- Report: #205419
Complaint Review: Western Governor's University
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| Western Governor's University 4001 South 700 East, Suite 700
Salt Lake City, Utah U.S.A. |
|
Western Governor's University ripoff dishonest fraudulent advertising and billing Salt Lake City Utah
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: WGU RN to BSN
*Consumer Comment: I was in a similar boat
*General Comment: Concerning WGU
*General Comment: To the Romanian
*Consumer Comment: Omar G
*General Comment: Sure....
*Consumer Comment: They do have credits... what are you talking about?
*Consumer Comment: Western Governors is wonderful, their financial aid office is horrible.
*Consumer Comment: Sketchy at Best, not true
*Consumer Comment: My experience
*Consumer Suggestion: Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
*Consumer Suggestion: Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
*Consumer Suggestion: Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
*Consumer Comment: Sketchy at best
*Consumer Comment: Far from a scam
*Consumer Comment: WGU Experience
*Consumer Comment: Incorrect on Accreditation
*Consumer Comment: Thanks to all the posters
*General Comment: GWU -Chris rebuttal
*Consumer Comment: WGU Is Not A Traditional School
*Consumer Comment: Response from a fellow WGU student:
*Consumer Comment: Yeah, Serious
*Consumer Comment: I Don't Work for WGU and Say That Chris is Completely Wrong
*Consumer Comment: Current WGU Student Refutes This Nonsense
*Consumer Comment: WGU the best place I've found.
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: WGU is regionally accredited
*Consumer Comment: To Chris9317 and other's that don't read the LARGE print
*Consumer Comment: According to the U.S. Department of Education
*General Comment: WGU Accreditation Status
*Consumer Comment: In response to Chris_p
*General Comment: WGU
*Consumer Comment: Western Governors University - A Working Adult's Dream
*Consumer Comment: WGU is a National Treasure.
*General Comment: Couldn't be further from the truth...
* : How to Attend WGU without Having Major Problems
*Consumer Comment: Due Dilligence
*Consumer Comment: Due Dilligence
*Consumer Comment: WGu is a regionally accredited school
*Consumer Comment: WGu is a regionally accredited school
*Consumer Comment: Are You Serious!?!
*Consumer Comment: Western Governor's University
*Consumer Suggestion: I am having some difficulty with the IT college at WGU.
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This is an online university and is accredited, so I thought it would be safe, but it is not. I had to relocate my senior year as a biology major at USC, so I was trying to find an online university where I could complete my last semester of college.
WGU seemed like a good alternative to driving a long way to a college and I could stay home with my baby. I had met my borrowing limit with undergrad student loans and I told the school this while still in the enrollment process.
The financial aid dept.'s response was that all I needed was a letter from my loan company saying the loan was closed and it would be fine. The loan company didn't know what the school was talking about and after 2 weeks of a rep at the loan company going back and forth with the school, the school said that the loan company had given them what they needed and everything was fine.
I start classes, if you can call the WGU intoductions to online education course a class. If you have an 8th grade education it is essentially busy work for a few weeks (cutting and pasting things from the school's web site into Word documents to answer questions).
After this course was over I finally get what courses transferred and come to find out out of 115hrs of courses from a well-ranked state university about 12 classes transferred. I was enrolled in their education major to teach high school biology.
I was a biology major at USC (a school that has millions in NIH grants for science research) and all of my grades were As or Bs and NONE of them transferred! Instead I had to go to a local tech school and take online tests in the subject areas. Classes with actual labs taught by PhDs weren't enough to transfer, but a book report and a test was enough to get credit through the school.
My advisor told me that I should be able to graduate in as little as 3 years! I could go to the local community college and graduate in 2 semesters. What's accelerated about a program that doesn't accept core class transfers from other schools (although they will lead you to believe that almost everything will transfer).
I get a letter from the school saying that my student loans had to be returned because I was over my borrowing limit and I had to send them a check in the next few days or I would be dropped.
I decide that this isn't a quality education and doesn't suit my needs and certainly not worth paying out of pocket for when I could get grants at a real school, so I decide to withdraw after the first course.
The school did receive a Pell Grant disbursement and kept the funds. At this point, WGU discloses that they bill in 6 month increments and if you take 1 class or 20 the fee is the same and I owe them $1600 for tuition for the one online "course" that consisted of 2 web chats with other students and a handful of joke assignments.
When I told the school rep that the financial aid department knew EXACTLY how much money I had already borrowed and I told them that I had met the limit before enrolling, her reply was "they must have thought you were going into a graduate program." I know this is a lie for 2 reasons: First,how could WGU have been confused after speaking numerous times to a loan officer at my student loan company to request a letter about my loan limitis? And second, they received a Pell Grant and there are no federal grants available for graduate school.
I believe that this school intentionally decieved me at every step in an attempt to get money. I have never had this problem at traditionally colleges and I feel they are not serious about offering an education to anyone. This school comes across as a diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself and then gives you a piece of paper. The scary thing is that they are turning out teachers every day that could be teaching your children based on this sorry excuse for a curriculum.
Dawn
Winder, Georgia
U.S.A.
WGU seemed like a good alternative to driving a long way to a college and I could stay home with my baby. I had met my borrowing limit with undergrad student loans and I told the school this while still in the enrollment process.
The financial aid dept.'s response was that all I needed was a letter from my loan company saying the loan was closed and it would be fine. The loan company didn't know what the school was talking about and after 2 weeks of a rep at the loan company going back and forth with the school, the school said that the loan company had given them what they needed and everything was fine.
I start classes, if you can call the WGU intoductions to online education course a class. If you have an 8th grade education it is essentially busy work for a few weeks (cutting and pasting things from the school's web site into Word documents to answer questions).
After this course was over I finally get what courses transferred and come to find out out of 115hrs of courses from a well-ranked state university about 12 classes transferred. I was enrolled in their education major to teach high school biology.
I was a biology major at USC (a school that has millions in NIH grants for science research) and all of my grades were As or Bs and NONE of them transferred! Instead I had to go to a local tech school and take online tests in the subject areas. Classes with actual labs taught by PhDs weren't enough to transfer, but a book report and a test was enough to get credit through the school.
My advisor told me that I should be able to graduate in as little as 3 years! I could go to the local community college and graduate in 2 semesters. What's accelerated about a program that doesn't accept core class transfers from other schools (although they will lead you to believe that almost everything will transfer).
I get a letter from the school saying that my student loans had to be returned because I was over my borrowing limit and I had to send them a check in the next few days or I would be dropped.
I decide that this isn't a quality education and doesn't suit my needs and certainly not worth paying out of pocket for when I could get grants at a real school, so I decide to withdraw after the first course.
The school did receive a Pell Grant disbursement and kept the funds. At this point, WGU discloses that they bill in 6 month increments and if you take 1 class or 20 the fee is the same and I owe them $1600 for tuition for the one online "course" that consisted of 2 web chats with other students and a handful of joke assignments.
When I told the school rep that the financial aid department knew EXACTLY how much money I had already borrowed and I told them that I had met the limit before enrolling, her reply was "they must have thought you were going into a graduate program." I know this is a lie for 2 reasons: First,how could WGU have been confused after speaking numerous times to a loan officer at my student loan company to request a letter about my loan limitis? And second, they received a Pell Grant and there are no federal grants available for graduate school.
I believe that this school intentionally decieved me at every step in an attempt to get money. I have never had this problem at traditionally colleges and I feel they are not serious about offering an education to anyone. This school comes across as a diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself and then gives you a piece of paper. The scary thing is that they are turning out teachers every day that could be teaching your children based on this sorry excuse for a curriculum.
Dawn
Winder, Georgia
U.S.A.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/10/2006 07:58 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Western-Governors-University/Salt-Lake-City-Utah-84107-2533/Western-Governors-University-ripoff-dishonest-fraudulent-advertising-and-billing-Salt-Lak-205419. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Search Tips#1 REBUTTAL Individual responds
WGU RN to BSN
AUTHOR: bz - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Monday, March 11, 2013
I'm thinking about enrolling in this school. I'm a busy nurse who works two jobs. The pressure is on for all nurses in NJ to get BSN. This angers me since it took 2 full time years of college and a summer and 2 full time years in nursing school to become an RN. I took the same nursing test as BSN's, the NCLEX. So I don't care if its a good education I want the cheapest and fastest. All I hear from other nurses I graduated with is its all a money making thing and all you do is write papers. So why should I pay top tuition for Drexel, or Rutgers ect. We aren't being taught anything that we don't already know. So WGU seems cheap and fast, I know other RNS who did it and others who are getting ready to start. A Bachelor's is a Bachelor's.
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What's this? #2 Consumer Comment
I was in a similar boat
AUTHOR: Garth - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Friday, February 22, 2013
I also went to USC, where I received my Bachelor's degree. I am currently attending WGU as a graduate student getting my MBA.
As many people have posted, the accreditation for WGU is perfectly acceptable, and the school actually does have a very good reputation.
For Chris - next time work with USC. If you were on your last semester - you could have taken some classes elsewhere - gotten them pre-approved - and graduated from USC (I did this myself - I KNOW its possible). I can promise you that USC wanted you to graduate from there, and not transfer. If you haven't finished school yet - call USC - work with them - They will absolutely work with you on transferring credits in - and you don't have to pay USC tuition costs.
I had my share of financial aid hurdles at USC, including all aid being pulled my final year, almost making me transfer.
Anyone having problems with their school - CALL THEM. Almost every school out there has a group called the Graduation Retention Committee, or something similar. Call them, call student services to find that kind of group - they will help you figure out how to finish with your chosen school - brick and mortar or online.
WGU has lived up to every expectation I have from it - I have seen no gimmicks, no trickery, and no subterfuge.
Don't bash any organization without doing all of your homework - especially a school.
As many people have posted, the accreditation for WGU is perfectly acceptable, and the school actually does have a very good reputation.
For Chris - next time work with USC. If you were on your last semester - you could have taken some classes elsewhere - gotten them pre-approved - and graduated from USC (I did this myself - I KNOW its possible). I can promise you that USC wanted you to graduate from there, and not transfer. If you haven't finished school yet - call USC - work with them - They will absolutely work with you on transferring credits in - and you don't have to pay USC tuition costs.
I had my share of financial aid hurdles at USC, including all aid being pulled my final year, almost making me transfer.
Anyone having problems with their school - CALL THEM. Almost every school out there has a group called the Graduation Retention Committee, or something similar. Call them, call student services to find that kind of group - they will help you figure out how to finish with your chosen school - brick and mortar or online.
WGU has lived up to every expectation I have from it - I have seen no gimmicks, no trickery, and no subterfuge.
Don't bash any organization without doing all of your homework - especially a school.
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What's this? #3 General Comment
Concerning WGU
AUTHOR: Susan - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, September 27, 2012
I am speaking only as an IT student at WGU because I do not know enough about the other programs available to make a correct statement. It is true that WGU has a 'different' learning style than other traditional universities. This was the main reason I chose WGU over all of the other schools I researched. I have attended, spent thousands of dollars, received two degrees from traditional colleges and was unable to gain employment in my chosen career because the colleges I chose to attend did not provide certifications.
They provided a paper with my name and a degree on them. In the Information Technology field employers really are not interested in this piece of paper, they want to know that you have the necessary knowledge; you show this by your certifications either from Microsoft or Cisco. WGU provides both of these; in my chosen field of study I will graduate with 13 certifications by both Microsoft and Cisco.
I also find this university to be the least expensive of all of the universities out there, and since I already have gained a substantial amount of debt in my educational journey, I am all for getting the knowledge I need at an affordable price. If it is a piece of paper with your name and a degree title on it you want I encourage you to go to a tradional college, but if it is the necessary knowledge you need to obtain employment then I recommend WGU. I am extremely happy with the educational structure at WGU and I am also extremely excited to actually be gaining the knowledge needed to succeed in my career choice.
They provided a paper with my name and a degree on them. In the Information Technology field employers really are not interested in this piece of paper, they want to know that you have the necessary knowledge; you show this by your certifications either from Microsoft or Cisco. WGU provides both of these; in my chosen field of study I will graduate with 13 certifications by both Microsoft and Cisco.
I also find this university to be the least expensive of all of the universities out there, and since I already have gained a substantial amount of debt in my educational journey, I am all for getting the knowledge I need at an affordable price. If it is a piece of paper with your name and a degree title on it you want I encourage you to go to a tradional college, but if it is the necessary knowledge you need to obtain employment then I recommend WGU. I am extremely happy with the educational structure at WGU and I am also extremely excited to actually be gaining the knowledge needed to succeed in my career choice.
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What's this? #4 General Comment
To the Romanian
AUTHOR: Too hot for you! - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, August 12, 2012
You sound like you have an issue with the size of your incredibly small manhood rather than this fine institution. Sucks that you think so poorly of this school when it's done nothing but benefit others. You're probably poor and lonely. And even If you're as rich as you claim to be, you still have a small p**is.
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What's this? Oh, I see Omar! You probably went to a public school in Europe. I went to a private school, which costs my parents $40,000 Euros per year.You're parents are not worth more than 2 billion dollars, so don't tell me that I didn't write 30-60 page papers. I WAS THERE, SO I WOULD KNOW. I've accomplished more than you ever will. I completed my Doctor of Naturopathy and I have my MBA. I'm now studying environmental science. I'm not even 30 years old yet. It would take too long to list all of my accomplishments. There are those people who commend my accomplishments and those that don't. You're one of those people that knows you're jealous, so you try to discredit my accomplishments, so you can feel better about yourself. I'm not phony. I'm very materialistic and I enjoy showing off all that I have. I live the high life and you don't. You're pathetic. You attack my character, because I made a comment about WGU??? You act like I made a personal attack at you personally or degraded you. I give you a challenge. You meet me somewhere and I'll pull up in a Bentley and show you what you'll never have. Poor people always hate the rich, but I'm used to it. Get a life, because you obviously don't have one. I have the right to my own opinion and you do too, but to attack my personal character and label me phony is crossing the line. Just because someone brags about what you'll never have doesn't make them a phony; it just makes them better than you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself, because you have to work for a living and live paycheck-to-paycheck.
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What's this? #6 General Comment
Sure....
AUTHOR: Omar G - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, July 05, 2012
...and you walked 5 miles barefoot in the snow
...and you did homework by the light of a single candle
You sound suspiciously, oh...what's word? phony
I am familiar with schooling in Eastern Europe. No 30-60 page papers. None. Nada.
...and you did homework by the light of a single candle
You sound suspiciously, oh...what's word? phony
I am familiar with schooling in Eastern Europe. No 30-60 page papers. None. Nada.
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What's this? #7 Consumer Comment
They do have credits... what are you talking about?
AUTHOR: lmbarns - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Sorry but the courses do have credits, you wouldn't get funding without credits (many loans/grants require being full time student, which is determined by credit hours), they're just not graded. It's pass/fail, usually based off an assessment, but for some classes you have to complete a project.
Not even easy pass/fail. For the enterprise operating systems class for the IT curriculum, it's a Microsoft certification, I failed twice, you have to have 80% to pass, and it's a really difficult certification from Microsoft.
I just passed a database class last week by taking the certification, you had to have 74% to pass on that one, and it's not a WGU test at all. The classes range from 3, 4, and 6 credits each. The harder certifications are usually worth 6 credit hours.
Not even easy pass/fail. For the enterprise operating systems class for the IT curriculum, it's a Microsoft certification, I failed twice, you have to have 80% to pass, and it's a really difficult certification from Microsoft.
I just passed a database class last week by taking the certification, you had to have 74% to pass on that one, and it's not a WGU test at all. The classes range from 3, 4, and 6 credits each. The harder certifications are usually worth 6 credit hours.
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What's this? #8 Consumer Comment
Western Governors is wonderful, their financial aid office is horrible.
AUTHOR: FM - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, July 04, 2012
As a current student of WGU, I am having issues that have been ongoing with their financial aid office. I am a single mom of 5. I have a son who is disabled, and I really need to get my teaching credentials if I want to earn a livable wage. I decided on the k-12 special education program. It is a five year program, but is mastery based so you can learn and work at your own pace. This is an awesome concept, and was for three terms, (eighteen months, 75 credits later) I am having major problems with the lack of foresight by the financial aid department, and am experiencing frusteration of my own that they have not addressed. My term began on July 1. I received my billing reminder on June 16, and my financial aid award on June 18.
It showed the maximum amount of sub. and unsub. loans as well as the pell, and listed it as expected disbursements. This is not "big money" where I live (cost of everything is through the roof), and only helps to cover expenses of bills, and rent as well as any computer issues I may experienceand perhaps even the costs of fingerprinting, and PRAXIS II exams. I am still rallying to get daycare expenses together for field experience, and demonstration teaching. So, I don't think anything of it especially since I was awarded the same the term before, and have had no problems. Three days after my term began, I receive a notice that I needed to accept my award before it can be disbersed.
IT IS A GOOD THING I PAID ATTENTION BEFORE ACCEPTING IT. The unsub. loans "offered" were less than half that shown in my award letter. I was puzzled because even my expected disbursements showed the amount in the award letter would be released to WGU. After calling I found out that apparently somewhere in between June 18, and July 1 the director of financial aid miraculously decided to change the cost of attendance. This was even more puzzling, because I don't know about anyone else out there, but my cost of living is only getting higher, and that translates to higher cost of attendance-not lower.
I will update this as this situation unfolds, but I am in dire straits, and feel completely blind-sided. When I called fin aid, they told me there was nothing I could do about it. Either accept the amount offered or withdraw. I hung up fully intending to withdraw, and fuming to a friend who attends a regular University. She is the one-not financial aid-that told me I could appeal. Only after calling back and specifically requesting an appeal they told me to contact someone else, and it could take up to 10 weeks for them to "decide" whether or not to release the loans I need-(that I am responsible to pay back mind you)-instead of giving them to me when I actually need them, and avoiding the headache, and possible financial catastrophe as well as the clear result of me having to quit in order to find alternative ways to pay for my expenses.
It says on the award that they can change the offer based on new information from my fafsa, but NONE OF MY INFORMATION CHANGED, AND MY LIVING EXPENSES HAVE ONLY GONE UP IN THE LAST YEAR. I was so gung ho about this university until now, but we'll see if they actually fix it before I am kicked out of my apartment, and have to quit school I've worked my behind off in for the last year and a half in hopes of getting my credentials.
It showed the maximum amount of sub. and unsub. loans as well as the pell, and listed it as expected disbursements. This is not "big money" where I live (cost of everything is through the roof), and only helps to cover expenses of bills, and rent as well as any computer issues I may experienceand perhaps even the costs of fingerprinting, and PRAXIS II exams. I am still rallying to get daycare expenses together for field experience, and demonstration teaching. So, I don't think anything of it especially since I was awarded the same the term before, and have had no problems. Three days after my term began, I receive a notice that I needed to accept my award before it can be disbersed.
IT IS A GOOD THING I PAID ATTENTION BEFORE ACCEPTING IT. The unsub. loans "offered" were less than half that shown in my award letter. I was puzzled because even my expected disbursements showed the amount in the award letter would be released to WGU. After calling I found out that apparently somewhere in between June 18, and July 1 the director of financial aid miraculously decided to change the cost of attendance. This was even more puzzling, because I don't know about anyone else out there, but my cost of living is only getting higher, and that translates to higher cost of attendance-not lower.
I will update this as this situation unfolds, but I am in dire straits, and feel completely blind-sided. When I called fin aid, they told me there was nothing I could do about it. Either accept the amount offered or withdraw. I hung up fully intending to withdraw, and fuming to a friend who attends a regular University. She is the one-not financial aid-that told me I could appeal. Only after calling back and specifically requesting an appeal they told me to contact someone else, and it could take up to 10 weeks for them to "decide" whether or not to release the loans I need-(that I am responsible to pay back mind you)-instead of giving them to me when I actually need them, and avoiding the headache, and possible financial catastrophe as well as the clear result of me having to quit in order to find alternative ways to pay for my expenses.
It says on the award that they can change the offer based on new information from my fafsa, but NONE OF MY INFORMATION CHANGED, AND MY LIVING EXPENSES HAVE ONLY GONE UP IN THE LAST YEAR. I was so gung ho about this university until now, but we'll see if they actually fix it before I am kicked out of my apartment, and have to quit school I've worked my behind off in for the last year and a half in hopes of getting my credentials.
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What's this? #9 Consumer Comment
Sketchy at Best, not true
AUTHOR: NickyC - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sketchy at best.... It sounds like you may have just had a horrible mentor. I did not go to the sister college and transfered just fine. I am in the teaching college and in my last semester. I have had no problems with any aspect of WGU. I did all my research before enrolling and everything has worked out great. Perhaps you should have asked all these questions before enrolling.
To the person talking about this school in relation to other countries. No matter what country your in you have to meet the standard of the country you intend to get a job in. Americans sort of joke about the health care system in Mexico.... because America has higher standards. My point would be no doctor in America would go to school in Mexico and expect to be taken seriously. It is all about where you intend to be. I intend to teach in the US, therefore I go to a college in the US and make sure I meet my state's requirements for certification. My state would not just take a degree from Oxford and let me start teaching, I have to get my certification here where they monitor the standards. This is not to say that Oxford would not provide me a quality education or that WGU would not provide a quality education, it is that they are not on the radar of your potential employers.
I am a former Univeresity of Michigan student. I moved my junior year. I am completely satisfied with the education I am recieving at WGU. Trust me, as a teacher there is a lot of information that will not actually be useful. WGU just sort of trims the fat. I have had to write research papers that are very much the same as the papers I wrote at U of M. By saying WGU is not difficult enough, I would say that no university in the US would be challenging enough.
Also take into consideration the length of the program. For a student in a US college to in a BA it will typically take 4 years. I have a friend in Romania who easily completed a BA in two years. Sure you may write a 30 page paper for one class. We are expected to write 5-10 page papers for almost every class.
To the person talking about this school in relation to other countries. No matter what country your in you have to meet the standard of the country you intend to get a job in. Americans sort of joke about the health care system in Mexico.... because America has higher standards. My point would be no doctor in America would go to school in Mexico and expect to be taken seriously. It is all about where you intend to be. I intend to teach in the US, therefore I go to a college in the US and make sure I meet my state's requirements for certification. My state would not just take a degree from Oxford and let me start teaching, I have to get my certification here where they monitor the standards. This is not to say that Oxford would not provide me a quality education or that WGU would not provide a quality education, it is that they are not on the radar of your potential employers.
I am a former Univeresity of Michigan student. I moved my junior year. I am completely satisfied with the education I am recieving at WGU. Trust me, as a teacher there is a lot of information that will not actually be useful. WGU just sort of trims the fat. I have had to write research papers that are very much the same as the papers I wrote at U of M. By saying WGU is not difficult enough, I would say that no university in the US would be challenging enough.
Also take into consideration the length of the program. For a student in a US college to in a BA it will typically take 4 years. I have a friend in Romania who easily completed a BA in two years. Sure you may write a 30 page paper for one class. We are expected to write 5-10 page papers for almost every class.
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What's this? Western Governors University is not the challenge I expected. I stayed in the US for two years and decided to do something productive with my time, so I enrolled in the MBA program.
High school, in Romania, we had to take the complete series of biology, and chemistry. We had to write 30-60 page essays, not double spaced. We had to learn to write and speak two other languages fluently, before we can graduate. We had to learn physics, informatics, physiology, psychology, European history, geometry, thermodynamics, metaphysics, philosophy, economics and others. Along with this workload, we had to endure extreme discipline by our professors.
For a university, this is not difficult, if I can complete the MBA in 16 months as a high school student. My enrollment counselor said I was the first student to ever complete an MBA as a high school level graduate. When I enrolled, I only had my high school Baccalaureates.
The university claims that the curriculum is very challenging, but it's not. Also, my degree wasn't accepted when I enrolled at Oxford, the next year. This is not a good school for Europeans, because universities will not accept their degrees, because an online degree is not recognized. Also, if a US citizen wants something that's accepted worldwide or accepted at most universities in the US, then choose another institution. Furthermore, this institution has a limited choice of degree programs. Too many students are graduating with degrees, but there's not nearly enough jobs in the US market. Trends magazine says 1 in 3 working age Americans are unemployed. The US government says the unemployment rate is about 8%, but that's only including those who collect unemployment insurance. The real number is 30%. The US has lost 25,000 manufacturing facilities to Europe since 2001 and the government is trying to make it more easier for companies to ship jobs overseas. This institution needs to make some serious changes, including offering more degree programs as well as offering worldwide recognized degrees. I stay in contact with most of my former classmates from WGU and it's no surprise that most of them are unable to find jobs with an MBA!!!! I enrolled in WGU for different reasons than most, but most people need to think about long term goals, such as whether there will be a job waiting for you on the other side.
You get what you pay for.
High school, in Romania, we had to take the complete series of biology, and chemistry. We had to write 30-60 page essays, not double spaced. We had to learn to write and speak two other languages fluently, before we can graduate. We had to learn physics, informatics, physiology, psychology, European history, geometry, thermodynamics, metaphysics, philosophy, economics and others. Along with this workload, we had to endure extreme discipline by our professors.
For a university, this is not difficult, if I can complete the MBA in 16 months as a high school student. My enrollment counselor said I was the first student to ever complete an MBA as a high school level graduate. When I enrolled, I only had my high school Baccalaureates.
The university claims that the curriculum is very challenging, but it's not. Also, my degree wasn't accepted when I enrolled at Oxford, the next year. This is not a good school for Europeans, because universities will not accept their degrees, because an online degree is not recognized. Also, if a US citizen wants something that's accepted worldwide or accepted at most universities in the US, then choose another institution. Furthermore, this institution has a limited choice of degree programs. Too many students are graduating with degrees, but there's not nearly enough jobs in the US market. Trends magazine says 1 in 3 working age Americans are unemployed. The US government says the unemployment rate is about 8%, but that's only including those who collect unemployment insurance. The real number is 30%. The US has lost 25,000 manufacturing facilities to Europe since 2001 and the government is trying to make it more easier for companies to ship jobs overseas. This institution needs to make some serious changes, including offering more degree programs as well as offering worldwide recognized degrees. I stay in contact with most of my former classmates from WGU and it's no surprise that most of them are unable to find jobs with an MBA!!!! I enrolled in WGU for different reasons than most, but most people need to think about long term goals, such as whether there will be a job waiting for you on the other side.
You get what you pay for.
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What's this? #11 Consumer Suggestion
Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
AUTHOR: livingnlearnin - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 03, 2012
I appreciated the lively discussion here on Western Governors University. The Original Report brings to light some valid questions for potential students to ask and problems to avoid.
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin?
I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself.
I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities appropriate for them using this method.
There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is:
"Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
The second question is:
Will other colleges and universities accept credits earned at this university towards the program I want to pursue?
The third question is:
How much is the total cost?
The fourth question is:
If I cannot complete the course and have to start repaying student loans in six months, can I repay student loans?
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin?
I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself.
I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities appropriate for them using this method.
There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is:
"Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
The second question is:
Will other colleges and universities accept credits earned at this university towards the program I want to pursue?
The third question is:
How much is the total cost?
The fourth question is:
If I cannot complete the course and have to start repaying student loans in six months, can I repay student loans?
Respond to this report!
What's this? #12 Consumer Suggestion
Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
AUTHOR: livingnlearnin - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 03, 2012
I appreciated the lively discussion here on Western Governors University. The Original Report brings to light some valid questions for potential students to ask and problems to avoid.
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
A teacher in another city near Austin, Texas can't figure out why even with a WGU master degree a job nearer to Austin cannot be found. I know exactly why. At this time WGU has no weight in my area of the country. In my area of the country, more networking is required. This area has tons of college graduates working below their level of education.
The big question is:
Will the job or whatever field you want to work in for sure respect the university where you are earning your degree?
For example Western Governors University brags on TV commercials using student dollars to fund those commercials that it is a Texas university created for Texans. WGU is a Utah based university. I believe WGU is trying to compete with the University of Phoenix by bragging that WGU is for Texans by Texans. Well-- its not. If a school markets aggressively, I become very suspicious. I learned that from UOP. Whose money are they using to buy those slots on TV? Answer: The current students' and profits from past students. For those just learning the game: Non profits cannot operate at this level without funding. I do not know of one Free university in the USA offering regionally accredited courses free to the school and free to the students. Education is not free in the USA. There is a cost.
To operate in Texas, WGU must accommodate Texas' requirements as do all adult education programs in Texas that charge for services rendered.
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin? I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself. I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities using this method. There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is "Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
A teacher in another city near Austin, Texas can't figure out why even with a WGU master degree a job nearer to Austin cannot be found. I know exactly why. At this time WGU has no weight in my area of the country. In my area of the country, more networking is required. This area has tons of college graduates working below their level of education.
The big question is:
Will the job or whatever field you want to work in for sure respect the university where you are earning your degree?
For example Western Governors University brags on TV commercials using student dollars to fund those commercials that it is a Texas university created for Texans. WGU is a Utah based university. I believe WGU is trying to compete with the University of Phoenix by bragging that WGU is for Texans by Texans. Well-- its not. If a school markets aggressively, I become very suspicious. I learned that from UOP. Whose money are they using to buy those slots on TV? Answer: The current students' and profits from past students. For those just learning the game: Non profits cannot operate at this level without funding. I do not know of one Free university in the USA offering regionally accredited courses free to the school and free to the students. Education is not free in the USA. There is a cost.
To operate in Texas, WGU must accommodate Texas' requirements as do all adult education programs in Texas that charge for services rendered.
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin? I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself. I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities using this method. There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is "Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
Respond to this report!
What's this? #13 Consumer Suggestion
Evaluating an Online university- the real deal
AUTHOR: livingnlearnin - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 03, 2012
I appreciated the lively discussion here on Western Governors University. The Original Report brings to light some valid questions for potential students to ask and problems to avoid.
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
A teacher in another city near Austin, Texas can't figure out why even with a WGU master degree a job nearer to Austin cannot be found. I know exactly why. At this time WGU has no weight in my area of the country. In my area of the country, more networking is required. This area has tons of college graduates working below their level of education.
The big question is:
Will the job or whatever field you want to work in for sure respect the university where you are earning your degree?
For example Western Governors University brags on TV commercials using student dollars to fund those commercials that it is a Texas university created for Texans. WGU is a Utah based university. I believe WGU is trying to compete with the University of Phoenix by bragging that WGU is for Texans by Texans. Well-- its not. If a school markets aggressively, I become very suspicious. I learned that from UOP. Whose money are they using to buy those slots on TV? Answer: The current students' and profits from past students.
To operate in Texas, WGU must accommodate Texas' requirements as do all adult education programs in Texas that charge for services rendered.
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin? I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself. I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities using this method. There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is "Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
For the record, I am considering WGU's nursing program in Texas. I am currently undecided. I specifically looked for complaints about WGU after reading its marketing materials. I learned that lesson the hard way.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2012 WGU is regionally accredited.
http://chronicle.com/article/Western-Governors-U-Wins-Key/23857/
A teacher in another city near Austin, Texas can't figure out why even with a WGU master degree a job nearer to Austin cannot be found. I know exactly why. At this time WGU has no weight in my area of the country. In my area of the country, more networking is required. This area has tons of college graduates working below their level of education.
The big question is:
Will the job or whatever field you want to work in for sure respect the university where you are earning your degree?
For example Western Governors University brags on TV commercials using student dollars to fund those commercials that it is a Texas university created for Texans. WGU is a Utah based university. I believe WGU is trying to compete with the University of Phoenix by bragging that WGU is for Texans by Texans. Well-- its not. If a school markets aggressively, I become very suspicious. I learned that from UOP. Whose money are they using to buy those slots on TV? Answer: The current students' and profits from past students.
To operate in Texas, WGU must accommodate Texas' requirements as do all adult education programs in Texas that charge for services rendered.
Open your eyes to see. Don't be blinded by the hype. Get all information in writing.
The Big Question:
Will employers in your specific field in your specific area of the country look favorably upon a WGU degree? The only way to know is to ask the question to employers. Don't go by what others say, go by what you find out for your own situation and area of the country. Do not go by what WGU says-- ask the specific employer. Does the school you want to transfer to accept WGU credits that you will take? Get it in writing.
Everyone says to research before choosing a school but how do we know where to begin? I start with putting in the name of the school and then "problems" or "complaints." I want to know the issues I may face so I can do some "work-arounds" before committing myself. I have helped other adults locate distance learning universities using this method. There are more questions to ask as the original report implies but the big one is "Does the current or future employer respect a degree from this university?"
Respond to this report!
What's this? #14 Consumer Comment
Sketchy at best
AUTHOR: meganm - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, February 28, 2012
I looked at WGU last year for a Bachelor's degree. It did not say ANYWHERE on their website (nor does it now) that you must have transfer credits. Yet when an adviser called me, I was told just that. I have over 15 years experience in the field I was going to school for (and another 5 years work experience in another field), yet I was told I still needed at least 30 credits to go to WGU. The adviser then told me that said credits needed to be from Straighterline. I have since found out that Straighterline is considered a sister school to WGU. Straighterline does not take any kind of financial aid- you must pay cash for classes. When I told my adviser that the WGU site didn't say anything about having to have previous college, he asked "why haven't you went to school before now"? He said I apparently wasn't serious about my education. That's a terrible thing to say to a mom of two now grown children, who worked AND raised her kids. I think the 19 governors would be ashamed if they knew what was going on at this school.
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What's this? #15 Consumer Comment
Far from a scam
AUTHOR: lmbarns - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Monday, February 27, 2012
I can say the IT program at WGU is far more comprehensive than the comparable classes I've taken at community college.
I'd taken networking 101 at my community college before WGU, and didn't get transfer credit for the "intro to networking" through WGU because the community colleges version wasn't nearly as comprehensive.
Similarly, none of the classes at the community college required any certification, so 10 years later the fact I got a B+ in "advanced visual c++" is completely worthless now because I never took any benchmark measurements. Even an expired certification shows you at one point had the knowledge, I'm sure a reasonable potential employer would assume you could re-certify with less effort than someone who never was certified to begin with.
At WGU, all the "core" IT classes require passing an industry standard 3rd party certification (through companies unaffiliated with WGU), in order to get "credit" through the school. That includes a Microsoft Operating Systems Certification. No sane person would deny Microsoft Certifications are toucher than most college exams....
The sooner you can pass the certification the faster you can move on. You don't have to sit in a classroom with some teacher's pet asking questions every 5 minutes to hear themselves talk. I find physical classes only move as fast as the slowest idiot can grasp the concepts.
Oh well, I have 7 Comptia certifications, a Microsoft certification, and examples of games, applications, and websites I've written in my portfolio. You only get out what you put into any education. I have 2 semesters left and it's definitely been a good value.
I'd taken networking 101 at my community college before WGU, and didn't get transfer credit for the "intro to networking" through WGU because the community colleges version wasn't nearly as comprehensive.
Similarly, none of the classes at the community college required any certification, so 10 years later the fact I got a B+ in "advanced visual c++" is completely worthless now because I never took any benchmark measurements. Even an expired certification shows you at one point had the knowledge, I'm sure a reasonable potential employer would assume you could re-certify with less effort than someone who never was certified to begin with.
At WGU, all the "core" IT classes require passing an industry standard 3rd party certification (through companies unaffiliated with WGU), in order to get "credit" through the school. That includes a Microsoft Operating Systems Certification. No sane person would deny Microsoft Certifications are toucher than most college exams....
The sooner you can pass the certification the faster you can move on. You don't have to sit in a classroom with some teacher's pet asking questions every 5 minutes to hear themselves talk. I find physical classes only move as fast as the slowest idiot can grasp the concepts.
Oh well, I have 7 Comptia certifications, a Microsoft certification, and examples of games, applications, and websites I've written in my portfolio. You only get out what you put into any education. I have 2 semesters left and it's definitely been a good value.
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What's this? #16 Consumer Comment
WGU Experience
AUTHOR: DY - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, February 05, 2012
I researched many nursing schools in Texas before deciding on application to WGU. I can say that I have been very impressed with every step of the way. During the application process, I spoke with the same counselor one time per week. She explained everything thoroughly and required that I look at every aspect of their policies so that we could discuss them the next week. I found the process, and the counselor especially, to be fair and consistent.
This is a not-for-profit school so there was no hard sales approach. My counselor was 100% honest 100% of the time, even if the answer she gave me was disappointing. She worked on my behalf and tried her best to ensure I had the very best experience as a potential student.
Regarding financial aid, they asked for a form, I gave them the form. They asked for info, i gave them the info. I was accepted to the school of nursing and the day after the term start I received my financial aid award. I accepted the award and it was immediately dispersed. Having had some HORRIBLE experiences with schools that are better known, this was such a relief!!!
Even if I had decided to go with another school, I would still have recommended WGU to other people. They never once have lied to me or deceived me in any way.
Academic wise, I feel challenged. At other schools, I really feel as if I "bought" some of my "A"s. This is a competency based school. Who doesn't want a teacher, nurse, accountant or IT person who has been educated based upon competency???? Any monkey can be a great test taker and get A's. Not even the smartest people can demonstrate competency and mastery of a subject without some really hard work and critical thinking skills.
Online school is not for everyone...that is for certain. But it works for disciplined students who want to be challenged and judged as more than competent. I could've gone to a nursing school that gave me great grades but left me feeling less than confident about my abilities. I chose WGU so I can be a great nurse. From my due dilligence (doctors and other nurses), people should be very happy to be receiving care from nurses that are educated and trained through WGU. I imagine the same would apply to other professions.
My opinion is that some people hear what they want to hear and then complain when magical thinking doesn't come true.
WGU is an excellent choice!
This is a not-for-profit school so there was no hard sales approach. My counselor was 100% honest 100% of the time, even if the answer she gave me was disappointing. She worked on my behalf and tried her best to ensure I had the very best experience as a potential student.
Regarding financial aid, they asked for a form, I gave them the form. They asked for info, i gave them the info. I was accepted to the school of nursing and the day after the term start I received my financial aid award. I accepted the award and it was immediately dispersed. Having had some HORRIBLE experiences with schools that are better known, this was such a relief!!!
Even if I had decided to go with another school, I would still have recommended WGU to other people. They never once have lied to me or deceived me in any way.
Academic wise, I feel challenged. At other schools, I really feel as if I "bought" some of my "A"s. This is a competency based school. Who doesn't want a teacher, nurse, accountant or IT person who has been educated based upon competency???? Any monkey can be a great test taker and get A's. Not even the smartest people can demonstrate competency and mastery of a subject without some really hard work and critical thinking skills.
Online school is not for everyone...that is for certain. But it works for disciplined students who want to be challenged and judged as more than competent. I could've gone to a nursing school that gave me great grades but left me feeling less than confident about my abilities. I chose WGU so I can be a great nurse. From my due dilligence (doctors and other nurses), people should be very happy to be receiving care from nurses that are educated and trained through WGU. I imagine the same would apply to other professions.
My opinion is that some people hear what they want to hear and then complain when magical thinking doesn't come true.
WGU is an excellent choice!
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What's this? #17 Consumer Comment
Incorrect on Accreditation
AUTHOR: lfhllc - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, February 04, 2012
To the last poster - #11 - you need to do your own research lest you look foolish.....WGU is accredited both nationally (DETC) and regionally (Northwest Commission).
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What's this? #18 Consumer Comment
Thanks to all the posters
AUTHOR: Omar G - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, February 02, 2012
I really do want to thank every one of you who have posted on WGU, both positively and negatively.
I am currently mobilizing to go back to school to obtain my Master's Degree and WGU has repeatedly popped up as a potential good match for me.
So, I have begun researching WGU and every other institution on my list. I have to say that, even though I have yet to enroll at WGU, the criticisms seem fairly baseless and very individualized.
I honestly cannot find much negativity from professional organizations and academic reviews in regards to WGU.
Due to the comfortable learning environment, relative flexibility, and, of course, affordability, WGU is quite possibly at the top of my list right now.
I am currently mobilizing to go back to school to obtain my Master's Degree and WGU has repeatedly popped up as a potential good match for me.
So, I have begun researching WGU and every other institution on my list. I have to say that, even though I have yet to enroll at WGU, the criticisms seem fairly baseless and very individualized.
I honestly cannot find much negativity from professional organizations and academic reviews in regards to WGU.
Due to the comfortable learning environment, relative flexibility, and, of course, affordability, WGU is quite possibly at the top of my list right now.
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What's this? #19 General Comment
GWU -Chris rebuttal
AUTHOR: Jean - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I am seriously contemplating going to GWU for a post graduate certificate. I thought I would do some research regarding the University.
You sound like a very bitter person. I am so sorry that you did not have the fore thought to make certain that everything was in place prior to starting. You are an adult and as an adult you must take responsibility for your actions or lack of them.
To say that the majority of ripoffs come from Utah sounds very prejudice to me. Since most Mormans live in Utah, I have to ask "Are you referring that Mormons are dishonest? " To me, your comment is like saying everyone for Italy is a theif, or that everyone that is not white is stupid and can't make anything of themselves. Before making a statement such as the one you made, you need to think twice about what you may be inferring.
As for GWU, everyone I know that has attended or is attending this school, has great things to say about the education, the help they have recieved and all of the people they have dealt with. I have taken on-line classes from St. Leo's University, UMUC and other big name schools. My husband, my 4 children have all college degrees and have ran into problems. They have done the leg work and the problem has been resolved. Perhaps you need to do get off your bottom, do some leg work and quit blaming everyone for your lack of initiative to properly investigate and follow through.
You sound like a very bitter person. I am so sorry that you did not have the fore thought to make certain that everything was in place prior to starting. You are an adult and as an adult you must take responsibility for your actions or lack of them.
To say that the majority of ripoffs come from Utah sounds very prejudice to me. Since most Mormans live in Utah, I have to ask "Are you referring that Mormons are dishonest? " To me, your comment is like saying everyone for Italy is a theif, or that everyone that is not white is stupid and can't make anything of themselves. Before making a statement such as the one you made, you need to think twice about what you may be inferring.
As for GWU, everyone I know that has attended or is attending this school, has great things to say about the education, the help they have recieved and all of the people they have dealt with. I have taken on-line classes from St. Leo's University, UMUC and other big name schools. My husband, my 4 children have all college degrees and have ran into problems. They have done the leg work and the problem has been resolved. Perhaps you need to do get off your bottom, do some leg work and quit blaming everyone for your lack of initiative to properly investigate and follow through.
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What's this? #20 Consumer Comment
WGU Is Not A Traditional School
AUTHOR: DCH - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Western Governor's University is competency-based meaning that it is not about the number of classes, credit hours or class room hours. The point of the degree is to confirm that the student is competent in the various areas that make up the degree program. In this sense, a WGU degree is more along the lines of a professional certification - the person has demonstrated knowledge of the particular subject matter. As such, credit hours from other universities may or may not transfer. If a course was taken that does not directly related to the competencies for a degree, it will most likely not count. This may not seem fair, but again the educational model is not about credit hours but whether or not the student has demonstrated a proficiency in the subject matter. My undergrad degree is in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida. That particular degree program required 12 elective hours outside of the department. If WGU offered a Communication Arts degree, those 12 hours most likely wouldn't have transferred simply because they probably wouldn't have matched up with the competencies of the WGU program. How exactly do courses in Industrial Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Social Psychology and Sociology of the Family pertain to a degree in CommArts that has an emphasis in Radio, TV and Film Production? They do not. So to say that WGU is unfair or a ripoff because they didn't accept the credit hours from your prior institution is to fail to understand the model. Yes, if you had gone to another University that is based on the traditional hours most of the classes would have transferred, but most likely there would have been some that would not have been counted. The divide is more prominent with WGU because you're dealing with degrees based on two completely different educational models.
All of that being said, yes maybe only a few credit hours transferred and it might have taken you 3 years to obtain a degree from WGU, however because the degree is *competency-based* if you did in fact learn the material at the other university that would have enabled you to quickly proceed through the courses by doing the object assessments (tests) or performance assessments (papers) with very little time spent learning the material. For my MBA, I actually took the object assessment for one particular class two weeks into a term and passed it - without ever looking at any of the material. My prior real-world experience along with previous classes was a sufficient basis for me to demonstrate proficiency. In all likelihood, you too could have passed several classes with very little effort.
Yes, WGU is structured in six-month terms starting on the first of the month and with a flat fee. Yes, this is completley different from traditional universities, but it allows the student to go at the speed and pace that best suits the student. It also allows that student to accelerate through the program since there are maximum limits on the number of courses that can be completed in a semester. If you start out with 3 and finish 3, that's exactly what you do. However, if you start out with 3 and finish 6 (which is entirely possible), you finish 6. The result in the later case being that the cost of the individual classes is reduced allowing you to get a bigger bang for the buck.
I would suggest that your unhappiness with WGU has at its root a failure to understand the educational model that it operates under. Keep in mind that the traditional model of post-secondary education has been around for at least 60 years (probably longer) whereas the competency based approach is much newer and thus not familiar to everyone.
The document at this URL does a good job at discussion CBE http://www.scribd.com/doc/19778435/Definition-of-Competency-Based-Education
All of that being said, yes maybe only a few credit hours transferred and it might have taken you 3 years to obtain a degree from WGU, however because the degree is *competency-based* if you did in fact learn the material at the other university that would have enabled you to quickly proceed through the courses by doing the object assessments (tests) or performance assessments (papers) with very little time spent learning the material. For my MBA, I actually took the object assessment for one particular class two weeks into a term and passed it - without ever looking at any of the material. My prior real-world experience along with previous classes was a sufficient basis for me to demonstrate proficiency. In all likelihood, you too could have passed several classes with very little effort.
Yes, WGU is structured in six-month terms starting on the first of the month and with a flat fee. Yes, this is completley different from traditional universities, but it allows the student to go at the speed and pace that best suits the student. It also allows that student to accelerate through the program since there are maximum limits on the number of courses that can be completed in a semester. If you start out with 3 and finish 3, that's exactly what you do. However, if you start out with 3 and finish 6 (which is entirely possible), you finish 6. The result in the later case being that the cost of the individual classes is reduced allowing you to get a bigger bang for the buck.
I would suggest that your unhappiness with WGU has at its root a failure to understand the educational model that it operates under. Keep in mind that the traditional model of post-secondary education has been around for at least 60 years (probably longer) whereas the competency based approach is much newer and thus not familiar to everyone.
The document at this URL does a good job at discussion CBE http://www.scribd.com/doc/19778435/Definition-of-Competency-Based-Education
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What's this? #21 Consumer Comment
Response from a fellow WGU student:
AUTHOR: Steve - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 08, 2011
Dawn,
Before I respond to your issues with WGU , I think it's only fair to fully disclose who I am. I'm currently a student in my 3rd year at WGU. I've completed the BSIT program and I'm currently working toward my MS in information security and assurance. Prior to WGU, I attended a local community college, along with several other universities during my time in the military. I've had my fair share of good and bad experiences with *every* school I've attended. Almost all of the bad experiences were attributable to complications involving financial aid and credit transferrability.
Like most seasoned students, I quickly learned through experience that, if you want to avoid those headaches, you've got to do your own research, followup, and other leg-work to make sure that those types of issues don't happen to you. Yeah, it's a real bummer, but we're all adults here. Nobody's going to wave a magic wand or hold hands with us to the end of our educational pursuits.
Having that that, let me address a few of the issues you mentioned in your ripoff report:
Before you enrolled with WGU, you knew that you were maxed out on your student loans. Ultimately, WGU couldn't convince your lender to give you more money, and you seem to fault WGU for your situation.
Speaking from experience, this is a situation that you would have needed to resolve with your loan provider--not your school. No school in this country (online or local) can force a loan-provider to hand out more money for you. Much as they can try, it's ultimately your lender's decision. If they were able to lend more money to you for another school, then it's pretty clear that the problem wasn't you or WGU--it was your loan provider. I can say this with a bit of confidence, as I'd previously experienced an almost identical situation when I was taking classes in the military.
You seem pretty upset that WGU could not transfer your 115 credits into a wholly unrelated degree program. Your courses were from a biology major at USC, who uses completely different accreditation standards. You enrolled with WGU, so surely you realized that the program you enrolled into didn't have many equivalent classes with which your prior courses could be transferred, right? If your new program didn't have classes similar to the ones you completed elsewhere, how did you expect that they would transfer? They make it absolutely clear on their website that they can only transfer credits that are relevant to the degree program (http://www.wgu.edu/admissions/transferring_credits_faq). More importantly, you've got to realize that any legititmate school in this country is going to base their decision on similar guidelines, and they're going to have a hard time transferring credits if the courses are certified under a completely different regional accreditation. It doesn't matter if you're moving to WGU, UCF, or Harvard for that matter--that's just how it works.
You also have some criticisms regarding WGU's "introduction" class, so let's talk about that.
The course is called EWB (Education Without Boundaries), and it's meant to make sure that you know how to actually complete your classes, set up financial aid, and so on. It's basically a school orientation that lets you know what you're getting into before you start your degree program. Sure, any smart 8th grader can complete EWB--but the whole point of the course is not to be challenging. Rather, it's meant to make sure that you understand what's going on before you start. Of course, you wouldn't know that by "cutting and pasting" your way through the course, as you made it clear that you did. You're not going to learn anything that way, and WGU's "real" courses are certainly designed in such a way that a cut-and-paste study habit is sure to fail. That's sort of the whole point of the orientation. You see, WGU's not meant for people who want to "cut and paste" and "busy work" their way through to a degree. EWB serves two purposes--it makes you familiar with how your financial aid, your teachers, and the school in its entirety works. Like any school, you're not going to get very far if you don't actively try to understand those things. Your poor experience with them seems to be adequite proof of that.
You were disappointed that WGU couldn't accelerate your program to a level that was faster than completing your local college degree. That's primarily because WGU is not a diploma mill. They cannot "accelerate" your path just because you have a bunch of unrelated credits from a completely different degree program. You're absolutely right in believing that your community college would be a better choice for you in your situation, but how exactly is that the fault of WGU? Why on earth would you transfer to another school if you only have a few classes left to complete at your other college? Unless the problem is a student's sincere lapse of judgement, I would hope there were a significant reason for leaving your prior school with only a few classes remaining. (Unfortunately, I, too, had to learn that the hard way when transferring from my community college in Florida to one based in Texas.)
Finally, you're upset that you didn't know that WGU works with 6-month semesters, and that they bill a flat tuition rate. To be frank, it wouldn't have taken but 5 seconds of research about WGU to discover this. Yeah, seriously. Five seconds.
Look: http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/tuition
It's not like they're conspiring to hide this information from anyone. They make it very clear to students several times before (and after) you're allowed to enroll, and several more times before you finish the EWB orientation. For students who are serious about getting a degree, the flat tuition is acutally a huge benefit. If you're getting a degree within a field you've already got experience with, then you can knock out 20 credit hours in a semester instead of twelve without having to worry about extra tuition and fees. Unfortunately, this isn't designed well for students who decide to enroll and immediately drop out. In my opinion, however, I think there's much to be appreciated about a school who designs a schedule that caters to the former type of student, rather than the latter.
In summary, it sounds like you found yourself in a very unfortunate situation, but it sounds like a situation that could have easily been avoided with a little bit of research and forethought. I can sympathetize with you about a number of those headaches, but it sounds like your frustration with WGU really chalks up to a few poor decisions on your part--and not to something worthy of posting in a rip-off report thread. Finally, your opinion about the quality of WGU's curriculum seems worthy of questioning, especially since you dropped out before experiencing anything much beyond the orientation.
As a fellow Rip-Off Report user and advocate, I hope that my response doesn't seem too stern. As a fellow student of WGU, however, I feel that there's a very clear distinction between a faulty school and an unprepared student.
Before I respond to your issues with WGU , I think it's only fair to fully disclose who I am. I'm currently a student in my 3rd year at WGU. I've completed the BSIT program and I'm currently working toward my MS in information security and assurance. Prior to WGU, I attended a local community college, along with several other universities during my time in the military. I've had my fair share of good and bad experiences with *every* school I've attended. Almost all of the bad experiences were attributable to complications involving financial aid and credit transferrability.
Like most seasoned students, I quickly learned through experience that, if you want to avoid those headaches, you've got to do your own research, followup, and other leg-work to make sure that those types of issues don't happen to you. Yeah, it's a real bummer, but we're all adults here. Nobody's going to wave a magic wand or hold hands with us to the end of our educational pursuits.
Having that that, let me address a few of the issues you mentioned in your ripoff report:
Before you enrolled with WGU, you knew that you were maxed out on your student loans. Ultimately, WGU couldn't convince your lender to give you more money, and you seem to fault WGU for your situation.
Speaking from experience, this is a situation that you would have needed to resolve with your loan provider--not your school. No school in this country (online or local) can force a loan-provider to hand out more money for you. Much as they can try, it's ultimately your lender's decision. If they were able to lend more money to you for another school, then it's pretty clear that the problem wasn't you or WGU--it was your loan provider. I can say this with a bit of confidence, as I'd previously experienced an almost identical situation when I was taking classes in the military.
You seem pretty upset that WGU could not transfer your 115 credits into a wholly unrelated degree program. Your courses were from a biology major at USC, who uses completely different accreditation standards. You enrolled with WGU, so surely you realized that the program you enrolled into didn't have many equivalent classes with which your prior courses could be transferred, right? If your new program didn't have classes similar to the ones you completed elsewhere, how did you expect that they would transfer? They make it absolutely clear on their website that they can only transfer credits that are relevant to the degree program (http://www.wgu.edu/admissions/transferring_credits_faq). More importantly, you've got to realize that any legititmate school in this country is going to base their decision on similar guidelines, and they're going to have a hard time transferring credits if the courses are certified under a completely different regional accreditation. It doesn't matter if you're moving to WGU, UCF, or Harvard for that matter--that's just how it works.
You also have some criticisms regarding WGU's "introduction" class, so let's talk about that.
The course is called EWB (Education Without Boundaries), and it's meant to make sure that you know how to actually complete your classes, set up financial aid, and so on. It's basically a school orientation that lets you know what you're getting into before you start your degree program. Sure, any smart 8th grader can complete EWB--but the whole point of the course is not to be challenging. Rather, it's meant to make sure that you understand what's going on before you start. Of course, you wouldn't know that by "cutting and pasting" your way through the course, as you made it clear that you did. You're not going to learn anything that way, and WGU's "real" courses are certainly designed in such a way that a cut-and-paste study habit is sure to fail. That's sort of the whole point of the orientation. You see, WGU's not meant for people who want to "cut and paste" and "busy work" their way through to a degree. EWB serves two purposes--it makes you familiar with how your financial aid, your teachers, and the school in its entirety works. Like any school, you're not going to get very far if you don't actively try to understand those things. Your poor experience with them seems to be adequite proof of that.
You were disappointed that WGU couldn't accelerate your program to a level that was faster than completing your local college degree. That's primarily because WGU is not a diploma mill. They cannot "accelerate" your path just because you have a bunch of unrelated credits from a completely different degree program. You're absolutely right in believing that your community college would be a better choice for you in your situation, but how exactly is that the fault of WGU? Why on earth would you transfer to another school if you only have a few classes left to complete at your other college? Unless the problem is a student's sincere lapse of judgement, I would hope there were a significant reason for leaving your prior school with only a few classes remaining. (Unfortunately, I, too, had to learn that the hard way when transferring from my community college in Florida to one based in Texas.)
Finally, you're upset that you didn't know that WGU works with 6-month semesters, and that they bill a flat tuition rate. To be frank, it wouldn't have taken but 5 seconds of research about WGU to discover this. Yeah, seriously. Five seconds.
Look: http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/tuition
It's not like they're conspiring to hide this information from anyone. They make it very clear to students several times before (and after) you're allowed to enroll, and several more times before you finish the EWB orientation. For students who are serious about getting a degree, the flat tuition is acutally a huge benefit. If you're getting a degree within a field you've already got experience with, then you can knock out 20 credit hours in a semester instead of twelve without having to worry about extra tuition and fees. Unfortunately, this isn't designed well for students who decide to enroll and immediately drop out. In my opinion, however, I think there's much to be appreciated about a school who designs a schedule that caters to the former type of student, rather than the latter.
In summary, it sounds like you found yourself in a very unfortunate situation, but it sounds like a situation that could have easily been avoided with a little bit of research and forethought. I can sympathetize with you about a number of those headaches, but it sounds like your frustration with WGU really chalks up to a few poor decisions on your part--and not to something worthy of posting in a rip-off report thread. Finally, your opinion about the quality of WGU's curriculum seems worthy of questioning, especially since you dropped out before experiencing anything much beyond the orientation.
As a fellow Rip-Off Report user and advocate, I hope that my response doesn't seem too stern. As a fellow student of WGU, however, I feel that there's a very clear distinction between a faulty school and an unprepared student.
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What's this? #22 Consumer Comment
Yeah, Serious
AUTHOR: NickyC - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 08, 2011
WGU is not at all a rip off or scam. Sure, it's not like traditional colleges, but they still provide a quality education. What the previous comment says is completely off base. I have read almost all of the negative comments, most are people who did not research their university before choosing to attend. This brings me to the first point that there is a lot of negativity, which is has no base. Most of the complaints I have read were from students whose credits didn't transfer. Having transfer twice before I transferred to WGU, I knew that with any transfer you cannot expect all the credits to transfer. WGU gives students the opportunity to test out of classes which they may already have the background knowledge for, with out having to do the class work. Even though many of my credits did not transfer, I still made it through my program faster than if I had only went to college because I tested out of the "easy" classes. The other complaints seem to be that the work is to easy. Well I am in my final semester and I can tell you the work does get much harder and program specific. The final complaint I have heard was difficulty with financial aid. I cannot say one way or the other because I worked all through college and payed for everything myself with $0 debt.
What the other comment says about not having credit hours is not entirely true. They use credit units, which many well known colleges have used. Michigan Tech used the credit unit system for many years before going to credit hours. For those of you who do not know the difference 1 credit unit equals about 2/3 a credit hour.
The next point I'd like to make is that the previous comment claims that WGU does not require English or Math classes. They do, just like any other college. I tested out of some and had some transfer, but I still had to take 2 math classes and 3 english classes.
The final point I'd like to make is that, when I entered my school district the head of the human resources department asked me what college I was attending. When I said WGU, he said great, it's a great school and they are easy to work with. Since I now live on an island with only this school district, it's great to hear that the person who will be reviewing my application for a teaching position likes my college.
What the other comment says about not having credit hours is not entirely true. They use credit units, which many well known colleges have used. Michigan Tech used the credit unit system for many years before going to credit hours. For those of you who do not know the difference 1 credit unit equals about 2/3 a credit hour.
The next point I'd like to make is that the previous comment claims that WGU does not require English or Math classes. They do, just like any other college. I tested out of some and had some transfer, but I still had to take 2 math classes and 3 english classes.
The final point I'd like to make is that, when I entered my school district the head of the human resources department asked me what college I was attending. When I said WGU, he said great, it's a great school and they are easy to work with. Since I now live on an island with only this school district, it's great to hear that the person who will be reviewing my application for a teaching position likes my college.
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What's this? #23 Consumer Comment
I Don't Work for WGU and Say That Chris is Completely Wrong
AUTHOR: raymack2009 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
I am a current student, and I agree that Chris has gotten it wrong. Please see my rebuttal to find links to articles written by reputable news outlets. Also, you may read my remarks as a student who attends and not merely a bystander making assumptions.
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What's this? #24 Consumer Comment
Current WGU Student Refutes This Nonsense
AUTHOR: raymack2009 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
I am a current student at Western Governors University. I have attended WGU for the past year and have been completely satisfied with the education. The original poster seems to be very bitter in her oppositions to the school. Some folks have suggested that WGU is a scam which is completely and utterly false.
I have attended a traditional brick and mortar school in the past and I think that WGU goes the extra mile and knocks them out of the park. Additionally, WGU should not be compared to the Phoenixes and Capellas of the world because of this one glaring distinction: non-profit! Contrary to what some here would lead folks to believe, the school is not established as a money-making venture.
John Gravois, of Washington Monthly wrote an excellent article on the school; you can check it out here. Kathleen Kingsbury wrote a great article for Time Magazine here. NBC Nightly News also did a piece on it, here.
I wanted to give you any person who is reading this some objective reading. My objective in writing this rebuttal, was to give any person who is interested in WGU the opinion of a current student who is not jaded. I reccomended one of my friends to WGU and he asked me if it was a scam. Perplexed, I asked him, "What, why would you say that?" He then told me about this ripoff report. WGU is an incredible school. It is not for everyone, but it definetly works for disciplined adults who want an education. It isn't, by any means, an easy degree but it is a quality one!
I have attended a traditional brick and mortar school in the past and I think that WGU goes the extra mile and knocks them out of the park. Additionally, WGU should not be compared to the Phoenixes and Capellas of the world because of this one glaring distinction: non-profit! Contrary to what some here would lead folks to believe, the school is not established as a money-making venture.
John Gravois, of Washington Monthly wrote an excellent article on the school; you can check it out here. Kathleen Kingsbury wrote a great article for Time Magazine here. NBC Nightly News also did a piece on it, here.
I wanted to give you any person who is reading this some objective reading. My objective in writing this rebuttal, was to give any person who is interested in WGU the opinion of a current student who is not jaded. I reccomended one of my friends to WGU and he asked me if it was a scam. Perplexed, I asked him, "What, why would you say that?" He then told me about this ripoff report. WGU is an incredible school. It is not for everyone, but it definetly works for disciplined adults who want an education. It isn't, by any means, an easy degree but it is a quality one!
Full disclosure: I was interviewed for the piece by John Gravois in the Washington Monthly
-Ray S. McKinnon
-Ray S. McKinnon
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What's this? #25 Consumer Comment
WGU the best place I've found.
AUTHOR: Anonymous - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, September 06, 2011
All of you whinners and nay sayers live off of each others negativity. It's really sad and pathetic that adults, grown Men and Women whine and complain about things they no absolutley nothing about. Go the the SOURCE to get your answers and ask the hard questions.
EVERY school has issues, including Financial Aid, transfer credits and so on. You should never ever expect ANY college to transfer 100% of your transcripts. You have the right to wait to see your transcript evaluation including at WGU. You get the opportunity to see the evaluation before committing to school. Use your brain!! Think before you act!
For financial aid...come on. get serious. No matter what, EVERY school has tuition and it is YOU who pays for it. So don't you think you have a say?? No one can twist your arm to start. again use your brain! WGU is a FAFSA school. They have to by law and policy adhere to the SAME rules and regulations as any title IV funding school.
WGU's TERMS start when YOU want to start. They make it easy for us come on people! Every month is a new term. It is YOUR term which are 6 months. Who cares about traditional colleges of semester or quarter starts or waiting for a "break" in between. Lazy people. Oh and by the way WGU is fully accredited both nationally and regionally. Just like Harvard, USC, Stanford and everyone other college that is not a tech school or similar.
Do your research, think before you act. Be Adults and make it YOUR decsion. For me, It's the BEST choice of many I could have had. WGU is not for profit, it works for me and it's affordable. By the way WGU has way more accreditaions than you might think! look it up if you don't beleive.
EVERY school has issues, including Financial Aid, transfer credits and so on. You should never ever expect ANY college to transfer 100% of your transcripts. You have the right to wait to see your transcript evaluation including at WGU. You get the opportunity to see the evaluation before committing to school. Use your brain!! Think before you act!
For financial aid...come on. get serious. No matter what, EVERY school has tuition and it is YOU who pays for it. So don't you think you have a say?? No one can twist your arm to start. again use your brain! WGU is a FAFSA school. They have to by law and policy adhere to the SAME rules and regulations as any title IV funding school.
WGU's TERMS start when YOU want to start. They make it easy for us come on people! Every month is a new term. It is YOUR term which are 6 months. Who cares about traditional colleges of semester or quarter starts or waiting for a "break" in between. Lazy people. Oh and by the way WGU is fully accredited both nationally and regionally. Just like Harvard, USC, Stanford and everyone other college that is not a tech school or similar.
Do your research, think before you act. Be Adults and make it YOUR decsion. For me, It's the BEST choice of many I could have had. WGU is not for profit, it works for me and it's affordable. By the way WGU has way more accreditaions than you might think! look it up if you don't beleive.
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What's this? #26 REBUTTAL Individual responds
WGU is regionally accredited
AUTHOR: freedom1marketing - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, September 01, 2011
Please do your research before you blast a college. You claim WGU is only nationally accredited like a mechanic or air conditioning school. WGU is regionally accredited. Website for reference http://www.nwccu.org/
Don't be mad because you spent thousands of dollars on a B&M school and realized you to could have a "regionally accredited" degree for a third of the price.
Do you know what the art major says to a business major? Would you like frys with that?
Don't be mad because you spent thousands of dollars on a B&M school and realized you to could have a "regionally accredited" degree for a third of the price.
Do you know what the art major says to a business major? Would you like frys with that?
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What's this? #27 Consumer Comment
To Chris9317 and other's that don't read the LARGE print
AUTHOR: Kesher Media - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Monday, August 22, 2011
TO: Chris9317 and Other that don't read the LARGE print,
Please don't type when you're angry and then post it here as an argument to a fairly biased comment from another poster. The school is legit and is Regionally Accredited (do your research). Some students are just "looser students", no matter where they go they bitch about everything, however, some are good students and go out to help others. It's all the same, on-line or in a building personal life dynamics are what they are. The good, bad and ugly cover all bases of society... same with the hybrid schools, like City University (and others); they have good and honorable students and they have those that are difficult at best.
I don't think you and the original poster are looser students, however you should both study the facts more clearly and under different attitudes. You attitude determines your desired outcome!
I was a student at WGU and dropped out for this year to relocate and regroup. I knew what to EXPECT, I read the clearly written docs over and over before and after I signed on with them.
BTW... I am school HATER, hard core school hater and have been for over 40 years, actually almost 50 years now and have hated school ever since Kindergarten! Nothing about it impresses me at all, nothing.. NADA! I have learned everything on my own and have at times done very well for myself. The only reason I'm going back to school now that I'm turning gray is to get my little piece of paper to get a government contract that says "you must have a BS degree", nothing less and no alternative.
I make $60.00 - to $120 an hour as a self taught IT Project manager and have finally hit the wall. My life long synopsis is this: You MUST have a quality education nowadays and a quality degree or you will most likely fail badly in life or whatever venture you seek.
FACT- I can't get what I want with a H.S. diploma, 30 years experience (including current experience) and 15 certs. Therefore I must get what the industry requires for me to be competitive in any venture I seek to undertake.
FACT- If I could find a way to blast these folks I would be the first. However, they post openly so you can do your own unbiased, no pressure research before and after you decide to sign-on, so... this is no place to bitch because you all don't read the "small print" that's clearly written and in plain sight.
Joe, KM
Please don't type when you're angry and then post it here as an argument to a fairly biased comment from another poster. The school is legit and is Regionally Accredited (do your research). Some students are just "looser students", no matter where they go they bitch about everything, however, some are good students and go out to help others. It's all the same, on-line or in a building personal life dynamics are what they are. The good, bad and ugly cover all bases of society... same with the hybrid schools, like City University (and others); they have good and honorable students and they have those that are difficult at best.
I don't think you and the original poster are looser students, however you should both study the facts more clearly and under different attitudes. You attitude determines your desired outcome!
I was a student at WGU and dropped out for this year to relocate and regroup. I knew what to EXPECT, I read the clearly written docs over and over before and after I signed on with them.
BTW... I am school HATER, hard core school hater and have been for over 40 years, actually almost 50 years now and have hated school ever since Kindergarten! Nothing about it impresses me at all, nothing.. NADA! I have learned everything on my own and have at times done very well for myself. The only reason I'm going back to school now that I'm turning gray is to get my little piece of paper to get a government contract that says "you must have a BS degree", nothing less and no alternative.
I make $60.00 - to $120 an hour as a self taught IT Project manager and have finally hit the wall. My life long synopsis is this: You MUST have a quality education nowadays and a quality degree or you will most likely fail badly in life or whatever venture you seek.
FACT- I can't get what I want with a H.S. diploma, 30 years experience (including current experience) and 15 certs. Therefore I must get what the industry requires for me to be competitive in any venture I seek to undertake.
FACT- If I could find a way to blast these folks I would be the first. However, they post openly so you can do your own unbiased, no pressure research before and after you decide to sign-on, so... this is no place to bitch because you all don't read the "small print" that's clearly written and in plain sight.
Joe, KM
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What's this? #28 Consumer Comment
According to the U.S. Department of Education
AUTHOR: Kikari56 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, July 30, 2011
From the U.S. Department of Education's website:
"The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs. However, the Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit. The U.S. Secretary of Education also recognizes State agencies for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education and nurse education.
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that agency.
For more information on accreditation in the United States, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs is compiled entirely from publicly available information reported to the U.S. Department of Education by recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies that have been asked to provide information for each institution and/or program accredited by that agency. This reported information is not audited. The database is updated to reflect additional information as it is received from recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies but the Department makes no guarantee that the database will be updated immediately upon receipt of such information. The U.S. Department of Education cannot, therefore, guarantee that the information contained in the database is accurate, current, or complete."
The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs:
Search for: Western Governors University
Institution:
Western Governors University
General Information:
4001 South 700 East, Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
Phone: 801-274-3280 / 336
Institutional Accreditation
Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
Accredited
06/02/2001
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Accredited
02/13/2003
Specialized Accreditation
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education:
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
Accredited
04/25/2009
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
Accredited
04/25/2009
From Distance and Education Training Council's Website:
Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
Active
1959/2006/Fall 2011
Scope of recognition: the accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States that offer degree programs primarily by the distance education method up to and including the professional doctoral degree, and are specifically certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes; and for the accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States not participating in Title IV that offer programs primarily by the distance education method up through the professional doctoral degrees. Title IV Note: Only accredited institutions that are certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
"The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs. However, the Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit. The U.S. Secretary of Education also recognizes State agencies for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education and nurse education.
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that agency.
For more information on accreditation in the United States, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs is compiled entirely from publicly available information reported to the U.S. Department of Education by recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies that have been asked to provide information for each institution and/or program accredited by that agency. This reported information is not audited. The database is updated to reflect additional information as it is received from recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies but the Department makes no guarantee that the database will be updated immediately upon receipt of such information. The U.S. Department of Education cannot, therefore, guarantee that the information contained in the database is accurate, current, or complete."
The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs:
Search for: Western Governors University
Institution:
Western Governors University
General Information:
4001 South 700 East, Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
Phone: 801-274-3280 / 336
Institutional Accreditation
Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
Accredited
06/02/2001
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Accredited
02/13/2003
Specialized Accreditation
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education:
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
Accredited
04/25/2009
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
Accredited
04/25/2009
From Distance and Education Training Council's Website:
Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
Active
1959/2006/Fall 2011
Scope of recognition: the accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States that offer degree programs primarily by the distance education method up to and including the professional doctoral degree, and are specifically certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes; and for the accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States not participating in Title IV that offer programs primarily by the distance education method up through the professional doctoral degrees. Title IV Note: Only accredited institutions that are certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
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What's this? #29 General Comment
WGU Accreditation Status
AUTHOR: Mastrix 56 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, July 30, 2011
Lala:
Seems to be sketchy info around WGU accreditation. Let's at least get the facts on this topic.
WGU Claims:
http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/accreditation
Copy and Paste from Link:
"Nationally and Regionally Accredited
Western Governors University is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Regional accreditation is considered the highest form of accreditation given to institutions. The Northwest Commission is also responsible for the accreditation of other major institutions such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of Idaho, and Brigham Young University, to name just a few."
Is not the DETC national accredtitation?
Seems to be sketchy info around WGU accreditation. Let's at least get the facts on this topic.
WGU Claims:
http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/accreditation
Copy and Paste from Link:
"Nationally and Regionally Accredited
Western Governors University is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Regional accreditation is considered the highest form of accreditation given to institutions. The Northwest Commission is also responsible for the accreditation of other major institutions such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of Idaho, and Brigham Young University, to name just a few."
Is not the DETC national accredtitation?
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What's this? #30 Consumer Comment
In response to Chris_p
AUTHOR: bannana77@hotmail.com - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011
When you start off your rebuttal as "Chris9317 is completely wrong about nearly everything he posted...." that makes it hard to believe that you don't actually work for WGU. You say you used to work for UoPHX and now you're defending this school? What's your angle? It doesn't make any sense. I'm finding it hard to believe what you say.
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What's this?
Just wanted to say that WGU is NOT a nationaly but Regionally accredited...do your homework before making remarks that you cant back up!
http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/western-governors-university-accreditation
| Distance Learning Accreditation Status This online college IS ACCREDITED by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the US Department of Education. This college has: REGIONAL ACCREDITATION (the highest form of college accreditation in the USA). What does REGIONAL ACCREDITATION mean? When employers ask if you have an "accredited" online degree they commonly mean a "regionally accredited" degree. Regionally accredited college degrees enjoy wide acceptance for employment purposes and for transfer credit purposes nationwide in the USA. Most state colleges and name brand universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Michigan State University are REGIONALLY ACCREDITED. The majority of distance learning schools are regionally accredited. |
http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/western-governors-university-accreditation
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What's this? #32 Consumer Comment
Western Governors University - A Working Adult's Dream
AUTHOR: Debbie - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Friday, May 06, 2011
As a full-time working adult, I was seeking an online college that would be both affordable and sensitive to the challenges of a non-traditional student's work/life balance. Western Governors University (WGU) fit the bill! The fact that the tuition is one flat rate per 6 month period makes attending very affordable.
The fact that the number of classes that can be taken in any given 6 month period are determined solely by the student's work ethic, provides an incentive to working through each class at a steady, and efficient pace. Another positive attribute of WGU is that their staff is VERY knowledgeable about the cirriculum as well as all aspects of financial aid policies.
I am currently attending WGU as a returning student enrolled in the B.S. Accounting program. I began my education at WGU in 2008 but had to withdraw from the school due to work commitments and family medical issues. I received federal loans to help with the cost of my education so, upon withdrawal I was informed by the university that my award would be adjusted and that there was a possiblity that money may be owed back to the school. This is standard practice for ANY college or university.
It is the student's responsibility to educate themselves on the rules of using and paying federal education loans - which is spelled out completely on the FAFSA website. It is unfair for the writer of the original complaint to blame the school for her ignorance. It is also unfair to describe the introductory class (EWB) as "busy work."
EWB (Education Without Boundaries) is a very informative class designed to fully explain how the online program works, provide specific links and instructions on how to use the school's online resources, and outline what is expected of each student in completing assignments.
I too attended college prior to WGU and ALL of my credits transferred over. I'm a little confused as to why any intelligent adult would pay ANY tuition costs prior to determining which of their classes would transfer.
WGU is a regionally accredited school where competence - not credit hours - determines whether or not a student has sufficiently mastered any particular subject matter. You can always have your transcript reevaluated if there are questions concerning trasferable credits. Furthermore, WGU offers adult students the option of "testing out" of several classes. If Dawn felt she knew the subject matter why didn't she simply take advantage of this option?
Obviously I do not agree with the complaintants overall assessment that WGU is a "diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself and then gives you a piece of paper." The classes are both challenging and informative and the mentors and graders are advanced-degreed professionals. WGU is the a fine example of an online degree program that works.
I felt inclined to write this rebuttal because I don't want potential students to be turned off by the writer's unfair assessment due to her lack of understanding or failure to take advantage of all that the school has to offer.
The fact that the number of classes that can be taken in any given 6 month period are determined solely by the student's work ethic, provides an incentive to working through each class at a steady, and efficient pace. Another positive attribute of WGU is that their staff is VERY knowledgeable about the cirriculum as well as all aspects of financial aid policies.
I am currently attending WGU as a returning student enrolled in the B.S. Accounting program. I began my education at WGU in 2008 but had to withdraw from the school due to work commitments and family medical issues. I received federal loans to help with the cost of my education so, upon withdrawal I was informed by the university that my award would be adjusted and that there was a possiblity that money may be owed back to the school. This is standard practice for ANY college or university.
It is the student's responsibility to educate themselves on the rules of using and paying federal education loans - which is spelled out completely on the FAFSA website. It is unfair for the writer of the original complaint to blame the school for her ignorance. It is also unfair to describe the introductory class (EWB) as "busy work."
EWB (Education Without Boundaries) is a very informative class designed to fully explain how the online program works, provide specific links and instructions on how to use the school's online resources, and outline what is expected of each student in completing assignments.
I too attended college prior to WGU and ALL of my credits transferred over. I'm a little confused as to why any intelligent adult would pay ANY tuition costs prior to determining which of their classes would transfer.
WGU is a regionally accredited school where competence - not credit hours - determines whether or not a student has sufficiently mastered any particular subject matter. You can always have your transcript reevaluated if there are questions concerning trasferable credits. Furthermore, WGU offers adult students the option of "testing out" of several classes. If Dawn felt she knew the subject matter why didn't she simply take advantage of this option?
Obviously I do not agree with the complaintants overall assessment that WGU is a "diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself and then gives you a piece of paper." The classes are both challenging and informative and the mentors and graders are advanced-degreed professionals. WGU is the a fine example of an online degree program that works.
I felt inclined to write this rebuttal because I don't want potential students to be turned off by the writer's unfair assessment due to her lack of understanding or failure to take advantage of all that the school has to offer.
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What's this? #33 Consumer Comment
WGU is a National Treasure.
AUTHOR: 83706 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, April 28, 2011
As you can see from all the rebuttals, WGU is a well respected and outstanding undergraduate and graduate institution. I am sorry that Dawn had such a poor experience. I respect all the extra challenges she faces with relocation and parenting. However, I believe that WGU is truly a national treasure and doing it right for the right reasons. We are lucky to have such a wonderful alternative to brick and mortar institutions and high priced online true rip-offs like UoP. My wife recently moved on from UoP after two years of teeth gnashing with them. She has been with WGU now for a few months and is very pleased with the whole experience. She is a seasoned online undergraduate student and I trust her opinion. I will start my BSIT program in a couple days and I too am very pleased with the high quality of service of every aspect of the process so far. WGU has been around for 12 years, they are non-profit and provide a priceless service (at a fair price) for their students NOT profits for stock holders. We should all consider ourselves very fortunate to have this unique higher education alternative. It's rare to see something like this done so right for the right reasons in a world where our leaders, organizations and institutions are failing to justly serve their communities on a daily basis.
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What's this? #34 General Comment
Couldn't be further from the truth...
AUTHOR: kae1366 - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, February 01, 2011
First off, I just want to say I HAVE gone to a "for-profit" college for about a month and it was horrid. They fit into Chris's claims. But this college is not in any waya for-profit college. They are non profit. All of Chris's claims are absurdly incorrect so do not take their words to heart before doing your own research. And getting "laughed" at with a degree from WGU? My sister just got a permanent teaching position, straight out of college, at a school district ranked #3 in the state and graduated in full from WGU. And yeah, there's complaints about WGU in a Google search but there's complaints about ALL colleges EVERYWHERE in a Google search. Heck even my local comm. college has complaints on the internet about their online program and campus program being a "scam" and a "rip-off" and they're partnered with state universities and it's not at all true. Just because a few people have had supposed bad experiences doesn't mean anything at all about the reputation of the school. Second to the OP; if you started at USC, you should have contacted them to see how they advised transferring into another school and then talked to schools they recommended. Most if not all colleges know how their credits transfer elsewhere. Don't blame WGU for lack of research. My guess is you waited until the last second to get re-enrolled in college and your student loans starting showing up with due dates. To anyone reading this supposed "rip off report"...do your own research.
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What's this? #35
How to Attend WGU without Having Major Problems
AUTHOR: Steve - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, September 03, 2009
I am a WGU student who just recently started classes with them, and I must respectfully disagree with Dawn. After two years as a student (and as an adminstrative student worker) with my other local community college, I felt that it might be worth mentioning that most of the situations described by Dawn can fairly easily be avoided, as many of these circumstances are a common series of issues that a student might inevitably face with many post-secondary institutions--online or not.
1) When dealing with student loans, you might be required to do a little foot-work to get the lender on the same page with the institution. From personal experience, I had at least two different instances where my local community college wasn't speaking the same language as student loan's bank. In situations like that, the best way to resolve the uncertainty is to have the school give you a memo or something official & in writing, then take that to your lender (face-to-face with someone, if possible). Then, when speaking with the lender, insist that you spend some of their time by calling your school from their office (or even from your cell phone). In most cases, this will fix the miscommunication issue on the spot.
2) Regarding this reporter's complaint about WGU's credit transferability to another institution, this sounds like an extremely unfortunate problem that I hope I'll never face. But in all fairness, WGU has just about hammered the credit transfer issue into every student's head during the enrollment and orientation processes. Additionally, Dawn would have likely experienced the same credit-transfer problems when transferring to most out-of-state schools with differing local & regional accreditation. This is not a fault with WGU; it is a fault with the complex, heavily fragmented accreditation systems that all legitimate schools must conform to. Proper planning can help all students (not just WGU students) avoid this type of problem. By looking up your school's accreditation and comparing it with other schools you might later attend, you'll get a much better idea at how likely your credits will (or won't) transfer.
I thought it would be also be worth pointing out that WGU discloses their billing cycle *before* you start your classes--not simply when there is a billing issue, as Dawn alluded. It's thoroughly explained during the orientations, as well as in several of the documents and booklets that they send to you. This information includes their tuition rate per academic unit (which is only used when a student does not complete a full-time term). For this circumstance, prospective WGU students can avoid this pitfall by taking 5-10 minutes to read the booklets they send to you. They're not all fluff with pretty pictures after all! =)
Regarding Dawn's final comment, that WGU comes off as a "diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself," once again, this is something that WGU puts out there before you start classes--you even have to take a short, silly interview that quizes your understanding of their learning structure, which is this: You must be a self motivated learner. They give you the texts, the assignments, and the mentors to assist, but you are responsible for reading your book, connecting the dots, doing your work, or planning your financial aid. No one will hold your hand for you (although the counselors will call you every other week to check in on you, and the department staff is very helpful when you have questions).
WGU is a very different school. But a school doesn't get Title IV (FAFSA/Pell) status by being a diploma mill. In summary, WGU might not be for everybody (as Dawn would agree), but if you are serious enough about your education to do your own research, then you've probably got the self-motivation that's required to attend WGU without these types of unfortunate problems.
1) When dealing with student loans, you might be required to do a little foot-work to get the lender on the same page with the institution. From personal experience, I had at least two different instances where my local community college wasn't speaking the same language as student loan's bank. In situations like that, the best way to resolve the uncertainty is to have the school give you a memo or something official & in writing, then take that to your lender (face-to-face with someone, if possible). Then, when speaking with the lender, insist that you spend some of their time by calling your school from their office (or even from your cell phone). In most cases, this will fix the miscommunication issue on the spot.
2) Regarding this reporter's complaint about WGU's credit transferability to another institution, this sounds like an extremely unfortunate problem that I hope I'll never face. But in all fairness, WGU has just about hammered the credit transfer issue into every student's head during the enrollment and orientation processes. Additionally, Dawn would have likely experienced the same credit-transfer problems when transferring to most out-of-state schools with differing local & regional accreditation. This is not a fault with WGU; it is a fault with the complex, heavily fragmented accreditation systems that all legitimate schools must conform to. Proper planning can help all students (not just WGU students) avoid this type of problem. By looking up your school's accreditation and comparing it with other schools you might later attend, you'll get a much better idea at how likely your credits will (or won't) transfer.
I thought it would be also be worth pointing out that WGU discloses their billing cycle *before* you start your classes--not simply when there is a billing issue, as Dawn alluded. It's thoroughly explained during the orientations, as well as in several of the documents and booklets that they send to you. This information includes their tuition rate per academic unit (which is only used when a student does not complete a full-time term). For this circumstance, prospective WGU students can avoid this pitfall by taking 5-10 minutes to read the booklets they send to you. They're not all fluff with pretty pictures after all! =)
Regarding Dawn's final comment, that WGU comes off as a "diploma mill that makes you homeschool yourself," once again, this is something that WGU puts out there before you start classes--you even have to take a short, silly interview that quizes your understanding of their learning structure, which is this: You must be a self motivated learner. They give you the texts, the assignments, and the mentors to assist, but you are responsible for reading your book, connecting the dots, doing your work, or planning your financial aid. No one will hold your hand for you (although the counselors will call you every other week to check in on you, and the department staff is very helpful when you have questions).
WGU is a very different school. But a school doesn't get Title IV (FAFSA/Pell) status by being a diploma mill. In summary, WGU might not be for everybody (as Dawn would agree), but if you are serious enough about your education to do your own research, then you've probably got the self-motivation that's required to attend WGU without these types of unfortunate problems.
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What's this?
1) Pretty much the only time credits will transfer as-is is between schools in a State University System. Most, if not all, have agreements to accept work at their sister schools. Most professionals in higher education would agree that the onus rests on the student to confirm in advance how the gaining institution will handle any transferred credits. Furthermore, this can be done in plenty of time before classes begin.
2) WGU is a 'competency' based institution. In other words, its about whether or not the student demonstrates competency in the particular area of study. In this regard, it can be compared to professional organizations that require certification such a the Bar Exam or a state's certification exam for Physicians before issuing them a license. Traditional eduction is very heavy on the 'theoretical' aspect of the subject and is geared toward developing analytical skills as opposed to subject matter knowledge. A course focusing on the ramifications of key developments in science doesn't necessary assist a person in being able to conduct a scientific experiment. Furthermore, what is the likelihood that the discovery of penicillin will come up in everyday conversation? There is a GREAT deal of information that is disseminated during the course of a degree that will never be used in the real world. In terms of facts and figures, if the information IS needed, its a matter of looking it up. For example, a pharmacist can't possibly remember all of various interactions between different CLASSES of drugs. Nor will a physician remember the numerous diseases out there. The CONSTANTLY utilize reference material. WGU's approach is to focus on the SKILL component of education.
3) Lifelong learning is about learning on your own. There have been countless subjects that I've had to research on my own in order to understand the underlying issues. (I've been out of school since '91). Furthermore, in the real world you are on your own when something develops at work. What if you're a CPA and need to understand the ramifications of Sarbines-Oxley for mid-sized publicly traded companies? Or what if you're a CPA interested in introducing the measures provided in SOX to privately held companies? In either case, the information isn't going to be just handed to you on a platter. You're going to have research it and form your own informed opinion.
4) The terms can start once a month because its not about group learning. Its you and yourself only. In that regard WGU is in line with professional certification courses such as CPA exams, A+ and the various Microsoft certifications that are out there.
2) WGU is a 'competency' based institution. In other words, its about whether or not the student demonstrates competency in the particular area of study. In this regard, it can be compared to professional organizations that require certification such a the Bar Exam or a state's certification exam for Physicians before issuing them a license. Traditional eduction is very heavy on the 'theoretical' aspect of the subject and is geared toward developing analytical skills as opposed to subject matter knowledge. A course focusing on the ramifications of key developments in science doesn't necessary assist a person in being able to conduct a scientific experiment. Furthermore, what is the likelihood that the discovery of penicillin will come up in everyday conversation? There is a GREAT deal of information that is disseminated during the course of a degree that will never be used in the real world. In terms of facts and figures, if the information IS needed, its a matter of looking it up. For example, a pharmacist can't possibly remember all of various interactions between different CLASSES of drugs. Nor will a physician remember the numerous diseases out there. The CONSTANTLY utilize reference material. WGU's approach is to focus on the SKILL component of education.
3) Lifelong learning is about learning on your own. There have been countless subjects that I've had to research on my own in order to understand the underlying issues. (I've been out of school since '91). Furthermore, in the real world you are on your own when something develops at work. What if you're a CPA and need to understand the ramifications of Sarbines-Oxley for mid-sized publicly traded companies? Or what if you're a CPA interested in introducing the measures provided in SOX to privately held companies? In either case, the information isn't going to be just handed to you on a platter. You're going to have research it and form your own informed opinion.
4) The terms can start once a month because its not about group learning. Its you and yourself only. In that regard WGU is in line with professional certification courses such as CPA exams, A+ and the various Microsoft certifications that are out there.
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What's this? #37 Consumer Comment
Due Dilligence
AUTHOR: Davidh - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, September 03, 2009
1) Pretty much the only time credits will transfer as-is is between schools in a State University System. Most, if not all, have agreements to accept work at their sister schools. Most professionals in higher education would agree that the onus rests on the student to confirm in advance how the gaining institution will handle any transferred credits. Furthermore, this can be done in plenty of time before classes begin.
2) WGU is a 'competency' based institution. In other words, its about whether or not the student demonstrates competency in the particular area of study. In this regard, it can be compared to professional organizations that require certification such a the Bar Exam or a state's certification exam for Physicians before issuing them a license. Traditional eduction is very heavy on the 'theoretical' aspect of the subject and is geared toward developing analytical skills as opposed to subject matter knowledge. A course focusing on the ramifications of key developments in science doesn't necessary assist a person in being able to conduct a scientific experiment. Furthermore, what is the likelihood that the discovery of penicillin will come up in everyday conversation? There is a GREAT deal of information that is disseminated during the course of a degree that will never be used in the real world. In terms of facts and figures, if the information IS needed, its a matter of looking it up. For example, a pharmacist can't possibly remember all of various interactions between different CLASSES of drugs. Nor will a physician remember the numerous diseases out there. The CONSTANTLY utilize reference material. WGU's approach is to focus on the SKILL component of education.
2) WGU is a 'competency' based institution. In other words, its about whether or not the student demonstrates competency in the particular area of study. In this regard, it can be compared to professional organizations that require certification such a the Bar Exam or a state's certification exam for Physicians before issuing them a license. Traditional eduction is very heavy on the 'theoretical' aspect of the subject and is geared toward developing analytical skills as opposed to subject matter knowledge. A course focusing on the ramifications of key developments in science doesn't necessary assist a person in being able to conduct a scientific experiment. Furthermore, what is the likelihood that the discovery of penicillin will come up in everyday conversation? There is a GREAT deal of information that is disseminated during the course of a degree that will never be used in the real world. In terms of facts and figures, if the information IS needed, its a matter of looking it up. For example, a pharmacist can't possibly remember all of various interactions between different CLASSES of drugs. Nor will a physician remember the numerous diseases out there. The CONSTANTLY utilize reference material. WGU's approach is to focus on the SKILL component of education.
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What's this? #38 Consumer Comment
WGu is a regionally accredited school
AUTHOR: Chris_p - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I'm writing this to refute other posters here who are completely wrong on their facts.
Chris9317 is completely wrong about nearly everything he posted. For example he wrote,
"What kind of serious school starts classes at the beginning of every month? Use some common sense here. Second, this isn't the only response or complaint on this school. Do a search and you will find dozens and dozens, which is pretty bad for a school that has only been nationally accr for a few years. Yes, nationally accr, similiar to those of career colleges and trade schools. you want to repair air conditioners, you go to a nat accr school because its cheaper and they don't make you do the foundation courses, like algebra or english."
He makes wild unsupported claims here. WGU is Nationally accredited. WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The same accrediting body that recognizes all the other northwestern state universities. Everything he said in this last paragraph is completly inaccurate. Feel free to research WGU accreditation status yourself, simply go to http://www.chea.org/ and then look for WGU.
He then goes on to say
"Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools. "
Which if you do the research, so is WGU. Afterwords he makes this claim.
"These 'online schools' are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a 'matrix' that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing."
He makes lots of assumptions here, and attempts to back up his assumptions by pointing out that one school was fined by the Department of Education. I am not a student or an employee of WGU. However I recently have called the Enrollment department to ask several questions. Throughout four different calls I have never been asked for any personal information, or hassled in any way to enroll in the university.
In fact having been both an employee and a student of the University of phoenix, what he describes in thsi paragraph is the standard operating procedures for UoP. It seems that he must have attended or worked there and now is allowing his emotions to cloud his objectivism towards other online universities.
Chris9317 wants you to believe that because the university of phoenix uses deceptive and unethical business practices that all universities must. However, if that were true wouldn't the Department of education have fined all of them by now? He then goes on to make this accurate but misleading statement
"In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions."
The format of WGU is not a traditional 3 credit per class format. None here are arguing that. However, It's very disengenious to claim that it will count for nothing. Many university will accept the coursework from here as part of a transfer, but it will be accept as Pass/Fail. Texas a&m for example will accept any courses completed at WGU as being passed in the 80th percentile.
There are many schools that don't utilize the traditional credit system, chris merely shows his ignorance by claiming otherwise. If you look a little further into his claims that teachers will get blown off you'll find that he is completely wrong. In fact WGU is Highly regarded as the best online teaching degree program.
I'm sure he will post back here screaming and making his unsubstantiated points again. Don't be fooled, do your own research, he is wrong.
Chris9317 is completely wrong about nearly everything he posted. For example he wrote,
"What kind of serious school starts classes at the beginning of every month? Use some common sense here. Second, this isn't the only response or complaint on this school. Do a search and you will find dozens and dozens, which is pretty bad for a school that has only been nationally accr for a few years. Yes, nationally accr, similiar to those of career colleges and trade schools. you want to repair air conditioners, you go to a nat accr school because its cheaper and they don't make you do the foundation courses, like algebra or english."
He makes wild unsupported claims here. WGU is Nationally accredited. WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The same accrediting body that recognizes all the other northwestern state universities. Everything he said in this last paragraph is completly inaccurate. Feel free to research WGU accreditation status yourself, simply go to http://www.chea.org/ and then look for WGU.
He then goes on to say
"Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools. "
Which if you do the research, so is WGU. Afterwords he makes this claim.
"These 'online schools' are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a 'matrix' that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing."
He makes lots of assumptions here, and attempts to back up his assumptions by pointing out that one school was fined by the Department of Education. I am not a student or an employee of WGU. However I recently have called the Enrollment department to ask several questions. Throughout four different calls I have never been asked for any personal information, or hassled in any way to enroll in the university.
In fact having been both an employee and a student of the University of phoenix, what he describes in thsi paragraph is the standard operating procedures for UoP. It seems that he must have attended or worked there and now is allowing his emotions to cloud his objectivism towards other online universities.
Chris9317 wants you to believe that because the university of phoenix uses deceptive and unethical business practices that all universities must. However, if that were true wouldn't the Department of education have fined all of them by now? He then goes on to make this accurate but misleading statement
"In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions."
The format of WGU is not a traditional 3 credit per class format. None here are arguing that. However, It's very disengenious to claim that it will count for nothing. Many university will accept the coursework from here as part of a transfer, but it will be accept as Pass/Fail. Texas a&m for example will accept any courses completed at WGU as being passed in the 80th percentile.
There are many schools that don't utilize the traditional credit system, chris merely shows his ignorance by claiming otherwise. If you look a little further into his claims that teachers will get blown off you'll find that he is completely wrong. In fact WGU is Highly regarded as the best online teaching degree program.
I'm sure he will post back here screaming and making his unsubstantiated points again. Don't be fooled, do your own research, he is wrong.
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What's this? #39 Consumer Comment
WGu is a regionally accredited school
AUTHOR: Chris_p - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I'm writing this to refute other posters here who are completely wrong on their facts.
Chris9317 is completely wrong about nearly everything he posted. For example he wrote,
"What kind of serious school starts classes at the beginning of every month? Use some common sense here. Second, this isn't the only response or complaint on this school. Do a search and you will find dozens and dozens, which is pretty bad for a school that has only been nationally accr for a few years. Yes, nationally accr, similiar to those of career colleges and trade schools. you want to repair air conditioners, you go to a nat accr school because its cheaper and they don't make you do the foundation courses, like algebra or english."
He makes wild unsupported claims here. WGU is Nationally accredited. WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The same accrediting body that recognizes all the other northwestern state universities. Everything he said in this last paragraph is completly inaccurate. Feel free to research WGU accreditation status yourself, simply go to http://www.chea.org/ and then look for WGU.
He then goes on to say
"Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools. "
Which if you do the research, so is WGU. Afterwords he makes this claim.
"These 'online schools' are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a 'matrix' that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing."
He makes lots of assumptions here, and attempts to back up his assumptions by pointing out that one school was fined by the Department of Education. I am not a student or an employee of WGU. However I recently have called the Enrollment department to ask several questions. Throughout four different calls I have never been asked for any personal information, or hassled in any way to enroll in the university.
In fact having been both an employee and a student of the University of phoenix, what he describes in thsi paragraph is the standard operating procedures for UoP. It seems that he must have attended or worked there and now is allowing his emotions to cloud his objectivism towards other online universities.
Chris9317 wants you to believe that because the university of phoenix uses deceptive and unethical business practices that all universities must. However, if that were true wouldn't the Department of education have fined all of them by now? He then goes on to make this accurate but misleading statement
"In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions."
The format of WGU is not a traditional 3 credit per class format. None here are arguing that. However, It's very disengenious to claim that it will count for nothing. Many university will accept the coursework from here as part of a transfer, but it will be accept as Pass/Fail. Texas a&m for example will accept any courses completed at WGU as being passed in the 80th percentile.
There are many schools that don't utilize the traditional credit system, chris merely shows his ignorance by claiming otherwise. If you look a little further into his claims that teachers will get blown off you'll find that he is completely wrong. In fact WGU is Highly regarded as the best online teaching degree program.
I'm sure he will post back here screaming and making his unsubstantiated points again. Don't be fooled, do your own research, he is wrong.
Chris9317 is completely wrong about nearly everything he posted. For example he wrote,
"What kind of serious school starts classes at the beginning of every month? Use some common sense here. Second, this isn't the only response or complaint on this school. Do a search and you will find dozens and dozens, which is pretty bad for a school that has only been nationally accr for a few years. Yes, nationally accr, similiar to those of career colleges and trade schools. you want to repair air conditioners, you go to a nat accr school because its cheaper and they don't make you do the foundation courses, like algebra or english."
He makes wild unsupported claims here. WGU is Nationally accredited. WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The same accrediting body that recognizes all the other northwestern state universities. Everything he said in this last paragraph is completly inaccurate. Feel free to research WGU accreditation status yourself, simply go to http://www.chea.org/ and then look for WGU.
He then goes on to say
"Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools. "
Which if you do the research, so is WGU. Afterwords he makes this claim.
"These 'online schools' are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a 'matrix' that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing."
He makes lots of assumptions here, and attempts to back up his assumptions by pointing out that one school was fined by the Department of Education. I am not a student or an employee of WGU. However I recently have called the Enrollment department to ask several questions. Throughout four different calls I have never been asked for any personal information, or hassled in any way to enroll in the university.
In fact having been both an employee and a student of the University of phoenix, what he describes in thsi paragraph is the standard operating procedures for UoP. It seems that he must have attended or worked there and now is allowing his emotions to cloud his objectivism towards other online universities.
Chris9317 wants you to believe that because the university of phoenix uses deceptive and unethical business practices that all universities must. However, if that were true wouldn't the Department of education have fined all of them by now? He then goes on to make this accurate but misleading statement
"In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions."
The format of WGU is not a traditional 3 credit per class format. None here are arguing that. However, It's very disengenious to claim that it will count for nothing. Many university will accept the coursework from here as part of a transfer, but it will be accept as Pass/Fail. Texas a&m for example will accept any courses completed at WGU as being passed in the 80th percentile.
There are many schools that don't utilize the traditional credit system, chris merely shows his ignorance by claiming otherwise. If you look a little further into his claims that teachers will get blown off you'll find that he is completely wrong. In fact WGU is Highly regarded as the best online teaching degree program.
I'm sure he will post back here screaming and making his unsubstantiated points again. Don't be fooled, do your own research, he is wrong.
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What's this? #40 Consumer Comment
Are You Serious!?!
AUTHOR: Chris9317 - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, April 06, 2009
What kind of serious school starts classes at the beginning of every month? Use some common sense here. Second, this isn't the only response or complaint on this school. Do a search and you will find dozens and dozens, which is pretty bad for a school that has only been nationally accr for a few years. Yes, nationally accr, similiar to those of career colleges and trade schools. you want to repair air conditioners, you go to a nat accr school because its cheaper and they don't make you do the foundation courses, like algebra or english.
Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools.
These "online schools" are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a "matrix" that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing.
In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Look at you major schools. USC, UCLA, Florida State, Pitt, Penn State, these are all regionally accr schools.
These "online schools" are all the same. They are nothing but high pressured sales where admission reps are nothing more than a bunch of people in a call center hoping to talk you into why their crappy school is better than another crappy school. They will call and call and call until you finally answer the phone, act all buddy buddy with you, to sweet talk you into something. Its a numbers game. Their salary is based of how many people enroll. Let me explain, they won't get a bonus for enrolling you, that's illegal. If your institution receives Title VI funding or Financial Aid, you can't give out bonues. So what they do is put you on a "matrix" that says based on the number of students that started classes and how well/poorly you did your job, here is your new salary. Oh yeah, and you can have two salary increases per year. UoPO got fined roughly $10 million for the same thing.
In addition, look at your transcripts from this school. You won't have credits. PERIOD. So, for a teaching job, you will need to supply your transcripts to your employer. When they see you have ZERO credits, you wil be laughed at and blown all that money. If you work with a school that doesn't work off a credit system, IT IS A SCAM. Every school in the country works off of credits. You should get 3 or 4 credits per class. If not, it's like it never happened.
Don't go to this school. Haven;t you noticed that most scam companies come from Utah. I have additional information on them as well. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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What's this? #41 Consumer Comment
Western Governor's University
AUTHOR: Va2bteacher - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, December 16, 2007
I want to respond to the previous poster about Western Governor University. First, I am sorry that you had to relocate in your senior year of Biology, but, I do think it is unfair of you to come to this website and blast the school because you did not do your research before enrolling into the school. I don't care if it is an online or brick and mortar school a person should always do their research and ask questions before committing to anything.
Having said that, I am a student at Western Governor's University and so far I am very pleased with the education I am getting. I went to their website and read all of the information beforehand so I knew the semesters were 6 months in length. I knew that I had the option of completing just the minimum required coursed to receive financial aid or I could work more aggressively to complete more courses and my tuition would still be the same regardless(I think it is a benefit and bonus.)
I was also concerned about how many credits would transfer from my previous school. I was given the option to transfer without the credits so I could start on my agreed upon date, or I could wait until my transcripts was evaluated and start the following month. By the way new enrollments start the first of each month at WGU.
For these reasons I have to disagree with your complaints. You could have simply told your enrollment counselor that you would wait until your transcripts was evaluated before starting at WGU. It is common knowledge and on their website how the semesters are divided up. The only complaint you really may and should have is with financial aid. I have had issues with them too but I also had problems with financial aid at a local brick and mortar school.
WGU is highly accreditated and affordable. It is highly recommended by the Department of Education, National Teachers Association, and founded by 19 western Governor's. Please work out the details of your financial aid dilemma privately with the school and stop posting negative and misleading information about the school. It deters others who are seeking affordable education who otherwise may not be able to do so at a local brick and mortar school.
I truly hope that you succeed in getting your financial aid issue rectified and that you are able to graduate soon. Best of luck to you!
Having said that, I am a student at Western Governor's University and so far I am very pleased with the education I am getting. I went to their website and read all of the information beforehand so I knew the semesters were 6 months in length. I knew that I had the option of completing just the minimum required coursed to receive financial aid or I could work more aggressively to complete more courses and my tuition would still be the same regardless(I think it is a benefit and bonus.)
I was also concerned about how many credits would transfer from my previous school. I was given the option to transfer without the credits so I could start on my agreed upon date, or I could wait until my transcripts was evaluated and start the following month. By the way new enrollments start the first of each month at WGU.
For these reasons I have to disagree with your complaints. You could have simply told your enrollment counselor that you would wait until your transcripts was evaluated before starting at WGU. It is common knowledge and on their website how the semesters are divided up. The only complaint you really may and should have is with financial aid. I have had issues with them too but I also had problems with financial aid at a local brick and mortar school.
WGU is highly accreditated and affordable. It is highly recommended by the Department of Education, National Teachers Association, and founded by 19 western Governor's. Please work out the details of your financial aid dilemma privately with the school and stop posting negative and misleading information about the school. It deters others who are seeking affordable education who otherwise may not be able to do so at a local brick and mortar school.
I truly hope that you succeed in getting your financial aid issue rectified and that you are able to graduate soon. Best of luck to you!
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What's this? #42 Consumer Suggestion
I am having some difficulty with the IT college at WGU.
AUTHOR: Dearone14 - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, October 26, 2007
Care to join forces to make them pay attention? I could use some advice. Maybe band together for a lawsuit if need be?
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What's this? 
