FIDM/The Fashion Institute Of Design & Merchandising FIDM steers high school students into tricky illegal contract. Don't trust FIDM!!!! Los Angeles And Irvine California

It was easy for us to figure out the identity of this student and we wanted to respond to clarify what occured from FIDM's perspective.

The student and her mother both signed all the contracts based on a 9 month contract length. It is clearly stated in the contract that contract length determines the number of weeks used in the refund calculation. Only students with prior completed college degrees can ever be considered for a 12 month contract.

This was never an option for this student. I believe her mother is confused between contract length versus the allowance of additional time to complete a contract. Students may extend their 9 months of study over 12 months and incur no tuition increase. Our contract states that "additional time in which to complete courses does not change the contract duration for refund purposes."

This additional time was discussed as an option for the student as she required some college prep coursework i.e. Writing Skills and Success Seminar. Many students are advised or elect to spread their 9 months of contracted studies over 12 months. There is no conflict of interest for a FIDM Advisor as they are all salaried professionals with no financial stake in any student's length of attendance.

We are sorry about her parents' perception and the communication breakdown. As a gesture of complete fairness and good will, we were willing to consider the father's September 11th phone call to her Advisor indicating the student was going to attend a JC to study business as her last date of attendance for refund purposes in spite of her actually completing the quarter and receiving grades. This reduced their debt to FIDM to $3,193.69. It would have erased the debt had FIDM not issued the student a check for $3,336.00 in living expenses.

We are sorry that this student was displeased but there are always 2 sides to every story and most of our current 6,500 full time students are satisfied.

It was easy for us to figure out the identity of this student and we wanted to respond to clarify what occured from FIDM's perspective.

The student and her mother both signed all the contracts based on a 9 month contract length. It is clearly stated in the contract that contract length determines the number of weeks used in the refund calculation. Only students with prior completed college degrees can ever be considered for a 12 month contract.

This was never an option for this student. I believe her mother is confused between contract length versus the allowance of additional time to complete a contract. Students may extend their 9 months of study over 12 months and incur no tuition increase. Our contract states that "additional time in which to complete courses does not change the contract duration for refund purposes."

This additional time was discussed as an option for the student as she required some college prep coursework i.e. Writing Skills and Success Seminar. Many students are advised or elect to spread their 9 months of contracted studies over 12 months. There is no conflict of interest for a FIDM Advisor as they are all salaried professionals with no financial stake in any student's length of attendance.

We are sorry about her parents' perception and the communication breakdown. As a gesture of complete fairness and good will, we were willing to consider the father's September 11th phone call to her Advisor indicating the student was going to attend a JC to study business as her last date of attendance for refund purposes in spite of her actually completing the quarter and receiving grades. This reduced their debt to FIDM to $3,193.69. It would have erased the debt had FIDM not issued the student a check for $3,336.00 in living expenses.

We are sorry that this student was displeased but there are always 2 sides to every story and most of our current 6,500 full time students are satisfied.