that when it is time to pay it back I have some set back that I didn't use to pay back. I don't know what else to comment on but I am having a good experience here so far.

Former Telemarketer July 29, 2009 at 4:42 p.m.

Don't buy the bull the current AU advisors are trying to sell you! They pretty much work on commission, so OF COURSE they want to convince people to enroll. While they will make you feel that they are selective, really they accept anyone that can come up with the money to pay for their first class--whether it's with cash, TA, or FA--if youv'e got money they'll find a way to take it. Don't let them use a free book stipend or waived application fee to reel you in--they offer these promotions every month. Don't let them tell you you MUST enroll now--they start new classes every couple weeks. Yes Ashford is attached to a real college, but if you want to see what the online school is about you should visit their "offices." It's a telemarketing center people. Most of the advisors aren't even college educated. They are required to work through their list of leads, which is why people that don't enroll immediately will continue to get calls two or three times a day.

How do I know this? Because I used to work there. I genuinely cared about my students, but it wasn't enough. We had several meetings a day where our supervisors bullied and threatened us to try to improve our numbers. I was once pushed to enroll a disabled woman who was hard to contact because her phone and electricity kept getting cut off. I spoke to several former students who were furious because other colleges wouldn't transfer their AU credits. If you want a degree to make yourself feel smart, then you should have no trouble passing AU's generic classes. If on the other hand you want a relevant degree from a respected school don't waste your money here.

Justin July 31, 2009 at 9:56 a.m.

Former Telemarketer, What a bunch of crap about the AU Credits not transferring. My wife took a few classes at AU and had not problem having them transfer to PSU (portland State Univ.) Other colleges have to accept AU credits since they are reginally accredited. So please take that whiny crappy and dishonest junk out of here please.

Education is not a Joke August 2, 2009 at 7:33 p.m.

Ashford is a great school. I graduated form community college in 1 and 1/2 semesters Magna Cum Laude (Teachers taught like they we were at Harvard)and went on to the University of Southern Mississippi where my teachers were unprofessional, in grad school, never graded my papers on time,one lost my final research paper and didn't tell me until the summer, one gave me a D when I proved her answers wrong and just aced the class in CC with an instructor that edited the text, kept me enrolled in a class over a year without my knowledge, sent my stipend back then reissued it, didn't properly disenroll me as requested, said I stopped going to school when I didn't, didn't administratively withdraw me as policy stated, messed up my credit score by sending my information to the wrong addresses (5), showed my SSN on all mailings, told me I couldn't go back to school without going to them, and made me loose all (4) of my scholarships. Ashford has been a dream. I haven't had a book since my third class which makes me have to study harder and read more. Psychology is so much thought based that much of it I remember from elementary school, middle school, high school, and former colleges, some is common sense, and other information can be found in the texts I did buy. For those who depend on the refunds, all schools work this way and just like income tax returns, you work to pay bills, this just proves you do not know how to budget and should plan around disbursement dates. Custom books from Ashford sometimes have companion sites or you can preview text form various Pearson sites. I'm used to MLA but Ashford uses APA which I have to get used to but like in traditional settings, all teachers may have amended instructions. They have their reasons. School is what you make of it. The Psychology program flows form one class to the next with the following lasses expounding on information presented in previous classes. you cannot go wrong.

Education is Not a Joke August 2, 2009 at 7:35 p.m.

I mean for online students in the psychology program.

Education is Not a Joke August 6, 2009 at 3:46 p.m.

Please forgive me for all the typos I used previously. I was in a hurry. In addition, it doesn't hurt to look up professional profiles or instructor profiles at other school to see where they received their degrees from. You will be surprised that many of them graduated form online schools.

Marley August 14, 2009 at 12:19 a.m.

****BEWARE OF THIS SCHOOL ASHFORD IS A SCAM******* Read this whole post along with the others on this site, Ashford advisors respond to reviews and write them themselves, they pretend to be a students who a pleased with the school. They are all sale reps, low budget ones at that! They will call and bug you all day and night to pressure you into enrolling especially if you get Financial aid, as that is guaranteed money to them(they work on commission). Do not sign over your right for them to control your financial aid or Grants, they will take it all and make up fees as why it is applied to the classes. Don't be fooled they all tell you they are here for you and that Ashford is a "hinden Gem" there is a reason for that, they are not accredited. Do not enroll unless you are sure this Scam is for you as they will also tell you that it is free to apply but they will charge your Credit Card $55. This school is all about profit, if they were such a "great School" why do you need such sales pitches and pressure tactics to get your students to enroll?

P.S As I am writing this post another "Advisor" A.K.A Sales Rep called me to see if there is anything he can do to change my mind about enrolling. That was number 11 in 3days! Such a Scam.

Liz August 14, 2009 at 7:22 a.m.

And by the way Joe/Marley, Ashford University is a regionally accredited institution and their credits transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. They are recognized by the Higher Learning Commission which is a member of the North Central Association of colleges and schools. Why do you hang out here all day and lie to people? Where is your civility, where is your integrity?

Donna August 15, 2009 at 7:25 a.m.

I love Ashford. I am just about finish with my bachelors and I will begin pursuing my masters in the spring of 2010. This is an awesome school. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quality education.

SC August 18, 2009 at 12:45 a.m.

I have spent all evening looking at these posts. I have been a Sociology major at Ashford for one year now with a 2 month break in there for an emergency. I can honestly say that this is one of the best experiences of my life. I am an older student (49), very motivated and self-directed. I do not need an advisor with me at all and can figure things out myself. This school is accredited, accepted by all other institutions as a regionally accredited school. They took all of my Associate's degree from my community college and I still take classes there to save money. These have transferred also. This school is not a walk in the park, and although I cannot answer for anyone having financial aid problems, I can attest to the actual schooling. I've had some great professors and some crappy ones, just like my community college. Nothing's perfect and you DO get what you put into it. These papers are difficult to do and the reading is arduous but it will be worth it. To the whiners, good luck with any school. Some of you don't sound like college material, no offense but not everyone is cut out for college. If you need breaks for spring etc. then you are just there for fun and that's not what Ashford is all about. You are there to learn and get a degree, not the typical college experience. I hate my academic advisor but I never have to deal with him. I do love my enrollment advisor, Jose, and he is who I deal with most. He has always been there for me with a laugh, good advice and has gotten results for me. My graduation date is May 2010 and I can't wait.

Jessica August 18, 2009 at 6:15 a.m.

Oh, and FYI, I am NOT an Ashford advisor posing to be a student (LOL). I am a real student living in California, working for UCOP (University of California Office of the President) as an administrative assistant and I am also a mother of two boys. I live in a very diverse part of California (Alameda County), where online education is accepted, appreciated and looked upon as a real education. When I told my boss I was taking classes at Ashford...his reply was "that's awesome! isn't that the small university where Obama gave a speech?" I am a proud student at Ashford University! Just remember, all schools have their pros and cons. I have taken classes at San Jose State University, University of San Francisco, Skyline College, and Laney College....all public, local colleges, and I have more cons than pros with all these schools. So far, Ashford is the only school where I have more pros over cons. Visit their website and if you feel that they can offer you something that meets your needs and expectations, I'd say, give 'em a call and get some info. Do research on other universities as well so you can compare...that's what I did.

Heather August 28, 2009 at 8:19 a.m.

Yes Joe, you should finally move on with your life...you have already destroyed enough lives (by lying and fictitiously slandering a great institution, further causing prospective students to possibly choose a college that does not offer such a quality education). To all prospective students: Most (if not all) of the slanderous comments on this cite are all from one angry, disgruntled individual (Joe) who had a problem with his financial aid and then tried to destroy Ashford's reputation. What happened to Joe was his own fault, not Ashfords. Grow up Joe, life moves on....so should you. Ashford is a prestigious university that offers an excellent education. I could not be happier with the quality of this schools curriculum. If anyone would like to check out their accreditation,simply pull up the Board of Education's website. CHEA.ORG

Once you get to this website, click on Databases and Directories. Then click on Find accredited institutions and programs. Then click "I agree" on the USER AGREEMENT FOR PUBLICATIONS OF THE COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION. Then type in Ashford University as the university name you would like to look up. Type in the state that Ashford is located in "Iowa" then type in the country "U.S."

When you do this, you will receive a message that confirms Ashford's accreditation. It reads:

Ashford University
400 N. Bluff Blvd., P.O.Box 2967
Clinton, IA 52733-2967
United States
Phone: (563) 242-4023x1200
Fax: (563) 242-6893
Web: www.ashford.edu

Institutional Accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC), The Higher Learning Commission.

Heather August 28, 2009 at 8:48 a.m.

Jessica--your boss called Ashford a "small" university that President Obama made a policy speech at, but Ashford is a huge campus. One of its main buildings is 12 stories tall. You should type in Ashford University on Yahoo and click the images tab. Ashford is everything but small = ) Take care my fellow online classmate.

In Business August 31, 2009 at 12:44 p.m.

Is there anyone that has gone through the Business Admin program with Ashford. Is there anything you can tell me about the class and your experience? ALL imput would help!

Casey September 9, 2009 at 9:28 p.m.

I was doing some research on online universities for a couple of days and have found that Ashford scored the highest (from a student feedback perspective). Yesterday I completed a "More Information" form on Ashford's website and within an hour I received both a phone call and follow up e-mail from the enrollment advisor. I did not answer the phone or respond to the e-mail. 2 hours later I get another phone call. We spoke about my interest and he answered some of my process questions. He didn't seem very professional on the phone and at times I felt like I was being "Closed" or going through an "Assumed Close". I'm familiar with these tactics because I have some professional background in this. Towards the end of the call I told him to just e-mail me the information and links to the website and I would get to it later. The very next morning I get an e-mail with a subject line of "Have you changed your mind?". At this point it became clear to me that these guys make a commission for enrolling students. After some additional digging, I discovered a recent press release (9/2/2009)to this effect on their holding company's website (Bridgepoint Education --> Investor Relations --> New Releases).

The school is currently under investigation by the OIG for its compensation policies and practices relating to its enrollment advisors among a host of other financial compliance issues.

So based on my recent experience and this press release, I will be holding off on enrolling until the outcome of the investigation/audit and I would recommend that anyone that reads this take caution as well.

Molly September 10, 2009 at 7:29 p.m.

I've been going to Ashford for four weeks now. I love it. It's really easy for me. my one concern would be...would someone look at my resume and see that I went to Ashord and be happy with that? It seems to be not so favored. I hope im not wasting my time and money!

len September 16, 2009 at 7:40 p.m.

I just want too know how I can contact the President of Ashford University.

Marcie September 22, 2009 at 5:02 a.m.

Ashford is GREAT. I will be completing my Bachelor's in about four months. I have gone through a myriad of health problems over the past year, moved to a rural area over an hour from the nearest University offering Bachelor's degrees, and dealt with my father's ailing health. I had my first child while attending, and have been able to work steadily toward my degree the entire time. I had one bad Financial Advisor, but I requested a someone new, and have not had a complaint since. Instructors, as in any University, vary from class to class. I have found, as I progress into my Senior level courses, the further you go, the better the Instructor. If ever you are displeased with an Advisor, call the general customer service, allow them to direct you to whoever you need to speak with to request a new advisor.
As far as price is concerned, I am unaware of a college offering Bachelor's degrees with prices significantly lower. The nearest state school, in my Arkansas area, is only about $20 cheaper per hour.
Great School!!

CindySue September 28, 2009 at 6:04 p.m.

I have had a descent experience with Ashford, I am going for my Bachelors in Social Science, and I have run into some negative experiences, but nothing serious, issues such as Instructors not answering emails and such, but after having an opportunity to complete a survey to rate my satisfaction I was able to voice this. I started out at Devry Online and that school was a nightmare for me and Ashford has been a better experience. Online classes are going to have their challenges but I weighed the pro's and con's and an online degree is so much easier for me indeed. I have just finished my second class and so far so good. A's in both. Try to stay positive and patient, unless it is an issue that needs direct attention. I appreciate all the comments here, and wanted to say that not everyone has terrible experiences, just read all the info and check into all possibities so that you make the right decision for you. And ask questions that you have after reading the board.

Taresa October 5, 2009 at 7 a.m.

Ashford University is in no way a money laundering school. The school first of all is regionally accredited. I know this for a fact because the military allows you to use the GI Bill for it. The government will not pay for a school that is not accredited.

Also Ashford gives books for free to military students.

If this school was in it for the money, they would at least make you pay for your books like University of Maryland does. This school is nothing but wonderful at least for those working full time and in the military.

Returning to Ashford October 16, 2009 at 2:41 a.m.

I started out at Ashford, left, and I am not returning to Ashford. I found the classes a littler easier than I would like but I think that is because I have more experience than most do at my age. For example I have spent 5 years in the military and I now own 3 businesses in Michigan. After attending different schools and working for University of Phoenix and others, I have nothing to bad to say about Ashford. They actually tend to be better about their policy than many schools. University of Phoenix is horrible to their students and staff.

I was an enrollment counselor for them, so I know this for a fact. I returned to Ashford because of the customer service, they are easy to work with and understandable. I think a lot of the "being cheated" and stuff is because people do not really understand how education works, especially FA. The government is quick to pull FA for a school if they aren't doing it right, so they can't launder money or whatever non-sense people said. I have never been asked to provide financial info for them to deduct money from. It was probably for direct deposit of refund checks????

I do know this though, I will not get my masters from Ashford. Most schools really don't care about where your BA came from, they care about the GPA and standardized test scores, i.e. GMAT or LSAT. I want my masters to be from a traditional format, but that is my learning style. I think that the people with bad experience is because they didn't do there due diligence or had FA issues from other schools, like dropping in the middle of the term and not paying back their grants and loans for that period. Most problems start with the student and not with the school. Research is key, educating yourself about your education is paramount, maybe people forget this fact.

Ann October 16, 2009 at 4:57 p.m.

I am sceptical now about applying...

Alfi October 29, 2009 at 1:46 p.m.

OK...I'm gonna say this from the start for all you skeps out there...This is not Yale or UCLA. You want to have that, I suggest you try getting into those schools. This is a 100% degree from a scholl that has a full campus, which you can go to by the way. I now because I asked if I were to move to Iowa, would I be able to take onsite classes, and the answer was yes. Here are some problems that I seem to read about some people and what they run into.

1. Financial Aid. People, Financial aid is Financial Aid. They cant do everything for you. If you have problems filling out your form, then maybe school is not for you, becuase that thing was as easy as pie...no joke! Let's also add to that the fact that not everyone gets financial Aid. JUST LIKE IN ANY OTHER SCHOOL!

2. Teachers. There is nothing wronge with the teachers. I am in my 9th class right now, and I must say that there have been good ones and there have been "ok" ones. I went to a very high-end school before I made the mistake of dropping out. I had a Chem teacher that used to give me C's on my labs not because they were incorrect, as a matter of fact, they were 100% correct, and all the work was done, but he gave me C's because, and I quote! "I just dont like your hand writing!" and there is nothing you can do about teachers like that. They are EVERYWHERE!

3. Degree Mill. Not even close! I have to stay up late to finish 8-10 page papers once every 5 weeks. I have to take tests, and I have to submit home work every week! I get graded on them, and while I have gotten A's on most, I have been awarded lower grades for work that I rushed! truth be told, they grade fair. You do your work well, and bring it in on time, and you are fine. You start looking for easy ways out, and you will get what you deserve. The work is easy, but then again anything is easy once you put enough effort into it!

So far everything has been smooth. And let me tell everyone this..I dont work for them, I dont know anyone there, I'm just your typical joe smith from New Jersey that is getting his degree online. If you have any questions about my experiance, email me at adamalfi@gmail.com...

Tammy Serrin November 2, 2009 at 8:52 p.m.

TO ANYONE THAT NEEDS FIN AID TO CONTINUE/START COLLEGE - DO NOT GO TO ASHFORD UNIVERSITY!!!!!!

FIN AID WORKS COMPLETELY SEPARATELY FROM ENROLLMENT COUNSELORS and they never take they time in BEING HONEST or telling you the exact amount you will be getting and the dates your excess funds will be released! It is a joke how they screw with YOUR MONEY!

I had been looking into finishing my degree online for sometime, checking into accreditation, fin aid, books, staff, program and courses. Ashford made it so easy to get signed up and get started, BUT THEY FAILED in giving me HONEST information about everything from how the classes are organized, fees (books and otherwise) to how much fin aid was available.
I am a FULL-Time single mother that also works full time and was in the process of moving while Ashford said that I could do their program no problem. I qualified for all of the available fin aid, so I would do and be fine... right!? WRONG!!! Because I had to re-arrange my work hours to fit in getting homework done on time, I was going to be making less money, but I had to be sure school was covered and that there was a little more money coming back to me from loans in order to pay for living expenses for myself and son - as well as to cover BOOKS. I made Ashford more than aware that I needed to know exact money/costs and dates of when I would be receiving my excess funds. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER THEY SIGNED ME UP when they corrected themselves in stating that fin aid is divided into two checks; 30% first (after 6 weeks enrollment), then 70% another 6 weeks (or so later). THAT MEANS THAT THE MONEY SITS IN THEIR POCKETS (more than likely collecting interest - on MY MONEY), WHEN I NEED IT, and there is nothing I can do to get it - EVEN WHEN THEY MESS UP!!!! As many times as I called in, you would think they'd get it correct, and actually care that when you mess with money and time - you are messing with someones LIFE! The first fin aid check that came in, I was charged 3 TIMES for 1 class and this messed up my excess funds fin aid check and I ALMOST LOST my home because I was depending on fin aid to come through at the time and in the amount I WAS TOLD IT WOULD!

(continued in another post)

Holly November 3, 2009 at 1:37 a.m.

I am very upset with AU. I was put in the wrong class two times, which delayed my start date. And now I am being told that I will be dropped from my class because my finacial aid documents have not been faxed over when I faxed them over twice. I also called them twice to make sure that they got my fax, and they never called me back. Now I get an e-mail from my finacial aid advisor saying that I will be dropped from my class. I am so angry at this school right now. Do not go here, it is a waste of time that you will never get back!!

Nancy November 5, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Ane--I talked to an enrollment counselor at Penn State to see if my Ashford credits would transfer. With the exception of two courses (out of 23) all of my credits will transfer seamlessly. You can even go to Penn State's website and see that Ashford is a university that they accept transfers from. The enrollment counselor has phoned and emailed 3 times since September to see when I am ready to transfer. I am happy with Ashford and I know that I am receiving a good education--I'm not going anywhere else.

Nancy November 7, 2009 at 10:19 a.m.

Well Tammy, I would say I was more like one of the majority--not one of the minority who had problems with Ashford's Financial Aid. They do their part, it's not their fault if you do not turn in your paperwork on time or if you simply do not qualify. If you knew about Obama's repackaged additional funding, why didn't you ask about it before you sent in your paperwork?