Independence University Stevens Henager College, The Center for Excellence in Higher Education, College America and California College of San Deigo Fraud, Deceptive Trade, Diploma Mill Ogden, Utah Nationwide

In 2012-2013, I attended Stevens Henager College Online. During the admissions process, I came very close to withdrawing from the school on three different occasions due to repeatedly being subjected to numerous prevarications orated to me by my financial aid and admissions advisors.

Due to the fact that I had been lied to on numerous occasions by my administrative and financial aid advisors, I called the Director of the College, Dr. Allan Hansen, and shared my concerns with him.  He apologized numerous times to me about my experiences with said advisors and offered reasonable excuses, such as overworked, new to the college (not fully trained) and possible misunderstandings between my advisors and myself, which lead me to making a phenomenal and cost mistake of staying enrolled with the college.  I have always been the kind of person who likes to see through the bad and find the good in people. 

From the first day of my attendance at Stevens Henager, it was extremely apparent to me that the education standards of the school were far below par of a local public college I had previously attended.  For instance, the curriculum in the first three classes I attended, were severely outdated.  Frankly, the course materials in my history and English classes, were very similar of classes I had taken in junior high school.  When testing for my classes, I often found numerous webpages with both the test questions and answers for the tests in my courses; a further testament to how outdated the course materials I was being provided actually were.

The catalyst or what some people may refer to as the proverbial ‘Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back’ with me was brought about in my third week of a four week class (all classes at Stevens Henager College are four week classes) by the college not being able to provide the required eBook for the course, though I and others in the class were charged for the same.

During the above referenced class, I was actually contacted by my professor, Jennifer Sorrenson, on several occasions.  Jennifer Sorrenson on numerous occasions conveyed complaints to me concerning her tenure at Stevens Henager College, which included complaints about her supervisors threating her employment if she did not give passing grades to certain students who were not turning in their assignments or doing anything more than logging in four times a week to the class. Jennifer Sorrenson, on one occasion informed me that three of her students in the class were homeless people, who did not have a computer to access the course.

It is hard for student in the middle of school to drop out and find another school to attend.  However, how can you reasonably justify staying with a program costing you $40,000.00 to obtain an associate’s degree, when your school isn’t providing you with the eBooks that are required to complete the course work?  Many of my classmates simply adopted the attitude that they did not care about the school not providing the required eBooks for the courses, as long as the school gave them passing grades for their classes that would lead to them to obtaining there program diploma.

When the school administration became aware that I was talking to other students, i.e., sharing my dissatisfaction about the school,  I received a phone call one evening from their School Director, Dr. Allan Hansen.  During our conversation, Dr. Hansen went in to what I refer to as a ‘song and dance’ routine, similar to our prior aforementioned conversation.  I promptly told Dr. Hansen, that I would not be placated anymore to which he replied as follows:

“Why did you enroll at Stevens Henager College?  You are not the type of student we normally enroll here.  We are here to help economically disadvantaged people such as single mothers, young adults who dropped out of high school and people who are not prepared for attending schools with higher educational standards”

I believe that any reasonable person could understand how appalled I felt after listening to Dr. Hansen’s aforementioned diatribe and song and dance routine. 

The following day, I wrote about my experiences with Stevens Henager College on several college review and complaint sites.  The same resulted in several calls from my admissions advisors and department heads at Stevens Henager College, where I was subjected to numerous threats of expulsion if I did not cease and desist in writing negative things about Stevens Henager. 

Several days later, I again received a phone call from Dr. Hansen.  During our conversation, Dr. Hansen strongly suggest that I withdraw from admissions at Stevens Henager or face expulsion from the college. I basically laughed at his threat of expulsion and we agreed that upon my voluntary enrollment withdraw from the college, the following would occur:

1. The cost of my English course which the school could not provide the required eBook for would be refunded to my school account.

2. I would immediately return the laptop the school sent me at the start of enrollment.

3. The School would not process any future grants or financial aid in my behalf

4. I would not owe the college any money and the refund for the said course would be sent to me by check.  (I never received a penny back from them.)

Two months after I left the school, I received notice from the US Department of Education informing me that Stevens Henager College had withdrawn tuition for a second semester at Stevens Henager College.  I contacted the school on several occasions notifying their financial aid department, that I was not attending a second semester with the school, that I was still waiting on the above referenced tuition refund and that I was no longer a student enrolled with the college.

Numerous financial aid representatives for the college, including their Director of Finance, David Roberts, assured me that the school had withdrawn the money in error and would promptly return it, but until I paid an attorney to contact my student loan servicing company and the US Department of Education, Stevens Henager, Inc. held on to my student loan and Pell Grant money.  

Recently I was contacted by a bill collector demanding that I pay their collection agency over $2,000.00 due to my allegedly owing Stevens Henager College approximately $1,700.00 for tuition and a cost of the laptop I had returned to them. 

Frustrated and angry, I contacted an attorney suing the school for other issues, including fraud and illegal recruiting activities, explaining to the attorney my experiences with the administration and my attendance at the college. 

A few days later, I received a call from the Chief Executive Officer for The Center for Excellence in Higher Education, Inc.  (aka Stevens Henager, Inc.) Eric Juhlin. During our phone conversation (June 12, 2015), I explained my aforementioned complaints and concerns to Mr. Juhlin concerning his organization.  At that time Mr. Juhlin, (who has a colorful history of owning, administering and or operating diploma mill schools) gave me his word that he would erase my balance with Stevens Henager College and cut me a check for the tuition of my aforementioned English course, as previously agreed upon by Dr. Hansen and myself.

On June 16^th, 2015, Eric Juhlin called me and informed me that the school charged by semester so he could not refund my tuition money for the aforementioned course due to it being part of my first semesters tuition.  He further stated that they had no record of receiving the laptop I had returned to them but he would zero out my account with them in consideration of my not furnishing the US Attorney and the litigants suing his organization, with documentary or testimonial evidence, damaging to his organization.  I laughed as I hung up on him.

I would advise anyone who is considering attending any university or college owned by The Center for Excellence in Higher Education (Independence University, College America, Stevens Henager College and The California College of San Diego) to reconsider enrolling with these scumbags.  If you are a previous student of any of the aforementioned schools, you would be well advised to contact your own attorney, the US Department of Education and or the US Attorney Generals office for Utah.  Those wishing to join a class action suit against these scumbag ripoff artists, please contact William Lucas at twl@pupf.net 

If you don’t believe what I have conveyed to you in this post and or want to consider further information concerning the crooks who run The Center For Excellence in Higher Education,  please visit the following web pages for more information.

For-Profit College Changes Tax Status, But Not Necessarily Its Practices

nonprofitquarterly.org/2014/05/09/for-profit-college-changes-tax-status-but-not-necessarily-its-practices/

Fox News: EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblowers in Stevens-Henager College lawsuit speak out

ox13now.com/2014/05/14/exclusive-whistleblowers-in-stevens-henager-college-lawsuit-speak-out/

Violations of Abuse of Confidential Student Financial and Personal Information – Ripoff Report:

ripoffreport.com/r/Stevens-Henager-College-Online/internet/Stevens-Henager-College-Online-Stevens-Henager-College-College-America-Independance-Univ-1038015

First Things First.  The Truth About Independence University, Formerly Stevens Henager College

http://stevenshenagertruth.blogspot.com

There are literally thousands of complaints by both employees and current / former students of Stevens Henager.  Please use your favorite search information to read more about the scumbags who run The Center for Excellence in Higher Education.