American Intercontinential University Online (AIU) Fraudulent Tuition Charges Internet

I attended AIU for my Associates' degree while I was in the military, 2004 to 2005. Upon completion of this degree I opted to continue on with my Bachelors' program. The school had submitted paperwork with the Veterans Affairs office to access funds from my MGIB funds. The VA held that paperwork because AIU was "Notorious" for fraudulent billing and had requested more information from the school. AIU is not very quick about responding to any correspondence.

Upon starting my BA I was about $2k behind in payments because of the lack of communications between the school and the VA. Upon contacting the school I was told that the government is slow getting paperwork processed and that they would just roll the $2k into my new degree program and that there would be no problems.

When classes were scheduled to being, my access to the school servers was blocked by the school. Upon contacting the school again I was informed that I now owed the $4.7k and that they would not allow me to continue to take classes. I asked where the additional $2.6k worth of charges came from and I was told Tuition charges.

I decided to let the VA paperwork finish processing. During this time I was discharged from the military and had to find a job in the commercial world. My degree from AIU was worthless. I promptly started receiving collection letters from there law firm called "Barry Serota and Associates" claiming that I would have to pay the $4.6k or face a lawsuit. After several exchanges with several rude employees I finally was able to get my point across that I thought that at least $2.6k worth of the charges were for class that I was not allowed to take. They said fine, we will have the school send you a list of charges.

About two months, many nasty letters from this "law firm" and may harassing phone calls, AIU finally sent a ledger list of charges. Each of the entries said "Tuition Charges". Once again on the phone with the nasty people at "Barry Serota and Associates" I told them I wanted a charge by charge break down associated with the courses for which I took. The rude person told me that this was the only document available and I had to pay. I demanded to speak to this person's supervisor. The supervisor was just as rude, and told me to get a lawyer because they were going to take me to court and hung up on me.

I decided to play the waiting game. Two years later still no notice of a lawsuit, but I did decide to go back to a different school to get my BA. This school asked that I get my transcripts from AIU. I filed the paperwork with my school and to no surprise my transcripts had be blocked and I received a letter, not even a week later, this time from a "General Revenue Corporation" on 04/13/08 informing me of the same $4.6k debt from AIU. I responded to this company in writing a received a phone call from the company telling me that they would ask AIU for the cost break down but since my account had been in their offices since 2007 (this was the first contact I had with this company) the letters and phone calls would not stop.

I was told that the school would send something in the next ten days. I highly doubt that AIU will send anything in the next ten days, and I highly doubt that they will produce anything other than the same ledger sheet saying "Tuition Charges".

Carl
Lochbuie, Colorado
U.S.A.