ismissal for attendance
Complaint Rating: 100 % with 4 votes
Company information:
Ashford University
Iowa
United States
ashford.edu

I have attended Ashford for 3 classes. I transferred here because I have over 90 credits and they were only one of a few online universities that will transfer most of my credits. I received excellent customer service from my enrollment advisor and my academic advisor in the beginning. But, here is where my complaint comes in. Most universities have an attendance policy of logging in to your class at least once a week. Ashford evidently required you to log in twice a week. I have been kicked out of my current class for violating this policy. Although ALL of my coursework is complete for the class! I was told that I am being dismissed from the university after my next course (which begins Monday), but can appeal the dismissal if I pass this next course (I would have to pay to be reinstated!) . And, on top of this my financial advisor is now emailing me that I have not completed my FAFSA for 10-11, but I have the paperwork stating that it was indeed submitted to them LAST YEAR! I have to decided to transfer to my second choice school after my "dismissal" instead of appealing. Please be aware of ASHFORD and their shady policies.

This was written recently and it is exactly what I am going thru now.

I should have known that it was to good to be true!! I had enrolled at Ashford in June of 2008. I made it clear that since I did not work and had no income coming in that I needed finacial aid and all of my loans on time in order to purchase the books and other materials needed so that I could do well in my classes. The enrollement advisor told me that there was nothing to worry about that as long as I was approved for financial aid that I should receive it on time so that I could purchase my books and other components that were needed in order to succeed and that there would be someone there at Ashford that would help me so that I did not fail. Well I received my first financial aid with no problem. I was very impressed! Well the problem comes in when I was to receive my next disbursment. The week before I was to receive my financial aid I was sent an email stating that I had to wait 7 weeks after my disbursement to receive 30% of my financial aid and another 7 weeks to receive 70% of my financial aid. I was very upset so I called and was told that the reason for this decision was to make sure that I did well in my classes. I asked how was this to help me when i clearly told the enrollment advisor that I depended on this money to purchase their very expensive books. No one knew the answer to she decided to give me a one time hardship so that I could receive my money on time for the classes. Well I took it and was told in the future that I would have to wait 7 to 14 weeks to recieve all of my money. I understood and said ok. Well when it was time for me to receive my next disbursment, I waited the 14 weeks and nothing came. So I called my financial aid advisor and he told me that everyone else was sent out on time but mine had not. So he looked to see if they were holding it for some reason and they were not so put in a request for my money to be sent to me. I finally received it a week later. Also I was told at enrollment that Ashford was the cheapest online school. NOT TRUE!!! They doubled their cost for classes from around $700.00 to over $1000.00 and their software was going to go from $1000.00 to around $2000.00. What type of software is that? Can someone explain? After being told diffrent things from diffrent people at ashford it was clear to me that no one knew anything, so it was time dor me to unenroll. I talk to someone at Ashford in the financial aid deptment on the right wat to unenroll so that i would not have a fee. I did everything by the book. A few weeks later I called back and they told me I was clear of any fees and did not owe anything, that i can transfer to another school. Well guess what that was a lie!!! I looked at my account 2 days ago and guess what i owe a fee of $780.00. When i called to ask why I owed money they told me since I did not complete 60% of the classes for the funded year I owed them money and the only way to solve it was to either st up a payment plan or come back to Ashford. I asked them why was I not told this when I asked about unenrolling and no one could give me an answer. Now I have to talk to a manager to solve this issue but I don't think they will. If anyone has a suggestion please let me know. The only thing that I can say is that Ashford tells a lot of lies to get you in and completly abandon you once you have enrolled. Don't go to this school if you have other options!!!