Aiu Online ripoff-Scam a college using sales to increase admission Hoffman Estates Illinois

ok, i am not one to answer these type of things. but, since i was looking for an online college to re-educate myself after a serious disabling accident that stopped me from working at my chosen carreer. like many , i research  what i am looking for to gain knowledge. my research led to this report page. i must say that , all i am seeing is disgruntled employees stabbing at a former employer.  i have seen nothing of the EDUCATION or programs or anything that even remotely resembles a scam nor a rip off.sure the college WAS under probation a couple years back  , but honestly , have  you ever seen how many other schools undergo the very same thing in a years time????. IF , you are going to call a business a scam or rip off. you need to provide facts as to HOW they scammed you or ripped you off. and i am seeing absolutely none of that in this whole post and yes i have read them all..

so .,  for all u disgruntled ex-employees..it is not a scam to fire you for poor performance. it is not a rip off if u quit because U DIDN'T LIKE THE JOB. the school is legit and accredited. the school is NO LONGER UNDER ANY TYPE OF PROBATION! AND  while some of their work practices may  have been "unethical" i can name you at least a thousand similar business all across the globe.the presidency of our country being on the top  of the list. so go whine somewhere else please and stop spouting off garbage you know nothing about..scam rip off?? no ...absolutely no sign of those  as far as this reader can see.,

I have been flooded with calls from AIU advisors both last week and this week.  When unable to reach me they were calling my daughter's number and leaving messages.

Today we again made connections.  It was a different young lady that I spoke with today.  The call was lengthy but very informative.    We have been trying to decide the best way for me to handle the two majors I would like for my BS.

Since I am well over the Senior Citizen beginning age,  time plays a large part in how I handle an on-line college study course.   Everyone tried very hard to find ways that would be easier, less expensive and not quite as time consuming.  

It was suggested that I take the first two years at our Community College.  That way I can complete the basics.   I would also learn if I was capable of completing a four year BS Degree.    I can't say enough kind words about the consideration and care I was given during our phone conversations.    I found this experience to be very refreshing.    I will definitely choose AIU for my BS after I complete my basics at our Community College. 

If you were wrongfully accused of a crime and facing life in prison or the death penalty would you be comfortable with a lawyer that received his/her degree online representing you? 

If you or a close relative had major surgery would you be comfortable with the surgeon or nurses in the recovery room having an online degree? 

If you were in Human Resources of a major company and in charge of hiring the best talent and reducing the turn over rate would you actively recruit graduates of an online degree program? 

If you lost a close family member of friend to a violent crime would you be completely comfortable with a graduate from an online degree program investigating your missing or deceased loved ones? 

If the answer to any of the above questions are no then you understand why I refuse to interview applicants who have online degrees for positions that require a degree. Let's be serious here if you have an online degree very few companies will hire you. Online degrees are not as attractive as degrees from 4 year universities and most online degree programs do not offer the types of courses necessary for the graduate to obtain the level of employment that they want. For instance, one of my entry level employees said he was enrolled in an IT program with an online school. When he had his transcripts evaluated by the IT director he was advised to enroll in a community college and take courses that were not offered at the online school. The truth is that although you have the "piece of paper" to prove you have an accredited degree in most cases you don't have the required course work completed to obtain higher level positions that you would expect to receive after spending 40 or 50 thousand on a diploma. 


The truth is if you want a solid career and an education that speaks for itself you will go to a real University and obtain it. Going to an online school is just as reputable as products sold on infomercials just, because everyone is doing it doesn't mean it works! If you want to lose weight diet and exercise. If you want to become educated go to a real school and obtain a real education otherwise, I'm throwing your resume in the trash along with everyone else with an online degree!  

It is not just the admissions advisers at AIU that do that.  I was, however, harassed by a representive from ECPI, which is another online institution.  The guy called me consistently even after I said I wasn't interested and was attending another school.  It was too expensive and I had never heard of it up until that point.  But, I wasn't harassed or denied any information about AIU.  It is not hard to find out how much the school is anyways.  You can google tuition costs for any accredited college.  

Also, AIU just online-they have three campuses in the United States and three overseas.  If it was such a scam, how in the world would they have schools overseas.  Before you post negative things about a school be sure to do a little more research about it.  It is not hard to find legitimate information about any school.  It was funny how you remembered everything the admissions adviser said, but see I have worked with two different Universities.  

Sometimes, it sounds repetitive because the person has been doing it for quite some time.  And if you have been out of school for five years or more then you are pretty much accepted, you just have to take a few tests to see where you stand on a university level.  I have been in two different universities and I was contingently accepted until they received my official transcripts.  It may seem as though the school is about money, but based on the information you may provide them will determine what the response is.  

Is this the Same AIU ON Line that i was taking classes? well seems for me the same!!. I had a really and frustrating experience  with them, I graduated from a foreign country,and after almost 11/2 year,they canceled my classes;because i did not submit my transcript? i am 51 years old. Planned to go back to school again,therefore since my HS graduation was in 1978,and since they never asked me for any evidence,I personal submit my HS Diploma, what i got in return from the Cancelation Office and the CEO,was that my HS DIploma was Fake? I am not upset, I am frustrated. Maybe you were lucky and you got the needed help at the right time.  Bless!

Im sorry did I use the word "SCAM"? I don't think I did, if so the better word choice would be "SUSPECT". So instead of doig your job for the competing company you got fired up and signed on to be an AIU advocate. I spoke on my experience and thats it. If it happens to align with others here who have called AIU a scam then so be it. Sorry I dont the kind of time you do, nor am I being paid to monitor this, except for receiving emails when there a new report, so Ill let you guys get back to work. People have a right to share their own experiences whether you agree or not, believe it or not,.just like you have the right to keep doing DAMAGE CONTROL! God bless!

Oh and no I did not complete enrollment...I ran. I requested to be withdrawn the day class was to begin. Thanks to those harrassing sales calls and Ripoffreport.com.

I am not sure exactly why people like to come on here and complain about sales pitches and sales tactics. This is a for profit university, clearly stated and not denied by the university to my knowledge. I have earned my BBA and I am half way to my MBA with AIU Online now. What many people fail to see is that AIU also is a brick and mortar school, the online piece is not a stand alone entity. It is not a scam it is higher education, it is not free but the fees are declared up front. Accept them or move on to another university. I have compared this program to APSU, the local university here in Clarksville, TN and found the price is very similar, especially when you consider I do not pay campus charges or book fees.

People need to evaluate what it is that has them in a bind. If you are a previous employee and for whatever reason quit or were fired, fine discuss that. But just because you are butthurt does not make AIU a scam.

What it all boils down to is be an adult, if you are a potential student do your own research. I would not consider this ripoff report a valid source since it is based on sales techniques that are pretty universal. Consider instead the accreditation, available courses of study and the opinions of graduates who may or may not have gone on to success. Not all degree programs are suitable for online (forensics is one I commonly hear about), but I can attest that the business program will give you the tools to make the most of your experience. 

For those who seem to get more calls that anyone else, do you avoid them or do you just tell them up front to stop calling you are no longer interested? My experience (with several other universities) is they will stop calling when you make your view clear. I had many applications out for my MBA program and decided to stay on at AIU because of the experiences I had in the BBA, and because of the speed of the program. 

It is up to each and every individual to be an adult and be responsible for their actions. IF you cry here because you screen calls then go back to the phone, call them and tell them you are no longer interested.

Believe it or not even in this economy there is actually people who have graduated from a for-profit college and are happy with their jobs.  Yes they ARE salesman, I never denied this.  I also think I paid way to much for the convenience of being able to set my own school schedule.  But listen to what you are talking about.  You are calling them a scam for being sales people BEFORE admission.  If they are really a scam don't you think you would see more POST grads on here complaining about how their degree got them no where or it turned to to be fake?  Every person on here defending AIU has already graduated.  Everyone calling them out is either a disgruntled employee or a prospective student.  

I found this page because my company happens to be building a website for a for profit college.  As I was doing research on other for profit online competitors I thought I would check up on my old school since I am to be building a site for a competing company.  The AIU online presence is very different that it was in 2005 when I enrolled.

Also being from the SEO world I could say the very same for you, there is thousands of companies out there that are paid to ruin the online reputation for other companies.  How much are you getting paid to waste peoples time with drummed up reports on a school you didn't even go to? 

The "happy grad" seems to just happened to find this page yet it looks like, smell like, sounds like damage control for AIU. These people are def. Salesmen and they do call you excessively to get your business. I almost fell for and 7mths later they are still calling me to find out why I didnt complete enrollment, even though I've explained to several diff staff. I had to be a little rude just to slow them down. And where cost are concerned it's just ridiculous to pay twice as much for thr same education you can get elsewhere. Please do your research and ask family and friends about their experiences with a particular school. Fyi: If you do find yourself ina school that's not right for you, WITHDRAW AND TRANSFER IMMEDIATELY. Trust me once you enroll the phone calls will stop. Sad but true!

In response to the prospective student who is questioning why happy grads even respond.  I can across something online about AIU that lead me here and felt I should add my $0.02 as a happy grad.

I graduated from AIU Online in 2007.  I spent the 4 years previous at a CSU unable to complete all my classes due to CA University bureaucracy and balancing a full time job with school.  I ended up going with AIU because I could finish school without having to do 10 more years in the retail circuit just so I could get the weekend and night time hours I needed to make the CSU schedule.

Two things hit me when I was going to my online classes (1) it was way harder than I thought it was going to be, I had to apply myself much more than I had going to any of my CSU classes.  There is no coasting online.  The classes are accelerated so you have much less time to fool around (5 weeks vs 15 weeks).  The professors are only required to respond to emails within 24 hours so you need to do a lot of research on your own.  Just like real life, either you have your finished project or you don't.  If you don't you fail. (2) For the first time since I started college I used something I learned in school and applied it to real life, and not "great dinner conversation about Greek and Roman mythology" life, but actual "I can use this at a job" life.

Do I feel like I paid too much? HECK yes I did, this is definitely a for-profit college, I left this school with $40,000 in student loan debt.  It is way more expensive than going to a state school.  But did my degree get me out of working retail?  HECK yes it did.  In fact, because of my degree I was able to get a career I LOVE in web development.  Had I not been already in school for a BIT I would have never had the qualification to transfer to the IT department at my then current company and start building real work experience.   Was it a mix of luck and timing + my degree? Probably, but if I had not graduated I would not have been qualified to even apply for the job I have right now, so in my book, this school was definitely worth my while.

As an added note, I have never had an employer scoff at my graduating school.  If it matters I live in the Silicon Valley in CA and I am making ~$80,000/ year as the head of the engineering dept for a medium sized start up. Does my degree have the same weight as MIT or Harvard?  Of course not, but, it is looked at as on par with CA state schools, which is more than enough to get you employed.

i get about 10 calls a day from this school and other for profit schools. i just answer and hang up because ive told them not to call. Maybe they will get it eventually but i dont think they will because after all they are working at AIU....

For profit schools give you at BEST a bachelor degree and your paying over 40gs just to gt it. Trust me people dont like degrees from for profit schools they will choose someone with a better education over you just for the simple fact that you paid double or triple the cost of a local community college that will give you a better education and the ability to transfer to a real school (yes credits transfer but only to other for profit schools). yes you may make 50 grand a year if you can find work with that degree but who would be happy making that crap? If your wanting to drop that kind of cash go to a real university its well worth it.

now let the spam come from you AIU alumni lmao

CEC - Career Education Corpoartion the company which owns numerous private for-profit colleges is under Federal investigation.  Students will suffer. Watch the Youtube video below.

These are schools owned by CEC:
IADT - International Academy of Design and Technology
AIU? - American InterContinental University
Brown College
CTU - Colorado Technical University? - CTU Online
Brooks Institute
Le Cordon Bleu
CCA - California Culinary Academy
Sanford-Brown College?? - Sanford-Brown Institute
Briarcliffe College -? Briarcliffe Online
Missouri? College
Collins College

Visit my Youtube group and watch the 1min video -- it explains everything.
http://www.youtube.com/user/CECOAdvocate

Ok, I have been reading many of your post for about an hour trying to get more info on whether AIU would be a good school for me to attend, and in my best interest.

On thing that reallly puzzles me about the responses to this report is understanding why some have taken the time to comment at all. I can understand why those who have complaints would take the time to find this post and comment, but why would those who have such a positive review take the time to search out Ripoff Report if they have no complaints or concerns.

Seems to me this school may have department that seeks to do damage control via the internet.

I contacted AIU and the same day I was enrolled because start date was just a weekend away. The admissions advisor I have been speaking with very nice and indeed upbeat and nicely agressive. It was hard to get any information from on the financial aspect until after I enrolled and was then tranferred to financial aid. After being enrollment, speaking with the advisor, and then financial aid, I found I would be taking an overload of 4 classes per sesssion (10 wks long). I would take 2 classes the first 5wks and then 2 more classes for the next 5 wks, then 1 wk off.

Financial aid could not still yet tell me how much I would qualify for nor could they be certain that my grants and loans would cover the total cost of tuition. I basically got the idea they get you enrolled first then find out if you can or cannot pay for it or not. Whether this is right or wrong, I'd like to know up front before going through the process later to find I can afford it.

After my convo with financial aid I decided to withdraw from AIU immediately as not to leave my future and finances to chance. Seems I was just being drug along and given info in bits and pieces. I tried to call the advisor and could not reach him so I sent him an email informing him of my decision and requesting to be refunded the $50.00 app fee I paid. (Only because I was told at some point during the first week it could be refunded if I decided not to continue at AIU.)

For the past several days I missed at least 20-30 call from AIU, and they even attempted call from different numbers but I figured the email I sent was pretty self explanatory. I called back this morning a day after class was to begin and again spoke with the advisor. I informed him I sent an email. He verified it but just wanted to know why I wanted to withdraw. I told him again, he then transferred me to someone who further wanted to convince me to stay. He said they would decelerate my program to one class at a time. This sounds much better and affordable, but I'm just not sure. They will be contacting me back later today, but I already told the second guy before we spoke my mind was made up. That still didn't stop him from trying.

I had a waaaaay better experience with Walden University and everything is upfront and in black and white. I think I will return and finish my degree there. Look them up, they have far less complaints. Besides the cost is a lil over $9000 per school year, 5 credit per course for a total of $1300 per class, one course at a time (6wks), 2 courses per quarter for 12wks (for a total of $2660 per quarter including $60 tech fee), refunds to students of excess received within 14 days after disbursement (usually sooner if you have the school debit card or direct deposit). In most cases, you do have to pay for your own books but the extra from your disbursement well cover the cost especially since you can buy them cheaper online from ebay, etc. Disbursements are sent every 3mths (I can only speak for quarter based undergrads getting their bachelors) the first of which is received a few days after your start date (if you start at the beginning of the quarter). Hope this helps with your journey.

JUST MY TWO CENTS, take it or leave it! I'm going back where I know I will get a good quality education from an accredited school that don't play but care about there students education. Best wishes!

@Ashamed and Embarrased,

I'm not sure where you received your financial aid information, however, I did utilize my Montgomery G.I. Bill. If you consult with the VA they will inform you that if the possibility exists to have 60% of your tuition paid for. Of course you have to have the requisit achievements, I have been deployed to a combat zone for more than 2 years total so I was quick to switch to the "Post 9/11 G.I.Bill" which does in fact cover 60% of my tuition. The school also gives me a 10% grant for military service, I am only responsible for 30% of my total tuition expenses.



I have just done a fast tally of my academic hours and will asses my tuition situation for you:

• I have completed 105 quarter hours at the rate of $339.00 per hour for a
  
  
  
  total of $38,745.

• 60% paid by the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill totaling $23,247 being paid from the
  
  
  
  program.

• 10% is given to me as a Military discount totaling $3874.50

• I have student loans totaling $11, 623, give or take, since I haven't paid all
  
  
  
  interest as it acrues on my un-sub loan.

Bear in mind I had credits transfered in from another university and this total completed a BBA. While it is true that Austin Peay State University, the local university, is cheaper to the tune of a third the cost, I do have the flexibility of online classes and a much faster program, on the order of half the time.



So in closing, the school isn't ressponsible for your GI Bill, you are. Use the system and you too can get a good education for half the time, but you will be challenged in the higher classes.

After reading many of these lengthy reports, I am somewhat blown away at the accuracey of the reports on both sides. The treatment most felt as sales tactics are definately THAT!, but to us at the time appeared and felt much different. The pressure was emince, and as one stated before, you felt compelled to comply to whatever the situation. Long story short. I am ashamed and embarrassed that I actually received an associates degree from that school because at nearly $40,000 later, my wife has both a bachelors and a masters from a very notable school, O.U. (Univ of O.) for half that cost. And as one other report above stated, I was led to believe that the majority of my cost would be taken care of by my G.I. bill. There is more, but I do not have time or the mind set to rehash my feelings about be mad a fool of. I hope others learn from some of these post and really think and research before attending one of these schools. If I had to do over again. I would have picked a local school and paid less then 10 grand for a complete 4-year degree. 

I am a 22 year old female serving over seas currently, AIU Online is the only school I would consider first and formost for my education, I did NOT need to take out a loan to be able to enroll, the fee was waved due to active duty military survice, and they have been nothing but helpful with the situation I am in, I have no phone available and with this they have kept in good standing with there email responses to the questions I have had. I had attended AIU previous to enlistment, and with FAFSA I only owed about 2500 of the tuition cost, they had no problems for me dropping to enlist, and return once I felt comfortable that I would not move around again and even then the payments were not high, and the loan only charges $50 a month...who could complain? now that I am in the military; if they were indeed a rip off, I would have probably needed to take out additional loans and sign away my GI bill which is most-definately NOT the case, I filled for fafsa, and TA, which covered all but $180 come on people...yes salesmen yes they want to in their school, and perhaps they would like some money.... but that's what everyone in America is after isn't it? do you think that doctors get paid a lot of money because they help people for free? Get wise people, America is NOT free in the aspect of money...what are we fighting for here? s**t.

Please insult me.....I I never stop working so you can work at mcdonalds for the rest of your life because you don't feel a dime is worth giving to better yourself....where are you now? I don't feel bad for you, for all the ex AIU salesmen, your job sucked because like mentioned (no college degree) and you didn't try hard enough. suck it up, that's what you paid for (didn't). when I get to relax and (retire) I will think of you.

Maybe I could be a nicer person...but having your job and mine on my shoulders, I'm slightly disgruntled and the fact that you all b***h about the money and pretend that's not what EVERY LAST THING is about.     AIU= Money worth spent, and a returning investment.

You say AIU is a scam. Well, the school is for profit. I am a current alumni. I worked hard towards my degree. If you had a bad experience well I apologize on behalf of AIU. AIU did not withhold information I requested. It was emailed to me immediately. With the school being a private education facility by law they do not have to disclose any information unless it seems deemed too if you are not a current student. 

If any decieving taking place it is the employees that are decieving. If a major college accepts credit hours from AIU then they are just as legit as UD, George Tech and the list goes on. I appreciate AIU and the experiences i havehad along the way. FYI: Sallie Mae was given the loans by the government. Get your facts instead of assumptions. If you was an employee always read the fine line. Are you still employed there? I am statisified.

I have been attending AIU Online for several lessons, now and have no been constantly bombarded by phone calls from admissions advisers or anyone for that matter. Also during the Holidays, our classes were ended. They resumed after the Holidays. I was contacted by ONE admissions adviser before starting and had my transcripts on file before starting any classes.

Everyone, from government agencies, to high school teachers, to talking heads on TV tell college students to COMPARE SCHOOLS!  Lots of schools have online classes, lots of schools are cheaper than AIU.  Does that make AIU a scam? No, it simply makes them more expensive. 

The key is comparing at least 2 or 3 schools, especially LOCAL and NON-PROFIT colleges.  Check your local community colleges to see if they have programs online.  Or talk to their advising department in person.  They can give you lots of info on local colleges that are less expensive and really work with you one-on-one.  If you don't take the time, you will pay more.

Also look at whether you have the time to take online classes.  I've completed most of my BA online and I will tell you it takes longer to do the work for an online class than for a traditional class.  If you don't have the time for a regular class, you won't succeed at online courses either.

And the comments about accreditation just "stopping" -- doesn't work that way.  When a school loses accreditation, it takes years of not making changes and they are warned several times before the final decision.  So you should be confident in whatever school you choose. If you're not -- ask for a second opinion!

Let me give you all my two cents in regards to this institution. I started me bachelors of Information Technology at the university of Phoenix and had a great experience there. Classes where challenging and hard which to me is a way to tell about the quality of the education. I then transferred and finished my Bachelors of information technology at AIU and just like many of you said it was the hardest two years for me. Online college is a very challenging thing to do especially when you have a full time job, but it can be very rewarding and the learning experience is controlled by you. After graduation I got promoted due to my degree and got a $10,000 a year raise which is great no matter how you see it. I decided to go for my Master degree, but I wanted it in engineering which AIU do not offer, so I tried a new online program offered by the Polytechnic University in New York. They fully accepted my degree to their hardest degree program Electrical Engineering not for Bachelor, but for the Master degree. I did a full quarter with that institution and discovered that AIUs Information Technology program is very similar to Polytechs Electrical engineering program which is a good thing. I decided to once again transfer to a brick and mortar college due to the fact that my employer offered to pay for my full tuition if I took Industrial Engineering instead because of the need they had for industrial engineers. I joined the University of Southern Mississippi which is one of those praised Brick and Mortar institutions and hated it. Classes were held once or twice a month and nothing was discussed the second class was completely online, but the professor never showed up so I decided to quit wasting my time in that institution. To my surprise they still made me pay FULL tuition for those classes, and never listened to my claim. One more thing, they never gave me the attention I received at AIU. Never answered my questions or called me back, lost my documents twice and all sorts of garbage I have come to expect from brick and mortar institutions. I started again with AIU last year and this week I am completing my MBA with a concentration in Production Control which I may confess was not easy and they never hesitated in telling me that if I did not raised my GPA they would dismiss me (I did raise my GPA though, but with hard work). Sorry for the brick and mortar defenders but your gig is about over and this will be the era of the online education for those who can handle it. Are they perfect no, but is MIT or Southern miss perfect neither they are plagued with problems but the thing that matters the most, the education gained and the accreditation are top notch and effective in getting you where you want to be in the corporate world. Whether you join AIU or go to a brick and mortar college will be for you to decide, but challenges will be in both of them and it will ultimately be up to you to succeed.

I thought I was long done with this school, but I too have to put in my word. I used to work at AIU in admissions for 2 years, from 2005 until May 2007. I watched AIU progress from the horrible things being written here back then to the school it had become when I left in 2007.

I firmly believe that it is because of the thousands of students who would become affected that AIU Online was allowed to keep their accreditation. Much like Bush's bailout plan isnt it? SACS is too good of an association to allow innocent people to suffer for the mistakes of a school which they had empowered. It is not because of the efforts of AIU Online alone.

I did recieve 20 credits from AIU which fully transfered to PCC and Portland State University. PCC offered nearly all of the classes for their AA online. The cost was less than 1/2 of AIU!! You can take out a loan and keep the money for other expenses. Although employers wont admit it to YOU, even a community college degree is better respected than an online school's degree and there is no way they can tell the community college classes were online. Even if AIU is fully accredited, you wont have to worry that your degree is being looked down upon by someone who doesn't know any better.

 The professors were well educated, but not very involved. Most were taking this on as a second job that they didnt have to show up to. The programs are only benefitial to students taking them to enhance and validate what you have already learned on the job and if you have an employer willing to cover the inflated costs. None of what I took at AIU was nearly as difficult or required as much homework, papers, exams as PCC or PSU.
 
To Rene in Canby, who never had to work Start Sundays? - Do NOT EVEN call all of their stories "half baked gospel" It's all true, I know; I was there.

***This rebuttal is for the consideration of all possible AIU-Online students who are just seeking additional information.***

Background on me: I've been in the corporate world for over 7+ years now, first beginning in retail and now in corporate sales. Given my experience, which lacked a college degree, I was fortunate to have landed the job.

Having been in a sales position for so long, I attempted to work my way through the corporate ladder. This is when I came to the realization that a degree would help me make a parallel or upward move into my desired field - visual communications. However, given my situation at the time, the demands of my work didn't make it practical for me to attend a brick & mortar facility.

Now, you're probably here conducting some research on which online school may be best suited for you. There are several things you should consider before attending an online school: 1) Do you know what it means to be accredited? 2) What are your career/educational goals? 3) Are you self-motivated?

There are definitely other things to take into account, but let's just address the aforementioned factors as:

AIU Online is ACCREDITED by Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (www.sacs.org). To my understanding, most legitimate online schools will be accredited by one of six regional accreditors. I found that many brick & mortar schools like Baylor University is also accredited by SACS. For more info on accreditation, check out this link: http://www.elearners.com/guide-to-online-education/regional-and-national-accreditation.asp.

Next, what degree are you planning to pursue and use it for? Most online schools offer business degrees that are career focused. In my humble opinion, I think online degrees are best suited for career advancement (check with your HR department about reimbursement) or to expand your skills. If you are planning to pursue a master's or transfer to another school, your best bet is to check to see what credits will transfer or if the online degree is accepted. There are issues with credit transfers between nationally and regionally accredited colleges.

Now with any type of education or learning-development, self-motivation is key... even more so with an online school. It is project oriented and fast-paced, and your development will be determined by the effort you put in. Unfortunately, there are some students who do the bare minimum and squeak by. In the end they are only hurting themselves and will find their education at AIU to be a waste. Dedicate yourself to learning all that you can. Use your resources and spend the appropriate amount of time to ensure maximum retention.

I can say now that I am quite pleased with what AIU Online has offered me. Granted the application process was a pain, and my advisor was/is slightly annoying... I still feel that I have received a quality education. They helped me update my resume, and I've been receiving callbacks for positions in my desired field.

I'm continuing on to pursue my bachelor's in Digital Design. I'm a little skeptical about the accelerated learning for some of the courses, but I'll be sure to update this post should my opinion change.

Please note that all posts within this site are skewed viewpoints with some facts (even my own). Disgruntled ex-employees, opinionated consumers, and defensive students/employees.

I encourage you to do your own research, take each post with a grain of salt, and make your own decision.

If you go to college because a friendly but persistent telemarketer finally caught you by chance on the phone and told you to do it, you need to A) be critically suspicious of the intentions and INTEGRITY of any school that employs the use of aggressive telemarketers, and B) It's simple and easy exactly because it is nearly worthless on the open market in most cases, but HIGHLY profitable to the company (CEC). How many things truly worth having in life came as easily as acceptance to AIU Online? How many great, legitimate, authentic business or personal opportunities have come to you as the result of a telemarketer who simply wouldn't stop dialing your number until you said DO NOT CALL? You are honest if you answer zero. Use that standard of common sense with AIU. It was a growing trend for a while because it was cheaper for companies, and easier for working adults to attend not because the education is better. I was routinely forced to present for acceptance graduate candidates who couldn't even write in coherent sentences, even after coaching. If I refused, the sales managers would scoff at me, and tell me We'll give this one to someone who is more committed to student success. These grad candidates had recently graduated, some even with honors from AIU Bachelor's programs! Make no mistake; the people who call you are under strict quota for SALES.

The many, many layers of sales managers anxiously pace the cubicle aisles ALL DAY asking everyone Got one? Got one yet? and You're behind!!. Numbers, numbers, numbers just like every other boiler room sales factory you may have ever seen.
The success stories and student testimonials that are presented are atypical to the n'th degree, and the overwhelming majority of graduates reap nothing but enormous student loan debt payments in exchange for their horribly overpriced endeavor.
If you went to AIU and won something because of it, congratulations! Casinos hold out the million dollar winners too, and tell everyone they could be next!
If you are ALREADY EMPLOYED by an educational partner of the school, and your company has promised to pay for the school, and has promised you a meaningful promotion upon completion of the degree, then and only then - DO IT!! You are quite nearly the only small fraction of humanity that it might be a good deal for.

I won't be attending AIU, thanks entirely to the honest, intelligent, and helpful counselor I recently spoke with. This knowledgeable and up-front fellow explained that my undergrad degree and work experience simply don't prepare me for the AIU Masters Degree program I was interested in.

Thank you, sir, for keeping me out of a program I don't have the background to succeed in. I doubt anyone who signs up at AIU with you for a counselor will have any serious trouble with the course work or suffer from that bewildered feeling of, "What am I doing in this class and where the heck am I going with this program?"

AIU Online has a fairly large following among working adults. While spending 23 years in the US Navy, I ran across many Sailors that had obtained a degree from AIU and were completely satisfied with the the curriculum and the recognition of the degree. I personally earned my BS through Excelsior College, Albany NY but am quite interedsed in a graduate degree from AIU. I contacted them and was quite impressed with their curriculum, standards and learning environment. I haven't noticed any hard sales tactics.

Currently, I am a Training Specialist for a large company dealing with DoD contracts. AIU is recognized and accredited in the training industry. This is important to me because I will continue in the training environment for my next career after the US Navy. Additionally they are an approved university for my MGIB and offer a 15% savings for military personnel and veterans. These are major points to me but they may not be for others.

Lastly, AIU took notice of their probationary status and made the necessary changes to gain full accreditation through the Southern Association of College and Schools. If I learned one thing in all my years, making a mistake is not a true indicator of character; it is what you do after that mistake that defines character. Call me silly but I appreciate the fact that they were under scrutiny for a year or two and succeeded in gaining full accreditation.

I'm still unsure if I will attend AIU but many of these posts seem to lack the understanding that Online learning is vastly different to a traditional learning environment. Yes, the courses are fast paced and retention can suffer. However, that is more a reflection on the student than the curriculum. What you get out of the courseware it is directly proportional to what you put into. Retention only happens through repeated exposure.

If one feels they are not retaining the material, spend more short sessions of course study/review and not one or two sessions. This is called chunking information. The Science of Learning is definitive on how we learn. I remember the days of cranming for exams and felt when I walked out, I knew nothing. Truth was, I didn't. Had I spent five or more study sessions of lesser time, I would have been better prepared and retained the knowledge much longer.

Lastly, I can't address the personal beliefs of ex-employees. I am certain they have their reasons for their opinions. However, when things get personal, I have noticed that objectivity often suffers. Again no flames intended, I just try to scan past these types of posts.

Will I attend AIU, who knows. I am looking at Strayer, Jones International, and others. One thing I like about all these, AIU included, is that they have curriculum that fits my busy life style and the courses seem more relevent to current trends in the work force. It appears to me that traditional universities are less flexible and are a step behind the work force in some instances.

This is not a knock on traditional learning; I would love to have the time to dedicate to learning the traditional way but until that happens, I like the latest offerings from the Online Universities. It is a great alternative for working professionals without sacrficing the quality of instruction.

You know a school is in-fact a degree mill when their representatives are on ripoffreport.com fighting for it.

No reputable college has officials on this site. This is wrong, deceiving and just plain sad. CEC AIU has been ripping students off for many years and their probation which doesn't seem to ever be lifted proves it all.

Get lives you scnadalous CEC reps.

CEC representatives need to get lives and leave students reports on ripoffreport.com alone.

These students have reports that should be heard and not typed over by CEC officials. Why are CEC officials on this site anyways. If CEC was running areliable institution then they wouldn't need you here trying to save them.

GET OUT OF HERE CEC!!!!

4 CEC on The Scam School List:

Alfreda,

This is very serious everybody. IADT is on the Scam School List along with 4 other CEC schools. I would never attend another class and ask for a refund or else your joining our class action.

The president of IADT doesn't seem to care about this. IADT is scamming everybody and the president can't talk about it? This is crazy!

The Scam Schools List: 4 CEC schools: http://penncotechscam.tripod.com/id9.html

This group explains everything:

link for Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5604847490

The CEC Truth Advocate

Admittedly, I feel that admissions advisors at AIU were kind of like salespeople. But, I found out information about the programs before I decided to enroll, contacted them, and everything went smoothly. You have to consider that education is a very competitive field nowadays. It is VERY competitive! Admissions counsellors using tactics similar to salespeople does not surprise me, and even seems very wise in a lot of respects. I still regularly get emails (wisely did not tell them my phone number) from 2 OTHER online universities that inquired about at the same time BEFORE I started AIU. Those other universities are STILL pestering me. Anyway, the process of enrollment at AIU went fairly smoothly for me.

It sounds like some former employees have some bones to pick with AIU as an employer. But, as an alumnus, I have nothing but good things to say about the whole experience.

I finished the M.Ed. program, and felt very satisfied with the course and the coursework. All of my instructors held a Ph.D. in their field. I think that nearly all of them were working full time at other instititutions, mostly state universities, and were working adjunct at AIU.

Each one of them challenged me, and I felt the level of work was what I expected. It was rigorous and demanding of my time and research abilities.

I felt like the format of the online lesson was great. I strongly believe that I had more personal contact with my professors than I would have had if I had just gone to class and listened to a lecture every week in a traditional classroom.

All together, it was a wonderful experience. The diploma allowed me to get a promotion at work, and to get accepted into a state post graduate school.

I couldn't ask for anything more!

I recently worked for AIU Online in their Portland office for 1-2 months on a temporary contract. I was fired on a Monday evening, over the phone, less than an hour after I got off of work. Something people should know about the Admissions Advisor position is that the company is entirely hypocritical about what the position entails. Everyone in the company makes a point of saying that it is not sales because that is what "other" online universities do and AIU doesn't do that anymore. At the same time, you're calling people and asking for them to give you money to apply for school and then go to school.

Additionally, your job security is obviously based on your ability to enroll students. My official reason for AIU ending my contract was "job performance." I was one or two students short of being hired full-time, according to my Director of Admissions. He also told me that I had until the end of the week (Friday) to get those students... I was fired on Monday, the beginning of the week. This same Director also made a long point one morning about how Admissions Advisors need to stop thinking of the students they talk to as "my student" because no Admissions Advisor at a traditional school would do that. It doesn't take much thinking to realize that approach will get you fired. For instance, I was on the phone interviewing a prospective student longer than expected and I had an appointment scheduled with a woman that I *knew* was going to enroll. Instead of doing the smart thing and just calling her late for our appointment so I could get the enrollment, I asked another Advisor to call her for me on-time and she enrolls with that Advisor.

My short time as an Admissions Advisor I realized that you're not an Admissions Advisor at all, but a sales person for the university. And if you can't make enough sales, you can't keep your job. I don't have a problem with a for-profit university trying to make money by selling the university to possible students. I do, however, have a problem with the hypocrisy within the company about being told to be professional and advise the student compared to the relating of your job security being based on your sales skills.

AIU IS NOT A SCAM! I thought so at first, until I enrolled and relized the advisors and everyone else cares about your studies there. Who cares if the admissions advisors are scripted at first. My advisor motivated me to enroll and begin classes. I was not even interested when he first came into contact with me. I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND DEEPEST RESPECTS TO MR. JAMES KYLES. I believe he moved on to the Georgia Campus. He helped me get through so much and I greatly appreciate him for that. He was very motivating the whole time and It kept me motivated.

As for my education, it was a great expereince. I started in June of 05'. Received my Associates in April of 06'. I began right away for my bachelors and just finished last month. I am currently waiting for my diploma to be sent to me and then I will be able to move on to bigger and better things. It is a true school. It is acreddited. Why would they have actual campuses around the country and world if they were not accredited.

Don't get me wrong, I never heard of them before getting information about them. I didn't know that they actually had campuses in Florida, Georgia, Texas and across seas. However, i live in Michigan so of course I wouldn't know. Anyway, I believe the poster of this supposed SCAM should think twice about posting false information about a great company.

If you are a former student, then one of two things occurred. You either dropped out right away because financial aid wouldn't cover you or you have graduated and can't find a job. I graduated and still work where I have for the last 7 years, but that does not mean I'm gonna call this place a scam. That is my own choice and it takes time to find a new career. GIVE IT TIME!

JASON
Lansing, MI

I am a graduate of AIU Online. I had a wonderful experience and I felt they were very upfront with me about everything, including the cost. It is NOT cheap but the website is phenominal! I found the staff to be exceptionally supportive and they were in touch with me the whole way.
AIU Online was not the first online school I was enrolled in. My first was FMU Online (don't get me started about them). That website was archaic and the whole time I was there, I only had 1 advisor who never got in touch with me about anything, not even to return my calls or emails.

The actual office in Illinois is not opened on holidays but of coarse, the classes can be accessed 24/7 as well as technical support when needed. There is an incredible online library called the Cybrary with cybrarians to help with all of your research or citation needs. There are class chats twice a week as well as time every week to visit the instructors individually in a virtual office chat setting. I found all of the instructors to be very accessable and happy to help.

I cannot say enough good about this school. They are more than just an online institution, there are several campuses throughout the U.S. and the world. I have actully been enrolled in several different online school Masters prgrams since I finished my BBA, and I have not been happy with the schools. I am scared that I was spoiled by AIU Online's unparalelled website and class format.

Incidentally, ALL online schools are easy to get into not just AIU. It's a pretty commonly known fact that online schools are for profit institutions. However, I think online learning is the wave of the future, more and more reputable physical schools are offering distance learning that is simply a fancy name for online classes.

I stay in touch with a former classmate from AIU Online and since her graduation from the school where she received a BBA, she has gotten a huge promotion at her company and has moved to Europe. She told me she doesn't think they would have even looked at her for the poromotion without her new degree.

I will just reiterate that AIU Online is a superb school.

I am considering this school but all the good and bad negativity does not sound promising. It seems there is a lot of bashing going on here and not a lot of real facts. If there is anyone out there who has actually graduated and has found a job other than with AIU please post. The financial aid part concerns me as well because I am pell and hope eligible in GA, I should not have to pay a cent. If that is the case I can stick it out in a traditional class. Thanks!

STOP ATTENDING ALL THESE JUNK ON LINE SCHOOLS AND YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED
All brick & morter colleges and community colleges offer on line classes now at reasonable state tuition rates. If everyone would just stop this Bull$#*$ of attending these rip off places of higher education, you would not be getting yourselves in a financial bind, or having these rip off companies trying to ruin your credit. Then UOP, AXIA, STRAYER, CAPELLA, and who ever else Jon Doe for profit schools will close up shop and be gone for good!

These on line schools are a 100% rip off. I have taken a few on line classes through one of my local community college's and I am satisfied to know that its 100% accredited and transferable to any 4 year university, no questions asked.

Please everyone, stop giving yourself a heartache

Many of the posts here have nothing to do with the academic standing of AIU Online. Several of the posts accusing AIU of being unethical seem way out of line to me. How can someone claiming to care about students they have personally advised work so hard to try to invalidate the very degree he recruited them into?

I've yet to attend any university where mistakes were not made, and individuals did not have horror stories to tell, nor do I know of many institutions in frontier markets on this scale who are not being sued all over the place (unless they are immune to law suits for some reason). Since there aren't many judicial pretenses established in online education yet, every other attorney in the world is going to take a crack at it to see what kinds of dents he can make.

Those grumbling about their jobs at AIU, you have every right to do so, but this is not the place, nor the way. Much of what is being said here is approaching liable slander, and belongs in a court room, not in an online forum. You have a right to file for your compensations and make your complaints, but not at the expense of my degree and my credibility! If you're so right.get an attorney and set things straight! Somehow I doubt reasonable legal council would allow you to post this kind of slander, and if it continues, chances are you won't have much choice but to get an attorney, and he'll be on the DEFENSE rather than the offense.

AIU is no diploma mill, and it is not rip-off'. The bench marks for an accredited degree are pretty cut and dry, and AIU meets them while even setting global standards in many areas of distance learning. It provides a quality educational experience for a competitive price and there are growing mounds of evidence to support this.

Top Ten Things You Must Consider Before Attending AIU

1. AIU is currently on probation with its accrediting agency
AIU may say that this is not a big deal, but it is! If the school can't pass the next site visit they will lose their accreditation.

2. No Admission Requirements = Poor Academic Quality
How can a school uphold high academic standards if all you need to get in is a high school diploma or a GED. According to the Online University Consortium, Industry studies have shown many students graduating from for-profit schools need help in basic areas - reading, writing and mathematics. According to one for-profit executive, many of these students have not been successful in high school and would have difficulty at a four-year college or wouldn't be accepted at all.

3. No Program/Professional Accreditations
A program/professional accreditation is the only way to know if a school is maintaining quality academic programs, regional accreditation is not enough.

4. AI Who?
Many employers have never heard of AIU and if they have, it is not well respected due to the reasons mentioned on this page. No matter what people say, where you went to school does matter. The job market is severely competitive, if you are making a career change or seeking an entry-level job where you went to school definitely plays a factor for getting an interview. If you don't have any relevant experience, what else are employers going to base their decisions on. What's the purpose of getting a degree if its not widely known or accepted? Also, if your employer is paying for your degree and you just need it in order to advance in your career don't waste the opportunity to get a free education. There may come a time in your life where you will be looking for a new job, it will be in your favor to have a respected university on your resume.

5. Previous History
AIU and its parent company CEC have been involved in numerous class action laws suits and other legal problems that involved students, ex-employees, The SEC, Department of Education, Department of Justice, the US Postal Service, and other state and federal agencies and many more. Would you trust a business like this with your education?

6. Marketing and Recruiting Practices
All colleges are involved in some form of marketing and recruiting, however no where near to the degree of AIU. The number of admission advisors far exceeds the number of instructors. The admissions department is a numbers driven, high pressure culuture that is only concerned with meeting quotas. If the school claims to provide a quality education, why is there such a focus on recriutment?

7. Transferability of Credits
Due to AIU's low academic standards and lack of program/professional acreditdation the credits earned at this school are not always widey accepted at most traditional schools.

8. Poor Career Services
AIU Online has no connections with employers and does not provide students with job fairs or internship opportunites.

9. Life Expectency of School
It is very important that when one invests time and money into a degree they are confident that the institution that granted them the degree will continue to remain open far into the future. AIU's many legal and accreditdaion problems puts the life expectency of the school at risk. If the school closes it's doors your degree will lose its value.

10. The Fact That This Site and Others Like it Exist
The Internet is filled with consumer complaints regarding AIU and other for-profit schools. Such a high amount of negative information is not normal for a organization, espeically a school. The fact that you found this website and are reading this shows that you feel something is not right with AIU. Trust your insticts and read the page on choosing a school for help with finding the right school and avoid wasting your time and money.

You can find more information about this.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

My story,

I inquired on AIU's website for information about their program. I provided my home number and work number - I was contacted relatively quickly, which is a good thing in my book; usually when you request info, it's nice to get that info quickly. I answered questions and was sent to the website so I could find even more information. I was contacted at around the time that was pre-arranged and was asked more specific questions. The woman was very nice and not pushy, and I decided, after discussing it with my husband, that I wanted to enroll.

I was not called everyday, because I was very self-motivated, I did what was expected of me as a student. I submitted documents that were required of me when asked, I logged into orientation as requested - so I could navigate the virtual campus more easily once classes got started, and I logged into class the very first day and requested. I received maybe 5 calls from my admissions advisor through that whole process. I completed my Associates Degree with Honors and went on to the Bachelor's Program and Graduated Summa c*m Laude. I am very proud of that. The programming classes that I had attended were very difficult for many students. Many I spoke with had not passed these classes and were taking it for a second time and some it was their third. (Sign that the education is credible and not a diploma mill as reported above) and yes the graduation ceremony is online, hello.... again, what do you expect - your house or office is your classroom! Do you really expect to be flown somewhere to walk across a stage??? Think about it.

I loved my experience so much, I decided to join the university so that I could share my knowledge and experiences to help others realize their dreams.

To all the people who complain that admissions advisors are salespeople...

Hello...

Yes, enrollments are important. Do I really have to explain why??? OK, for those of you who have a brain skip the rest of this paragraph now, those of you who are left, continue to read so that I may enlighten you on the concept. Enrollments equal the capital needed to pay for all the academic and administrative staff as well as all the overhead that goes along with that - building costs, supplies, materials, the list goes on. But let me make it even simpler; Zero enrollments equal no University.

I do not consider myself a salesman and I refuse to resort to cheesy sales tactics - things have changed. It is customer service oriented and if it weren't I wouldn't be there. I truly love a win/win situation. I feel most successful when I can help others feel and be successful. Feel free to contact me anytime and judge for yourself, I dare you.

To the military personnel - your GI Bill does not pay 100% of your tuition - if your military recruiter told you that it does, they are the ones that lie; make them be the ones that are held responsible. How can you blame the educational institution for not covering your tuition? Blame the ones that sold you that "Bill" of goods in the first place. If your military recruiter were honest and forthcoming in the first place, you would have known that your tution was not completely covered before you even inquired about continuing your education.

You're complaining about a $400.00 bill??? The rest of us should have such problems, yes you served for our country and for that I thank you, even applaud you, but there are many out there that have a much larger bill to contend with.

I guess the real point here is to be adults, weigh the good with the bad and make your own decision. People are fraught with good days and bad and not one of us come error-free. So quit slinging mud at each other and make room for the possibility that people and companies can make mistakes and learn from them and grow even better because of them.

Oh and by the way... Kayla, (the one who started this whole thread) I was never, ever ripped off, so what does that say about you???

Jennifer, if you WERE on both ends you'd know they did NOT lose their accreditaion. The ARE on probation and it's 80/20 that they'll come off. I disagree with most of management in the place but you're wrong about a few things. Debbie Love DID fowl up the school, no doubt. However, she was not stripped by SACS. I'm no fan of CEC but I'm not bitter enough to spread lies.

Jennifer, there are millions of people who need this school. Not spread false venom and make these people worry. The degrees are safe and if you already graduated, you'll know that it was worth it. I don't agree with the way advisors are treated, the favortism, or the fact that DOA's get bonuses and no one else seems to. That being said, the education IS worth it for the students. Go ahead and check the Better Business Bureau. Not one complaint about AIU on the accedemic end. And the FA complaints were resolved with the BBB finding no wrong doing. Now, check UOP, Kaplan, Capella.

As I have stated, AIU needs to wake up, retrain the managers to the new (and correct) rules. Maybe a one month trial on the phones speaking with students. Do I think the CAR's on advisors is right? No I think they need to look at themselves for the problem. But the education is fine.

4 months ago I was in a focus group speaking to SACS. They told me straight out the reason this is happening is because AIU was the FIRST online school under their umbrella and it took them sometime to figure out proper rules for an online campus. Sorry Jen, but get your facts straight.

This is not a scam per-say but more or less a school that cant be even called a university because they lost their accredidation. SACS is no longer going to stand behind the degree which means that anyone who recived a degree there for 30 grand is s**t out of luck, im one of them. I worked there for years and when i found out that we were on probation, was told to avoid the topic with students at all costs and just enroll them. They fired all the admissions advisors that made 40 grand per year and employed the ones that were paid 25 grand a year had no education and could not find a better job anywhere else. So they obviously dont care about the students. I worked in many areas all lying ot students on a daily basis. I acctually just recived a call today which is what inspired me to search it, from a previous colluge still there that was told it is going to loose the accredidation and no money is going to be refunded when they file bankrupcy. Any school associated with CEC or the Career Education Corporation should be avoided at all costs. P.S. Debbie love was one of the reasons it lost the accredidation she was listed on the board and only had a GED she was given a "HONORARY DOCTORATE" from a CEC school and when sacs found out stripped he of this title. So moral of the story being to students (i know i was on both ends) it seems reliable and real. But to the world sacs and soon the media its not worth the paper its printed on.

1st pff, Debbie Love is no lobger VP with AIU, She "moved on" to another school. As I said before things always change at AIU but not always for the better. Here is my suggestion to AIU-----Be fair to all advisors. Some people get 2-3 new inquiries (leads) a day while others get 10-15. Oddly enough those people who get 10-15 normally have 5-10 enrollments per month? There is favortism that goes unreported and I'v had enough, I was a "favorite" for a few months and because I wouldn't kiss anyone's tail, they put me in the penalty box. Then MY numbers slipped. Hmmmm, funny ow that works. My advice to management----quit hiring new people and help the people that you hared in the past so everyone can be on a level playing field.

I was enrolled at AIU until a personal crisis required me to suspend my studies for the time. I didn't feel pressure from the advisors, as I had made a separate inquiry about the school prior to enrollment. The first time, they were aware that I had some other stuff to get out of the way first. No problem.

AIU is NOT a diploma mill. They are accredited, and you get a pretty well-rounded course. The assignments are challenging, but not overwhelming. I was satisfied with things while I was taking classes there.

I'm sorry someone had a bad experience with them, and wish you luck in your search for a school that fits your needs.

Amanda, Odessa, TX

I was enrolled at AIU until a personal crisis required me to suspend my studies for the time. I didn't feel pressure from the advisors, as I had made a separate inquiry about the school prior to enrollment. The first time, they were aware that I had some other stuff to get out of the way first. No problem.

AIU is NOT a diploma mill. They are accredited, and you get a pretty well-rounded course. The assignments are challenging, but not overwhelming. I was satisfied with things while I was taking classes there.

I'm sorry someone had a bad experience with them, and wish you luck in your search for a school that fits your needs.

Amanda, Odessa, TX

I was enrolled at AIU until a personal crisis required me to suspend my studies for the time. I didn't feel pressure from the advisors, as I had made a separate inquiry about the school prior to enrollment. The first time, they were aware that I had some other stuff to get out of the way first. No problem.

AIU is NOT a diploma mill. They are accredited, and you get a pretty well-rounded course. The assignments are challenging, but not overwhelming. I was satisfied with things while I was taking classes there.

I'm sorry someone had a bad experience with them, and wish you luck in your search for a school that fits your needs.

Amanda, Odessa, TX

The following was sent out in a mass email from an employee (at the time)

From: Heather Peterson
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 10:52 AM
To: Suggestion Box; Steve Fireng; Debbie Love
Cc: Aaron Bowlby; Adam Dressler; Adam Thorpe; Agnes Herba; Aimee Shelton; Alex Heim; Alex Westerlund; Alicia Nelson; Alissa Harris; Amanda Scalia; Amanda Weissert; Amy Felando ; Amy Hansen; Amy Hayden; Andre Davis; Andrew MacTaggart; Andrew Stern; Andy Sook; Angelique Sanner; Anna Mattson; Anne Mawdsley; Annette McRay; Annie Cha ; AnnMarie Flores; Anthony Moore; Anthony Romani; Art Appel; Ashley Krueger; Bantharak Vathananonh; Barbara Provo; Becky Hundley; Benjamin Grimm; Bev Lorenzini; Brad Boler; Brandi Frizzell; Brandie Hamad; Brandon Burke; Brandon Neustel; Brandon Ricke; Brandy Anderson; Brenda Lowe; Brenda Matthews; Brent Flowers; Brent Whittle ; Bret Stevens; Brian Cannarozzi; Brian Diaz; Brian Jones; Brook Videtich; Bryan Fuehrer; Bryan Riggs; Bryce Majors; Burk Tarrant; Byron Monical; Caitlin Carleton; Carl Cottingham ; Carlos Rodriquez; Carrie Linfoot; Casey Haneberg; Cassie DeZort; Chad McCardle; Charles Cinque; Charles Dye; Cheni DeWyn; Chris Collson; Chris Hertz; Chris Huffstutter; Chris Young; Christian Yumul; Christina Riman; Christine Bieber; Christine Prince; Christopher Chase; Christopher Hawley; Christopher Lutz; Christopher Mathieu; Christopher Poe; Christopher Sutton; Cindy Sierra; Corrine Eder; Courtney Chase; Courtney Clemens; Craig Benecke; Crystal DeMello; Cynthia Rimer; Damany White; Dan Guither; Dana Hudson; Daniel Covaciu; Daniel Rodriguez; Danielle Tasker; Danya Arguedas ; Darby Hasbrouck; David Boulanger; David Danzig; David Meyrovich; David Monteclaro; David Nicolescu; David Sterling; David Vigil; David Woods ; Dawn-Marie Wegman; Dawn McCandlish; Dawn Shaw; DeAngelo Crawford; Debbie Hall; Deborah Nuetzman; Denise Stanley; Dennis Hodges; Derek King; Derek Moore; Derek Oliver; Dionne Welch; Donald Lowe; Donald Sixberry; Donna Langford; Doug Whittlesey; Doug Zigmont; Douglas Dean; Douglas Sannes; Dylan Kasprzyk; Ed Doran; Edward Coghlan; Edward Lockhart; Eileen Mirchel; Eli Parris; Elisa Swanson ; Elizabeth Halsey; Elizabeth Hetlage; Eric Oliver; Eric Palmer; Eric Sayasene; Eric Schuyler; Erik Bood; Erik Selden; Erik Thompson; Erin Inskeep; Erin Sherry; Esther Remchek; Ethelwynne Mathews; Eugene Park; Fara Heath; Frances Ebright; Frank Woolliams; Fred Rynearson; Frederick Batson; Frederick Jones; Gary Watters ; Georgiana Mitroi; Gerald Martin; Glenn Morrisey; Greg Ogdahl; Greg Timbrook; Gregory Furr ; Guy Allen; Hannah Harrington; Harry Harrier; Hassen Issa; Heather Nealy; Heather Peterson; Henry Taylor; Hillary Hopkins; Hollee Mclaughlin; Hugh Jensen; Isaac Freebairn; Jack Jones; Jacob Long; Jacque Lee; Jade Lazaris; Jai Eller; James Abegglen; James Jarvis; James Sheals; James Woodworth; Janna Santos; Jared Reznicsek; Jared Swingle; Jarrod Ditmore; Jason Jones; Jason Righter; Jason Weede; Jason Willis; Jeana Hooker; Jeanell Lockhart; Jeff Lalich; Jeffrey Simon; Jennifer Boumann ; Jennifer Brandon; Jennifer Lee; Jennifer Styron; Jeremy Abbe; Jeremy Ott; Jeremy Sherwood ; Jessica Armstrong; Jessica Barker; Jessica Hardwick; Jessica Mayer; Jessica Russell; 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Subject:
Importance: High



This suggestion is directed toward Debbie Love exclusively.

There are several suggestions that I have, and after being employed at AIU for over a year I can assure you these comments are felt by many advisors. Think of this as an opportunity for improvement in retention as well as an opportunity to help create advisors who consistently hit their ESP's.

The first thing I would like to comment on is the communication gap. There is a huge gap filtering down what is going on in the company. One of the reasons why so many ridiculous rumors are created on the floor is because advisors simply just don't know what is going on. An example of this is the contradiction between being an advisor versus being a sales rep. New people do not have enough of a ramp up time to understand that hitting your ESP is the main thing necessary in order to keep your job. The problem with this is advisors begin to hand pick their enrollments because they are not sure if the student will start or not. Before the advisor knows it, enrollments are down, show rate is better, and they are on a PIP. There is no clear communication that all you have to do is enroll.

Portland had the pleasure in welcoming Mrs. Love to our facility when the SACS review was taking place. Her impromptu meeting was horrible; which leads me into my next suggestion. I suggest that Mrs. Love take on a different approach at ?motivating? the Portland site. She wanted to let the advisors know that hard work (dials/talk time) equals job security. This is just not true. Numbers secure the job. This should be told to everyone upfront so everyone is on the same page.

Mrs. Love called a site wide meeting; in this meeting she was condescending and extremely disrespectful. Yelling at an entire room of advisors is a fabulous way to take moral and throw it out the window. The window that clearly has ?no bars on the window.? Using the lousy Portland job market as a tool of motivation is hardly effective at retaining valuable employees who should become future managers. Valuable employees are not concerned with the job market. They do not need AIU. Yelling to a group of advisors ?Did you like being on unemployment? Did you like wondering how you were going to feed your family?? is completely unprofessional and classless. As a leader, one should present their message in a respectful way without being condescending and vicious. I suggest she refrain from telling a group of two hundred advisors who she doesn't know that she ?owns them.? This is just disrespectful and un-motivational. It is human nature to work hard for people you respect. Most often the reason we respect a leader is because we feel they respect us. Telling a group you ?own them? and that they were ?unemployed? before AIU is hardly respect on any level. Lack of respect equals: less productivity, higher turnover of intelligent, educated valuable employees, and a slump in hitting budgets across the board all the way up. Dealing with your employees the same way we deal with our demographic is a bad idea.

Portland is not Chicago . Since a team is simply a reflection of management, my suggestion is that Mrs. Love understand that although she feels Portland should ?trust her? she might want to check her ego at the door and realize Portland is not where they should be because there is a gap in communication and her ?motivation? tactics are not working out here in the Northwest. My experience at AIU has been an interesting one. My DOA's and SDOA's have been fabulous and probably would like to be treated with more professional consideration as well. There is a lot of potential at AIU, but unfortunately disrespecting educated professionals pushes them out the door. Just to clarify any rumors?.it does rain here in Portland Mrs. Love.


Float on,


Ms. Heather J. Peterson

Heather Peterson

Sr. National Admissions Advisor

American Intercontinental University Online

877-701-3800 Extension 31263

Fax: 503-270-2763

First off, AIU just put 30% of all advisors on what's called Corrective Action Reports(CAR) For low enrollments. Of course since "sales" has been taken out of the job description they found other "reasons" for the reports. However, all of the advisors put on report have had 3 months of low enrollments. Even though the directors said it was due to low numbers, it's not on paper so they cannot get into trouble. I think CEC is trying to save money by cutting the higher salaries and bringing in cheaper labor by offering them $10,000 less than the advisors put on report.

The other problem is this: All of the Directors were promoted by using the old sales tactics and haven't been on the phones for at least 2 years. There is no way they can preach what they used to do and look down on the advisors of today without also noting that when they were hitting big numbers they were in violation of SACS. Chew on that AIU. Maybe the directors and the marketing department should be put on reports.

AIU is a nice alternative to people who have jobs and family and can't spend the next 5 years taking classes at night, the education itself is a lot better than I first thought. But the treatment can be very stressful to the advisors with bills to pay and children to feed.

Don't get it confused. AIU is a business just like any other. I used to work there (I left by my own choice) and I used to be a student there as well. Although I have my own negative issues with the company, I still think that they offer a good education. Aside from that you have to ask all the right questions, because if you miss even the smallest question you will leave yourself open to get worked over by the admissions advisors and the financial aid advisors.

The biggest problem with AIU is that those two employees are sales driven. They have quotas and expectations. These are similar at more traditional college, but because AIU is online and new, they have something to prove to the government, the public and most importantly their stock holders. I have friends who still work there and from what I have head they have made chances to better insure the quality of their enrolling process.

Personally, I chose to leave because of the pressure and the fact that I did not feel like I was doing anything but ruining and suckering people into debt. I also didn't like the way they pressured us to work weekend and holidays. I sometimes found myself working 6-7 days a week, at weeks on end. I didn't like reading off scripts all the time and being threatened to stay on script of lose my job. I also didn't like that most of the people I enrolled weren't good student material (sorry to say that about them) and probably didn't make it thru. Now part of that was my fault as an advisor, but the majority should have fell on the school.

They pressured me to enroll people, even those who could barely write a good letter of acceptance. How would someone like that write a college paper. As a former student I realize that there is no way that they could have accomplished this. Now I do have students that I think enrolled and probably did very well. Some I still chat with online from time to time. That I am proud of.

As a student I would never return to AIU because they completely did not inform me of how my financial aid would be used (in which orders different source would be allocated) and completely screwed my money up. I was left with the option of making a small car payment, or drop put and lose my potential credits. Not to mention I now owe Salle Mae about $2k for an education that I won't even get credit for...

Don't get it confused. AIU is a business just like any other. I used to work there (I left by my own choice) and I used to be a student there as well. Although I have my own negative issues with the company, I still think that they offer a good education. Aside from that you have to ask all the right questions, because if you miss even the smallest question you will leave yourself open to get worked over by the admissions advisors and the financial aid advisors.

The biggest problem with AIU is that those two employees are sales driven. They have quotas and expectations. These are similar at more traditional college, but because AIU is online and new, they have something to prove to the government, the public and most importantly their stock holders. I have friends who still work there and from what I have head they have made chances to better insure the quality of their enrolling process.

Personally, I chose to leave because of the pressure and the fact that I did not feel like I was doing anything but ruining and suckering people into debt. I also didn't like the way they pressured us to work weekend and holidays. I sometimes found myself working 6-7 days a week, at weeks on end. I didn't like reading off scripts all the time and being threatened to stay on script of lose my job. I also didn't like that most of the people I enrolled weren't good student material (sorry to say that about them) and probably didn't make it thru. Now part of that was my fault as an advisor, but the majority should have fell on the school.

They pressured me to enroll people, even those who could barely write a good letter of acceptance. How would someone like that write a college paper. As a former student I realize that there is no way that they could have accomplished this. Now I do have students that I think enrolled and probably did very well. Some I still chat with online from time to time. That I am proud of.

As a student I would never return to AIU because they completely did not inform me of how my financial aid would be used (in which orders different source would be allocated) and completely screwed my money up. I was left with the option of making a small car payment, or drop put and lose my potential credits. Not to mention I now owe Salle Mae about $2k for an education that I won't even get credit for...

Don't get it confused. AIU is a business just like any other. I used to work there (I left by my own choice) and I used to be a student there as well. Although I have my own negative issues with the company, I still think that they offer a good education. Aside from that you have to ask all the right questions, because if you miss even the smallest question you will leave yourself open to get worked over by the admissions advisors and the financial aid advisors.

The biggest problem with AIU is that those two employees are sales driven. They have quotas and expectations. These are similar at more traditional college, but because AIU is online and new, they have something to prove to the government, the public and most importantly their stock holders. I have friends who still work there and from what I have head they have made chances to better insure the quality of their enrolling process.

Personally, I chose to leave because of the pressure and the fact that I did not feel like I was doing anything but ruining and suckering people into debt. I also didn't like the way they pressured us to work weekend and holidays. I sometimes found myself working 6-7 days a week, at weeks on end. I didn't like reading off scripts all the time and being threatened to stay on script of lose my job. I also didn't like that most of the people I enrolled weren't good student material (sorry to say that about them) and probably didn't make it thru. Now part of that was my fault as an advisor, but the majority should have fell on the school.

They pressured me to enroll people, even those who could barely write a good letter of acceptance. How would someone like that write a college paper. As a former student I realize that there is no way that they could have accomplished this. Now I do have students that I think enrolled and probably did very well. Some I still chat with online from time to time. That I am proud of.

As a student I would never return to AIU because they completely did not inform me of how my financial aid would be used (in which orders different source would be allocated) and completely screwed my money up. I was left with the option of making a small car payment, or drop put and lose my potential credits. Not to mention I now owe Salle Mae about $2k for an education that I won't even get credit for...

Don't get it confused. AIU is a business just like any other. I used to work there (I left by my own choice) and I used to be a student there as well. Although I have my own negative issues with the company, I still think that they offer a good education. Aside from that you have to ask all the right questions, because if you miss even the smallest question you will leave yourself open to get worked over by the admissions advisors and the financial aid advisors.

The biggest problem with AIU is that those two employees are sales driven. They have quotas and expectations. These are similar at more traditional college, but because AIU is online and new, they have something to prove to the government, the public and most importantly their stock holders. I have friends who still work there and from what I have head they have made chances to better insure the quality of their enrolling process.

Personally, I chose to leave because of the pressure and the fact that I did not feel like I was doing anything but ruining and suckering people into debt. I also didn't like the way they pressured us to work weekend and holidays. I sometimes found myself working 6-7 days a week, at weeks on end. I didn't like reading off scripts all the time and being threatened to stay on script of lose my job. I also didn't like that most of the people I enrolled weren't good student material (sorry to say that about them) and probably didn't make it thru. Now part of that was my fault as an advisor, but the majority should have fell on the school.

They pressured me to enroll people, even those who could barely write a good letter of acceptance. How would someone like that write a college paper. As a former student I realize that there is no way that they could have accomplished this. Now I do have students that I think enrolled and probably did very well. Some I still chat with online from time to time. That I am proud of.

As a student I would never return to AIU because they completely did not inform me of how my financial aid would be used (in which orders different source would be allocated) and completely screwed my money up. I was left with the option of making a small car payment, or drop put and lose my potential credits. Not to mention I now owe Salle Mae about $2k for an education that I won't even get credit for...

I have been employed at AIU as an admissions advisor for over two years. I laugh at all the untruths and half baked facts people are preaching as gospel. I have never been told to work on Sundays or Holidays, never been asked to alter, create or falsify a students application in any way shape or form.

I take great pride in what I do, and to top it all off I have earned my AA through AIU, I am currently enrolled to start on my Bachelors degree next year.As for having a certain numbers of enrollments that I must get every month in order to keep my job is total bull.

Last month I only enrolled one student, the month before it was two. Guess what, I still have my job. And as shocking as it may sound to many of you, I have turned down applications as well because it was in the best interest of that student to go elsewhere. As for the scripts. Hello use your brains, how else am I going to know what program to put the student in if I do not know anything about the educational background? I take the time to listen to the individual and sometimes we do not offer a program or they are just not interested in a full degree.

Sometimes a military person wishes to go to school but they have not been in the service for more than two years. I tell them to wait so that they can use the GI Bill to its full capacity. The work I do is what keeps me coming back to work everyday, I get to help people accomplish a goal. I make many phone calls during the day,but I do not harrass people by calling them twenty times a day.

My system is set up so that I can only call them three times during that day. We place people on our do not call list when they request it. So I hope that this sheds a little light on the truth for many of you.

William, you are so confused that it is sad beyond belief. I feel sorry for you, I really do. I do not doubt your story about having problems with AIU, okay? You looked at the bottom of my first response and saw "Ex-Employee" and really that is the header for the next response, not mine. However, its stupid little mistakes like that one that make me doubt the accuracy of the other details you provide.

I am not an employee of AIU and never worked for them in my life. I was just a student who had a great learning experience there and now I have a Bachelor's degree in the field that I have worked professionally in for the past 8 years, specifically as a software engineer at an automotive manufacturer. Since I don't work with installing, debugging networks on a regular basis, I found the networking class to be rather difficult. I'm sure for networking professionals, it would be a breeze.

More to the point, my employer recently gave me the promotion as promised (effective Jan 2007) and since they paid the tuition in the first place, I will accept that package with gratitude. Not only that, but a professor at the local community college heard about my new degree and asked me if I was interested in teaching A+ certification night classes for adults. I would call that a success story.

Hi Darren,

You say that I have misrepresented everything here? really would you care to call my adviser and have her tell you what has been going on with not only myself but other students in regards to grades being changed or not filed at all. How about that fact that I stated for the record that my adviser caught my teacher lying? How about the fact that I am not the only one to complain about the, "Bait and switch" tactic employed by AIU. And don't say I misrepresent anything because I looked at the networking projects they are nothing like what you would expected to do in a University. And while your at it why don;t you stop lying for AIU since you no longer work for them? I noticed at the bottom of the rebuttal it says that you are an ex employee of AIU but then you state that you have been in networking for eight years. That wouldn't be eight years with AIU, now would it?

Don't buy into all of this SACS garbage about accreditation because I will say it again, SACS accreditation means nothing in the regional accreditation procedures. Especially since many of the SACS employees are former career school deans and regents themselves. Kind of like the current President of SACS whose home address is Hoffman Estates! This person lives four blocks from AIU and speaks highly of the school as though they are a former employee or student there. Now that makes you wonder how reputable SACS is.

For those of you who think former and present students do not have the right to complain remember one thing, its us who have to pay this many back and it is former and present students who have to deal with the services (or lack thereof) of this school. And if this school is so great why is this the third time now that they have been on probation?

So Darren I think you need to rethink your position because much of what has been reported here has already been documented by the government. Just because you choose not to believe a students story does not make AIU's troubles go away.

There is an old saying that works here; Once coincidence, twice, suspicious, three times enemy action. AIU is now on probation for the third time!

I found rip-offreport.com having searched for others reporting issues related to eBay and PayPal ? I was quite surprised to see that Colorado Technical University was listed on the ?top rip-off links.? I was compelled to read further and now to share my story.

I am a current CTU online student. My husband is in the military and an online school was a perfect fit due to frequent PCS's. I am very pleased with my education. CTU online was not my first experience with college. I had an associate's degree that I obtained just after high school at a traditional college. I have worked as a RN for 15 years since that time. Additionally, I have attended college on and off at various universities and colleges. However, with all of the transfers, I was always unable to complete my bachelor's degree.

I found CTU to be very accommodating in giving me credit for all of my past college experience. The classes that I have taken at CTU over the last 15 months have been very challenging, probably more so than the traditional classes I have taken in the past. I was however, surprised by the lack of apparent educational background of some of my fellow students. Some could not form a grammatically correct sentence if their life depended on it.

For a while, I was concerned that CTU was not very discriminating in their admissions process. After a few semesters, I realized that you get out of it what you put into it. Most of the students to whom I am referring, did not progress through the program. I think that I think that what I see here are many former students that were not aware of the degree of commitment, time, study and cost that an online degree program requires. CTU's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration is a hard program ? period! I cannot testify about AIU because I know nothing of that institution.

I believe that many of the former employees posting here are upset because they discovered that they were hired primarily to sell and not advise. I can understand the frustration that they must feel. Nevertheless, that is just part of the job folks. I am sorry for all of those of you who have had a negative experience with CTU online. But CTU is not a fraud. In fact, CTU is one of the few online programs that are affiliated with an actual brick and mortar institution.

I am graduating soon with a 4.0 and have scored 172 on my LSAT. I have received glowing letters of recommendation from three of my former professors who have their PhD. I am very confident that I will be able to do great things in the future and not a small part of that should be credited to the education that I received at CTU online.

My advice to those of you considering the comments posted here ? read between the lines. What are to motivations of those who have posted? What are they REALLY saying? Put in your due diligence and whether you are seeking an education from CTU or employment with them, go into it with your eyes open.

I would love for people to understand that AIU offers a solid education and opportunity for many people to better themselves and their career. I received my BA from Elon COllege, which is a respected school in its on right; however, I received my MEd from AIU Online. Two weeks after I completed my graduate degree, I receive a promotion and a raise that was over 9 dollars an hour.

Since I work in education, my transcripts had to be accepted by the local school board and state licensing agency. If on-line education is not for you, then simply do not do it. I worked harder to achieve my on-line degree than I did when I attended a brick and mortat school.

For those of you complaining, you better wake up and realize that education is a business, even in the public schools it has become a matter of economics. There are unethical business practices in fields of education - but what matters most is the sucees of the studetn and the quality of the education received.

Mike is spot on. I also worked for the company and it is a run like a death camp. I have to disagree with Mike on something though - the Management is the one that is incompetent along with some of the Academics.

I'm surprised that SACS didn't revoke their accreditation. They FAILED. They had one year to fix their crap and they only "fixed" 8 out of 15 recommendations! If that was one of these online tests, it's be a big FAT "F!"

Steer clear from this mess. Steer clear.

Mike,

Thanks for the link. There is a lot of positive information in that article. Basically, SACS kept them on probation to see if the positive changes over the past year AIU made will stick. I'm okay with that. But you make a few leaps beyond that in your slander against AIU.

First, most of my instructors had a Doctorate degree in the IT field. The ones that did not have a doctorate had a Masters degree at least. And all of them had relevant work experience. I know this because they all post a biography in the class section of the virtual campus that every student can see for themselves.

Second, you make the outrageous claim that AIU's education is at the high school level. The fact that they have SACS accreditation authorizing Associate, Bachelor, and Master Degrees speaks for itself, "probation" status notwithstanding. I have been through the BIT program and know first hand it is not easy by any means. I also have a son in high school and since I help him with his homework on a regular basis, I know that his assignments are not even close to the difficulty level of what AIU requires.

True, I did not take "tests" in the traditional sense, but that is true of any online school. Instead of tests and exams, I had to conduct exhaustive research and write papers every week. The classes that did not require weekly papers, required weekly coding projects using Visual Studio (provided by AIU) to create working applications based on the assignment requirements. That is ONE PROJECT per week, in those classes. Four out of the 10 sessions were like that, which equates to about 5 months straight of intensive coding, making applications from scratch that have direct relevance to my on the job work load.

There's a lot you can say about AIU's shortcomings and I would not even debate you on those, but calling their teachers unqualified or their programs too easy is not something I can let go unchallenged.

Well, Darren, it looks like you spoke a little too soon about AIU. See the link below:

home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061212005625&newsLang=en

This article mentions that AIU will be under probation for another year. I can't say I'm surprised. As an ex-employee, my blood pressure still rises at the very thought of an eight hour day there. I worked in one of the various support departments and have to say that while some of the students were a pain to deal with, they were a delight compared to the atmosphere that AIU creates for its staff.

I could go on and on about the horrors that lurk within those walls at Prairie Stone Parkway, but I won't. All I have to say is this:

No matter how good your educational experience is or was at AIU, it is a subpar school overflowing with inexperienced, underqualified academic staff, a poorly designed high school-level curriculum and high turnover rates for both students and employees. If you've graduated from the University, congrats. You have a $30,000+ degree that proves you are at least at the academic level of a high school junior. It's a harsh statement, but it's true. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this online cesspool.

Well, Darren, it looks like you spoke a little too soon about AIU. See the link below:

home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061212005625&newsLang=en

This article mentions that AIU will be under probation for another year. I can't say I'm surprised. As an ex-employee, my blood pressure still rises at the very thought of an eight hour day there. I worked in one of the various support departments and have to say that while some of the students were a pain to deal with, they were a delight compared to the atmosphere that AIU creates for its staff.

I could go on and on about the horrors that lurk within those walls at Prairie Stone Parkway, but I won't. All I have to say is this:

No matter how good your educational experience is or was at AIU, it is a subpar school overflowing with inexperienced, underqualified academic staff, a poorly designed high school-level curriculum and high turnover rates for both students and employees. If you've graduated from the University, congrats. You have a $30,000+ degree that proves you are at least at the academic level of a high school junior. It's a harsh statement, but it's true. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this online cesspool.

Well, Darren, it looks like you spoke a little too soon about AIU. See the link below:

home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061212005625&newsLang=en

This article mentions that AIU will be under probation for another year. I can't say I'm surprised. As an ex-employee, my blood pressure still rises at the very thought of an eight hour day there. I worked in one of the various support departments and have to say that while some of the students were a pain to deal with, they were a delight compared to the atmosphere that AIU creates for its staff.

I could go on and on about the horrors that lurk within those walls at Prairie Stone Parkway, but I won't. All I have to say is this:

No matter how good your educational experience is or was at AIU, it is a subpar school overflowing with inexperienced, underqualified academic staff, a poorly designed high school-level curriculum and high turnover rates for both students and employees. If you've graduated from the University, congrats. You have a $30,000+ degree that proves you are at least at the academic level of a high school junior. It's a harsh statement, but it's true. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this online cesspool.

William,

I am currently enrolled in AIU and plan to graduate in a couple of weeks with a BIT degree. I do not work for AIU and I agree that their recruiting tactics need to change.

Yes, my employer paid for my classes. Not only that, but after I get my degree, they promise to give me a pay raise. I don't know how much, but the point is you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have been a software engineer for the past 8 years. Not only is this degree validation of what I already know, but I have learned a lot along the way that benefits me and my employer. For example, I now write ASP.NET applications due to AIU's excellent programming courses. They also place a lot of emphasis on project planning which is critical and often overlooked in other degree programs.

I would never recommend AIU's BIT program to someone who is new to programming; it is just too difficult. I have seen many students drop out over the past year because they could not handle it. Your over-simplification of the networking project requirements is another example of you distorting the facts.

I don't know about your other claims and I don't care because you have misrepresented everything else. I am disturbed by their current probation status, but I also believe they will regain good standing with SACS sometime this month: not because of some half-baked conspiracy theory, but because AIU truly delivers a quality education.

William,

I am currently enrolled in AIU and plan to graduate in a couple of weeks with a BIT degree. I do not work for AIU and I agree that their recruiting tactics need to change.

Yes, my employer paid for my classes. Not only that, but after I get my degree, they promise to give me a pay raise. I don't know how much, but the point is you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have been a software engineer for the past 8 years. Not only is this degree validation of what I already know, but I have learned a lot along the way that benefits me and my employer. For example, I now write ASP.NET applications due to AIU's excellent programming courses. They also place a lot of emphasis on project planning which is critical and often overlooked in other degree programs.

I would never recommend AIU's BIT program to someone who is new to programming; it is just too difficult. I have seen many students drop out over the past year because they could not handle it. Your over-simplification of the networking project requirements is another example of you distorting the facts.

I don't know about your other claims and I don't care because you have misrepresented everything else. I am disturbed by their current probation status, but I also believe they will regain good standing with SACS sometime this month: not because of some half-baked conspiracy theory, but because AIU truly delivers a quality education.

William,

I am currently enrolled in AIU and plan to graduate in a couple of weeks with a BIT degree. I do not work for AIU and I agree that their recruiting tactics need to change.

Yes, my employer paid for my classes. Not only that, but after I get my degree, they promise to give me a pay raise. I don't know how much, but the point is you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have been a software engineer for the past 8 years. Not only is this degree validation of what I already know, but I have learned a lot along the way that benefits me and my employer. For example, I now write ASP.NET applications due to AIU's excellent programming courses. They also place a lot of emphasis on project planning which is critical and often overlooked in other degree programs.

I would never recommend AIU's BIT program to someone who is new to programming; it is just too difficult. I have seen many students drop out over the past year because they could not handle it. Your over-simplification of the networking project requirements is another example of you distorting the facts.

I don't know about your other claims and I don't care because you have misrepresented everything else. I am disturbed by their current probation status, but I also believe they will regain good standing with SACS sometime this month: not because of some half-baked conspiracy theory, but because AIU truly delivers a quality education.

William,

I am currently enrolled in AIU and plan to graduate in a couple of weeks with a BIT degree. I do not work for AIU and I agree that their recruiting tactics need to change.

Yes, my employer paid for my classes. Not only that, but after I get my degree, they promise to give me a pay raise. I don't know how much, but the point is you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have been a software engineer for the past 8 years. Not only is this degree validation of what I already know, but I have learned a lot along the way that benefits me and my employer. For example, I now write ASP.NET applications due to AIU's excellent programming courses. They also place a lot of emphasis on project planning which is critical and often overlooked in other degree programs.

I would never recommend AIU's BIT program to someone who is new to programming; it is just too difficult. I have seen many students drop out over the past year because they could not handle it. Your over-simplification of the networking project requirements is another example of you distorting the facts.

I don't know about your other claims and I don't care because you have misrepresented everything else. I am disturbed by their current probation status, but I also believe they will regain good standing with SACS sometime this month: not because of some half-baked conspiracy theory, but because AIU truly delivers a quality education.

All of you here are nocking AIU Online for either calling to much or in it for the money. Of course they are, it is a business not a non-profit organization. I know of several types of businesses and recruiting departments that if you show intrest, they are going to do what they can to gain your business or services whatever it may be. if you owned a business and had a customer that was triing to choose between you or your compitition, wouldn't you do what you could to try to get that business?

Now, as far as in it for the money-DUH! We all want to make money and if you own a business you want it to grow and earn good money as well.

AIU ONLINE is regionally accredited and I have had a good experiance with them. I feel it is priced comparitivly to schools that I would have to go and spend all day there and try to make my living in my out of school time. It serves a very good need that not just any school can fill. I feel for all of you out there that didn't take full advantage of the school and get the most out of it.

I can speak badly of any school out there both online, and traditional. I think that if you can dedicate yourself to school, it really doesn't matter where you go. I just have to say that AIU ONLINE was a darn good school no matter what you read here ( you will not see alot of good because the bad is so much easier to argue-just watch your local nightly news) but if you contact the school and speak with them they will get you in contact with prior students that will tell you the good. If your not serius then DO NOT CALL- the school (any of them) are going to try to get you to choose them and not the compitition.

HAPPY EDUCATION

I don't think you can call AIU a scam. It would be if it wasn't accredited. I filled out a form online to request information about college degrees and AIU responded within 5 minutes. The recruiter told me everything I wanted to hear and told me to look at their website and I made an appointment to talk to him the next day to "get started" on paperwork.

Although the admissions process felt rushed, I wasn't suspicious. I did find out that they were accredited and did offer financial aid. I started the application process and then something went wrong. I was sure to tell the admissions advisor' that I did not want to commit to a start date both before I applied, and after I was accepted due to a surgery I was having 2 weeks prior to the start date he suggested. He did not ever indicate that there would be any problem. On the contrary, he indicated that the start date was flexible. His supervisor told me differently. Who ever heard of a school where you can't change start dates? Especially before your transcripts were even sent to them? How can you even be fully accepted when they don't have your transcripts or SAR?

I found this page, learned that they might loose their accreditation and it scared me badly enough that I withdrew. Naturally I got the guilt trip and hard sales tactics from the "admissions counselor". I'm sure it'll be a while before I am fully disentangled with AIU, but am glad to hear other peoples opinions about the pros and cons of the university.

I don't think you can call AIU a scam. It would be if it wasn't accredited. I filled out a form online to request information about college degrees and AIU responded within 5 minutes. The recruiter told me everything I wanted to hear and told me to look at their website and I made an appointment to talk to him the next day to "get started" on paperwork.

Although the admissions process felt rushed, I wasn't suspicious. I did find out that they were accredited and did offer financial aid. I started the application process and then something went wrong. I was sure to tell the admissions advisor' that I did not want to commit to a start date both before I applied, and after I was accepted due to a surgery I was having 2 weeks prior to the start date he suggested. He did not ever indicate that there would be any problem. On the contrary, he indicated that the start date was flexible. His supervisor told me differently. Who ever heard of a school where you can't change start dates? Especially before your transcripts were even sent to them? How can you even be fully accepted when they don't have your transcripts or SAR?

I found this page, learned that they might loose their accreditation and it scared me badly enough that I withdrew. Naturally I got the guilt trip and hard sales tactics from the "admissions counselor". I'm sure it'll be a while before I am fully disentangled with AIU, but am glad to hear other peoples opinions about the pros and cons of the university.

I don't think you can call AIU a scam. It would be if it wasn't accredited. I filled out a form online to request information about college degrees and AIU responded within 5 minutes. The recruiter told me everything I wanted to hear and told me to look at their website and I made an appointment to talk to him the next day to "get started" on paperwork.

Although the admissions process felt rushed, I wasn't suspicious. I did find out that they were accredited and did offer financial aid. I started the application process and then something went wrong. I was sure to tell the admissions advisor' that I did not want to commit to a start date both before I applied, and after I was accepted due to a surgery I was having 2 weeks prior to the start date he suggested. He did not ever indicate that there would be any problem. On the contrary, he indicated that the start date was flexible. His supervisor told me differently. Who ever heard of a school where you can't change start dates? Especially before your transcripts were even sent to them? How can you even be fully accepted when they don't have your transcripts or SAR?

I found this page, learned that they might loose their accreditation and it scared me badly enough that I withdrew. Naturally I got the guilt trip and hard sales tactics from the "admissions counselor". I'm sure it'll be a while before I am fully disentangled with AIU, but am glad to hear other peoples opinions about the pros and cons of the university.

I don't think you can call AIU a scam. It would be if it wasn't accredited. I filled out a form online to request information about college degrees and AIU responded within 5 minutes. The recruiter told me everything I wanted to hear and told me to look at their website and I made an appointment to talk to him the next day to "get started" on paperwork.

Although the admissions process felt rushed, I wasn't suspicious. I did find out that they were accredited and did offer financial aid. I started the application process and then something went wrong. I was sure to tell the admissions advisor' that I did not want to commit to a start date both before I applied, and after I was accepted due to a surgery I was having 2 weeks prior to the start date he suggested. He did not ever indicate that there would be any problem. On the contrary, he indicated that the start date was flexible. His supervisor told me differently. Who ever heard of a school where you can't change start dates? Especially before your transcripts were even sent to them? How can you even be fully accepted when they don't have your transcripts or SAR?

I found this page, learned that they might loose their accreditation and it scared me badly enough that I withdrew. Naturally I got the guilt trip and hard sales tactics from the "admissions counselor". I'm sure it'll be a while before I am fully disentangled with AIU, but am glad to hear other peoples opinions about the pros and cons of the university.

Why this topic is under rip offs I have no idea. From the majority of the posts claiming rip off, I see a poor work environment. That is not an educational rip off. I have attended many different brick and mortar schools for various majors, but I finally took advantage of AIU online as it fit my needs with work, a family and location. I was GREATLY impressed with the faculty. Amazing learning which I compare very favorably to some major universities I have attended. I went from making 40k a year to 150k currently which my degree from AIU made a significant impact in getting my spot. I have worked with many headhunters and contract firms and NONE of them disregard an online education. AIU is not for everyone. It is possible to not put quality effort into the program and pass. My wife is in a class at a brick and mortar and has not opened a book in 3 of her classes. She is bordering on an A. This is an issue everywhere not only online. So if this school works for you awesome, if not, awesome...but it IS NOT A SCAM.

I have am a present student at AIU and until two weeks ago I thought the school was fairly decent even though I was concerned that there were no test for any of the classes. the reason I am angry now is that I verified quite a bit of the complaints and have myself been scammed by the school (which I did fill out a report here for that) by financial aid and a teacher who lied to me and my admissions advisor. I have to say that my advisor is half way decent even though its obvious by her disgust at my teacher that she knows what's going on.

Here's the deal lots of people here who have attented AIU or are attending right now have two positions. 1. This school is good and is not ripoff and I have had to work hard to get through these classes. 2. This school is too easy, no tests, way too much money and they are overcharging me, etc.

First and foremost, AIU is not hard for any of its degree programs and if you have to study for hours as one person posted here then I have to wonder whether you should be in school at all.

To those who say AIU is a ripoff you are right, but it doesn't appear that way to everyone who attends AIU since not everyone gets overcharged for classes they didn't take, unanswered emails, etc. So both sides of this argument have to conider each other and really look at the big picture.

I have even heard that AIU is a good school based on the fact that they have Gen Ed classes like math, science, etc. This is a fallacy to think that this offering alone makes this a good school. Lots of dimploma mills offer those gen Ed classes because the federal government says that can't offer A.A. degrees or B.A. degrees unless they do. However I went to a technical school back in the ninties and watched as teachers helped students through the math class by working the problems for them. I guanrantee you at AIU they do the same thing for students who can't pass the math. I have to take math but that is next quarter but I can tell you they list math as math 215. At a regular school that ALgebra three in some schools and intro to Triginomtery in others. No way could AIU students pass such a class. But I did talk to a student who took math already and she said it was the exact same thing she took in junior high.

So beware of this school and their class designations. They transferred in one of my history classes which will transfer to any school in the country it is Western Civilization 101 and 102. They transferred these classes in and now all of the sudden I have to take two blocks of these classes. Strange how I have to take two blocks of history classes when their course description says nothing about this. In fact if you have an associates degree those classes should be the basis for your bachelor's degree. But not at AIU where they wait till right before graduation to spring this on you when you have already transferred in such classes. At a regualr university or four year college you take your gen eds inthe first two years and then spend the next two years with electives of your chosen degree field.

So yes AIU is a ripoff! Why am I still here? because I am in my last quarter and I have no intention of taking their gen ed classes that they say I need and want to graduate though I'm sure that the pizza joint will say that I'm way under qualified to work their with a degree from AIU.

In closing beware of their so called "professor's" and their professional credentials and where they went school. The honest one's( and there are very few at AIU) will tell you where they went school and where they worked. Many so-called professors that I had simply had in their biography I got bfa and mfa degree and tought at Harvard for two years before coming to AIU. And then as an afterthought in most of their bios they will say "Yes and I worked for several fortune 500 companies.." You can bet that is a lie because anyone who tought at Harvard would ditch a job like that for AIU where the turn over is a killer. At three of the so-called professors that I had are no longer at AIU and I have gone in the past year through four advisors, three financial aid advisors and the school has changed adminsitrative staff twice. This all since August of 2005! No community college, four year college or university goes through that many employees. If they did the regents that oversee the above mentione types of schools would be auditing the dean.

In all fairness to some people working at AIU I think they try to help students even though they know most employers won't recognize the degree. I think that these employers (and some ex-employees) who post here have realized that the school is a scam but its too late to do anything.

To those who post here and say that by criticising the school you are hurting students chances at getting a job because employers will read this and not hire AIU students, all I can say is employers are smarter than you think and they know what school's are good and which one's are not.

I also have to ask; "How much harm is being caused to students when they are overcharged, not tested properly for classes, can't get customer service to help them with technical issues and in some cases are being threatened to have accounts turned over to collection for classes they never took and had even told the school they did not take?

If you ask me that is harmful because if a student comes out of AIU and the only thing they know how to is open a software program, they are not going to get a job no matter what their grades. But are still going to have to pay for the loans.

In my situation they tried to get me to sign a second cash agreement for the extra math class and i almost did it until I checked my financial aid page and found that contrary to what Sallie Mae had told me about not giving the school naymore money inmy behalf, Viola! there was another 1500.00 student loan from some lender. Yet the school wanted me to still sign another cash agreement even though after calculations I showed them they had gotten more than the amount they were due. They told me that since they had to add the math class they had to have me sign the cash agreement for 3700.00 dollars! Yet according to my balance sheet they only added 1375.00 dollars for the math class and they got 1500.00 so I don't owe nay money right? Wrong they don't care what you or your calculator say they want the 3700.00 or they will drop you from the class.

By the way when I talked to a rep from Sallie Mae they are getting cold feet because of the accredidation problems and are afraid that students will renege on paying back their loans if the school goes bust.

So watch their financial scams, because they are real and a good calculator and your fiancial sheet from AIU will tell you everything you need to know. If they got their money and it covers everything, then don't sign their cash agreement. By the way don't worry about the rumor that they say the cash agreement is the same as a student loan, it is not and they can't turn it over to the feds as a loan in default for several reasons; One, it is cash agreement between you and the school not between you and a lender like abank or trust company. Two even if it was, it is not the schools business to turn anything over to the feds for default of a student loan, that is a lenders task and since as I have said that it is cash agreement, it is not a student loan covered under title six. This is scare tactics by AIU. And yes I have heard other students at AIU who have stopped paying the cash agreement because of hardship that they are reneging on a student loan. And that my friends is fraud right there.

I would also say that yes they are somehow getting money in students names from lenders without signatures and and paperwork. Since Sallie Mae says I wasn't eleigbel for anymore money, how come AIU has more money in the account in my name? No other lender has called me or sent emails or letters saying that they are dispersing money in my name to the school. And that my friends is fraud and yes I am doing something about. Today I spoke with the federal trade commissions and they opened a file on it.

With the December deadline coming up for their accredidation review and everything I have heard suggests that they haven't meant all of the recommndations, they rpobably will lose their accredidation. But don't worry I know many schools that still get money from the feds and lenders after they lose their accredidation. It is all a shell game anyway.

Most of these big shots that own these schools come from governemnt and military backgrounds. You can bet that much of this money makes it back into the pockets of the politicans and military intel people anyway.

So here are my suggestions:

1. If you are just considering schools, stay away from AIU.

2. If you are a student who is close to graduating, just go ahead and graduate unless they keep trying to add classes and then charge you through cash agreements. In that case demand an accounting and if they don't respond, go to the federal trade commission, BBB adn even light a fire under them by going to your attorney geneeral or the attorney general their in Illinois.

3. Don't sign the cash agreement if yout hink that you don't need the classes or that you are going to quit. Read it carefully, if you quit or get thrown out of school they can demand payment in full immediately.

4. Print out all of your balance sheets from AIU and compare them to the full cost of the school. If it shows that they have gotten the full balance and they are still getting money in your name from lenders or they want you to sign a cash agreement, don't do it. Notify the lender they got the money from and tell them that the school has already gotten their full amount and you are rejecting the money. Go to that lenders web site and fill out their form rejecting the money so their is a record with the lender. Do not hit the approval buttonf or funds on AIU's web site for the funds no matter what they tell you. it doesn't matter anyway since they just keep the money. But at least you have told the lender that you are rejecting the money. And yes you have the right ot reject funds from lenders, that is federal law and don't let AIu tell you differently.

5. Keep copies of everything that you print off of their web site including correspondence about financial aid and if it doesn;t match and AIU won't do anything about it,which they won't trust me, then send hard copies to your lender return receipt requested and make them take on AIu. If that doesn't work then send that same info to the Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission and the BBB in your state as well as theirs.

6. I've seen this misatke from AIU students before that I had in class, don't bad mouth them or curse them in anyway. If they won't deal with you hang up or stop talking to them on the web as proceed above. I had a student a couple of qusrters ago who cussed out a financial aid rep and they called the cops on him in his home town. It's not worth going to jail over or getting warned by the cops to behave. This school like others before it will get the deserves from the federal government in due time. These schools never last very long and the owners and upper level management always end up doing time and or paying huge fines.

And as for the teachers don't let them berate you because a project for your class isn't up to their standards. i would like to see these AIU flunkies for teachers who talk big about their mba and bachelors degrees to put their money where their mouth is by giving us students their real resume instead of, "I have a degree in blah blah blah and worked for many companies."

So what if they did. Why are they teaching at a school that is under several federal probes and may lose thier accredidation Saturday for anyway?

A good honest teacher would have thrown a fit by now over these issues because it affects them if they have to go find another job after AIU.

If you were a school dean, would you hire someone from AIU that would not stand up to the fraud and abuse? I think not.

By the way as an update my advisor and I caught my teacher lying about my project. She says that she never got it but the server shows that I uploaded it ontime before the due date and the teacher had downloaded it to her computer. But she tried to deny this to the advisor and myself.

How smart do you think AIU teachers are when they don't know that administrative staff and advisors have access to you records and class projects and then try to deny they have even seen the project?

In the grand scheme of things you can bet at least some of the teachers are as dishonest as the administrative staff at this school. the corruption does not end at the advisor's or financial aid office.

There seems to be a common thread for all those that complain about AIU or any other online university.
Either the person signed up not really knowing what they were getting into (more work than going to regular classes, must keep strict schedule so as not fall behind, etc.) or confusing the sales tactics of the admissions office for the worth of the knowledge imparted at the university.

I attended the university and have to say that I was quite impressed with the professors and the format that the classes were conducted in.

Those that are considering attending should really evaluate whether they can take an online class before signing on the bottom line. I would recommend you take a free course from CNET, BNU or like site and see if you can keep up with the schedule. If you are successful and think you can take classes in this fashion then look at online universities.

Remember that after you sign the dotted line, you are just as responsible for what it will cost you as if you were going to a brick and mortar school.

Every workplace has its problems and I imagine so does AIU as a place of employment. Having worked in several call centers myself, and in different fields; I know that these positions usually do not require a degree from the employee. Most employees need only to have common computer knowledge and will be trained on the company's call center procedures.

Now, we must take a look at what is the real complaint or issue here. Is it the quality of education you can receive or is it a productive and positive work environment. Just because someone used to work there and is not satisfied with the job experience there, does not neccessarily mean the school and courses have no merit.

I am currently enrolled in AIU and have received my AA in Business Administration from AIU. As for the quality of the courses, I have absolutely no complaints. All of my courses were very challenging and rewarding. Currently I am finishing my Bachelors in IT concentrating on Computer Applications. These classes are very challenging and materials supplied are the latest used information currently used in the field of IT today!

Researching an appropriate college to meet my needs was very time consuming and disappointing. It was hard to weave my work schedule with a college schedule. AIU online made that easy for me. If you think the cost of your degree at AIU is high, you should look into the colleges in Washington state! This tuition is a drop in the hat compared to the credit costs even at the local community college!

All in all, I guess you have to look at what is good for you; and take this article for what it is, a disgruntled employee or student that is unsatisfied with what the product they receive. Like a lot of others have said. Research! I did, and found this was the best opportunity for me, no parking, could attend school in my pjs, go to class at midnight if I needed to, get my assignments any time I needed, had instructors bending over backwards to help me, and a very supportive staff at the university. Very postitive experience for me.

But, I am not an employee. I am a student!

I have read many of the responses and felt compelled to comment. First, I would like to say that advisors using a script actually makes them more effecient and the call flow much more smoothly. Many call centers use scripts to help keep all customer experiences the same - professional and to the point... you don't want someone saying um'.

Next, none of the clases I have attended so far with AIU have had more than 25 students and each class, the instructor has been available for questions... I have always gotten a response within 24 hours.

Before attending AIU 1 1/2 years ago, I attended Univ of Phoenix. What a huge difference. If you compare the quality of program, web site, and cost, you will find that AIU is the much better deal. I was able to get my degree faster and for less money. AIU also provides necessary books automatically so you never have to worry about an additional expense or trying to find the right books.


I have received by Bachelors of Fine Arts (Digital Design) and am currently 3 classes from completing my Masters of Information Technology (Security). I could not be more pleased with the entire program. I have seen an increase of my yearly salary increase more than double in the past 2 years.

I work in corporate america and it has my experience that management doesn't care where you get your degree... but that you have and earned your degree. My employer has even reimbursed me for a portion of my tuition cost.

I have enjoyed my experience so much with AIU that my daughter who is graduating from high school this year will be attending AIU also. No school is perfect... however, AIU has been a great experience for me.

I have attended AIU online since 2005 and my experience has been very good. The accelerated pace at AIU has helped me accomplish my educational goals quicker than a traditional school. The advisors and staff have been very helpful for the most part. And by the "most part" I mean to say that AIU is not perfect. I have not yet attended a school that does not have some problems and issues. The instructors could take more time and care with student issues, that is my only complaint. Some of the people who have filed complaints may have legitimate issues. But I believe that most examples here are simply "sour grapes".

If the tuition costs are more expensive remember this, you are paying for a non-traditional format with an accelerated pace. A friend of mine now attends AIU because of my referral and is pleased with his education.

I have attended AIU online since 2005 and my experience has been very good. The accelerated pace at AIU has helped me accomplish my educational goals quicker than a traditional school. The advisors and staff have been very helpful for the most part. And by the "most part" I mean to say that AIU is not perfect. I have not yet attended a school that does not have some problems and issues. Some of the people who have filed complaints may have legitimate issues. But I believe that most examples here are simply "sour grapes".

We feel the need to respond to this report. We came across this rip off page when surfing the web recently. My husband and I both are AIU graduates for our BBA and will be finishing our MBA's in the next couple of months. Initially there were difficulties with credit transfers and the admission process. However, after many phone calls and conversations, it was resoloved to our satisfaction. Our degrees have helped us both move up in our current jobs to better pay and positions.

AIU is expensive but what private college is not. Their programs are challenging but also rewarding and AIU employees some excellent teachers. The teachers at AIU are usually doctors but minimum hold masters degrees. You are getting the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest people out there.

These classes are vey challenging and you do learn from them. The books are excellent but you have to be determined to learn because you do teach yourself. Your teachers are there for you but you do need to study and read on your own. After reading some of these posts, we are shocked.

AIU is a good school with a lot of opportunity for those who are committed and deicated to learning and furthering themselves.
The jobs opportunities are endless for us now and it is due to hardwork and committment. By the way,I am a National Deans list student. I have always been an A student but I have never worked so hard in my life to achieve it as I do at AIU. Statistics was a nightmare but we did survive it.

All we are saying is that all colleges are expensive, there are issues at EVERY school you might attend, and you need committment to be successful at AIU. If you do not possess this, then you will not succeed at any school and will be writing nasty rip off reports on a website to discredit a school.
Shawn & Shean

SACS is visiting many of the campuses.

I wish I could post this on something that would reach a wider audience. AIU/CEC is pure evil.

I used to work Admissions at the LA campus and they don't care about the students. They don't care about the faculty. They don't care about the employees. They only care about the money and profit.

I also do not understand how the Admissions Reps go to "High Achievers" and that is OK with SACS. It's still a commission prize.

The clowns who are at corporate level are a joke! Robin Throne, Connie Johnson, Jon Crispin, George Miller, Jack Larson, Nick Fluge, Steve Whitten. In my honest opinion, these people are all idiots. I worked under this slimy DOA named Barry Levin. I thought it couldn't get worse and then I worked with Amadou Tall. What a fricking a**h*le! The president at the time was this short guy named Steve Tartaglini - what a scumbag! I left right before they fired him. I hear they got another guy and he quit within a few months. I hear they have some other jerk now. Some guy who used to run an online law school. Oh brother.

I know the inside scoop because I worked there for a few years. I knew people in different departments and was friendly with many of them. I can tell you from my experience that my Admissions co-workers were all idiots. The majority did not have bachelors degrees! One of them didn't even have a legitimate high school degree. No one checks this when they hire them. Many of them were so "ghetto" it was embarrassing.

I hear SACS is visiting a few campuses this month. I really hope they don't pay them off and AIU loses its accreditation. I feel bad for the kids, because many of them were really talented kids. Many of them were there for the financial aid money. Money they will never repay and we as a tax payer has to pick up on it.

Unfortunately as a former employer of AIU I have to express my displeasure with them and spill the beans on what the typical Admissions Advisor is faced with on a daily basis.

An Admissions Advisor is nothing more than a common salesperson. I will say that a lot of them do care about the people they enroll, but to some all a student becomes is a number so they can keep their job for another month. There are hundreds of Admissions Advisors at AIU alone in a calling center. When you apply for the job they say that they prefer to only hire people that hold a Bachelor's degree. That in the end apparently doesn't matter because they hired me and I only hold a certificate in Software Applications. In fact most of the Admissions Advisors that work there are brought on as temps from staffing agencies with the promise that if they enroll enough people they will be taken on permanently. When you speak with an Admissions Advisor about trying to change your life chances are you could be speaking with an uneducated, 19-year-old kid. Scary isn't it?

An Admissions Advisor has access to a data base which contains hundreds of names and phone numbers of people that have requested information. They are then required to call these people up to 3 times a day. In the event that an advisor gets someone on the phone they are required to go into what is called the 1st call script. At the end of the call an advisor is not supposed to allow the prospective student to get off the phone until they have set up an appointment for a 2nd call which is supposed to be scheduled 48 hours out from the 1st call. The advisor will then call the prospect at the scheduled time. If you blow off your appointment the advisor is supposed to call you 3 times a day every day until they get ahold of you to reschedule. If you show up for the second call the advisor will go directly into a 2nd call script. The call takes 45 minutes to an hour and at the end of it the advisor will attempt to enroll you no matter what.

When I first started as an Admissions Advisor we were required to enroll 12 students a month to hit our monthly numbers. There were many scandalous things going on. Advisors were promising prospects that financial aid would cover their whole tuition. Advisors were paying the $50 application fee for prospects. Advisors were promising prospects that they would help them find grants and scholarships. Because of these events and other factors AIU was put on probation by SACS ( the Southern Assoc. Of Colleges And Schools) which is who they are regionally accredited by. After that things changed a bit for admissions advisors. Advisors only had to enroll 6 students a motnh and could not talk about financial aid at all with their students. Every call was and is still scripted though.

In the end I was terminated along with 75 other people in the same day. I am not bitter. I was actually relieved that day. I hung on to the job as long as I could because I needed the money. At the time that they fired me I was pregnant as well. Remember that a lot of the Admissions Advisors are just temps trying to make good money for a few months. They don't care about you. Even if it's not in your best interest to atttend school at AIU and even if they don't offer the correct degree program the advisors will still try to enroll you in most cases. That was the part that I couldn't handle. I could not force or lie to prospective students. I just don't believe that education should be forced on people.

As an Admissions Advisor your supervisors ride your a*s constantly. They have their own number of enrollments that they have to achieve by managing their "teams". In the end every student is just a number.

I can not knock the class cirriculum for the degree programs because honestly I know very little about it. I do know that part of the reason they are on probation by SACS has to do with cirriculum. To read more about it visit the link below.

(((ROR REDACTED LINK FOR SECURITY PURPOSES)))

It is unclear whether this applies to the online division, the physical campuses, or both.

If an Admissions Advisor EVER promises you that financial aid will pay for your entire tuition, that they will help you find scholarships or grants, or offer to pay your application fee I suggest calling the Department of Education or SACS. They are not allowed to do that.

Before you make the decision the enroll with AIU please take into consideration the following:

1)Is my advisor really interested in what is best for me?

2)Do I want to attend a school that doesn't care about or consider GPA (especially for Master's Degree's) A lot of the course cirriculum is based on group projects. When it comes to these group projects will your classmates be people you can rely on?

3) Do I want to go to a school that has had to decrease its tuition in order to try and increase enrollments?

4) If I decide not to enroll do I want AIU to even have my contact information knowing that they will continue to call me constantly?

I placed this reply out here just to try and let people know what it's like to be an "Admissions Advisor". It is not the honorable profession that I once thought it would be. I went into the job happy and excited about making a difference in someone's life. What I found is endless days of people avoiding my calls and trying to force people into things that they don't want to do. I am not looking to convince people not to enroll if it's really in their best interest because in the end AIU does still hold a regional accreditation (at least for now). I just want people to sit back and think about it for a while longer before you make that committment. Remember that in some cases the Admissions Advisor will only be telling you what they think you want to hear. They are trained to do that.

In conclusion, and this is the most important thing. The Advisor will try to create urgency with you and tell you that they have to present you at an acceptance meeting at a certain time or you can't be enrolled. Don't fall for it. It is a total lie! Basically in the end they will take you as a student no matter when you decide to go so just take your time. Weigh your options carefully, research everything you can find about the school, and make what you feel is the best decision for YOU. AIU might be it, but don't let them force you to do it. By doing that you may go down the wrong path. Good luck!!!!

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

I am scheduled to graduate AIU at the end of this month. I attended a local community college and received most of my credits there towards my Associate's degree. I also attended a 4 year university.

I can honestly say that the courses at AIU are just as difficult, but different. I spend more time online and writing papers at AIU than I ever did at the two traditional brick and mortar colleges I attended.

I have to admit that I questioned the speed at which I was getting my degree and how the classes could be 9 credits rather than the traditional 3 or 5 per class. I received no pressure from the admissions staff and researched there accreditation online before I enrolled. I am obviously worried about the probation they are on, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

The education is what you make of it. If you don't open your text books (which are great by the way) or participate in the online chats with the professors, then you ARE wasting your time. The instructors at AIU are very knowledgeable, and I had no problems with admissions or transferring credits.

I don't know that I would recommend AIU to anyone, however I do believe that all of the people in my Bachelor's degree program are very intelligent people with great writing skills and a have a lot to offer a prospective employer. As far as my future career? My knowledge, appearance, educational and employment history will have to speak for themselves.

AIU is currently from 12/05 till 12/06 under accademic probation (this is one step away from losing their accredation permantly) from their accrediation. Their main company Career Education Corporation, is under investigation from the Department of Justice. If they were doing everything with integrity and ethical, they would not have gotten in trouble

I am currently enrolled in AIU online. I remember the sales pitch that my advisor gave me but I have worked in sales and pretty much ignored most of the hype. I must say that as of today, I have not had any of the negative experiences as most of the repondants. In reading the other posts, I am however very interested in the accreditation issues that AIU is having.

I have a good friend that I have known for many years that just graduated from AIU but she attended one of the campuses that is located here in the Atlanta area. She already has a business degree that I am currently pursuing and I will say that the same classes that she took at the local campus I am taking online. So I feel that the quality of education is consistant with their traditional "brick and mortar" schools. I would like to know if the problems that people are experiencing with the online program are being experienced at their local campuses.

When was considering going back to school to finish the degree that I started in 1994 I looked at AIU, Devry Institute and the University of Phoenix and I ultimatly choose AIU because of the positive experience that my good friend had at their Atlanta campus and the good experience that one of my coworkers had. Because I work some unpredictable hours and I am a single mother of two, I needed an online school that was flexible.

I do not have an opinion on all of the financial problems that alot of people are having. But I will say that anyone who is considering making the investment of a college education, and that's what it is, a major investment, do your research. The worst thing to be when you are spending your money on anything, wether it is a car, a house or a college education is uninformed.

As a last note, from reading some of the post alot of people worry about aquiring a job with their AIU degree. The people that I know have had no problem in finding employment or advancing within the company that they already work for.

I accidentally came across this site while signing onto AIU using my laptop (its not in m faves) Loking back I got the same sales pitch everyone else did BUT it didn't impress me. I ignored the phone calls, and kept the conversations short and to the point. In other words after I got what I wanted (to get into school) I didnt sweat the small stuff. It's true that some of the students in the AA program were as dumb as rocks, but I wasn't so it didn't matter.

I am half way thru the BA program and let me tell you, while I was feeling like the smartest person in the world (in the AA) program I had no idea what I was in for!! The BA program is no trip to the park! Statistics is the HARDEST CLASS I have ever had!! I am struggling so hard and if I pass with a C I will be thrilled! The instructors are no joke and unless you are a very independent study don't even think about enrolling.

As for the price, well that's the cost of doing business. I intend on enrolling in the Masters program asap after graduation. I looked at U of Phoenix, National Univ and others. AIU was the only one that met my (personal) needs. If you can spend time and energy in a brick and mortar institution go for it.

If you are a working parent, single Mom, or one of those people that just dont do well in a classroom setting think about AIU. P.S. I make $55K a year in a cush job. But I want $100K a year and an even cushier job!!!

I received both my associate's and bachelor's from this school and have only positive things to say about it. My degress are FULLY ACCREDITED and allowed me to get accepted to a prestigious top tier private university for my MBA.

During my recent MBA admissions interview the interviewer was familiar with AIU Online and had nothing bad to say about it. The professors were Top Notch and the program was very honest and certainly not easy, as you would expect of any reputable university.

I do agree that this is a for profit school, but sadly, most colleges and universities are. Yes, it is a business, yes, they have sales people that may call too often, but NO, they do not accept everyone and NO they do not just give you a degree you have to earn it.

I looked at a lot of prestigious undergrad programs before going to AIU, and after I looked at Top Tier Business schools and many of them acted more or less the same way. They do follow up with phone calls, emails, etc, because they do want your attendance (business) and your money. All schools are this way, why knock AIU? Do your research.

I enrolled in this University after being told by an advisor that my education would cost $2191 which i thought was about right for and associates degree when i already had some credits.

What I didn't know was that the promissory note I was signing gave them an open door to sign my name on numerous loans. Silly me, I had only been to respectable schools before. I ended up owing this school $11,832 in payments directly to them and educaid loans that i wasn't even aware of. I spoke to everyone at that school, and tried to get ahold of the advisor that scammed me but of course I never got a call back.

I filed a complaint through BBB with only a 'well you signed the promissory note'. Unfortunately, I am stuck paying for that or my credit gets even worse. When i began speaking with admissions I explained that my husband and I were going through bankruptcy and I couldn't afford school until our financial position changed. I guess that's where the advisor made up the $2191.

My husband is a Marine so we don't just have money to throw around and now I can't afford to continue my education because I am paying off this AA degree, which has earned me nothing in the workforce. Another person in one of my classes was in the Navy and they pulled the same stunt with him, but luckily his advisor was stupid enough to put it in writing. I would love to see this school have to pay for its lies.

I hope they are proud of themselves for ripping off military members and their families. Lesson learned.

PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE.

I enrolled in this University after being told by an advisor that my education would cost $2191 which i thought was about right for and associates degree when i already had some credits.

What I didn't know was that the promissory note I was signing gave them an open door to sign my name on numerous loans. Silly me, I had only been to respectable schools before. I ended up owing this school $11,832 in payments directly to them and educaid loans that i wasn't even aware of. I spoke to everyone at that school, and tried to get ahold of the advisor that scammed me but of course I never got a call back.

I filed a complaint through BBB with only a 'well you signed the promissory note'. Unfortunately, I am stuck paying for that or my credit gets even worse. When i began speaking with admissions I explained that my husband and I were going through bankruptcy and I couldn't afford school until our financial position changed. I guess that's where the advisor made up the $2191.

My husband is a Marine so we don't just have money to throw around and now I can't afford to continue my education because I am paying off this AA degree, which has earned me nothing in the workforce. Another person in one of my classes was in the Navy and they pulled the same stunt with him, but luckily his advisor was stupid enough to put it in writing. I would love to see this school have to pay for its lies.

I hope they are proud of themselves for ripping off military members and their families. Lesson learned.

PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE.

I enrolled in this University after being told by an advisor that my education would cost $2191 which i thought was about right for and associates degree when i already had some credits.

What I didn't know was that the promissory note I was signing gave them an open door to sign my name on numerous loans. Silly me, I had only been to respectable schools before. I ended up owing this school $11,832 in payments directly to them and educaid loans that i wasn't even aware of. I spoke to everyone at that school, and tried to get ahold of the advisor that scammed me but of course I never got a call back.

I filed a complaint through BBB with only a 'well you signed the promissory note'. Unfortunately, I am stuck paying for that or my credit gets even worse. When i began speaking with admissions I explained that my husband and I were going through bankruptcy and I couldn't afford school until our financial position changed. I guess that's where the advisor made up the $2191.

My husband is a Marine so we don't just have money to throw around and now I can't afford to continue my education because I am paying off this AA degree, which has earned me nothing in the workforce. Another person in one of my classes was in the Navy and they pulled the same stunt with him, but luckily his advisor was stupid enough to put it in writing. I would love to see this school have to pay for its lies.

I hope they are proud of themselves for ripping off military members and their families. Lesson learned.

PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE.

All the problems listed here my firends and I have experienced at other Univserities. First, admission advisors make commission, this should be self-explanitory. Second, Tuition is not expensive if you look at opportunity costs. Three, they're approved by the Federal government and accrediting agency. Four, I have never applied for a University and not had to pay an application or enrollment fee. Five, try transfering credits to any other school and you'll likely have problems (some transfer credits but not classes, in other words, you start at ground zero).

I use to attend another University, I quit and decide to go to AIU online becuz I could finish faster. Also while at the other University I took like 12 credit hours I couldn't use to graduate. Why you ask? The schedule of classes said I could use those classes as LER's towards graduation but the catalog said I couldn't (Talk about a rip-off). It seems most complaining here have never attended another university. When I went to xxxxx, after they got my money they never contacte dme again untuil they needed more. Is this school any different?

I will concede, however, the accredidation probation is a worry. If they lose their accredidation for some reason, I will be part of a large class action suit. But I will wait for the outcome to comment.

Hello Jamie,

First off I would like to say that I AM AN EX STUDENT of AIU. I started in May 2005; just received my Associates in June 2006. HOWEVER, if you will notice, AIU is on the quarterly system. So if you would, try to go to any other university, whether it be online or actually on campus and see what degree you REALLY have......NONE!!!! I transfered to another university and to my amazement am almost 30 CREDITS SHORT of having my Associates. Therefore, rather than graduating in June of 2007 I will not graduate until July 2009!!!! You may decide that you only want your Bachelors and not worry with your Masters....however, if you do continue to your Masters and do not go back to AIU, you will find yourself in the same boat. So, go on ahead and get your degrees from there....you just better hope that you NEVER decide to go to a university that is no longer on the quarter system....
In addition to not having the right credits, in case you are unaware---AIU IS ON PROBATION---I have talked to someone in the Accrediation Department within the U.S. Department of Education; who stated that YES AIU can lose the accrediation and that it may take a while for them to do so...(mind you this is not the first time they have been on probation in the last three years), but if they do lose it they are no longer a Title IV school (meaning that all your little SUB/UNSUB loans can no longer be accepted by the "university". No offense, but I would rather have a degree from a school that has a clean slate and is reputable rather than from one that is in the spot light and on probation.
By the way, google search AIU lawsuits and see what all comes up. Lets just put it this way, they are in it hot and heavy from every angle.

There is some disturbing news floating around about AIU. I hope everyone takes the time to read this article in it's entirety.

Please go to

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-02/artikel-5983854.asp.

Please read!!!

There is some disturbing news floating around about AIU. I hope everyone takes the time to read this article in it's entirety.

Please go to

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-02/artikel-5983854.asp.

Please read!!!

There is some disturbing news floating around about AIU. I hope everyone takes the time to read this article in it's entirety.

Please go to

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-02/artikel-5983854.asp.

Please read!!!

There is some disturbing news floating around about AIU. I hope everyone takes the time to read this article in it's entirety.

Please go to

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-02/artikel-5983854.asp.

Please read!!!

It's interesting to see that most of the people who are filing scam reports against AIU Online have never attended. I am a student at AIU Online and have just graduated with my AA Degree and will be continuing on for my Bachelors in July 2006.

Thinking back, I graduated from high school top of my class and valedictorian. I clearly could have got into most colleges. But because of traumatic events in my life that occured shortly after, and because I was pregnant, working a full time job, supporting a family, paying bills and a morgage payment, I needed to find a school to attend that was convienent on my terms.

I dug deep and researched online schools for 3 years. I finnally decided that AIU Online was the best. It's accredited, it's accelerated, and it's accomadating.

When I decided to apply, yes, the admissions advisor that I was assigned to did state most of the things mentioned by the individual who originally created this report. However, there was much more involved then just those question. My admissions advisor got to know me and I got to know him. When he would contact me after this, it wasnt multiple times. It was when he said he would and the calls were right on time. He even remembered things about me and my family and asked about them. As a matter of fact, he was promoted and I contacted him 13 months later (not to long ago) to re-enroll for my bachelor degree. When I stated who I was, he remembered me immediatley and ask about my son and so fourth. He even prepared me for my re-enrollemnt and assigned me to an advisor since he was no longer one. These people care, they are concerned and they are compassionate.

Moreover, experiencing some difficulties coming up with a couple thousand to pay for my bachelors because financial aid did not cover it all including the scholarship I was awarded by AIU, AIU told me that if I cannot obtain more funds from private loans, they would let me borrow directly from them. I would pay on the borrowed funds for 18 months interest free!

To conclude, AIU and all other accredited institutions who provide education online are now providing the education of the future. For profit, not-for-profit...so what. Im getting a quality education, I have some of the most top notch instructors, and I have freedom. Im paying the average tuition and it is well worth it now and will be in time. I must warn you that these types of schools are not meant for everyone. You must be motivated, a researcher, and independent. In no way have I been a victim of fraud. Im paying for a foundation. After that, it's up to me how I high I decide to build off of it. Honestly, I have probably recieved a better education so far than I would have at your traditional brick and mortar college. God Bless You All.

Hello,

First, I want to start by telling everyone that I am excited about starting classes with AIU Online. I have been in contact with an Admissions Advisor who works at the Buckhead (Georgia) location, and he has been so informative and helpful through out everything! The Financial Aid advisors have been wonderful. I have had all of my questions answered, and even before I got "accepted" into AIU Online, I was not hounded by phone calls. In fact, it took them a couple of days to return some phone calls!

I had so many questions for them, and it was I who was calling constantly. I knew I must have been getting on their nerves?! They never acted that way though. Anyway, after being accepted, a week later I had a few more questions for my Admissions Advisor, so I emailed him. He got back with me the next day, answered my questions, and even asked how I was doing. Now, concerning the comment Roberta made: I agree with basically everything that you stated, except one thing...

"And for the people that applied for information about AIU and don't want it now...Why did you request it to begin with?? Are you still stuck in the same sorryjob, barely getting by? Still struggling from paycheck to paycheck with your same old sobb story about how your a single parent with your kids living in a dinky apartment? Trust me, you won't get anywhere crying about it. We call because we want you to have that extra money in the bank...we want you to be successful, so how 'bout it folks, who's got something to say???"

I AM a single parent... No I do not cry about it, but it is hard. I do live from paycheck to paycheck, and for some reason, what you said on your comment is a little offending. :) But everything else seems true so far. Thanks
-Jessicah

iam sorry

To all AIU employees...
I would like to say that I am deeply ashamed of myself for what I had writted in my previous rebuttal. I would like to withdraw my last statment and insert this one in it's place. AIU is actually a wonderful school. It's a quick and easy way to earn a degree. The student advisors really do care that is why they dedicate most of there time to you. I was just angry at a specifc employee that is why I wrote those things. I would like to not only appologize to the school, but also to Amul and Henry. Iam sorry.

My boyfriend works at aiu, I hardly even see him. They rip off his paycheck, make him work long hours. And worst of all Amul G. the DOA or whatever his title is had a cow when my boyfriend took off of work to go to his sons kindergarten graduation. We also had a predicament a month or so ago where his son and I were right across the parking lot. I was given a hard time and called his father for assistance. Thinking that he was able to leave for a 15 minute break to tend to his child ended up becoming threat that he was going to loose his job. He had unsure answers from all of them for about two weeks. The same man Henry that dates his sister, the same man that skipped the interview and hired him without giving anyone else a chance turns around and tries to get him fired- then smiles in his face. It is also a rule in the aiu handbook that you are not suppose to have any contact with staff members outside of work. Not to mention students. Guess who has a long list of the students numbers at home. Aiu is such an unethical place to work for. I want to say thank you Amul and Henry for messing with his head, and making it very clear that when the doors probably get shut in December that he will be standing there with no job and no family seeing as how you NEVER give him a day off to even relax or look for another job. We are even making Sundays mandatory according to Amul. For someone that is having there own marital problems, you would think that they know how it feels and would give employee's a break to try to make an attempt to patch things up. The thing that breaks my heart is my boyfriend has to now give up seeing his son so he can give his child the life that he deserves and so he can financially take care of him. What's the point of working then if you can't see your family. The more upsetting thing is that my boyfriends sister attends aiu online she is also suppose to be graduating in December. She probably wont get that opportunity seeing as how they are up for review. Even if she finishes her work she will be like the rest of them having to take another class that A) she can't afford and B)won't have time to complete because times up. Its real bad when people try to do well for there kids and end up getting screwed. His sister will not get her bus. degree and will have to pay for an education she hasn't received. Amul and Henry how do you sleep at night? Especially you Henry knowing that your screwing your girlfriend.

To start with, there are always two sides to any story (situation). I cannot vouch for or deny what anyone says about how they were treated as an employee, they could have quit or been fired and we have only their word on the matter.

Of course the admissions staff tries to sell the school to prospective students, that is what they are there to do. I have to say that my admissions advisor was persistant, and I am thankful for that. Edward was honest and everything he told me wound up being exactly the way it happened.

He stayed in touch with me all the way through my Associate's program and he was the gentleman that (at my request) handled signing me up for my Bachelor's program. He was thorough in his explainations and informed me ahead of time that I would have to pass an entrance test. Ed made sure that the course I signed up for was in my best interest by questioning me regarding my interests and the goals that I had in mind for myself, and I have to say that I believe I made the right choices.

I was informed at the onset of everything regarding the cost, the duration of the courses, and the materials that the school would supply; let me just say that there were no surprises and everything was exactly as I expected from the information I was given.

What I can attest to, is how it was being a student of AIU. The way that I became aware of AIU was through my fiance', she was speaking with someone from Sallie Mae regarding her student loans for LaSalle. The person she was speaking with suggested that I check them out, that she had a positive experience going there. I checked them out (they are accredited), their pricing was "in the ballpark," and less expensive than going to a brick and mortar school. When one takes into account the cost of commuting and other related costs, it was even more appealing. I am not a kid anymore and I was not looking for the "college experience," I just wanted to receive an education.

Online schooling is not for everyone, one must be committed to learning and they must motivate themselves. I finished my Associate's degree in Business Administration and then rolled directly into my Bachelor's for Information Technology with a concentration in Computer Systems. I have to say that it all went very smoothly, books always arrived on time, tech support was available and helpful, and my student and career advisors were always available. It was a lot of hard work and uncounted nights without sleep, it was hard, but if it were easy I would have had my doubts. During the Associate's program it was two classes at a time with anywhere from four to six papers (projects) a week to complete. Once during each class there was a group project, when one learns how to function in a group (long distance) when the group cannot meet face-to-face, it definitely prepares one to work with a group in person.

After reading some of the posts regarding this topic, I felt as though I had to comment and make my experience known. If I had to choose to do it again, I would choose AIU, I have no regrets and I am proud of my school and the education I received.

I must admit that I am not surprised at the AIU bashing by disgruntled former AIU employees. Although there is plethora of business insider know how, there is no way that we can refute or prove what is written on this forum. As a matter of fact in a court of law, we would say that what has been written here is here-say. What I find lacking is proven FACTS. We consumers cannot truly know if you have quit for ethical reasons or fired for what ever reason. Here are some good old down to earth facts.

American InterContinental, which is owned by Career Education Corp., a leading for-profit provider of higher education, and was placed on probation for 12 months for falling short of a wide range of the group's standards, including among other things the ?integrity of student academic records and accuracy in recruiting and admission practices.

The probation is mainly based on the two points mentioned above, which AIU will more than likely have resolved. As to the point that brick and mortar institutions are the better choice, here is a list of classical institutions that have also been placed on probation:

Beacon College
Chipola College
Kentucky's Georgetown College
Lenoir-Rhyne College
Louisiana College
Texas College
University of Southern Mississippi.

These colleges were also put on probation and have been taken off probation after meeting SACS's accreditation standards. It is thus obvious that brick and mortar institutions can also be placed on probation, meaning that classical institutions can have the same problems as online institutions.

In addition to the actions and institutions mentioned above, the commission:

? Continued the following institution on probation: Talladega College, Talladega, Ala.
? Denied reaffirmation, continued accreditation, and placed the following institution on probation for good cause: LeMoyne-Owen College, Memphis
? Continued accreditation and placed the following institutions on probation for good cause: Art Institute of Dallas, Dallas; Ashland Community & Technical College, Ashland, Ky.; Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Fla.; Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
? Continued accreditation and continued the following institutions on probation for good cause: Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Ala.; Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk, N.C.
Ok, let's not forget our facts. Here are the links that prove my point. http://www.sacscoc.org/December%202005%20Actions%20and%20Disclosure%20Statements1.asp

http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/12/14/southern

Let us go on to the next subject, are online degrees viable on the job market. This is, as a matter of course, a bit more difficult to prove that the points of view are only opinions. At present there are no statistical facts that can prove or refute the viability to online education. I can only state that if a prestigious university, Harvard University, implements online degrees that to me is a good indication that online degrees are viable. Here is the link. http://www.extension.harvard.edu/

Degree viability is not the only factor in a person winning a job position. Personal character and how the person presents his or her self are important in receiving that coveted job position. Your degree will not be worth much if your personal skills are lacking. As to the language and way many have posted here, I would say many of you are lacking no matter what presumed skills or degrees you have, which we cannot prove. Education quality is not only based on the institution but also the efforts you put into your studies. http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=whatis&pg=8

http://reference.aol.com/onlinecampus/campusarticle/_a/virtual-learning-vs-the-classroom/20050309154809990001


Now I could state that I am an AIU student and have a 4.0 GPA, but on this forum I cannot prove that to you and so please do not take that into consideration. Take this into consideration. Many companies and institutions recognize AIU's degrees; some examples are the Department of Corrections and the U.S. Military.

Using the facts above, we can safely say:

1- AIU is not a diploma mill
2- AIU is on probation
3- Online degrees are viable in the job market
4- AIU is not a scam, although there recruiting practices are questionable
5- Education is extremely important no matter what venue you choose

A ripoff (or rip-off) is a bad deal. Usually it refers to an incident in which a person pays too much for something. A ripoff is distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as fraud; a ripoff, on the other hand, is in the eye of the beholder. A scam might involve, for instance, a scheme in which a person pays $20 for a startup kit related to stuffing envelopes for a living, but the kit never arrives; upon receiving the money, the recipient flees. A ripoff, on the other hand, might be a business opportunity in which a person pays $375 for bulk vending machines worth $75. The fact that the advertised product actually arrives ? even though it is worth far less than the purchase price ? makes it a ripoff, not a scam.
In a related meaning, a ripoff is a blatant or unscrupulous copy or imitation. In both senses there is an associated verb "to rip off", but the location of the preposition differs between the two meanings:
That bulk vending machine salesman ripped Joe off.

That electronic dog manufacturer ripped off Aibo.

Here is a practical example of a rip-off: In South Africa, Telkom broadband ADSL users have to pay $453/mo for a shaped 1Mbps service which has a 30GB cap. (Traffic shaping prioritizes HTTP, POP3 and SMTP mainly). http://www.answers.com/topic/rip-off

With this in mind, you do get what you are paying for from AIU and the price is comparable to standard institutions. No educational institution can guarantee you a high paying job, or a job at all, so you cannot say it is a ripoff. AIU is not committing fraud and so AIU is also not a scam.

So now you have rock solid facts not based on conjecture or supposition. In closing, I can only restate what I have already mentioned. Any form of education will benefit you. If you find AIU to be the right forum to expand your horizons, I would suggest you to do so. Online education is demanding and requires discipline to complete the course work; if you have doubts as to your tenacity online courses may not be the right forum.

For those of you who state that you quit, fired, still employed or the plethora of supposed reasons that you have posted. Your statements and suppositions are not worth jack without facts. So please spare me and other consumers your childish nonsense and deliver provable facts.

I recently graduated from AIU online with their Bachelors of Information Technology Degree, Computer Programming. Throughout the program I was challenged and my abilities were tested, but they failed to include needed classes to be able to obtain a job in this field.

The only programming language they teach is Visual Basic, and this is only a basic teaching of the language required by all their bachelors of information technology degrees. In order to get a career in programming anywhere, one needs to know more than Visual Basic.

When I contacted them regarding this, they attempted to tell me that it isn't supposed to teach any other languages because programming isn't the focus of the degree. Obviously it was the focus, so I informed them of their mistake. They then appeared to listen to my suggestions to improve, and then a few months later said they weren't going to change the program, and they weren't going to do anything to help me.

Now, the only jobs I'm qualified for are tech support, which I could have done before I started my degree. I can write programs, I've written a few programs, but no one will hire a Visual Basic programmer, they all want C++ or Java programmers.

This is on response to refuse's post. I am an ex-employee of AIU and after reading your post, I now have more validation as to why I decided to quit my job as an Admissions Advisor.

First of all, the people who are leads in your database have requested the information in one way or another, and therefore a call to answer a potential AIU student's questions is justified. But you know as well as many of the AIU Admissions Advisors that many of those leads come from free offer sites that attract people with the opportunity for free gifts if they request information from AIU.

If the student was truly interested throw that script away brother because you don't need it! If leads don't answer the phone or say they are not interested, the lead is just re-circulatedno one is taken off the list! It gets bothersome after a while; don't you feel like nuisance sometimes? I had to call my leads up to three times a day, everyday! I had to read from a script and rely on people's weaknesses in order to get an enrollment.

Secondly, you made a comment that potential employers do not really care what school a candidate went to, and in some cases never bother to ask during an interview. In my experience, my MBA held a lot of weight especially because the school in which I earned my degree from had an outstanding reputation. My degree and university has allowed me more interviews and opportunities when I began my job search. I have no idea in what job industry you are referring, but most lucrative careers are based upon your education there is quite a substantial difference between AIU and Harvard my friend.

Thirdly, you mentioned that every college or university is for profit. Please do your research before you post such ludicrous statements. I currently work for a non-profit university, I went to a non-profit university, in fact YOU probably attended a non-profit university.

And comparing the reputation of a traditional university vs. an online university by citing cases of student suicide or rape is a very ineffective argument and has nothing to do with the quality of the education. In my experience at community college and later a traditional university for both my undergrad and graduate degree, my advisors would go above and beyond just dropping me a call they would send me e-mails, speak with my instructors, and seek me out to speak with me.

The president of my university knew my family and would go out of his way to ask how they were. The faculty, my advisor and the president cared very deeply about me as a student and as a person. I know, as a former Admissions Advisor, that our job was to get students to sign their Sallie Mae agreement and pay the $50 and keep our stich-in notes up to date. After the first day of class.we're done with them, very, very different than a traditional university.

Fourthly, the posts on this site are not slanderous because it is protected by law as an open forum. And even if it wasn't protected it would be considered LIBEL, not SLANDER. Slander is defamation of character through use of the spoken word, not written. Another bad example you cited was the comparison of a quality education vs. a car. I don't even have to go near this one as it is the most idiotic statement I've ever read.

My current job is with a great institution and I feel good about working here. The admissions department in no way coerces people into going to school here by convincing them that without an education, their dreams will never be achieved. That's a horrible psychological tactic that should not be used on people, especially on those who can't afford education.

In one case, while I was working at AIU, a woman told me that she didn't qualify for Sallie Mae, her co-signer was also rejected and she was so fearful of going into debt and losing everything, that she was considering not going to school at the moment, but rather waiting to save more money and entering school when she was more comfortable. My instinct would be, that sounds like a good plan' but not to our DOA's. The time is NOW! NOW! NOW!!!!! My DOA got on the phone and tried every tactic in the AIU binder to get her to ask everybody she knows to be a co-signer. That, my friend, is unethical. My school didn't need to do that it's reputation drew students who were ready and willing to attend school.

I worked 2 jobs while getting my degree, it was hard, but can be done. Quality education takes time, and AIU just moves too quickly. AIU is on the brink of being a diploma mill, and believe me, it would not get anyone in an interview at a good company before a brick-and-mortar university with a good reputation.

The day before I quit, I was in a meeting for the low-enrollment admissions advisors who were not hitting the numbers or quota for the week. We were made to feel like we were not contributing anything as they waved the possibility of termination in front of us because there was a whole new batch of admissions advisors fresh from training just waiting to get our positions. Let's change lives! they would chant over and over again. I unfortunately changed lives I enrolled people who were not financially ready to go to school and are probably in debt because of me. I regret every day I worked there.

In conclusion, you mentioned that you have nothing but disdain for those who truly don't want to succeed by not wanting to go to school. I would look at your education that you have failed to complete, and YOU are the authority on changing lives and convincing people that getting a degree is the only way to obtain success! You should look at yourself, my friend, and ask yourself what kind of ethical person you are and what kind of ethical institution you are working for.

I have read many of the responces here regarding the AIU school. I have to say first that my boyfriend was an "admissions advisor". He was fired along with 150 others after only working 2 months for AIU. He was given, along with the others an ambigous reason for being terminated. It's not unsual for a larger company that does mass terminations to give ambigous reasons. I know why he was fired. He did not work 7 days a week as they tried to coerece and shame him into doing. He was already working over time every day he worked. Any ethical company would try to make a positive and enjoyable working environment and not use shame and guilt to get results.

I belive that all students should weigh the ethics of any University they attend. Including how that University treats it's employees. From the Professors down to the janitors who clean the buildings and the landscapers who care for the grounds. Ethics should be the foundation of any good education. If a school is lacking in ethics, perhaps the poisen even infests it's teaching as well as it's business side.

As a person who would like to go back to school. I will say this. That anyone who tried to use my weaknesses to get me into thier school would find that my interest would fall flat. I do not enjoy being "bullied" into decisions. I find that AIU's tactics are those of the common school yard bully. I am very happy that my boyfriend no longer works there. After hearing the script and tactics that he was told to use by his superiors, I was horrified.

If you read one of the most recent posts by one of the "admissions advisors" he used some of those very same guilt tactics in his post.

I encourage anyone looking for a good education to never let someone try to force you in 2 phone calls into a huge debt. If they truely cared about you as a person and as a student. They would advise you to not make decisions lightly. They would send you materials that clearly explain what it is you are getting into before asking for money. Also, look into your community colleges. They are a wonderful resource of on-line learning at a reasonable price and I just bet that when you ask for help, you will get someone who has actually taken the classes you are inquireing about.

In closing, I see AIU as unethical towards it's employees, therefore that same ethics trend may flow back into it's students learning environment. For those who received a good education, good for you. For those that did not and feel cheated, learn from the experiance and never buy into something coerced and forced onto you through a couple of telephone calls by someone manipulating your heart strings. For those considering this school, I would advise further research into alternatives that may save you money and still allow you to obtain your goal of furthering your education and improving your life.

Seriously people.

I am an employee of AIU online. Yes, an admissions advisor. Yes, I do call people on a daily basis. Yes, I do want students to enroll. NO, I don't want to make a sale. Sales is not my job because I make nothing less or nothing more if you do or do not enroll. I'm an admissions advisor, and if you negative people think this is a scam then why would you have bothered with us at all? If you gave your information, it's because you want to know.

In my opinion as a sociology major at a traditional university, there wasn't an online school in my time and it was way too hard for me, I see nothing but disdain from those of you that truly don't want to succeed. When was the last time you went to an interview? Does your interviewing manager really care about your education? Maybe they comment on it, but do they really care if you went to Harvard or back-alley community?

Fact of the matter is that you get an accredited degree, which is what employers want when you fill out an application. They don't care if you got an A in psychology, it's what you can do for them that they look for. I did go to college, but don't have a degree, raising 3 kids and working full-time didn't allow me to finish. For those of you that feel 'scammed' obviously didn't finish the program. For you ex-employees, what are you doing now? I will say this, those that feel this from the start will request to be removed, or would not have requested the information in the first place.

All this negativity is incredible. You must realize that every college or university is for profit, they get their money one way or another. Every school has good and bad reputations in regards to campuses professors, accreditation. How many schools have you seen on the news that some kid commited suicide, or another got raped. As far as price, it is a total cost and it is posted, there are no extras, as far as books, travel, supplies, parking and others I may omit. Us admissions advisors do most of the work for you and with you. It's our job. How many traditional advisors would go through all of this for you? How many of them would call you at home and even bother if you got this or that done? If it's cost you worry about, COMPARE a traditional schools costs to ours, and the convienience (which is what you looked for in the first place really).

Think I'm talking out my ***? Think about it. Credit hours; books (new and used), traveling back and forth, supplies. Get real people. These posts can prevent someone from really changing thier lives who really, honestly and truly need it. Know that a degree from anywhere can get you in the door. If you have a silver spoon in your mouth then go elsewhere. Some people who can't go traditionally will look at this and decide not to go back to school at all. Would you want that on your consious?

Since we are speaking ethics here, realize that these posts are slanderous and unethical. Knowing that someone lost out on an opportunity because you decided to run your mouth. Your opinion is yours and respected, but to truly be slanderous because of your own lack by stating AIU is a scam can lose someone else something they can cherish. In my opinion, anyone with a bad experience will blow it all out of proportion and make the company seem like it's the worst company in the world and want it shut down. Car companies always have a bad car or two, but do you still buy their car?

I've heard of a company whose car combust sitting in a driveway, but I see their cars on the roads on a daily basis simply because its your preference to keep it, or you bought the car before the news showed that this particular car is a death-trap. But I still see that same model rolling down the street. For those of you thinking us admissions advisors are nothing but devils wanting your money, do you work for yourselves? or do you have to answer to a manager or supervisor? We are the little guys.

We do our jobs just as much as you, we earn our money just like anyone that works for someone else. For some of us, it isn't easy to find a job out there that will put food on the table and clothes on our childrens backs. WE'RE DOING OUR JOB. If you think about it, how many of you would quit a job if you thought it was unethical? You'd never work again.

PLEASE, your getting a check every other week, so what would you care about how ethical your company really is? I'll tell you right off, NO COMPANY IS TRULY THAT HONEST. If it's the phone calls that bother you, answer and say your not interested. We are all about our students and trying to make sure they graduate. We are your support. Who at a traditional college/univ. would care about you, your family or your success? When was the last time your counselor called you and made sure you made it into orientation or your first day of class?

Seriously people.

I am an employee of AIU online. Yes, an admissions advisor. Yes, I do call people on a daily basis. Yes, I do want students to enroll. NO, I don't want to make a sale. Sales is not my job because I make nothing less or nothing more if you do or do not enroll. I'm an admissions advisor, and if you negative people think this is a scam then why would you have bothered with us at all? If you gave your information, it's because you want to know.

In my opinion as a sociology major at a traditional university, there wasn't an online school in my time and it was way too hard for me, I see nothing but disdain from those of you that truly don't want to succeed. When was the last time you went to an interview? Does your interviewing manager really care about your education? Maybe they comment on it, but do they really care if you went to Harvard or back-alley community?

Fact of the matter is that you get an accredited degree, which is what employers want when you fill out an application. They don't care if you got an A in psychology, it's what you can do for them that they look for. I did go to college, but don't have a degree, raising 3 kids and working full-time didn't allow me to finish. For those of you that feel 'scammed' obviously didn't finish the program. For you ex-employees, what are you doing now? I will say this, those that feel this from the start will request to be removed, or would not have requested the information in the first place.

All this negativity is incredible. You must realize that every college or university is for profit, they get their money one way or another. Every school has good and bad reputations in regards to campuses professors, accreditation. How many schools have you seen on the news that some kid commited suicide, or another got raped. As far as price, it is a total cost and it is posted, there are no extras, as far as books, travel, supplies, parking and others I may omit. Us admissions advisors do most of the work for you and with you. It's our job. How many traditional advisors would go through all of this for you? How many of them would call you at home and even bother if you got this or that done? If it's cost you worry about, COMPARE a traditional schools costs to ours, and the convienience (which is what you looked for in the first place really).

Think I'm talking out my ***? Think about it. Credit hours; books (new and used), traveling back and forth, supplies. Get real people. These posts can prevent someone from really changing thier lives who really, honestly and truly need it. Know that a degree from anywhere can get you in the door. If you have a silver spoon in your mouth then go elsewhere. Some people who can't go traditionally will look at this and decide not to go back to school at all. Would you want that on your consious?

Since we are speaking ethics here, realize that these posts are slanderous and unethical. Knowing that someone lost out on an opportunity because you decided to run your mouth. Your opinion is yours and respected, but to truly be slanderous because of your own lack by stating AIU is a scam can lose someone else something they can cherish. In my opinion, anyone with a bad experience will blow it all out of proportion and make the company seem like it's the worst company in the world and want it shut down. Car companies always have a bad car or two, but do you still buy their car?

I've heard of a company whose car combust sitting in a driveway, but I see their cars on the roads on a daily basis simply because its your preference to keep it, or you bought the car before the news showed that this particular car is a death-trap. But I still see that same model rolling down the street. For those of you thinking us admissions advisors are nothing but devils wanting your money, do you work for yourselves? or do you have to answer to a manager or supervisor? We are the little guys.

We do our jobs just as much as you, we earn our money just like anyone that works for someone else. For some of us, it isn't easy to find a job out there that will put food on the table and clothes on our childrens backs. WE'RE DOING OUR JOB. If you think about it, how many of you would quit a job if you thought it was unethical? You'd never work again.

PLEASE, your getting a check every other week, so what would you care about how ethical your company really is? I'll tell you right off, NO COMPANY IS TRULY THAT HONEST. If it's the phone calls that bother you, answer and say your not interested. We are all about our students and trying to make sure they graduate. We are your support. Who at a traditional college/univ. would care about you, your family or your success? When was the last time your counselor called you and made sure you made it into orientation or your first day of class?

Seriously people.

I am an employee of AIU online. Yes, an admissions advisor. Yes, I do call people on a daily basis. Yes, I do want students to enroll. NO, I don't want to make a sale. Sales is not my job because I make nothing less or nothing more if you do or do not enroll. I'm an admissions advisor, and if you negative people think this is a scam then why would you have bothered with us at all? If you gave your information, it's because you want to know.

In my opinion as a sociology major at a traditional university, there wasn't an online school in my time and it was way too hard for me, I see nothing but disdain from those of you that truly don't want to succeed. When was the last time you went to an interview? Does your interviewing manager really care about your education? Maybe they comment on it, but do they really care if you went to Harvard or back-alley community?

Fact of the matter is that you get an accredited degree, which is what employers want when you fill out an application. They don't care if you got an A in psychology, it's what you can do for them that they look for. I did go to college, but don't have a degree, raising 3 kids and working full-time didn't allow me to finish. For those of you that feel 'scammed' obviously didn't finish the program. For you ex-employees, what are you doing now? I will say this, those that feel this from the start will request to be removed, or would not have requested the information in the first place.

All this negativity is incredible. You must realize that every college or university is for profit, they get their money one way or another. Every school has good and bad reputations in regards to campuses professors, accreditation. How many schools have you seen on the news that some kid commited suicide, or another got raped. As far as price, it is a total cost and it is posted, there are no extras, as far as books, travel, supplies, parking and others I may omit. Us admissions advisors do most of the work for you and with you. It's our job. How many traditional advisors would go through all of this for you? How many of them would call you at home and even bother if you got this or that done? If it's cost you worry about, COMPARE a traditional schools costs to ours, and the convienience (which is what you looked for in the first place really).

Think I'm talking out my ***? Think about it. Credit hours; books (new and used), traveling back and forth, supplies. Get real people. These posts can prevent someone from really changing thier lives who really, honestly and truly need it. Know that a degree from anywhere can get you in the door. If you have a silver spoon in your mouth then go elsewhere. Some people who can't go traditionally will look at this and decide not to go back to school at all. Would you want that on your consious?

Since we are speaking ethics here, realize that these posts are slanderous and unethical. Knowing that someone lost out on an opportunity because you decided to run your mouth. Your opinion is yours and respected, but to truly be slanderous because of your own lack by stating AIU is a scam can lose someone else something they can cherish. In my opinion, anyone with a bad experience will blow it all out of proportion and make the company seem like it's the worst company in the world and want it shut down. Car companies always have a bad car or two, but do you still buy their car?

I've heard of a company whose car combust sitting in a driveway, but I see their cars on the roads on a daily basis simply because its your preference to keep it, or you bought the car before the news showed that this particular car is a death-trap. But I still see that same model rolling down the street. For those of you thinking us admissions advisors are nothing but devils wanting your money, do you work for yourselves? or do you have to answer to a manager or supervisor? We are the little guys.

We do our jobs just as much as you, we earn our money just like anyone that works for someone else. For some of us, it isn't easy to find a job out there that will put food on the table and clothes on our childrens backs. WE'RE DOING OUR JOB. If you think about it, how many of you would quit a job if you thought it was unethical? You'd never work again.

PLEASE, your getting a check every other week, so what would you care about how ethical your company really is? I'll tell you right off, NO COMPANY IS TRULY THAT HONEST. If it's the phone calls that bother you, answer and say your not interested. We are all about our students and trying to make sure they graduate. We are your support. Who at a traditional college/univ. would care about you, your family or your success? When was the last time your counselor called you and made sure you made it into orientation or your first day of class?

I graduated from AIU online and I do not feel like I attended a real university. For most of the time I never cracked a book and passed each class. Sometimes I felt I could turn in scribbles and still get a passing grade. I bet if I try to enter a masters program at a real university, they will laugh at my AIU degree.

If AIU is so great on academics, how come they are on probation with their accreditation institution?? They are.

I really had to respond to the person who described how credit evaluations are done at AIU. I have to say this is a problem that is not limited to AIU, or even to for-profit colleges. Make no mistake, non-profit colleges are all about the bottom line as well.

Some years back, I transferred to IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis). This is a major state college with about 25,000 students. I had applied to several colleges and based my decision, in part, by what I was told about the transferability of my credits. I specifically asked for my transcript to be evaluated before enrolling in classes.

Imagine my surprise when I found out--after it was too late to withdraw from classes--that the Registrar had decided not to accept three of the classes I had been told would transfer. Believe it or not, the three classes in question were ones that the state legislature had actually mandated would be transferable from every state college to every other state college (and, yes, they were from another state college). I ended up fighting the battle all the way up to the President of the college and they did back down and accept the credits. I know now to ALWAYS get your transcript evaluation in writing before enrolling.

I am not saying I don't believe AIU may have problems with their recruitment processes--they obviously do because they are currently on probation with their accreditation for that very reason--but I am saying before you cast rocks, please realize that many of the things I am reading on this site happen at thousands of colleges across the country. Most all admissions departments use scripts. For very good reason, since there are so many ways a college can get into trouble with the Dept. of Ed in their recruitment processes.

Bottom line, I am a graduate with a masters in Educational Technology from AIU. I applied what I learned from AIU to develop a successful program with an innovative curriculum at the college where I work (not AIU) and as a result I earned a major promotion. So, I can honestly say this. However they may get you in, AIU does deliver what they promise.

I completed my BA at CTU on-line and am now going through the MBA program. I have found it to be quite a rewarding experience. The instructors are usually PHDs. Most of them take a keen interest in providing a sound education. Yes, they use aggressive marketing tactics. So what? They are in business to make money. They never made any promises to me that they didn't keep. Nor did they mislead me in any way, except the recruiters did lie about how much time it would require. I was told it only took about seven to ten hours per week. Maybe, if you would be happy with a C average. It usually required quite a lot more study on my part. I am not nearly as quick as some of the others. Many of the students were in the military. Most had full-time jobs. To tell you the truth, I don't really know how they did it. I was part of a small cadre of really top students who went through a lot of classes together and developed a really strong rapport with one another. Most of them kept a 4.0 GPA. I kind of trailed our little pack with a 3.88 GPA. But I was the only one of our group who was not working. I put at least as much time into my classes at CTU on-line as I did going full-time to a brick-and-mortar university.

The last post mentioned that CTU is not very strict on citation practices. As you progress, they become more and more strict. By the time you are in grad school, they are very strict. Why they don't get really strict on citations (using the correct APA format) earlier, I am not really sure. I started CTU as a junior. By the time I had reached the senior year they had weeded out a lot of people who couldn't make it. I remember one of my first classes where the average grade was 53%. And they don't grade on a curve, either.

I have not tried to peddle my degree yet. What I am planning to do when I get my MBA is to teach on-line myself. I think I could be a very good instructor, as many of mine were at CTU. And that would really work out well for me, as I must take care of my aging mother, and can't really leave her alone too much. To tell you the truth, it freaked me out when I first saw this blog. But after reading through it, I realized there are as many people with positive things to say as there are with negative comments. I think CTU is really worthwhile. I think on-line learning is here to stay. And I am proud of my BA I earned at CTU on-line.

I am a Senior Admissions Specialist at CTU Online. first lets start off by explaining my title, I was promoted to Senior status after two months in a row of hitting budget (enrollment goals) of 12 per month. This is actually very hard to accomplish and I have seen several good advisors go a whole month with only 1 or 2 enrollments. I was a Senior Admissions Advisor for about 3 months before being promoted once more to Specialist, there is only one Specialist per team of 35 advisors (or sometimes no Specialist at all it depends on the management style of the DOA, Director of Admissions). The Specialist for a team calls all "old business" (yes this is a sales job, and no they did not lie to me in my job interview) "old business" is any perspective student who has been through either a first call or second call with an admissions advisor and is still not enrolled in school after a week. I am a closer. I am a sales shark and I am good at my job. I call these perspective students DO NOT use a script and I sell them on going to school and getting a degree. I dont get any easy enrollments, everyone I talk to has an objection as to why they can't go to school, I get the worst of the worst. I also feel that I do the most good, if I did not call the people that I call then they would never go to school. I care about my students, they are MY students and come hell or highwater they are going to f**king go to school. It is a hard job, but I feel that I do alot of good, these people that I talk with have low self esteem and lack the confidence to succeed, sometimes I am the only person in their corner telling them to go to school and get their degree. I have heard students parents in the background over the phone telling them they are "too dumb" to go to school. I am sometimes the students only advocate. During the first week of class every single student calls to cancel at least once and I save them and they go to school. I had a student named Crystal that I will never forget she called me to quit because she was going through a messy divorce and had a drinking problem, I talked with her for 2 hours saving her while she was bawling her eyes out over the courts taking her kids away. Two months later she called me and gave me the most heartfelt thank you I have ever heard from a person, the courts gave her custody of her kids back because they said that it looked like she was getting her life in order by quitting drinking starting AA and going to school to get her degree. You have no idea the feeling that gives you to have that much of a profound effect on someones life. This is the best job I have ever had and regardless of what these disgruntled ex-employees and unsuccessful students have to say I know in my heart that I do alot of good for alot of people. To date I have enrolled over 100 students to school and I know all of their names by heart, and I still get phone calls from people who are on the chancellors list, getting a 4.0 GPA, or wanted to call me to tell me that their son/daughter just graduated high school and they want them to have the same great education that they are earning. The school is not perfect, but what business is? It is what it is.

I am a current student of AIU and having gone to UOP prior i found their calling to be a good motivator to get me into the school. Yes I checked out their Accredidation before going there. Schools that are scam artist are not accredited by the proper accrediting agencies. yes they did call me alot but they were very professional and most of those calls were necessary to get the information to me or to them that would allow my paperwork to be done for me so all i had to do was Esign it. All online colleges (i have check with many) have call centers most sound like they dont mean what they say. But i found AIUs call center employee to be very professional and very nice and courteous. Yes the cost is a bit more then some online colleges but you receive all of your books and software and anything else that is needed I had to pay for my own books and software at UOP (university of phoenix) This is also a college for advanced students so the curriculum is a bit advanced all the books are up to date and the software is amazing. all of these people that are complaining happen to live near a campus perhaps they are former employees with a gripe but they are not qualified with a degree to tell me that this school is a scam. if your classes are not covered by your grants there are always other grants, scholarships , and loans to get to cover the cost. I am currently an A student there and was just nominated to the National Deans list please note that these people do not recognize people that go to scamming nonqualified schools. I rest my case.

My fianc is currently attending AIU. I have helped counsel her in many of her business courses, having been a prior small business owner. I only read a few of the above posts (I think the first dozen or so) and have noticed a few things.

1) All colleges have sales or "recruitment" sections. If you do not want to be called constantly do not show any interest or give them your number.

2) If you are serious about stopping the calls because you feel you are being harassed. State clearly and seriously that they are not to call you or any resident in your house. If they call back after that most states consider it criminal misdemeanor (telephone harassment).

3) Due to the horrid misspelling I have noticed in most of the above comments. I would highly recommend that some of the complainants continue to attend college online or otherwise or at least take a remedial English course. Especially those who like to bring out large words to try to impress or make themselves sound more intelligent. Stop, it only makes you look worse.

4) College of any type, CC (community college, Online or otherwise, is expensive and will only increase in cost. My fianc has part of her costs defrayed with the G.I. Bill, so the statement by a supposed former employee that they only work with Sallie Mae is blatantly false and accusatory. In my humble opinion should be removed.

5)The credits earned at AIU are very widely accepted. If OSU will accept them as a valid transfer then I am all for that college.

GO BUCKS!!

In response to "Ken - Randolph, Massachusetts" who claims to be an employer that doesn't embrace online education, and to anyone else who has doubts or questions whether or not employers and other schools will accept your online degree, please read the following links:

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=2086

http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/school/20030203-dunham.html

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savinganddebt/Finddealsonline/P42609.asp

The most important thing is making sure the school is LEGIT and REGIONALLY ACCREDITED. AIU Online is legit and is regionally accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Their website is:

http://www.sacs.org/

===

Now, about myself. I too, like "Kimberly - Portland, Oregon", am a former employee of AIU Online. Here's my take on it:

1) True, AIU Online uses sales people and techniques to gain enrollment. Does that mean they are a fraud? No, they are not a fraud because their education is real (more on that in a bit). That only raises the question of why they do it. AIU Online is owned by Career Education Corporation (CEC). CEC is one of the largest private/for-profit education organizations in the world. CEC is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CECO. Because they are a for-profit organization, and have stock shareholders, they must continuously grow and show revenue and profit.

2) Do I agree with their method? I worked for them for about 5 months. I quit because I didn't like being in a sales environment. Although I don't entirely agree with their method because it allows non-qualified students to be accepted, I do understand that at the end of the day, the employees and stockholders need to benefit. In other words, it's about making money. Isn't just about everything else in this world? You may compare AIU Online advisors to any other salesperson. Does that mean all salespeople are fraud too? Salespeople sell products that you or I are willing to buy and benefit from. AIU Online sells education that the student may very well benefit from, in his/her future career and life. It's no different than any other product being sold. When you go to the store and want to purchase a computer or a TV, the sales person will try to sell you the item. Sometimes they don't know jack about the product, but they will act like they do. If AIU Online is such a fraud, then all of corporate America is a fraud.

3) Other schools such as ITT Tech, who are only nationally accredited is no better, and even worse, than online schools that are regionally accredited. When your school is nationally accredited, your credits transfer less easily to other schools and universities. Regional accreditation is the bread and butter of any legitimate school.

4) Having said that, I am also a student myself. In fact, I just finished my Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology with AIU Online. The school is real, the learning materials are real, the books/software are all real, and the professors are all real. Best, I didn't have to pay on top of the tuition for the books, software or anything else. I was able to take the Network+ Exam and pass it in less time most other test takers. I will be obtaining my other certifications and will take it from there.

5) It allowed me to work full time and support myself, my family and my lifestyle, while going to school. My employer (after AIU Online) even paid tuition reimbursement.

6) I have a friend who goes to Oregon State University and he's taking some online courses they offer. All what was needed to complete the course was to complete about 30+ (hard) problems. There were no midterms or a final exam and the students had the entire semester to complete them. Portland Community College offers online courses as well. Many brick and mortar schools are heading in that direction whether you like it or not.

SUMMARY: AIU Online may be controversial on their method of recruiting. But at the end of the day, you gain your education (if you're willing to put effort into it), and you gain the ability to earn while you learn. All of this, in 13 month's time, and with the backing of regional accreditation to their name. If you do not like the way they recruit, go look elsewhere. But if you are serious about obtaining your degree in record time and willing to put up with the recruiting crap, it's smooth sailing from there on. Most of you who decline AIU Online will probably still be looking a few years down the road for that perfect school because you couldn't find time to go back to school. You're what's referred to as a professional procrastinator. Well guess what? You could have finished your education in the time you were looking for a school to attend.

In response to "Ken - Randolph, Massachusetts" who claims to be an employer that doesn't embrace online education, and to anyone else who has doubts or questions whether or not employers and other schools will accept your online degree, please read the following links:

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=2086

http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/school/20030203-dunham.html

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savinganddebt/Finddealsonline/P42609.asp

The most important thing is making sure the school is LEGIT and REGIONALLY ACCREDITED. AIU Online is legit and is regionally accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Their website is:

http://www.sacs.org/

===

Now, about myself. I too, like "Kimberly - Portland, Oregon", am a former employee of AIU Online. Here's my take on it:

1) True, AIU Online uses sales people and techniques to gain enrollment. Does that mean they are a fraud? No, they are not a fraud because their education is real (more on that in a bit). That only raises the question of why they do it. AIU Online is owned by Career Education Corporation (CEC). CEC is one of the largest private/for-profit education organizations in the world. CEC is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CECO. Because they are a for-profit organization, and have stock shareholders, they must continuously grow and show revenue and profit.

2) Do I agree with their method? I worked for them for about 5 months. I quit because I didn't like being in a sales environment. Although I don't entirely agree with their method because it allows non-qualified students to be accepted, I do understand that at the end of the day, the employees and stockholders need to benefit. In other words, it's about making money. Isn't just about everything else in this world? You may compare AIU Online advisors to any other salesperson. Does that mean all salespeople are fraud too? Salespeople sell products that you or I are willing to buy and benefit from. AIU Online sells education that the student may very well benefit from, in his/her future career and life. It's no different than any other product being sold. When you go to the store and want to purchase a computer or a TV, the sales person will try to sell you the item. Sometimes they don't know jack about the product, but they will act like they do. If AIU Online is such a fraud, then all of corporate America is a fraud.

3) Other schools such as ITT Tech, who are only nationally accredited is no better, and even worse, than online schools that are regionally accredited. When your school is nationally accredited, your credits transfer less easily to other schools and universities. Regional accreditation is the bread and butter of any legitimate school.

4) Having said that, I am also a student myself. In fact, I just finished my Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology with AIU Online. The school is real, the learning materials are real, the books/software are all real, and the professors are all real. Best, I didn't have to pay on top of the tuition for the books, software or anything else. I was able to take the Network+ Exam and pass it in less time most other test takers. I will be obtaining my other certifications and will take it from there.

5) It allowed me to work full time and support myself, my family and my lifestyle, while going to school. My employer (after AIU Online) even paid tuition reimbursement.

6) I have a friend who goes to Oregon State University and he's taking some online courses they offer. All what was needed to complete the course was to complete about 30+ (hard) problems. There were no midterms or a final exam and the students had the entire semester to complete them. Portland Community College offers online courses as well. Many brick and mortar schools are heading in that direction whether you like it or not.

SUMMARY: AIU Online may be controversial on their method of recruiting. But at the end of the day, you gain your education (if you're willing to put effort into it), and you gain the ability to earn while you learn. All of this, in 13 month's time, and with the backing of regional accreditation to their name. If you do not like the way they recruit, go look elsewhere. But if you are serious about obtaining your degree in record time and willing to put up with the recruiting crap, it's smooth sailing from there on. Most of you who decline AIU Online will probably still be looking a few years down the road for that perfect school because you couldn't find time to go back to school. You're what's referred to as a professional procrastinator. Well guess what? You could have finished your education in the time you were looking for a school to attend.

So you outraged by all the haters?Give me a break!!I suppose that all the "haters" who got ripped off were just to quote you "whining and complaining".And if you no longer work for the company why are you on this site?What you and everyone who write a positive comment don't address is that this company was on warning last year.This year they're on PROBATION until December.Why don't you answer that.I'll tell you why because the facts are there for everyone to see.This "school" is cheating people who don't understand and aren't told the truth.This school has a class action lawsuit against it.Tell them about that.You don't want to do that,too close to the truth.And the 50 year old woman you were helping get a bachelors degree.I was under the impression that CTU only offers a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration.How does that move her up in ranking as a nurse? You need more experience lying for someone in their 20s.I'm sure some advisers cared about the students,but when your top executives are known to have done this same thing before,it makes people want to investigate before paying for a scam.So all the talking about how great this school and how the advisers care about the students,doesn't change the facts.Please answer about that.

Thanks to D and some of the other Ex-employees at AIU, I turned down the position of Advisor. I worked for a "Boiler Room" company before (I was attending school at that time and was lured in to the job by the money), and quit because their practices were unethical. I was almost lured in because of the money (again $36,000 starting salary). I think I can due better with my BA in marketing than to screw desperate people out of what little money they have. Even if it means making less money. State and private universities do offer courses online. I know because I had to take a couple due to the classes I needed (meaning the class rooms were full) were filled. I am a working parent who used student loans to pay for college. If you are looking into getting a degree, don't attend a school that you can't meet with an advisor personally.

Thanks to D and some of the other Ex-employees at AIU, I turned down the position of Advisor. I worked for a "Boiler Room" company before (I was attending school at that time and was lured in to the job by the money), and quit because their practices were unethical. I was almost lured in because of the money (again $36,000 starting salary). I think I can due better with my BA in marketing than to screw desperate people out of what little money they have. Even if it means making less money. State and private universities do offer courses online. I know because I had to take a couple due to the classes I needed (meaning the class rooms were full) were filled. I am a working parent who used student loans to pay for college. If you are looking into getting a degree, don't attend a school that you can't meet with an advisor personally.

Thanks to D and some of the other Ex-employees at AIU, I turned down the position of Advisor. I worked for a "Boiler Room" company before (I was attending school at that time and was lured in to the job by the money), and quit because their practices were unethical. I was almost lured in because of the money (again $36,000 starting salary). I think I can due better with my BA in marketing than to screw desperate people out of what little money they have. Even if it means making less money. State and private universities do offer courses online. I know because I had to take a couple due to the classes I needed (meaning the class rooms were full) were filled. I am a working parent who used student loans to pay for college. If you are looking into getting a degree, don't attend a school that you can't meet with an advisor personally.

Thanks to D and some of the other Ex-employees at AIU, I turned down the position of Advisor. I worked for a "Boiler Room" company before (I was attending school at that time and was lured in to the job by the money), and quit because their practices were unethical. I was almost lured in because of the money (again $36,000 starting salary). I think I can due better with my BA in marketing than to screw desperate people out of what little money they have. Even if it means making less money. State and private universities do offer courses online. I know because I had to take a couple due to the classes I needed (meaning the class rooms were full) were filled. I am a working parent who used student loans to pay for college. If you are looking into getting a degree, don't attend a school that you can't meet with an advisor personally.

AIU and CTU are wonderful schools.
FYI_ i worked for ctu online-colorado technical university which is a sister school to aiu. and they basically run the same way. My co admissions advisors who actually were put in AIU were trained in the same room as I was.

First of all, I am in complete agreeance with Geoff of Roselle Ill, and John of Texas. THANK YOU two. (There are also many other similar comments that are very much appreciated)

As an admissions advisor, I loved all of my students, and still do. I still wonder about them once in a while, I wonder which one of my coworkers is taking care of them, and what kind of grades they're getting. Of course I called my students many times because I cared about their well being. If they didn't do their paperwork, I was concerned about their dedication to their education. It is more important to the potential student to be pressured to get things done on time, because that reflects their performance as a future student!!!

As an admissions advisor, yes I did have a script. We can not simply just be laid back towards people who have expressed interest in going to school. Most of the people who inquire about online colleges are over the age of 30 and have never gone to college. THERE ARE REASONS FOR THAT!!! One of the most common reasons is that- they were not highly motivated to get their education in the first place after high school and even if they knew that education is important to get a good job and be able to support their family, they never put that extra effort into it. (yes yes there's other reasons that are out of their control as well.) If we just slacked off like that, then we wouldn't be sticking to our motto, would we? It's the FOCUS on education that we have that people just dont want to see.

As for the "Scripted interview process - first and second calls" When we ask the questions about how important education is to you, it is for a reason. EVERY question is for a reason.

--And BTW- for the people who don't like to be asked personal questions and think it's "inappropriate" to be asking about financial situations or marital status, etc- I understand your concern. However let me assure you that we ask this not to be prying sales people. we are not telemarketers! These questions help us get to know you. And find a connection with you to truly understand your situation. PERIOD! Again, I do not speak on behalf of ALL the advisors working for AIU, this is just the general feel of the company. Some advisors are very monotone and boring and sounded scripted, which of course would make it seem like they're just taking down your personal iformation like a prying salesperson. I hated listening to the voices of those advisors.

Anyway- going back to the "scripted interviews" -- We really are gauging the ability of the person to be a good student, as well as getting to know them better. ( Yes, part of it is also a good sales technique, but like a lot of rebuttal comments state, traditional schools having sales teams to try to get students too- they also want to make money! ) I have definitely NOT given my reccomendation to just anyone. I have brought out the confidence and commitment out of many prospective students who were over the age of 40 and 50, who have stopped belieivng in themselves and stopped trying or just dont want to put in that extra effort to get their education. But a lot of times, there are people who express interest in going to school for a reason, but just are lazy slackers and indecisive illogical thinkers and don't do their paperwork throughout the time I am trying to help them get into school, and I end up not enrolling them. the script and reccomendation process helps weed out people who probably won't do well in school. Some advisors just want the enrollment and don't care and will reccomend anyone. TRUE. However most of my coworkers were not like that. If they are not recommendation worthy, then we don't just give up though, we try our best to bring out that fire and motivation in them so that they CAN become good students. and also very importantly- Although the advisors are always there for the student throughout the entire enrollment, after they become enrolled, they will not constantly call the student and checkup on them. (the student can call them whenever they want though) What happens if the student has the same attitude while enrolled and responsible for their homework and studying? They will never get their degree if they are still slackers and not dedicated. It is true that going to school online is tough! it is really education, people! You can not just order your degree online and have it handed to you because you have paid money.

Also as an advisor, I spent at least five minutes to thirty minutes on each conversation just talking about their lives and laughing and joking around. I did this not because I was told by my Director, but because I felt like I owed it to these people to give them MY commitment to do my best no just as their advisor, but a reassuring voice in their life. Although I can not say the same about some others who work at AIU/CTU online (every organization has below average employees! That's why they get fired!)most of the admissions advisors DO care about the people they talk to.

we DO care about our students.At a regular university or community college, if you don't attend the first student orientation or don't do well on tests or go to school, they couldn't care less! If you don't continue with the application/paperwork, they don't care! At AIU/CTU, it is completely different. If you say that you need this degree, we take it to heart. We help you remember every day where your focus should be. I remember that around every single start time of a new quarter for brand new students, there would be orientation day. We would not rest until we made sure every student was in orientation online and had logged into class for the first time. And if they didn't we were very concerned and tried contacting them. We really wanted our students to be successful!!

My first student ever (God bless her, I will never forget her amazing personality and strive for education) would call me almost every other day if not every other hour, and leave me series of voicemails for me to hear at my desk every morning when she first started school. She would be a nervous wreck most of the time because she wasn't very computer savvy and was terribly aggrivated when she didn't know what to do when she had a computer problem or when she didn't know how to post an assignment or find the professor's audio lecture. I spent countless hours helping her and convincing her not to drop out of school just because she was nervous that she wouldn't do well. I believed in her 100% and she told me that she looked at me as a den mother and thanked me so many times despite all of her frantic calls. This was one of the greatest things that anyone had ever said to me. This woman was over 50 years old and wanted to move up in ranking as a nurse and needed her bachelors. She was over almost three decades my senior and she was looking up to ME! I was empathetic for her when she was worried about school and I was overjoyed when she was happy about something, especially when she called me one day ( I had not heard from her in a little bit after her BIG worry fit that I had finally eased after about two hours of advice) about two months into class and said that she was getting all A's and loved reading her books. I was ecstatic for her because she was one of the top students in class. We talked about the novel she was reading on her own personal time, the fall of the roman empire, and how her grandson always helped her with her computer problems. I could tell so many different stories about my students and why going to get their degree was one of the most important and greatest decisions of their lives. I will never forget anyone of my students and how much I believed in all of them.
I am getting off subject, I'm sorry... anyway..

Okay so you've read that we try to enroll a great number of students and are praised if we hit our budget at the end of the month. Well did you know that we also got praised even MORE so when we STARTED a large number of students? Which means that if you enroll ten students and only 3 or 4 logged into class and kept in contact and did their work, then you would be frowned upon and the directors would train you harder? We do believe in our students and care.







As an employee, I was never forced to work overtime. The job was stressful and full of pressure, but the work that we did was for good.

Kayla- I don't even understand why the heck you filed a report in the first place. There is no rip off. The fifty dollar application fee is laughable compared to what you pay at ANY other good college. Phoenix university i.e. makes you pay over a hundred dollars! And we DO mean what we say. Just because we use a script and interview you the same doesn't mean that we don't. It is very organized that way and everything you say, we keep note of because we care about you. so that we remember who you are and you're not just a number to enroll. I'll tell you that after I enrolled someone, I knew everything about them because I cared about them and I could ask them how their son is doing and if they are better from their cold. The script is there for the beginning so that we can be organized and detailed! If we didn't have a script, the university would be messy! Not everyone can remember important details!

Oh and I quit working there because obviously this is a full time job/ I worked about 50 hours a week (for a great pay), and my personal schedule changed and I can't work that much anymore. But I would love to go back if I had the time.

Only bad thing about the university- very high pressured. Many people got fired left and right and quit angrily. Those who did, of course will badmouth the company. Yes we care about you going to school and having a better future, but guess what- every university wants to make money!! Ivy league colleges want your money too! no matter how much you say that it's unethical, it's true. But you get your education from it. But all this talk about how they want you money makes it seem like that's all the college wants. That's not it. But if you're going to whine and complain about how that's what it seems like to you, then just remember that you're in turn complaining about almost every other accredited college in america as well.

AIU/CTU IS NOT EXPENSIVE!!!!! Compare it to going to a regular university for four-five years. Plus add up the room and board fees, text book fees, lab fees, and the gas to drive back and forth. Travel is not cheap! My friend who is attending U of I (illinois-champagne) a very good college on the same accreditation level, will end up paying over $100,000 for her bachelors.. when you can get your bachelors AND masters combined at CTU for less than that!! (I am not denying that she is getting a great education, she is not wasting her time. u of i and other comparable schools is a wonderful way to learn. I am simply stating that you can't diss AIU for the cost because you are ALSO getting a wonderful education as well for an even less tuition all together) Because you dont pay extra for your books/shipping for books at AIU/CTU, that is a big relief. Plus it seems like you're paying more because the cost is condensed into two 1/2 years. instead of a course of four or five.

And to anyone who thinks that going to a community college's night classes is cheaper and easier- You can not compare a junior college with a regionally accredited university. If you want to settle for a degree from a community college, it will not get you very far (you can't even get the bachelors) plus you would be spending so much more time- almost 8 years. I have spoken to many prospective students who told me that they spent about 5-8 years just getting their associates! because they had a full time job and kids to take care of they could only take a limited number of classes. there is no way you can compare getting a regionally accredited Bachelors degree with getting an associates from a junior college.

Jen from Hawaii- We don't purposely call people at three in the morning. It's time zones people! Humans make mistakes. I know I accidentally called someone in Hawaii/California, when it was 9am my time. I apologized and remembered to look at the time zone before calling.

"Locked us in a room and forced us to sign papers?!" What an exaggeration! puuhh-lease!

And for those who had complicated financial aid problems (gi bill, sallie mae, etc) you will have those same problems at another university, however they will not help you with them.

And Geoff- you are exactly right. I always explain to people that aiu/ctu has THE best financial aid team anywhere. it is non existant at most schools that you will get such quick and detailed information about f.aid. Anywhere else, if you don't know how financial aid works (most people don't) then the attitude is "F* you, NEXT!" I have spent countless hours with the same students I've enrolled helping them to the very last sweat and tear with their financial aid. Every department in the school keeps in close contact to make sure you know exactly what's going on.

Oh yeah, John is right- the scripts are for legal purposes as well, also to keep advisors on the right track. We aren't all walking dictionaries and rule books that can spit out facts like firecrackers in the most perfect conversational flow.

The application process actually is not complicated. We send detailed instructions to the student by email if they don't have time to write it down over the phone, and I have walked students through it with no problem. It's the students that are very hard to reach that may have trouble because they don't go home and do the paperwork when we advise them to and it stretches the process beyond the necessary time frame it takes to help a student get into school. One of my students was in the military and she didn't have time to write down my instructions for the FAFSA (federal financial aid) over the phone. so I spent an hour overtime writing out the instructions to her in an email so that she could print it out. I organized it so that she would be able to read it easily and I included lots of other information for her as well including tips for students in the military. I didn't mind a bit! Aiu/ctu advisors will go out of their way to help students understand every step of the way. If you never show up at the time you said you'd be available for us to contact you, and you fail to reach us back then that's your fault! If you don't sit down at the computer and check your email for our messages, that's your fault! We are doing these things to benefit you and help you, but if you don't appreciate that and follow the directions, then the process of applying and getting a financial aid plan is extended. Of course it would seem complicated!


As a final word- I always cared about my students and even while i was on script, I talked to them like they were human beings, not a number to enroll. My students loved me back because they always knew that I would go out of my way to help them. (I stayed at work until almost 11pm one time on a three hour conversation with one of my students because she was having computer problems. ) The bond between students and their own advisors are tight. Sometimes if my coworker was sick and didn't come in, I'd have to call their students to make sure that they were on the right track even if their advisor wasn't there for them that day. And I could tell that the student was concerned about their advisor, and didn't really want to talk to me and would rather wait till their advisor came back because they had that bond. think about it-- every report that is written by a student on this page is positive. Those who have graduated know that they got a great education and the communication between the different departments (financial aid, academics, admissions etc) is phenomenal.

After spending about three hours writing this post and editing and adding so much, hopefully this makes some kind of difference and means something. because I really do feel good about the education from these schools. and so do thousands of students.

Speaking as someone who interviews and hires staff in white collar positions, I can tell you that whether it is AIU, or University of Phoenix, or any other 'online' college, we score that individual as having NO formal education. When we are filling a position that requires a degree, we don't even consider resumes with degrees from these institutes. That's the harsh reality of it.

Time after time we learned the hard way that these individuals had no preparation, and no depth of knowledge expected in a college graduate. We have hired high school grads who were better prepared. I speak only as one employer, but I asked around to some of my colleagues, and the sentiment is pretty much the same across the board.

My advice to anyone considering one of them would be to save your money and find a 'brick and mortar' school. It won't be as easy a ride, but it will mean a whole lot more in the end.

I have spoken to many schools on my search, but AIU is by far the most aggressive for money. They try to push you into there program without even telling you what the program entitles, the tuition, or any of the information that you need to know. They try to tell you there very selective about there students and try to make you think that getting in is hard. Its not, that's the reason they call you 2, 3 or even 4 times a day to try to get you to pay the application fee. Once you pay the application fee, then it is you that has to call them everyday to keep on track. This to some people is no big deal but I am not buying a car or applying for a loan, I am trying to get an education and I really don't like the feeling of being sold my knowledge from people that have no morals. Maybe this doesn't bother some students, if it doesn't you should also take in advice that if you are anything other than Caucasian that the financial advisor is racist. My fianc had already applied for fafsa and has attended another college, he was a resident of Cuba and is listed as a refugee with a I-94. The school sent him a student ID card with out his transcripts or anything. He didn't even know that they were sending it. He spoke with financial advisor for about 2-3 weeks trying to convince her that he is can get financial aid because of his status. He even sent her copies of his I-94 and the very documentation from the fafsa sight stating "Generally you are an eligible non citizen if you are: (1) a U.S. permanent resident and you have an Alien Registration Receipt card (I-55); (2) a conditional permanent resident (I-551C); or (3) an other eligible noncitizen with an Arrival-Department Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service showing any of the following designations: "Refugee", "Asylum Granted", "indefinite Parole". "Humanitarian Parole", or "CUBAN-HAITIAN ENTRANT". "

So I wonder if the financial advisor went to AIU because it would explain how she got a degree when she can't even read! AIU is truly a school that will go as fast as it came!

Hello,
Wow, what a debate! First of all I worked for AIU for the month of April-05. It was an intense sales environment, though nothing I did was illegal (like the FASFA thing someone else mentioned). I did quit because I don't like doing sales- and I was training to run a marathon and they wanted me to work weekends a lot. I didn't enroll just any one, I refused to enroll students based on the fact that the fit didn't seem right. And the students I did enroll I really did care aboutgosh that sounds cheesy, but it's true. Maybe since I didn't come from a sales background I had a different attitude about my role as an advisor.

The argument that if you don't want to be contacted, then don't give them your name and number is bunk, because not everyone knows they are signing up to get info about AIU, some people think they are entering a contest to win an iPod or something. I DID NOT like that part of the job.

After I quit, I decided to get my MBA... I looked at numerous online schools. My dad teaches at University of Missouri in Columbia and I had him research the validity of many of the schools I was looking at. AIU's MBA was the best program for me.

And yes, I had to go through all the b.s. that regular students do to enroll because I was no longer an employee there.
AIU is the real deal. Maybe the admissions procedure sucks... but once you're past that, it's all real.

No one writes my papers for me, or does the tremendous amount of work this degree involves. It's tough.

In June I landed a job at Intel. When I graduate with my MBA in April my pay will increase to $60k plus bonuses.

Please, don't confuse the crappy admissions process with the ACTUAL program. They are two different things. Once you are in attending AIU, they are very supportive and helpful.
Re-read the posts--Actual students like the program.

I have finished a BBA degree with AIU. It was originally an 18 month program (based on my past credits and experience) but due to delays on my part, it grew to a 24 month program. I am a senior manager for a large company and found the material to be both relevant and challenging. While I was not pleased with the finance department of ths institution and I do believe a true representation of the total costs should have been made up front, it was still less expensive than a traditional brick and mortar school (other than a community college). The only place you find that reward comes before sweat is in the dictionary.

I am currently enrolled in the AIU Online MBA program and will complete it in 10 months. It will also be expensive, but I am not naive like those who compain about the cost. Do your research first and then choose.

as a current employee of CTU online, sister school of AIU, i have to agree with the others who are upset with the treatment of both the company's employees and students.

for the employees -

it was the salary that attracted me to this position. thats the only thing thats good about this job... here,

- you work like a slave. i work 10 hours daily. sitting at a desk for that long is very tough.
-you are looked downed upon if you don't work overtime. my personal doa likes to trap everyone into overtime during rah rah's and make you feel horrible if you decide not to.
- they really know how to instill fear in you if you don't meet your quotas.
- your quotas are unreasonable and you are constantly compared to those who are better than you at the job.
- it feels like they work you so hard so the team leaders can exceed their numbers. doesn't really seem to me like they care about you as an employee... feels like they just work you for your own selfish reasons.
- i went off script once and my training manager lectured me and made me feel like a dumbass for putting some personality into the conversation.



for the students -

- honestly, you are a number to the admissions advisor. this job is extremely numbers driven. it is vital that the employee hit their quota so they will do anything to get you enrolled.
- i personally call the same people 6 times a day at work or at home or at any number i can get so i can hit my numbers of calls for the day.
- yes, the calls are scripted.
- i will make second call appointments and try to enroll anyone unless there is something such as they weren't old enough standing in the way.
- yes, they accept pretty much everyone who applies
- they will make you enroll on the second time they talk to you. they will make you feel guilty if you don't and do anything they can to enroll you. i personally think it is unreasonable to give a person 1 or 2 days to decide to go to school, then threaten them that if they don't enroll when you say, it could "jeopardize their chances" with the acceptance commitee.
- i have a BA. i feel like its going to waste with a job like this.
- i hate how i have this job and i hate the way i have to treat people to make money.
- im quitting this week.

on the other side, i do think that education is a very important aspect of life. to me, the best way up is with an education. i'm not a student here, i don't know how its really like. they don't really like to tell you much about the school itself during the training. so if some people have had good experiences here as far as schooling goes, kudos to you.

i'm just saying what i see from my point of view, i think it is a scam. think what you want to think.

Once again, I am an ex-employee of AIU, and to repeat myself, I was not fired from AIU, I quit. I quit on moral grounds. Quitting on moral grounds and being a disgruntled employee are two completely different things! I had great numbers at AIU, from 22 enrollments on my first month to 18 on average for the rest of my other 11 months. Anyone that works in admissions knows that these are awesome enrollment numbers.

There are a lot of unethical things going on with AIU, from filling out information on the FASFA website for the students (which is illegal), to putting down fake signatures in school documents, this school is a complete scam.

I would urge anyone looking into AIU to contact the Department of Education and ask them why the AIU online division in Dallas, TX was closed down by them. ASK!

Anyone that praises AIUonline is either a fool or a blind follower. There is nothing good about this school. Answer a question, why is it that the admissions department is not allowed to speak with the AIU online professors? Why? Why it that prospects are called up to 100s of times in ONE DAY!? Why? Not over a period of years, but in one day.

Why is it that AIU's management has to tell in so called "happy" meetings on Mondays that if you don't hit your numbers you won't feed your family? Is this anyway to manage a company? If you believe so you are either whacked or you are Steve, Nick or another whacked out fool from AIU.

Furthermore, AIU is under investigation by the Department of Labor for unfair pay practices. They make, force people to work over time and they don't pay it. They say that a person must work overtime, but if they don't meet their goals for the week they won't get over time pay. how many of you guys know that a company HAS TO PAY THEIR HOURLY EMPLOYEES (WHICH ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVE AT AIU ARE) OVERTIME NO MATTER WHAT?!

As for the AIU online education, well I repeat myself, why is it that admissions representative are not allowed to speak to the AIU professors, why? what is there to hide? and I repeat myself, their Dallas center was closed, shut down, put out of business by the Department of Education.

If you are truly interested in AIU Online, ask them how many of their graduates find jobs, what their placement rate is. Keep in mind that this can not be told to you over the phone, by Department of Education regulations they are suppose to put this in their catalog or send you a written "statement" of their job placement. It is going to be interested what you are going to hear.

Once again, online education may one day take off, but today is not that day. Online education is not taking off. I am a current manager at a school and I can tell you this, anyone that I see that has an online degree I will not hire, why? Because I know the inside and outsides of this business.

Lastly keep in mind. If a company doesn't take care of its employees and it doesn't care about ethical business practices, do you really believe that they are going to care about a student? No, all they care about is you applying for Federal Financial Aid, so that AIU can get a nice fat check from the Department of Education. And who is left to deal with the huge loan that they put you in for a sucky education? YOU! Remember, no matter what, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY BACK THE GOVERNMENT STUDENT LOANS!

Oh and one more thing, AIU WILL ACCEPT ANYONE AND EVERYONE! THEY DONT' DO ANY TYPE OF SCREENING! the essay that you write for the admissions representative is neither read or presented to any type of acceptance committee! If you pay your $50 for the application fee, you are in. Anyone that says otherwise is lying! In fact, Nick Fludge's and others on top's motto is that they accept anyone and everyone that wants to come to AIU.

AIU is a scam. Call the Department of Education and ask them how many complaints have they received about AIU Online and ask them why they closed down AIUs telemarketing center at Dallas, TX.

Going to a brick and mortar schools is worth it. And the guy that said that Ivy school education is the same as AIU's has to be lying or it a investor of AIU. That's the biggest joke I have ever heard!

first of all i was searching this site for other rip off scams and i just happened to type aiu in the search bar not expecting to see so many complaints on one comp[any, what gets me is the $24.000.00 they charge for such education that may or may not be revilant to the opportunities out there that u may or may not be looking for. so far to my dismay, all i see or all i saw so far is nagetivity from most of the state of illinois. if it is the illinois location, then it's the illinois location they should be investigating. yes your right c.s.i. is only a television program that airs on cbs and other networks like abc, u.s.a.networks, nbc, u.p.n. and the like, law and order is another of my most favorite tv shows because they have cases like this on there. what i dont get though is why they are getting away with hiding the costs of this type of servide. my sister had considered applying for this group';s education because she wanted to make a differance in her life and wanted a deploma in the field of education or early childhood parts 1, 2, and 3 bbut after seeing this entire thread, i've noticed that alot of this tread is not at all positive about the fact that they are supposed to be a school. the script one poster gave is very very very familiar, this guy by the name of chad bently had asked the same questions as you have up here, like where did you attend school? what is your household income, that is very personal business i would hang up on the guy for asking. and if they called me back i'd report them to the federal communications commission for what i think is harrassment and it is harrassment to call a person over, n' over, n' over, n' over again until they satisfy you or passify you with their wanting you to suck on their passifier and apply for their services wich i wont go into the fact that i said passify. another thing is, i dont ever think telemarketers should use a script, a script is for making movies and tv shows and unless that's what they are is movie producers, i think that the one week training period is very very small of time frame, noone can learn how to teach in a week and think they can call themselves "professor jerrad" or whatever. i work in the school system and i know what it is like to work with a diverse environment and working in a diverse environment is at times difficult because for being a lunchroom staff member you have to clean up after the pigs if they leave their lunch trays on the table that you are supposed to clean! hello? no educator can take one week and learn all his basics on teaching a large class. and the fact that they lock employees in a room and force them to sign a paper? what if they dont sign this paper because they feel that this paper is so called hard labor, then what! they get fired? all of what i read makes me wonder if slavery DID return to the united states like it had been in the 1800's or further back. i think that it did because one poster said, "i remember one time they locked us in a room and forced us to sign a paper stating that we were to work 40 hours a week plus over time." and after all it turns out that over time is not paied over time but labor. the state of illinois should look into this matter further because IT IS CALLED HARD LABOR. one time before i moved to the employment, i worked for a sheltered workshop called illinois growth enterprizes. if you work for a shop by that name, they do not pay you for the times that there is no work yet you are told that you are to report everyday. that is an example of what you guys are talkikng about, the shop i worked for did the same exact thing as aiu is doing. not that i am going to file a ripoff report on it totaly but compare the two, illinois growth enterp[rises and aiu university. and thanks for the warning about attending aiu, i'll look elsewhere. thanks.

I have to say that I did not do my research before I began the program. I signed up because of the convenience and quick program. Now I wish I would have. The following is what I was told that did not happen.

1. My G.I. Bill would cover all expenses after my loans so there would be no "out of pocket" expense while going to school. My loan came out to about &15,000. Being active duty military, your G.I. Bill only covers your active school days and no breaks I.E. week breaks in between classes, holidays, etc. I ended up having to pay $5,000 dollars out of pocket. I spoke to my advisor and student accounts IRT this situation and they said they had never heard of that happening. Well, I worked with three other people who had the same problem and their advisors told them the same thing.

2. Initially signing up, I had several credits that were transferable and I only needed X amount of classes to get my Associates degree. (which would only take 6 months) Towards the end of the program, I was informed that I was missing two classes and had to complete to get my degree. I agreed and that meant I had to pay &&&& MORE money. In total, I paid about 25,000-30,000 for six months of school. I could have paid that much at WSU for a year and have a higher accredited degree.

3. I had to take a break in-between my degrees due to some severe family and personal issues. They were willing to allow me to wait until the following term to come back. I received a call about a few days later from an admissions advisor saying that I had to get back in to the program now or m enrollment was cancelled. I declined because my family is far more important than school. I can put off school a couple months, not my family. Anyways, a few days later someone else called and gave me the third degree about putting it off. I informed them that I had personal issues to take care of and would get back in as soon as possible. They than told me that nothing was more important to me than my education, that I would always have my education. (Understandable but I won't always have my parents!) She was so rude and had the worst attitude. I just said I do not have time for this and it was none of her business.

4. My issues were soon resolved and I was ready to start back up. I began talking to advisors and so on and started filling out paper work. I was having computer problems and had to push my enrollment up. Durring that period I received several phone calls from people telling me that I needed to get things taken care of so I could do what was right and become responsible. I got in an argument with a lady. I tried to tell her that that I was working on getting my computer fixed and working to pay rent, bills, food, and other necesities. It was hard for me to get someone to fix my computer with my schedule. She then got hot tempered and said I am a full time mom, work over 40hrs a week, go to school, and can get everything done. My reply was not everyone is that lucky to have life run so smooth, and that it would be taken care of asap. It was a god awful mess and she made me feel like garbage.

5. The last straw was when I was told how much my bachelors degree would cost and my out of pocket expense. I could go to HPU for two years on that cost. I also did my research and compared a great college that was cheaper and highly recognized. It was cheaper, more effective, and more recognized.

I recommend you do your research because you pay too much money. Granted it is convenient and quick. I would much rather go to HPU and do distance learning for $300.00 per class. People from AIU call you at three in the morning and say it will only take a minute. RUDE! It is easier to take night classes at a campus near your home rather than go to AIU. Just trust your instinct and not your convenience.

I am an employee of this company and I can save everyone a lot of complaining and headaches right now. AIU Online is the perfect program for the right individual. The actual cost is competitive, if not bargain, when compared to the "TOTAL COST" of going to school at any other private, regionally accredited university. The problem that so many people have with this university is the way it operates, which is much different than a traditional campus. I saw a lot of different concerns (which were legitimate) on this site. I figured I would come out and let everyone know the reasoning behind each one that is worth addressing and then let you know a little bit about my own experiences.

1. AIU uses call scripts.

Of course they do. To be able to handle the number of students that request information from the university each year AIU must hire a large staff. When it comes to admissions it is important to use a script for several reasons:

a. Every advisor must be recommending students on a consistent basis. With so many advisors, if each one handled admissions in their own way then it would be easy for someone to claim that others were receiving special treatment and that they were discriminated against. This could lead to various lawsuits and loss of accreditation. The University has a responsibility to all of its current and former students to keep its doors open and stay accredited, otherwise the degrees that people have worked very hard for will be useless.

b. Believe it or not, there is a system in place which has been setup for the right students to succeed. The key is the right students. These are people who are motivated enough and have the drive to succeed to be able to handle a very face paced program. We do our best to prepare students for that from the very first time we speak to them.

c. Not to sound impersonal, but when you talk to nearly a hundred of potential students a day, it is important to have a process that is set. It is very easy for an advisor to burn out at this job. We work several hours a week to accommodate our students. It is easy to lose focus because of how much abuse we do tolerate on the phones. Not everyone willing request the information (I know this) and many people are not ready or comfortable discussing why they are not ready to further their education and they lash out. Enough people like this in a row can drain a person and get them off task. Without my script to bring me back I wouldn't be able to help the serious student like I should when I call them.

2. AIU will continually call you.

Yes, we will. I still call prospective students from 2003 because their situation may have changed, but if these people complaining were so consumer savvy then they would realize that all they have to do is politely ask to be put on a "Do Not Call" list, and they will receive no more phone calls from AIU. DUH!

3. AIU will recommend anyone.

Not true. I have personally told people that I don't believe they would be a fit for this program. There are a lot of very qualified Masters Students that I have turned away from our university because they refused to answer any questions, therefore they would not be successful in our system and not be a good fit for our university. The problem we get is some people lie and we have no way of telling who is being honest with us and who isn't. I had a 19yo the other day who told me he had a B avg. in H.S. and had his parent's support to go back to school. (This is important b/c if you're under 24 and not married or have children then you need your parents to sign off on your federal aid) As it turns out after he was accepted his mother told me that they don't support him going back to school at all because he got all D's in HS and barely passed. They felt he needed to grow up more. Had he told me that I wouldn't have recommended him.

4. AIU is a For Profit University.

Well like the title says Do Your Research. Many private universities are. Here's a clue for those of you that say AIU is a diploma mill. If you are for profit and you want to be competitive in the education field then you either have to have the lowest price or best education. Well we all should know by now that AIU doesn't have a price as low as your local community college, so where does that leave us. Hmmmm.

5. AIU hires sales individuals.

A lot of advisors have a sales background, yes. There is a good percentage, though, who don't. A sales background helps in admissions AT ANY UNIVERSITY, but AIU lifts up advisors that believe in the power of education and are committed to students succeeding. All universities keep track of numbers in admissions. It's how they maintain a budget to keep the school operational, geniuses. What I don't see is many schools who work as hard to keep their students in class when they want to quit. The old college orientation speech was "Look to your left, look to your right. These people will not be here when you graduate." Wow, so you're telling me that you'd rather go to a university that took money and kept you in school, and then the first time you wanted to quit, let you walk out the door without a degree for the money you spent. Yeah, you know what. I'm going to go to a car dealership today and put 1/2 down on a new car, then when the first lender I talk to denies me, I'm going to walk off the lot letting them keep the money I gave them. And so help me if that salesman comes out and does everything he can to help me drive that car I already spent money on home... I'll be pissed. Oh yeah, that was sarcasm if you didn't catch that.

Basically what I am saying is that as an advisor I am very dedicated to education because I know what life was like for me before I got a degree and I finished my Associates at AIU and am continuing on for my Bachelors now. So let me share two stories with you. The first is my education story, the second, my advisor story.

Education Story

I went to Purdue University for 2 1/2 years. Needless to say that my time spent there was not successful. My grades were decent enough, but as time progressed I became less interested in going to class. I was dealing with some major problems back home and had lost my desire to further my education which wasn't that strong of a desire to begin with. Needless to say I was not ready to go to school. Purdue didn't care, though. They enrolled me, and kept me there changing majors and adding classes without ever getting a degree. My father spent about $60,000 between tuition, books, housing, and living expenses. When I finally went to my advisor and told her I wanted to quit, she asked me once if I was certain. When I said yes, she wished me luck. $60,000, no degree, but a good luck on my way out the door. I bounced around from job to job never making more than $10 - $12 an hour which is not enough to live on in Chicago. I slept on friends' couches and always wondered where my next meal would come from. I tried to go back to school for 3 years to finish off my degree, but could never find the time or money to do so. I ran into AIU online and enrolled. 5 months later I had my associates degree and had also come on as an advisor with the university. They do pay well, but if I were to ever lose my job, now I have the degree to be able to succeed elsewhere.

Advisor Story

Being hired on as an advisor, my first impression was that this university was all about sales, and while I valued my own degree, I figured there were plenty who were ripped off. What I have come to realize is how many times in the process that someone has to bail out at no cost and this process is created to weed out as many students as possible that would not be good for the university. Furthermore our school is far more detailed on their financial aid process than most other universities out there. Like I said previous, I have told many individuals that they would not be a good fit for this university. There are other people that most people outside this university would probably not believe would be a good student, which I have recommended and have proved me right every time. No one else will give them a chance, and if it weren't for our University they could never achieve this level of degree.

In closing all I can say is that the negative reports I have read here seem to be from employees (ex or otherwise) who either don't understand our process or are disgruntled from underperforming. Most of those advisors were probably never students with our university either. I have found that those who tend to succeed with us are students with us as well. They just understand better. The other thing I noticed in negative postings is that I haven't seen any yet from people that got a bachelors from this university. It seems that all the negative postings are based on negative experiences. I'm still looking for the one that says, I went to school, had a wonderful time, earned my bachelors, and nothing good has happened in my life ever since. It all comes back to the commitment of the student. I could just as easily blame Purdue and slander their name all over this website because I failed as a student there. No one would listen, though, because Purdue has been around for 100+ years and has graduated national success stories. I could tell you many stories of friends of mine that went to local community colleges, got degrees, couldn't find jobs because their degrees weren't as valued as one from AIU, and then got bills 6 months after graduating for student loans they didn't even know they had. That to me is a scam, but once again, who would listen, because they have been educating for years. AIU Online is still writing it's history which makes it easier to attack, but know that most of the people complaining are doing so because they failed at being able to go to school with this university and are looking for someone to blame, other than themselves.

Now I KNOW there are exceptions where some people have been misled and rushed into decisions that weren't right for them. That will happen anywhere you go though, with anyone providing a product or service for money (in our case, education) because there will always be those people that are more concerned with making themselves look good, than they are concerned with the needs of the client (student in our case). It will happen, but people like that also get fired from AIU. Unfortunately we cannot undo what has been done. But I will say this to anyone considering AIU for their education.

DO YOUR RESEARCH ON ALL UNIVERSITIES AND DECIFER WHAT WILL WORK BEST FOR YOU!

For many people today online education is the best if not the only option and AIU is one of the best options in online education. It is not for everyone, though, so look into all your options.

as an admissions advisor for university as well as a student I can honestly say that it is not a rip off. Aiu online offers industry standard curriculum. As an admissions advisor it is my job to interview students with the goal of finding what interest, desire, and motivation is driving them to get the degree. that is what all the questions are for, we dont want to set anyone up for failure. True, some people take the wrong approach to the process, but you have to understand that this is a global for profit university with a diverse student body. Most of the students that go here are people with full time jobs, children, and real responsibilities that have been out of school for 20 years. Thats why we ask all the questions, were not selling anything, the students are selling themselves, we are there merely to inspire them. It is the greatest feeling in the world when a student that tried to drop out because of fear comes back to thank me for not letting them give up. They tell me about how much better off they are because of me. We have the highest accreditation a university can have to boot. how is it a rip off? Because we are persistant? Because we realize that some people need to be called at different times during the day because most of our students lead busy lives, and our online education is the only education that there schedule could possibly allow. but im sure you would just prefer that they not go to school at all. Shame on you.

Look, I have been working for AIU Online for about 3 months now and I might not love my job every minute...but, who does??? And, please, tell me of a job in America where you can lack in business production and continually receive a paycheck.

AIU Online is NOT a scam. It is a regionally accreditted university and the price is stated quite clearly on the website. Not only that, it is the 'total program cost' to get the degree, not by semester, quarter, or credit hour. Also, the price includes brand new books, software, and fees. The books are even delivered right to your doorstep! Honestly, people...the price is 'very good' compared to traditional schools.

Also, the 'regional accreditation' means that we MUST abide by a set of standards for integrity, quality, and academic freedom. We are 'shopped' by the public who is basically paid to see if we mess up something (anything really), and report that to the "Better Business Bureau", you know who that is, don't you?? People that have worked in the resturaunt industry know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

Additionally, most people that I work with are required to have a BACHELOR's DEGREE. AIU is CONSTANTLY updating the website to accomodate students' needs better. Everything that we do is clear and concise. We ALWAYS strive to look out for the needs of the student, not get 'sales' as you call it.

You want to talk about a scam?? I worked for MCI back in 2001... now, THAT WAS a scam. You want to talk some more folks???? or do you see that maybe you are just crying about a bunch of nothing??

AIU IS THE HIGHEST ACCREDITTED ONLINE UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD!!! And, no one pumped that info. into me...I did my research!! Be sure that you do the same before you go shoot off your mouth about something.

And for the people that applied for information about AIU and don't want it now...Why did you request it to begin with?? Are you still stuck in the same sorry-a*s job, barely getting by? Still struggling from paycheck to paycheck with your same old sobb story about how your a single parent with your kids living in a dinky apartment? Trust me, you won't get anywhere crying about it. We call because we want you to have that extra money in the bank...we want you to be successful, so how 'bout it folks, who's got something to say???

Hello,

As an avid researcher and graduate student at AIU Online--I perceive many of you need to educate yourselves of what AIU stands for and how the Department of Education views the institution.

For the disgruntled employees--your voices carry little, if any, weight in determining the quality of education the school provides.
Having attended several schools, both public and private, AIU is up to par with most Ivy League schools I've attended. The curriculum is well-developed and designed to challenge people with materials he/she can relate to in the 'real world'. Further, I as well as many of my fellow classmates find their project-based approach as having more value than the traditional test-based approach.

As for the faculty, I was blown away by their experiences, not just in their academic achievements, but at how they treat their students. Even on the weekends I was able to get in contact my professors to ask questions I may have been unable to ask throughout the week.

This level of communication is critical for anyone taking online courses.

As a student, all departments, including admissions, provided me with the support I needed to follow through with everything needed to begin my classes on time, without worrying about any unresolved issues (ex: financial aid, academics, etc.)Having this type of support is critical and almost unheard of.

Hello,

As an avid researcher and graduate student at AIU Online--I perceive many of you need to educate yourselves of what AIU stands for and how the Department of Education views the institution.
For the disgruntled employees--your voices carry little, if any, weight in determining the quality of education the school provides.
Having attended several schools, both public and private, AIU is up to par with most Ivy League schools I've attended. The curriculum is well-developed and designed to challenge people with materials he/she can relate to in the 'real world'. Further, I as well as many of my fellow classmates find their project-based approach as having more value than the traditional test-based approach.

As for the faculty, I was blown away by their experiences, not just in their academic achievements, but at how they treat their students. Even on the weekends I was able to get in contact my professors to ask questions I may have been unable to ask throughout the week.
This level of communication is critical for anyone taking online courses.

As a student, all departments, including admissions, provided me with the support I needed to follow through with everything needed to begin my classes on time, without worrying about any unresolved issues (ex: financial aid, academics, etc.)Having this type of support is critical and almost unheard of.

Last, for those who would like to provide some credibility in your claim--please support your claims with something more substantial. A good web site to research is: http://www.ed.gov/programs/disted/descaiu.html

While I appreciate complaints about their business practices and how they treat their employees, I would like to know about the quality of the education and the experience of the student. One described the institution as a Diploma Mill. To be such, the organization must be in the business of selling degrees and that there is not actual learning taking place there. There are also no standards on the quality of education at a Diploma Mill.

I would ask...
Is the institution accredited?
Are there instructors?
Are students completing assignments?
Are the degrees valid?
Can the credits be transferred to other accredited colleges and universities?
Does the degree have value?
Are the students really learning?
Does the college have real campuses?
Are there persons working in capacities as they are in a state college?
Does "For-Profit" equal no value in learning?

While sales calls may be an annoyance and internal business ethics may require addressing how staff is treated, the complaints I see listed here are more "Don't Work at AIU" and not "Don't Attend AIU" or "The college is not real."

very well said Carlos, I agree with everthing you said. I worked there for no more than 2 months, which was 2 months too long.

Also anyone considering working for AIU or their sister phoney school CTU please think otherwise, they do not give 2 craps about their employees. I turned down several employment opportunities with legitimate companies before I took a "slave" position with AIU, what a foolish mistake.

GAYIU sucks balls.

I am an ex-employee of AIU Online. I was not fired, I quit. I stayed there for almost 1 year and the bull s**t that was going on was unbelievable.

AIU Online has quotas to meet, they don't care about the student, and they only care about getting your $50.

Each and every single admissions representative there has to meet a certain number of enrolled students per month and God help you if you don't. You will hear such comments as, "You want to feed your family, right?" or "If you don't get a certain amount of enrollments per week you MUST work overtime, but you will not be paid for it." Do keep in mind that the admissions representative are hourly employees, they must be paid overtime. You also have to have a certain amount of DIALS per day!! and you must have spoken to a certain amount of individuals. Reasons why people will get phone calls from AIU 20 times in one day! The only way to get promoted is by sleeping your way to the top or by sucking up to the managers and the owners of the company. Nick Fludge, Steve, Mr. Larson and others.

As an admissions representative, I was given as little information about the programs as possible. When asked if I could speak with AIU Online professors we were told no!

Someone here put up a script, as it is called, on what is called the First Call! There is also a script followed by everyone for the second call and a script for the third call! Yes, every single admissions representative reads the same thing! You are expected to close the deal with in the 2nd phone call and once again, God help you if you don't. We are told to find the weak points of the person looking into AIU Online, what is their motivation, and interests for going back to school and then, to use these as weapons against them. For example, someone might say that they want to go back to school because they want to provide more to their children. If the individual then backs off and says they don't want to go to AIU Online we are suppose to ask them, I thought you cared about your children and that you wanted to give them a better life?.

The telemarketing department is divided by teams. Each team is headed by a DOA (Director of Admissions) and they have ADOAs. These teams also have a trainers, which forces you to follow their ridiculous script and then there are the admissions representatives.

AIU Online is run more like an auto dealership show room, rather than an educational business.

AIU Online has been opening up different locations around the Chicago land area, they also opened up other telemarketing centers in the West and Texas. The Texas center which was located in Dallas was shut down by the Department of Education do to accreditation problems!

I was contacted by the FBI and the Department of Education because they wanted information about AIU's shady business practices. They are still under investigation from these two government bodies. Their stock has taken a hit because of this.

Take it from someone that cares, AIU Online doesn't care about anyone, either their employees or students. They have a huge, huge turnover in the sales department. It is a revolving door. No one wants to stay there unless they can't move on.

Please, anyone considering AIU Online heed my warning. They are fakes, they are thieves, they are corrupt salesmen. DO NOT ENROLL IN THIS SCHOOL! AND IF YOU HAVE, I FEEL BAD FOR YOU.

Also, keep this in mind, online education is not looked upon very well! Ask any serious employer. it is worth spending the time going to a brick and mortar school.

One last thing, I quit on moral grounds. I was not fired, but I came to the conclusion that I could not feed my wife and children by using the "blood" money that AIU was paying me with.

It is true , education they provide might be good , not excellent but what they do to Admission Advisors is Naci Camp . Also they all pretend from Directors ( mine did not even have HS diploma ) all pumped and happy with stupid songs to like motivate you , only if u are retarded .

They change people every day and fired once who don't want to kiss a*s . All it is fake and it is good place for someone who worked in Collection Agencies . They dont care about students , they put poor people in bigger debt .

All they care is their own profit . I get scamed by salary they offer but latter I realised I dont want to call same people 4-6 times a day , because I dont want same thing happen to me when I am at home . Un profssional , un ethical place is Zoo , for people who cant get another job .
Hats off for good people who work there and who are not brainwashed , those are rare .
After all I do beleive in On Line education specialy in fast life we have , but this is not
what I think should be Admission Advisor .
People should like to speak with you as an Advisor not being almost forced , and most of people I speak with was poor and uneducated , u sell them dream and realistic is they will hardly find job wich pays what you tell them ,
LIES LIES LIES .

School where Advisor is fired if he/she doesn't keep with script tells for a smart people what is going on in there . I know end will come for those so called education providers and only professional institution will stay .

AIU and Colorado Tech are shame of todays America .

I am a former employee of the Hoffman Estates, IL office of AIU-Online. Admissions Advisors (AA's)are sales people however,they are trained to do "reverse selling" where the student sells the AA on why he/she should be accepted INSTEAD OF the AA selling the bells and whistles of the school (like a car salesperson).

As a university, AIU-online can not pay its sales staff commissions but internally, it is a high pressure/performance based position. FYI, AIU pays it's AA's a respectable wage; most Advisors can earn 36k-45k in the first year but the starting amounts vary depending on the AA's hire status (direct or via staffing agency). I was hired through an agency and started at 38k but was on pace to make much more with the generous Overtime available. I also have a BA and noticed that they are seeking degreed Admissions Advisors unless the person has a plethora of sales experience (which I don't).

I am admittedly not a very good sales person which is why I moved on but during the time I was there, earlier this year, I did not notice any unethical practices by my coworkers. However, I will say that I would overhear, occasionally, an AA revert to conventional selling methods to "close" a prospect. To their credit, the monitors would usually approach the person to remind them of the correct proceedure.

FYI, AIU-online caters to the nontraditional student; one who is older, is working, has a family, and in all likelihood has had many failed attempts to complete a degree. It is because of these reasons that the reverse selling method is used (Admissions Advisors are tasked to gauge the plausability of success based on the answers given by the potential student. As a result, more weight is given to a student's answers than his/her previous academic track record). I can personally say that I did not recommend all of the students who wanted to attend...

As a final note, there's nothing wrong with AIU's for profit status. The school's tuition is on par with many other institutions and the price is disclosed prior to acceptance. Not to sound preachy, but one could say that an education is an investment in one's future and that prospective students should always examine their options closely. In short, AIU-Online is not a scam.

Thanks Willy. Mom's getting up there in age and she can't drive anymore.

She had told me that a very nice man who graduated from AIU had been driving here around. She felt bad for him, as he had mountains of student loans, and the best job he could get was a driving a cab.

She's going to be real upset that you quit, so I think you should be the one to tell her

Well you have no idea what you are talking about.

As far as there just being employees that don't know what they're doing and they are all to blame.

Maybe you should consider the company's training and ethical standards, or in this case, the lack thereof.

AIU is a horrible school built on lies. They WILL except everyone that applies to the school. They lie to the "potential" student telling the student that there will be an "acceptance committee meeting" determining whether or not the student will be accepted, however any numbnutz moron like youself will be accepted to the biggest joke of a school there is. And all this time that student will become a number for the "admissions advisor's" esp. But nothing is more important then getting that student his/her education to aiu. Bullshit, all the admission's advisor hears is, where are the enrollments, we need more enrollments, blablabla.

Your theory, that aiu has just had bad luck with a few bad apples employees is bullshit. They will hire anyone, and in many cases thier top executives, who promote associates, bacheolrs, and masters degrees, only have a d**n ged or hs diploma.

AIU does not care about thier employees or thier students. AIU only cares about the almighty dollar. They will not be around much longer, and your degree will suck even more after that. Ask any HR manager or employment agency, very few on-line degrees carry any wieght. A degree from a "school" by the name of AIU online is laughable.

And before you make an generalizations about my ability as an employee, I was hitting my sales numbers when I left, but actually have a conscience and cared about the people aiu wanted me to just push through thier doors. I know the company is crap, they treat employees and students like crap, no amount of money could ever make me reconsider working for this place again nor could I ever recommend it to someone who wants to get a quality education.

Who do I drive a cab for???
for your Mother...thats who. You americans are so dumb that when it cames to a simple argument and u are backed into a corner u think using insults would get u to win...oh and tell ur mother I quit.

Willy, judging by your post, it appears that AIU may be a bit lenient in it's admission standards for students.

The sad part is, you probably graduated at the top of your class.

So, who do you drive cab for?

In the case of AIU all I have read is about is that they use sales people to get students. Who doesnt??? Devry, Colorado tech, university of Phoenix, and the list goes on.

When a university is labeled as a for profit university , the question that cames to mind is "what woould u want it be ?" Is there a college out theere these days that is not out to make money or has education in america became free? Before AIU went online it had land campuses and it is accredited in many states...of all the people who have complained about being ripped off I have not heard one person say that the academics at AIU are not up to standard...

and who says sallie mae is the only loan that is approved by AIU? I went to aiu and I did not get my loan from sallie mae.

It is obvious that when employees are not doing a good job and they are let go there is nothing good that can came out of them concerning their previous employer...I have dont it so I know what I am talking about

I've read the complaints. Any large university has real-life complaints that would make these pale in comparison. Large educational institutions, especially state universities, have a difficult time delivering any individual customer service to students. The student is own their own to navigate the system, with all its faults and pitfalls. State universities have state funding, who needs profit when the money tree will never die. Still yet, with all the funding state schools have, many are so large, and so corrupt many incredibly horrible things happen--lost transcripts, lost course grades, to name but two of the natural horrors of a large institution. Then there's the real-world life on a big campus: sexual abuse by faculty and staff, organized-crime run drug, gambling, prostitution, and car theft crime rings that have been operating on-campus for decades (payoffs). So, these complaints are petty. Grow up.

I am a student of AIU. I have also attended two state-run universities. I'll take AIU. It's a much safer environment; way better customer service. And, it's not a magnet for organized crime.

Put that in your book.

--"Dances with Wolves"

I've read the complaints. Any large university has real-life complaints that would make these pale in comparison. Large educational institutions, especially state universities, have a difficult time delivering any individual customer service to students. The student is own their own to navigate the system, with all its faults and pitfalls. State universities have state funding, who needs profit when the money tree will never die. Still yet, with all the funding state schools have, many are so large, and so corrupt many incredibly horrible things happen--lost transcripts, lost course grades, to name but two of the natural horrors of a large institution. Then there's the real-world life on a big campus: sexual abuse by faculty and staff, organized-crime run drug, gambling, prostitution, and car theft crime rings that have been operating on-campus for decades (payoffs). So, these complaints are petty. Grow up.

I am a student of AIU. I have also attended two state-run universities. I'll take AIU. It's a much safer environment; way better customer service. And, it's not a magnet for organized crime.

Put that in your book.

--"Dances with Wolves"

I've read the complaints. Any large university has real-life complaints that would make these pale in comparison. Large educational institutions, especially state universities, have a difficult time delivering any individual customer service to students. The student is own their own to navigate the system, with all its faults and pitfalls. State universities have state funding, who needs profit when the money tree will never die. Still yet, with all the funding state schools have, many are so large, and so corrupt many incredibly horrible things happen--lost transcripts, lost course grades, to name but two of the natural horrors of a large institution. Then there's the real-world life on a big campus: sexual abuse by faculty and staff, organized-crime run drug, gambling, prostitution, and car theft crime rings that have been operating on-campus for decades (payoffs). So, these complaints are petty. Grow up.

I am a student of AIU. I have also attended two state-run universities. I'll take AIU. It's a much safer environment; way better customer service. And, it's not a magnet for organized crime.

Put that in your book.

--"Dances with Wolves"

I've read the complaints. Any large university has real-life complaints that would make these pale in comparison. Large educational institutions, especially state universities, have a difficult time delivering any individual customer service to students. The student is own their own to navigate the system, with all its faults and pitfalls. State universities have state funding, who needs profit when the money tree will never die. Still yet, with all the funding state schools have, many are so large, and so corrupt many incredibly horrible things happen--lost transcripts, lost course grades, to name but two of the natural horrors of a large institution. Then there's the real-world life on a big campus: sexual abuse by faculty and staff, organized-crime run drug, gambling, prostitution, and car theft crime rings that have been operating on-campus for decades (payoffs). So, these complaints are petty. Grow up.

I am a student of AIU. I have also attended two state-run universities. I'll take AIU. It's a much safer environment; way better customer service. And, it's not a magnet for organized crime.

Put that in your book.

--"Dances with Wolves"

I am currently about to graduate from AIU, and I can honestly say that the experience has been a wonderful one. I actually take offense to those who have posted and made comments regarding the intelligence of those who attend AUI. I'm sorry to say that not eveyone has the time to attend a classes full-time at a university while working full-time, serving their country as a reservist, and raising children. The fact is that AIU allows people to obtain their degree and balance a tight schedule.

As for the admissions personnel and advisors, I have found that there are quite a few phone calls. However, the phone calls where not only during the admissions process, but random throughout my enrollment to see how I was doing. They requested infomation on how to improve my experience, not to sell me on a SCAM.

To address the comment on the books...I have only received book that are either well written and pertain to the subject or they have been new.

Colleges and universities are out to make money. That is a fact. Those who believe otherwise are fools to say the least.

I can't believe this even made the rip-off report in the first place. I see nothing relevant in any of these posts that anyone was ripped off at all. The only thing I see they might be accused of was maybe being a bit to aggressive, but what University doesn't go after a student's tuition. First, you made first contact of interest I really doubt they solicited you in the first place. It's hard to contact some people because of work and everydays life activities. I appreciate them contacting me, but that's me.

The tuition costs are clearly stated on their AIU website, so you should not have been surprised at all how much the University costs. If you didn't take the time to actually investigate the University properly you are the one at fault.

Plus, the original complaint has no evidence this should even be here on the rip-off report for any type of wrong doing. It's mostly complaining on how you were accepted and looks like you never even made it to class. It's evident you were never a student, but in the process of enrolling. Where in the process did they ever rip you off? This is a personal grudge just because you did not like the pre-written script? So, it gives you the right to try to discredit their University for quality of the Education you apparently did not even participate in? There are students that do not mind the extra confidence they give you at least to try to get a degree that you felt you could never achieve before from an accredited University. Plus, it's accelerated.
Of Course any financial aid in any University, trade School and colleges will bend over backwards to get that financial aid for you. That's their jobs. It's money for the school.

50 dollar application fee is the lowest of them all. And you can get this waived also depending on what employer you are working for and get a 5% discount on tuition. These online Universities help people such as military that are fighting for us getting an education while they are on active duty. It's a great program and it's not for everyone because it does take a bit more dedication to finish than you think.

All I see are disgruntle employees and possible students complaining on the scripts and the calls when in fact you contacted them first. I see no actual wrong doing that the University has done especially being here on the rip off report.

In fact you complainers are ripping off us students by trying to discredit this University and our quality of the education that we are getting just because you did not like the cost or the way they read a script.

These people are in sales to get you enrolled and yes they do require all transcripts before you start. They have to go by a script for legal purposes, but these guys work hard to get you in and they are good people doing their jobs. And they do not just go by a script; I've had a admissions advisor Mike help me beyond his call of duty to get me in. He doesn't use a script each and ever time he talks to me. He talks to me like a real human being. Maybe they do care maybe they don't but I believe they do.

These online Universities are very costly, but they give anyone that has a desire to get a degree get it. Without being scrutinized and having a 4.0 or just having a GED everyone deserves to go to a high quality University whether it's online or traditional.

Yes, to bad it costs more, but in reality it's not it's only about two years versus 4 years, the cost evens out with most other Universities.
Did you every look at their curriculum? It's not as easy as you think they are. You are getting a degree in short period of time. So, you get doubled the load, but you can do it whenever you get a chance. It's a high quality education at a high cost, but it's definitely worth the cost considering it could boost your salary by as much as 10 to 20 thousand a year or more.

And their credits do transfer, so I think you guys are the ones that are doing the ripping off that have these silly negative complaints. Still there is no proof this University has ripped anyone off.

Universities are for profit organizations/business. So, what did this University rip you off for you to complain here?

I think rip off report needs to read these initial complaints thoroughly and really investigate before they post negative comments for actual wrong doing. People are using this website now just because they may get upset over something minor that someone else would appreciate, but they feel it's so severe they should call them a rip off. It's absurd, but you have the right to your opinion.

If anyone can not go to a traditional college setting AIU online is the way to go. It is very costly, but I believe it'll be worth ever penny you spend. You can get it in short period of time tiem and time is definitely more valuable than money for some. AIU is a GREAT CHOICE if you work fulltime and would like to get a higher education in a few years versus 4 to 5 years. Do not think it's an easy way to get a degree. It's more difficult to train yourself then going to class.

Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments.

They have these stupid things called "Rah Rahs" every day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of care bears, it's a complete joke.

It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Also why would they care so much about what someone else is saying about AIU online if they are attending a different university, and this case maybe even a legitimate university. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. What a joke. I can't wait to leave, just everyone else.

Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments.

They have these stupid a*s things called "Rah Rahs" every d**n day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of f**king care bears, it makes me want to s**t myself.

It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. Good day, and suck my balls.

Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments.

They have these stupid a*s things called "Rah Rahs" every d**n day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of f**king care bears, it makes me want to s**t myself.

It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. Good day, and suck my balls.

Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments.

They have these stupid a*s things called "Rah Rahs" every d**n day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of f**king care bears, it makes me want to s**t myself.

It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. Good day, and suck my balls.

Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments.

They have these stupid a*s things called "Rah Rahs" every d**n day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of f**king care bears, it makes me want to s**t myself.

It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. Good day, and suck my balls.

I have been reading all the responses so far and I am shocked to say the least! I am willing to clear some of the smoke in the air. The first is to say that in everything there is some good and some bad! I am noticing a repeated pattern of what appears to be disgruntal employees here with negative to say.

AIU Online does provide many people with a chance they would never get from most other Universities! It's is Accreditated by SACS. The $50 app fee is required and quite frankly at lots of others schools is more than that! I am not trying to endorse them either because they do have rather aggressive sales tactics! I was not sold on the college I graduated from and don't feel the need to be. I knew what I was signing up for, I did my own research. I contacted past professors from the Community College I attended before I chose a school to attend. Now that's me and plenty of others who work at AIU Online did the same thing! The downside to AIU Online is that with such an aggressive sales environment they let lots of things slip through the cracks.

There is a blantant discrimination issue there. I read a post about an ex-advisor who used to work there who was getting paid $45K without a degree. I have yet to hit that salary range without overtime. The shame in that is why would someone without a college degree get paid more to work in education than someone with a degree. Some of it makes no sense at all; the rhyme or reason is just not there. Promotions are few and far between there also. There are very few minorities that get promoted as quickly as their non-minority counterparts! Believe me it's true!

While for some this is a great salary AIU Online hires some so quickly that when the background checks come back they have to terminate those employees. Lot's of issues have been printed in the papers regarding AIU Online's Boiler Room tactics. FYI: The sales environment there is exactly like the movie Boiler Room and that should let you know exactly what type of company this place is. AIU Online is the thinking outside the box at it's finest!!!

I WILL POINT OUT KEY THINGS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH THIS SCHOOL AND DO YOUR RESEARCH AND YOU WILL SEE.

Go to Yahoo Finance and Look up CECO (Note: AIU Online is owned by Career Education Corp). Well a couple of years back the head of CEC schools was John "Jack" Larson! Nick Fluge was also another key player! Neither of the two head the schools the alledge story is they went on to head up other schools under CEC (yeah probably) after they were cited for insider trading. The SEC was investigating their activity (meaning they were selling stock at an alarming rate too much so that the SEC was notified and had to investigate). Checking into that would be a start for anyone not sure of where to get their research started at. They are a company that operates in the education business. They were doing what Enron executives had done and gotten in trouble for. So they had to replace the CEO and key officers.

Now the one thing they don't tell the general public and this would have taken a GREAT DEAL of research is that they just got off of "WARNING" with SACS! Because of padding the numbers and falsifying enrollment numbers they were on a WARNING! Not much was explained but it was serious. Employees were coached on what to say and what not to say. The KICKER is when SACS came in to inspect the various facilities well all "SALES" material was torn from each sales reps cube! The REASON is because in education you are not supposed to operate as sales organization. The verbage in scripts has been changed to reflect more of an admissions department and less of a "DYNAMIC SALES ORGANIZATION" (this used to be in the mission statement for admissions). Now what does that spell out... Well the first thing is AIU Online operates as a sales organization not in an educational advisory capacity. Which should not be taking place! SACS (their accrediting organization) gives them ample warning that they will be on thier schools premises.

Also the one thing or main reason Accrediation is SO DEARLY IMPORTANT to this school and many others is MONEY? With education this is how it works for the school (company in this case). When you go to school and you complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid all the money you get (at AIU Online at least) goes directly to the school. So if you get $4,000 for a Pell Grant that goes to the school! If you take out the $10,500 in Federal Loans (where the interest is low) that goes directly to the school. The money you take from Sallie Mae (considering you get approved) goe you guessed it to the school and you will still have to redo some of your financial aid (which means taking out more loans) to fininsh financing later on in the program (everything is not covered right away). The bottom line is the school gets paid right away because you (the student) borrowed the money! You end up having to pay it back with interest! Think about how many companies (non-school related) would love to get paid by a lender that never runs out of money (the government in this case). Well the revenue would be flooding in!!! And that's the beauty of being a company (AIU Online) that operates in the educational industry. They get their money up front and on time! Oh and as an admissions advisor if you retain a total of let's say 5 students (if your career is short lived there) on average tutition is about $25,000 per student. Well you just made the company $125,000 and that more than pays the $38,000-$48,000 they decide to pay you! If you didn't convert a lead (meaning they didn't enroll or left school before the 1st week is over) then well after you are gone someone will call them off of a cancels list and get a shot at it down the road. And no they do not have very many criteria on being accepted. It's still the standard application (however now SACS is requiring better essays) and the $50 application fee and guess what you will be a college student! The question is will you know it or not? I hope this was helpful to those who aren't sure why this is considered a scam. Oh and make sure to watch The Boiler Room if you have never seen it, it is a very good movie! And you will have a better idea of how the admissions department runs.

You all have a valid point.
1. Yes, they are accredited with the highest accreditation
2. The faculty are "highly" qualified. Academics goes to extreme measures to validate credentials.
3. On the other hand, they are gruesome to sales and how they treat employees. They pay poorly for the workers and ask you to be there 7 days a week, including Sunday, and holidays.
4. I remember when they locked us in a room and forced us to sign a paper that we had to work over 40 hours without additional pay or be terminated immediately. What an emergency meeting that was. Then they said that we were not allowed to have any other work outside of AIU even if it was at Home Depot. We had to be available at any time for them. So you can imagine the pressure to call you a million times thereover!
5. I hated the qualifying credit game. Someone earlier said that they tell you not to worry about credits. You got it! This hits all students save the Masters people. They have to have an initial financial aid package squared away, by law. But the fun part is that they speculate on your credits, so what do you remember taking? Oh, with a portfolio of your experience you will "qualify" as a junior. Yeah, right. They do not even allow the people that really evaluate your credits to speak with you until it is too late. How many people did I have to call and tell they would be "repackaged" as less than a junior. What a blow that was when they found out they would owe more. Stand up for your rights and insisit that they send you a document verifying exactly what your standing is BEFORE you SIT! ( There language for going to class) You can withdraw without penalty for the first two weeks, the weeks that academics does not speak to you yet! Then how about taking " challenge exams" while just getting started. I loved that. Information overload. I believe in online education but there system is flawed, seriously flawed. Yet, you people see that get rich- degree in no time and run for it.
Oh, and since it is a for- profit school look out and find dumb as nails in your group projects. You will end up doing the work on your own.
Oh, they also dump you in the higher level courses first. With so many people going back it was sad to see them struggling to get started, learn the computer system and be struggling to do portfolios, take challenge exams and chase their own transcripts that AIU make minimal effort to chase.
If you plan to go there- trust no admissions person. You make sure your paperwork is in order and request it in a written document or do not go......and look out for dumb as nails in your group.

Good luck!
Oh. The fifty dollars, if paid verifies that you are really interested. If you turn them down, they will recycle your name and call you again later anyway. Graduation is online as well. They read your name over a power point.

I graduated over a year ago with a Masters in Education. I can say that my admissions counselor was 100% professional when I applied and I was in contact with her through the day I graduated, and even called her after I graduated to thank her for all of her help. This is a real school with real professors and real books. All of my professors had a PhD and more experience that you could shake a stick at. My program was 48 credits in 10 months. it was the most intensive studying that I have ever done.

I whole heartedly recommend AIU online. It was a great experience.

I graduated over a year ago with a Masters in Education. I can say that my admissions counselor was 100% professional when I applied and I was in contact with her through the day I graduated, and even called her after I graduated to thank her for all of her help. This is a real school with real professors and real books. All of my professors had a PhD and more experience that you could shake a stick at. My program was 48 credits in 10 months. it was the most intensive studying that I have ever done.

I whole heartedly recommend AIU online. It was a great experience.

I graduated over a year ago with a Masters in Education. I can say that my admissions counselor was 100% professional when I applied and I was in contact with her through the day I graduated, and even called her after I graduated to thank her for all of her help. This is a real school with real professors and real books. All of my professors had a PhD and more experience that you could shake a stick at. My program was 48 credits in 10 months. it was the most intensive studying that I have ever done.

I whole heartedly recommend AIU online. It was a great experience.

I graduated over a year ago with a Masters in Education. I can say that my admissions counselor was 100% professional when I applied and I was in contact with her through the day I graduated, and even called her after I graduated to thank her for all of her help. This is a real school with real professors and real books. All of my professors had a PhD and more experience that you could shake a stick at. My program was 48 credits in 10 months. it was the most intensive studying that I have ever done.

I whole heartedly recommend AIU online. It was a great experience.

For those who think an Online Education is easy, you have another thing coming. I currently take online courses through DeVry....it is very difficult and time consuming. Of course online courses are hard.....you have to be self-disciplined in order to take them! You don't have a classroom setting, you don't have a set time to be there. Why should an Online education be simple? Do you think that just because you do it on the internet it should be a piece of cake???? Give me a break. You'd be an IDIOT to even think that!

AIU is regionally accredited just like the top schools in the country...Duke, Florida State, Stanford...it's the highest accreditation a University can get. The job of ANY admissions advisor is to get you enrolled in school. If an advisor does NOT try to get you enrolled in school, they are a bad advisor. Plain and simple. If you don't want to be contacted, don't ask for information. If someone contacts you and you don't want to hear from them again, there is something called a DO NOT CALL LIST. Use it!!!! They WILL put you on that list. Yes they will call you at all hours, all days. Number 1, because most students are working people, who work ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, they don't know when is a good time for you!!! Number 2, they actually DO care about you. If they didn't, they wouldn't enroll you in school. AIU DOES deny acceptance! When you get a recommendation, is is only on your desire, motivation, and intent. It is NOT based on grades. That is all determined when your Application package has been received. They are a school that is looking to help those who maybe weren't so good in school, and have been away for a long time. They do not operate the same as a traditional school where grades, extra-curriculars, and ACT scores are the most important. They only want students who are motivated enough to finish their degrees. If you don't have an intent of enrolling in school, and finishing your degree in a short amount of time, then don't request information. You are wasting the time of the advisor calling you!

Kayla,

First of all if you knew anything about higher education and recruiting students you would know recruitment is 95% sales and marketing. I am employed by Texas A&M University and from the first moment a prospective student contacts us we keep ties to that student whether it be by phone, fax, email, or snail mail. We do not "cold call" we simply keep the communication going.

Also, I am a graduate of AIU and worked my a*s off to get my degree - I didn't simply order a diploma. Statistics show online learning will soon surpass traditional forms of education, as most major universities are currently offering strictly online course for certain majors.

These people just won't stop calling. I had talked to an advisor named Matt Stewart on Monday Aug. 29th 2005 and this boring conversation lasted over 20 minutes with Matt Stewart repeating himself not once but several times. He wanted to know about my family and my background. Some information was personal, such as, who makes the educational financial decisons and where do I specificially live? This is totally inapproiate and unacceptable. Matt Stewart wanted to set-up an appointment to call me the next day. I told him I would be in Vancouver, British Columbia and taking off at 7am Tuesday (7/30/05) where I am now and that Tuesday would be impossible. He then asked me if he could call me in Vancouver on Tuesday. I said I don't know the phone number in Vancouver and he said ok. Then he started talking about their educational program and the information he would be sending me. After that he said why don't I call you at 11am tomorrow. I said HELLO, I am out of town tomorrow and I won't be in the calling area. He then asked me if he could have a number for Vancouver. Again I said no there is no number you call me at. Remember I have not recieved any extra information either by e-mail or my regular mail yet. I told him I had to go somewhere and he continued to talk for the next 5 minutes repeating himself about the information he is sending me through regular mail. This guy was dumber than a snail. They have tried to call me several times already since Monday and I am totally turned off from this school. If this school died, I would care less.

These people just won't stop calling. I had talked to an advisor named Matt Stewart on Monday Aug. 29th 2005 and this boring conversation lasted over 20 minutes with Matt Stewart repeating himself not once but several times. He wanted to know about my family and my background. Some information was personal, such as, who makes the educational financial decisons and where do I specificially live? This is totally inapproiate and unacceptable. Matt Stewart wanted to set-up an appointment to call me the next day. I told him I would be in Vancouver, British Columbia and taking off at 7am Tuesday (7/30/05) where I am now and that Tuesday would be impossible. He then asked me if he could call me in Vancouver on Tuesday. I said I don't know the phone number in Vancouver and he said ok. Then he started talking about their educational program and the information he would be sending me. After that he said why don't I call you at 11am tomorrow. I said HELLO, I am out of town tomorrow and I won't be in the calling area. He then asked me if he could have a number for Vancouver. Again I said no there is no number you call me at. Remember I have not recieved any extra information either by e-mail or my regular mail yet. I told him I had to go somewhere and he continued to talk for the next 5 minutes repeating himself about the information he is sending me through regular mail. This guy was dumber than a snail. They have tried to call me several times already since Monday and I am totally turned off from this school. If this school died, I would care less.

These people just won't stop calling. I had talked to an advisor named Matt Stewart on Monday Aug. 29th 2005 and this boring conversation lasted over 20 minutes with Matt Stewart repeating himself not once but several times. He wanted to know about my family and my background. Some information was personal, such as, who makes the educational financial decisons and where do I specificially live? This is totally inapproiate and unacceptable. Matt Stewart wanted to set-up an appointment to call me the next day. I told him I would be in Vancouver, British Columbia and taking off at 7am Tuesday (7/30/05) where I am now and that Tuesday would be impossible. He then asked me if he could call me in Vancouver on Tuesday. I said I don't know the phone number in Vancouver and he said ok. Then he started talking about their educational program and the information he would be sending me. After that he said why don't I call you at 11am tomorrow. I said HELLO, I am out of town tomorrow and I won't be in the calling area. He then asked me if he could have a number for Vancouver. Again I said no there is no number you call me at. Remember I have not recieved any extra information either by e-mail or my regular mail yet. I told him I had to go somewhere and he continued to talk for the next 5 minutes repeating himself about the information he is sending me through regular mail. This guy was dumber than a snail. They have tried to call me several times already since Monday and I am totally turned off from this school. If this school died, I would care less.

These people just won't stop calling. I had talked to an advisor named Matt Stewart on Monday Aug. 29th 2005 and this boring conversation lasted over 20 minutes with Matt Stewart repeating himself not once but several times. He wanted to know about my family and my background. Some information was personal, such as, who makes the educational financial decisons and where do I specificially live? This is totally inapproiate and unacceptable. Matt Stewart wanted to set-up an appointment to call me the next day. I told him I would be in Vancouver, British Columbia and taking off at 7am Tuesday (7/30/05) where I am now and that Tuesday would be impossible. He then asked me if he could call me in Vancouver on Tuesday. I said I don't know the phone number in Vancouver and he said ok. Then he started talking about their educational program and the information he would be sending me. After that he said why don't I call you at 11am tomorrow. I said HELLO, I am out of town tomorrow and I won't be in the calling area. He then asked me if he could have a number for Vancouver. Again I said no there is no number you call me at. Remember I have not recieved any extra information either by e-mail or my regular mail yet. I told him I had to go somewhere and he continued to talk for the next 5 minutes repeating himself about the information he is sending me through regular mail. This guy was dumber than a snail. They have tried to call me several times already since Monday and I am totally turned off from this school. If this school died, I would care less.

Hello all,

I have nearly completeed my Bachelor's in Business Administration with AIU Online. I saw this and felt an obligation to respond.

There are a variety of people in this world who respond differently to different stimuli. What some of us would call "normal", others would have a problem with. I point this out because I want anyone reading this to have an open mind about each of the postings you have read here today.

I started looking for a vehicle to my college degree back in 2003. My Father had gone back to school and just finished his AA at AIU and recommended it. Still, I wanted to be sure about my choice so I looked around.

I checked out Capella, University of Phoenix, Baker, and one or two others who I do not recall. I was attracted to AIU for these reasons;
-AIU was the fastest.
-AIU was considerably less expensive than many other online programs.
-They are accreditted.

I was also very concerned about "Diploma Mills" and other scams that might cheapen the perceived value of my "online" degree. I did not want a negative association with my degree because of the price and work involved.

I decided that the cost gave me an equivalent value in return. If I was to attend a private university for the full four years, I could expect to pay at least the same and maybe more. Here was an opportunity to continue my current work schedule and go to school full time.

So I started with my Associates with the full intention of going on to my Masters. Well, it is very fast, but make no mistake: this is not an easy school. I have put in some ungodly hours ensuring that I retain top marks.

At the Associates level, you can expect to make a lot of mistakes with APA style if you are unfamiliar with it. You will also see a lot of individuals who have very poor writing ability. The classes at the Associates level are hard, but not terribly so. More than anything, it is time-consuming because you are tested through your ability to apply course concepts in writing scenarios.

At the Bachelor level, you are expected to turn the heat up. There is far less tolerance for writing errors and the concepts covered in the text are much more complex. Statistics was a true nightmare. I slaved in that class to get an 'A'. I mean SLAVED. That was the hardest class I have ever taken. But I am the type of person who won't settle for the minimum. I see some low-aimers, but they are graded accordingly. And just like any school, you have a variety of professors who all grade differently. Some are easy and some are brutal.

Anyway, after two years of very hard work, I am stopping. If I continue towards the Masters right now, I will have a stroke!

But what do you expect? I have crammed four years of accreditted college work into two years! That is no easy task!

In my opinion, the quality of education is good. Not "great" like Harvard or Duke, but it is a solid education. I am amazed at the things I have learned throughout the program.

For example: How to reorganize the manpower resources in a company based on tasks, job design, team leadership, and divisional functions. I took a huge mining company and turned it into a flat organization based on self directed work teams with skill-set certifications!

I can now make a major capital investment decision (in the millions of dollars) because I can calculate the Net Present Value (NPV-Capital value adjusted for required return on investment and time-loss of money)of that investment based on budget forecasting!

I can analyze two businesses and decide which one is at risk, which one is solvent, which one can pay variable debt, and use all of that information to decide which business to buy. (And by the way, common sense and basic math will not help you figure that one out!)

I now know how to create an integrated marketing plan by using distribution channels and relevant intermediaries, unique value propositions, strategic planning, and product positioning.

I have a solid understanding of human resources management, financial management, marketing management, and much much more.

So, from this student, I hope that you will be objective and do your research on each of these schools. I hope that you find one that suits you.

AIU is a for-profit private educational institution. This is not unusual. Yes, they have a sales team. Yes, that sales team has a script.

But this school also has a lot of flunkies. Students who tried and failed. Why? Too hard, too fast, too challenging, not enough free time, it's anyone's guess!

I have enjoyed my experience with AIU and felt that the education was a solid value. The format is not for everyone and this is a very fast-paced University. That can be good or bad, depending on you. I hope you have found my response useful.

I can tollerate the high pressure sales tactics. You are right. Sales are involved whenever there is a service available. AIU is offering a service and a comodity.........a degree.

I can accept the price........if you are advised up front and discuss worst case senarios.

Requirements can change if you do not have a signed contract with your academic advisor. That happens in any college setting. Student be ware. Get a contract.

What is non negotiable is the blatant lies and bait & switch tactics that I might have fallen for. My admissions advisor actually told me not to worry about what the financial aid people said, that grants were on the way. "Just start your classes and the money will catch up with you." I am NOT the only one who has been told that sort of thing. Once in the classroom, you guys have us.

Prospective students need to do their homework regardless of where they attend. AIU makes it very easy for the unsophisticated student to make a huge financial error and walk away without a degree.

FYI, the books I was sent AFTER I was officially withdrawn were all terribly outdated. The newest one was 15 years old. These were not for general ed. requirements. Hello?????

AIU Online is not a scam. As an employee of AIU,I
can honestly say that it is a very positive, driven enviroment. 90% of the people that work there are truly dedicated to what they do.I have gotten tons of emails from students who thank me for changing their lives and that feels pretty good at the end of the day. We really do follow up on students progress. I still talk to students I enrolled a year ago.

Like some of the previous posts had stated, this is a sales enviroment,and some of those scripting bad posts are probably disgruntled ex-employees who probably shouldnt have been there in the first place.Im very good at what I do and I love my job. College is not cheap, shop around youll see.

As you all have read in the negative posts about Aiuonline most of these people seem to have an insider view on the admissions process. In none of these posts have these people said " I felt this job was unethical and would not perform my duties" All of these people know the job inside and out. So how unethical could the process have been because these people made the calls and enrolled students.

It seems more like to me these people making the negative posts just were not very good admissions advisors and are upset about loosing a good job. From the first day you are hired all employees are fully aware this is a sales position. This is no secret.

What makes me laugh inside is almost every major school in the world has a recruiting or sales staff. Have you watched t.v. lately or perhaps a sporting event colleges are being sold to us each and every day. On the other hand I don't see massive advertising from aiuonline all over buses or our sporting events like most major schools. Let's not fool ourselves college is a business.

All schools want students money. This is why Aiuonline is a great school. Online college is not for every student this is why aiu spends so much time getting to know the student. At your local school they say "fill out the application we will get back in touch with you by a letter" They don't care about you the student if the courses and programs are a good fit they just want your money.

Aiu is looking for a student that needs online college or they won't be going to school at all. This is a positive. If the local college was more flexible to people that need to work and have children then there would be no need for online college.

I read a post that stated I needed to fill in my # and e-mail and this person felt that was weird. Well, how else can the college contact you.

This is an online university so you just can't knock on the door now can you. Serious students want a call and are glad they called ten times and finally made contact. online students have a busy schedule. Therfore many calls are required. The person that stated only one loan source is available to the students is just a plain lie.

Sure aiuonline has a close relationship with sallie mae. However if a student gets a loan from there bank or another lender to cover college tuition isn't it just dumb to think aiuonline would say" sorry we can't take all this money now from bankone" or whatever lender you us.

That my friends is against the law and would have many associates of aiuonlione in jail if this pratice was true. To all students looking to go to aiuonline just remember school is work and this college is no scam.

It seems as though the only scam going are the former associates who had a hard time going to work everday and are probably the same associates who gave all these problems to some aiuonline students.

So folks consider the source these people who gave negative posts about aiuonline sold education and had no problem doing so because they accepted the job and knew it was a sales enviroment.

To me it seems as though these people need to get back to school and relearn the definition of sales Good luck and do your research

As you all have read in the negative posts about Aiuonline most of these people seem to have an insider view on the admissions process. In none of these posts have these people said " I felt this job was unethical and would not perform my duties" All of these people know the job inside and out. So how unethical could the process have been because these people made the calls and enrolled students.

It seems more like to me these people making the negative posts just were not very good admissions advisors and are upset about loosing a good job. From the first day you are hired all employees are fully aware this is a sales position. This is no secret.

What makes me laugh inside is almost every major school in the world has a recruiting or sales staff. Have you watched t.v. lately or perhaps a sporting event colleges are being sold to us each and every day. On the other hand I don't see massive advertising from aiuonline all over buses or our sporting events like most major schools. Let's not fool ourselves college is a business.

All schools want students money. This is why Aiuonline is a great school. Online college is not for every student this is why aiu spends so much time getting to know the student. At your local school they say "fill out the application we will get back in touch with you by a letter" They don't care about you the student if the courses and programs are a good fit they just want your money.

Aiu is looking for a student that needs online college or they won't be going to school at all. This is a positive. If the local college was more flexible to people that need to work and have children then there would be no need for online college.

I read a post that stated I needed to fill in my # and e-mail and this person felt that was weird. Well, how else can the college contact you.

This is an online university so you just can't knock on the door now can you. Serious students want a call and are glad they called ten times and finally made contact. online students have a busy schedule. Therfore many calls are required. The person that stated only one loan source is available to the students is just a plain lie.

Sure aiuonline has a close relationship with sallie mae. However if a student gets a loan from there bank or another lender to cover college tuition isn't it just dumb to think aiuonline would say" sorry we can't take all this money now from bankone" or whatever lender you us.

That my friends is against the law and would have many associates of aiuonlione in jail if this pratice was true. To all students looking to go to aiuonline just remember school is work and this college is no scam.

It seems as though the only scam going are the former associates who had a hard time going to work everday and are probably the same associates who gave all these problems to some aiuonline students.

So folks consider the source these people who gave negative posts about aiuonline sold education and had no problem doing so because they accepted the job and knew it was a sales enviroment.

To me it seems as though these people need to get back to school and relearn the definition of sales Good luck and do your research

As you all have read in the negative posts about Aiuonline most of these people seem to have an insider view on the admissions process. In none of these posts have these people said " I felt this job was unethical and would not perform my duties" All of these people know the job inside and out. So how unethical could the process have been because these people made the calls and enrolled students.

It seems more like to me these people making the negative posts just were not very good admissions advisors and are upset about loosing a good job. From the first day you are hired all employees are fully aware this is a sales position. This is no secret.

What makes me laugh inside is almost every major school in the world has a recruiting or sales staff. Have you watched t.v. lately or perhaps a sporting event colleges are being sold to us each and every day. On the other hand I don't see massive advertising from aiuonline all over buses or our sporting events like most major schools. Let's not fool ourselves college is a business.

All schools want students money. This is why Aiuonline is a great school. Online college is not for every student this is why aiu spends so much time getting to know the student. At your local school they say "fill out the application we will get back in touch with you by a letter" They don't care about you the student if the courses and programs are a good fit they just want your money.

Aiu is looking for a student that needs online college or they won't be going to school at all. This is a positive. If the local college was more flexible to people that need to work and have children then there would be no need for online college.

I read a post that stated I needed to fill in my # and e-mail and this person felt that was weird. Well, how else can the college contact you.

This is an online university so you just can't knock on the door now can you. Serious students want a call and are glad they called ten times and finally made contact. online students have a busy schedule. Therfore many calls are required. The person that stated only one loan source is available to the students is just a plain lie.

Sure aiuonline has a close relationship with sallie mae. However if a student gets a loan from there bank or another lender to cover college tuition isn't it just dumb to think aiuonline would say" sorry we can't take all this money now from bankone" or whatever lender you us.

That my friends is against the law and would have many associates of aiuonlione in jail if this pratice was true. To all students looking to go to aiuonline just remember school is work and this college is no scam.

It seems as though the only scam going are the former associates who had a hard time going to work everday and are probably the same associates who gave all these problems to some aiuonline students.

So folks consider the source these people who gave negative posts about aiuonline sold education and had no problem doing so because they accepted the job and knew it was a sales enviroment.

To me it seems as though these people need to get back to school and relearn the definition of sales Good luck and do your research

As you all have read in the negative posts about Aiuonline most of these people seem to have an insider view on the admissions process. In none of these posts have these people said " I felt this job was unethical and would not perform my duties" All of these people know the job inside and out. So how unethical could the process have been because these people made the calls and enrolled students.

It seems more like to me these people making the negative posts just were not very good admissions advisors and are upset about loosing a good job. From the first day you are hired all employees are fully aware this is a sales position. This is no secret.

What makes me laugh inside is almost every major school in the world has a recruiting or sales staff. Have you watched t.v. lately or perhaps a sporting event colleges are being sold to us each and every day. On the other hand I don't see massive advertising from aiuonline all over buses or our sporting events like most major schools. Let's not fool ourselves college is a business.

All schools want students money. This is why Aiuonline is a great school. Online college is not for every student this is why aiu spends so much time getting to know the student. At your local school they say "fill out the application we will get back in touch with you by a letter" They don't care about you the student if the courses and programs are a good fit they just want your money.

Aiu is looking for a student that needs online college or they won't be going to school at all. This is a positive. If the local college was more flexible to people that need to work and have children then there would be no need for online college.

I read a post that stated I needed to fill in my # and e-mail and this person felt that was weird. Well, how else can the college contact you.

This is an online university so you just can't knock on the door now can you. Serious students want a call and are glad they called ten times and finally made contact. online students have a busy schedule. Therfore many calls are required. The person that stated only one loan source is available to the students is just a plain lie.

Sure aiuonline has a close relationship with sallie mae. However if a student gets a loan from there bank or another lender to cover college tuition isn't it just dumb to think aiuonline would say" sorry we can't take all this money now from bankone" or whatever lender you us.

That my friends is against the law and would have many associates of aiuonlione in jail if this pratice was true. To all students looking to go to aiuonline just remember school is work and this college is no scam.

It seems as though the only scam going are the former associates who had a hard time going to work everday and are probably the same associates who gave all these problems to some aiuonline students.

So folks consider the source these people who gave negative posts about aiuonline sold education and had no problem doing so because they accepted the job and knew it was a sales enviroment.

To me it seems as though these people need to get back to school and relearn the definition of sales Good luck and do your research

Where do I start???!!! AIU is a for-profit school. This should be obvious to anyone investigating this SCAM. There is so much going on there, I will try to be detailed as possible.

First, I was attracted to the job because of the money. For someone WITHOUT a college degree, $45,000.00 is a great starting salary. Look guys, more than 95 % of the sales people who call you do Not have a college degree And of course they will tell you they have one, these are the same people who call you everyday trying to get you to fill out that application. Please do not fill out the application, because once you sign, you're going to college. No matter if you're qualified or not.

O.K now once you are hired you go through one week of training where you learn your scripts, and guys there is more than one. There is the first call script; all the first call is for is to sell the second call. It sounds like you're talking to an admissions counselor when they call, doesn't it? They want to know a little about you, your educational background, how long have you been thinking about getting your education, what does success mean to you, are you employed.
The main reason for this call is to find your pain. Because they will use this in their second call if they start to loose you. They will also use it against you when you TRY to drop out. This happens when buyer remorse sets in before school starts and after you have already signed your Sallie Mae. God forbid you're a single mother working for minimum wage. There is your pain. Of course you want a better life for your child, who doesn't and going to college and getting that degree is your ticket to success. Remember they asked you what success is to you and you probably said something about a better life for your family.

Let's take a look at this a little closer. Once you open yourself up like that you are vulnerable, you let your defense down because you feel like the person on the other end of the phone who, you don't even know, is your friend. He/She is not your friend, they never will be, they only want the enrollment.
The first call will last 7 to 15 minutes. The second call will last 45 to an hour. Then there is stichin. Stichin is the process of getting the funds from financial aid and more importantly, Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is the student loan the only Student loan you're allowed to get. It's because they pay faster and AIU has a system set up with them. Sallie Mae is prime + 10 to 14%. For those of you who do not know what that means I feel sorry for you- but you're the student AIU is looking for.
What kind of student is AIU looking for? Well, we are told we are a second chance, third chance, fourth chance College. That means you have probably flunked out of college the first or second time around you're probably poor, and you have no idea how the educational system works. You don't know that you can get your education a lot cheaper than AIU. Or you're in a job that will only promote you if you have a degree and you are looking for an easy way out.

AIU is a diploma mill that is approved by SACS.

The students I admit don't have a clue what they're doing. They are supposed to write an essay and they turn in 3 lines and most of the words are missed spelled, no punctuation. So I end up rewriting their essay, who's really going to know anyway. It's about the numbers anyway. I would turn you away if I was at any other school but this is AIU. It's all about the numbers.

When I first started you had to get 16 enrollments a month. Today all the reps need to get are 12 enrollments. Isn't it nice to know that you are truly a number? Once I get you through orientation, I'm done with you. Here's another bit of info- the formula for a good day at AIU if you're where a sales rep would be the power of ten. That means I should walk out of there with at least 8 appointments and 2 cows (Contract On the Way). It's all about Filling your Pipeline. In sales, the more qualified appointments you get the better the odds of making you quota at the end of the month.
There are better programs out there online for someone like you to get your education, you just have to look Try the site they give you to show that they are approved by SACS. www.chea.org. Start by checking out a real college like a state or other NAME schools. Odds are they have an online program and you will save a lot of money. Look- they tell you that you should not put a price on education. Look at your own economic situation.
I currently attend DePaul University in Illinois and my student aid pays for everything. Yes, it will take me 2 years but if you and I were at a job interview and the deciding factor came to what schools we both attended I would be walking out with a new job. Don't let sales people tell you it's not about what school you went to; it's about the accreditation. All they want is a sale.

I would like to touch on one more thing. C.S.I. This show has become a phenomenon. Unfortunately there are people who think they can get into forensics by getting their degree online. You need to have special training and you CAN NOT do biology labs or Anatomy & Physiology labs online. Guys, it's a great show but remember its Hollywood and in the real world getting your degree in criminal justice from AIU is not going to get you even close to that kind of work. In reality getting your criminal justice degree from AIU will put you in debt because you probably wont finish but you will have to finish paying your bill to AIU. CHECK out your states school online programs.

The average time someone works for AIU is about 3-4 months. They go through more people than you can imagine. They get fired or quit. That's why they use temp employment agencies. Part of the atmosphere there is the fear of getting fired if you don't hit your quota and it happens all the time. It's all about the numbers and if you become an over-achiever you get to go to what they call HIGH ACEIVERS. This is like a bonuses or your year end commission. Due to SACS a college is not to offer a commission on the enrollment but this is a sales environment and YOU DO GET A COMMISSION on your sales. They pay for everything, your hotel room, meals, open bar, airfare, and a lot more. I'm not sure why SACS turns their back on this; I mean it's in their rules. I have spoken to numerous universities and have asked what kind of bonuses they get and they tell me its illegal. I know I'll be there next year. I believe its in Florida. Earlier this year they went to Vegas.
I am currently looking for another job but it's hard to find a job that pays $45,000.00 without a college degree but I am looking. Until then I will tell you that your essays are great, or I will rewrite them for you. (what ever it takes to get an enrollment, right Rich?) I will tell you that C.S.I. is a great show and you can be just like them. I'll hide the fact that the only financial aid you will get wont cover the cost and Sallie Mae is the only way. I won't tell you that the odds of you graduating with out adding on more classes is very, very slim. I will tell you what you want to hear. I will find your pain and use it against you. I will be you friend, your confidant, until one week after school starts then I will be gone. I doing this because I am ashamed of what I do. This company has SACS eating out of its hand. This online education phenomenon needs to be regulated. (what is SACS for?) Guys if you want to get your education the Government has programs out there for you but it will take some work, nothing comes easily. If it's too good to be truethen it is. www.chea.org. Investigate!!!

Well I guess that I am one of the fools who got a great education at AIU. Thanks to a great set of professors, a demanding program, and people who really cared about me, I am making $50,000 per year - a $20,000 increase from the previous year before earning my Masters in Education.

Besides the money that I am now earning, I use the knowledge that I gained through the courses every day in all that I do. My admissions advisor was absolutely professional and helpful and stayed with me throughout the time that I was in school. Always concerned - always there. He did not call me every day, but did contact me regularly by email or phone to see if I was still interested. Any school that does not doing a good job of recruiting.

As to the price, I found that AIU was more affordable than most online institutions. In 2002, when I began looking, most wanted as much as $700 to $1500 per credit hour. AIU was only around $350, which included Office XP and all of my textbooks.

All online students must take more responsibility for their learning than classroom students, but my professors were always online twice per week for questions and answered my emails with meaningful comments. In addition, the collaborative activities added to my growth and I was even able to work with a soldier stationed overseas. I am at a loss as to how this experience was a scam.

Anyone thinking of attending this school should be aware of the total cost of their programs. I am an active duty member and I was assured by both my admissions advisor and financial aid advisor that my military tuition assistance and GI Bill would cover ALL my tuition costs. WRONG!!! They blatanly lied to me and now I owe them 400 dollars.

Also, be sure that they review your transcripts right the first time. They had my "unofficial" transcripts from the very beginning but halfway through my program when they received the "official" transcripts, they ended up pushing back my graduation date because they wouldn't accept one of the classes. HELLO!! Unofficial transcripts are the same as official in the sense they show the same exact information on them. That whole headache could have been avoided if they would have done their job right. I didn't end up taking that one extra class because they wanted 1800 dollars for it. No thanks, I'll take it at a CC for a couple hundred dollars instead.

Sarah
Las Vegas, NV

Other than those two things, the layout of their program is good and the professors are some of the best.

Anyone thinking of attending this school should be aware of the total cost of their programs. I am an active duty member and I was assured by both my admissions advisor and financial aid advisor that my military tuition assistance and GI Bill would cover ALL my tuition costs. WRONG!!! They blatanly lied to me and now I owe them 400 dollars.

Also, be sure that they review your transcripts right the first time. They had my "unofficial" transcripts from the very beginning but halfway through my program when they received the "official" transcripts, they ended up pushing back my graduation date because they wouldn't accept one of the classes. HELLO!! Unofficial transcripts are the same as official in the sense they show the same exact information on them. That whole headache could have been avoided if they would have done their job right. I didn't end up taking that one extra class because they wanted 1800 dollars for it. No thanks, I'll take it at a CC for a couple hundred dollars instead.

Sarah
Las Vegas, NV

Other than those two things, the layout of their program is good and the professors are some of the best.

Anyone thinking of attending this school should be aware of the total cost of their programs. I am an active duty member and I was assured by both my admissions advisor and financial aid advisor that my military tuition assistance and GI Bill would cover ALL my tuition costs. WRONG!!! They blatanly lied to me and now I owe them 400 dollars.

Also, be sure that they review your transcripts right the first time. They had my "unofficial" transcripts from the very beginning but halfway through my program when they received the "official" transcripts, they ended up pushing back my graduation date because they wouldn't accept one of the classes. HELLO!! Unofficial transcripts are the same as official in the sense they show the same exact information on them. That whole headache could have been avoided if they would have done their job right. I didn't end up taking that one extra class because they wanted 1800 dollars for it. No thanks, I'll take it at a CC for a couple hundred dollars instead.

Sarah
Las Vegas, NV

Other than those two things, the layout of their program is good and the professors are some of the best.

People you must get a little wiser! Both of these are a total scam and you will be taken for a ride....that you will be paying over $25,000 for! If you want to get a real education....Look elsewhere....or I will be calling you and taking your money.... Afterall, I work here!

GET SMART!

Read this article published on December 12, 2004 in the Chicago Tribune. It tells the real story of what is happening to AIU and what life is like as an Admissions Advisor. The writer nailed it!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0412120208dec12,1,234494.story

You may have to register to view the article, but it's free. I suggest everyone to check it out and rethink your decision or thoughts on the school. Have fun reading!!!

After reading this board I had to respond. I am currently an AIU online student graduating in FEB '05 from the AA program. AIU has ground campuses for the past 30 years and isnt going anywhere anytime soon.

AIU is for profit and is expensive for most. Some courses are easy, but most are not. AIU typically schedules a student 2 classes every 5 weeks. Each class typically requires the student to write 2 to 3, 1 - 4 page papers a week, though some are more or less. The books are no extra charge and neither is the shipping.

The professors exsit, but if you're planning to succeed you'd better plan on reading the books and figuring things out on your own most of the time.

I also question the acceptablity of AIU. I have consulted with numerous colleges regarding the transfer of my AIU credits to their school. Without question every school stated yes because AIU is regionally accredited. Hunter accepted, NYU accepted, Syracuse accepted.

Look, AIU is expensive but at the same time your in a class discussion you could be in your PJ's watching the game and drinking a beer. You pay for convienence and the rapid pace at which you get your degree.

I am amazed at the support provided by all staff at AIU Online. I have been considering returning to college for almost 3 years. I restarted my education in September of this year at AIU Online. I work full-time, have 2 children (12 & 8) and a husband of 13 years. This University has provided me with the opportunity to earn a BA while still being an employee, a mom and a wife.
The perserverance of my advisors is what inspires me in the moments when doubt and overwhelm are overshadowing my own resolve. I am forever grateful for the blessing AIU and its staff is for me, my life and my family.

I am a current student at AIU online and I am very happy with my experience so far. Yes they call you alot but usually its just to check up on you and make sure that all your questions are answered and that you are understanding your classes and everything is in order. I do not think there is anything wrong with that. The only complaint that I have is the Colleges Cybrary, it is very hard to find any useful information for my classes so far. But other than that my experience has been very good. I think you people have nothing better to do than rip on some company, i dont know, because your bored..or maybe had a bad experience, but that doesnt mean everyone will.

I do not feel AIU Online is a scam, and I think this rip off report may tarnish their credibilty.
I found American Intercontinental University at a study abroad fair at The Ohio State University last year. AIU has campuses overseas in both London, England and Dubai, UAE. I was interested in attending the campus in Dubai, and an admissions representative even contacted me for that. I simply told him I had not made up my mind yet and I was never called again, so therefore I do not believe this university uses sales tactics to gain students. Not to mention the fact that all of their campuses are accredited, and many other universities will accept their credits if you wish to transfer.

Please check it out, and stop posting nonsense online that employers could find, thereby potentially ruining the chances of AIU online graduates chances of getting a job in the competitive market place.

Thanks Kayla,

I just got off the phone from a representative from AIU and after he wouldn't let me hang up the phone and call him back (He called at work during my lunch break and yes I spent my whole lunch break trying to be polite and hang up) I figured something was screwy so I typed in "aiu scam" and boom this page popped up.

I read the script you gave and it was identical to what I was read. I've applied to several online schools and most seem pretty laid back about admissions and mail me the info I request... But not AIU, they asked me more questions then a telemarketer and try selling me harder then a door to door bible salesmen.

Anywho, thanks for the post you helped me clarify my suspicions :)