Search results for : complaint trends
Found 30 results
Trends in Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about ITT Technical Institute
What follows is a public version of a “trends analysis” document Veterans Education Success prepared detailing the types of harm observed by us in our work providing free legal services to service members, veterans, and their dependents who brought to our attention their complaints about ITT Technical Institute. The military and veteran students we assist allege significant consumer fraud by ITT. Their allegations are supported by ITT whistleblowers who approached us seeking to share their concerns about wrongs being done to student veterans. For example, a recent campus president for ITT came to us with significant concerns, including that ITT’s [...]
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at Dream Center schools
Introduction This memo summarizes and analyzes complaints received by Veterans Education Success from military-connected students who attended Dream Center schools. These schools were formerly owned by Education Management Corporation (EDMC), which closed some schools and sold most to the Dream Center in 2018.[1] These schools include The Art Institutes, Argosy University, Brown Mackie College, and South University. All Argosy University and most Brown Mackie College campuses are now closed. While most of the campuses closed, some of The Art Institute campuses and South University are now operated by the Education Principle Foundation, a subsidiary of private equity firm Colbeck [...]
Issue Brief: Investigative Analysis: Advertising Trends for Selected Postsecondary Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Click here to download a PDF copy of the report. Click here to download the Appendix including screen-captured ads as part of the analysis. Highlights Our investigation examined how a sample of 27 primarily for-profit postsecondary institutions were responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the nature of their advertising, and whether their ads were targeting veterans and military-connected students. We analyzed the schools’ active social media ads appearing between February and April 2020 on the Facebook Ad Library, which encompasses Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook’s Audience Network.[i] We identified six common advertising approaches used [...]
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at ITT Technical Institute
What follows is a public version of a “trends analysis” document we prepared detailing the types of harm observed by us in our free legal services to service members, veterans, and their dependents who brought to our attention their complaints about ITT Technical Institute. Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at ITT Technical Institute April 2020 I. Introduction This memo summarizes and analyzes complaints received by Veterans Education Success over approximately the past six years from military-connected students who attended ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech) and from whistleblowers who worked at ITT Tech. This memo also [...]
Summary of Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about Colorado Technical University
As part of our free legal assistance to students, Veterans Education Success receives complaints from students using veterans’ benefits, such as the GI Bill, to attend colleges and universities around the country. We received 228 veteran and servicemember complaints about Colorado Technical University. We analyzed those complaints for trends, and found: Colorado Technical University Of the 228 complaints our organization received: Nearly 45% related to financial concerns - often tuition and fees being higher than promised, representing the top area of concern. Many veterans allege CTU promised them a “veteran discount” on tuition that never existed. 29% raised their inability [...]
Summary of Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about Ashford University
As part of our free legal assistance to students, Veterans Education Success receives complaints from students using veterans’ benefits, such as the GI Bill, to attend colleges and universities around the country. We received 109 veteran and servicemember complaints about Ashford University. We analyzed those complaints for trends, and found: Ashford University Of the 109 complaints our organization received: 28% of complaints raised concern about the school’s accreditation and transferability of credits. Nearly 17% raised the quality of the school’s education. Another 17% had student loans they had not agreed to or had not expected to be required to take [...]
Summary of Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about American InterContinental University
As part of the free legal assistance we provide to students, Veterans Education Success receives complaints from students using veterans’ benefits, such as the GI Bill, to attend colleges and universities around the country. We received 144 veteran and servicemember complaints about American InterContinental University. We analyzed those complaints for trends, and found: American InterContinental University Of the 144 complaints our organization received: Nearly 42% raised concerns about financial issues, especially tuition and fees being higher than promised. More than 26% said they had trouble getting a job after graduation, even though they were promised post-graduation job opportunities. 25% said [...]
Summary of Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about University of Phoenix
As part of the free legal assistance we provide to students, Veterans Education Success receives complaints from students using veterans’ benefits, such as the GI Bill, to attend colleges and universities around the country. We received 450 veteran and servicemember complaints about University of Phoenix. We analyzed those complaints for trends, and found: University of Phoenix Of the 450 complaints: 29% complained that University of Phoenix credits did not transfer after being promised they would. 28% complained about the lack of job opportunities after being promised by University of Phoenix recruiters they would have those opportunities, many times after being [...]
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at Trident University
What follows is a public version of a “trends analysis” document we prepared detailing the types of harm observed by us in our free legal services to service members, veterans, and their dependents who brought to our attention their complaints about Trident University. This document describes and organizes those complaints by the types of harm they raise and provides context and background information.
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at Ashford University
In 2017, we conducted a review of the complaints we have received from veterans and servicemembers who have attended Ashford, as part of our free legal services for veterans and servicemembers. What follows is a public version of a “trends analysis” document we prepared detailing the types of harm reported to us, organized into nine broad categories, such as program costs and quality of instruction.
Harvard Law School Report: Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at Kaplan Schools
In 2017, Veterans Education Success contracted with Harvard Law School's Project on Predatory Lending to analyze complaints against Kaplan brought to Veterans Education Success by student veterans. For-profit schools have garnered significant attention for their illegal practices and their unfair, deceptive, and misleading conduct. In particular, there is serious concern about their conduct with respect to veterans and servicemembers because for-profit schools specifically target students with military benefits. Moreover, there has been a recent wave of for-profit schools, including Kaplan, attempting to circumvent federal regulations by converting to nonprofits. Kaplan Higher Education Corporation (“Kaplan”), a for-profit corporation, is a subsidiary [...]
Yale Law School Report: Student Veteran Complaints Alleging Illegal Practices at University of Phoenix
In 2016 and 2017, Veterans Education Success contracted with Yale Law School's Veterans Legal Clinic to analyze complaints against the University of Phoenix (UOP) brought to Veterans Education Success by student veterans. UOP is a very large for-profit university with large online enrollment and high GI Bill enrollment. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has received a significant number of student complaints (from veterans, servicemembers, and veterans’ dependents using the GI Bill) about UOP. Several hundred veterans, servicemembers, and veterans’ dependents using the GI Bill at UOP shared their experience with, and sought free legal assistance from, Veterans Education Success. [...]
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at DeVry University
What follows is a public version of a “trends analysis” document we prepared detailing the types of harm observed by us in our free legal services to service members, veterans, and their dependents who brought to our attention their complaints about DeVry University. 300 different servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents brought complaints to Veterans Education Success about issues they had with DeVry University. This document contains the narratives of 193 complainants and organizes the complaints by the types of harm they raise and provides context and background information. For each type of harm, a list of narratives organized by final [...]
Our Reaction: ITT Tech Borrower Defense Relief Announcement
For Immediate Release: August 16, 2022 Reaction from Veteran Advocacy Org - Veterans Education Success Huge Win for Student Veterans & Other Students Borrower Defense Relief News - Department of Education Decision Today The Department of Education announces automatic loan forgiveness for 208,000 students, including veterans, who were unfairly saddled with overwhelming debt after attending ITT Tech. WASHINGTON D.C., August 16, 2022 – The Department of Education announced that students who took out loans to attend ITT Technical Institute (from 2005 to its closure in September 2016) will have their federal student loans discharged without the need to file an [...]
Statement of Carrie Wofford on the Education Department’s Approval of $415 Million in Borrower Defense Claims
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success: [email protected] (202) 422-6338 Statement by Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford Huge News - Department of Education Decision Today: “Good News for 16,000 Students, Including Veterans, Whose For Profit Schools Cheated Them; Yet Many More Veterans Still Waiting” Washington, D.C. – In response to today’s news that the Education Department is granting “Borrower Defense” relief to thousands of students at several for-profit schools, Veterans Education Success releases the following statement and student veteran statements: Carrie Wofford, President, Veterans Education Success "Thousands of veterans were cheated out [...]
Our Letter to the Department of Education on the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
January 20, 2022 Dr. Herman Bounds Director Accreditation Group, Office of Postsecondary Education U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 RE: Call for Comments 86 FR 71251, Document Number 2021-27095 Submitted Electronically Dear Dr. Bounds, On behalf of Veterans Education Success, I am pleased to submit comments in response to your office’s notice of December 15, 2021, referenced above, in which you solicit information regarding continued Secretarial recognition of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as a reliable authority on the quality of education offered by institutions of higher education for purposes of the Higher Education Act [...]
Veterans with Student Loans They Never Authorized or Wanted
Following publication of our report, the U.S. Department of Education reached out to request a meeting to discuss our findings. Soon thereafter, the Department sent a warning letter to all colleges and universities nationwide, available here. Introduction: A large number of veterans report that they have student loans they never authorized or knew about, or that they were forced to take out loans midway through their education program despite being promised that their GI Bill benefits would cover all tuition. The problem is so widespread that it is one of the most common complaints received at Veterans Education Success out [...]
Our Press Release: Veterans Education Success Applauds Department of Education’s $500 Million in Loan Relief to 18,000 Borrowers Scammed by ITT Technical Institute
For Immediate Release Contact: Carrie Wofford | President (202) 838-5050 June 16, 2021 Veterans Education Success Applauds Department of Education’s $500 Million in Loan Relief to 18,000 Borrowers Scammed by ITT Technical Institute The Department of Education sends a strong message to for-profit schools involved in misconduct and illegal practices, like those exposed by Veterans Education Success at ITT Technical Institute Washington, DC – Today, the Department of Education (ED) announced it would discharge one hundred percent of loans for 18,000 borrowers that were lied to by ITT Technical Institute. Veterans Education Success has long advocated for the Department to [...]
Letter from 14 Higher Education Groups to the Department of Education regarding Transparency
Acting Secretary Philip H. Rosenfelt U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona: We represent organizations advocating for students, veterans, consumers, educators, college administrators, civil rights, and education policy reforms, and we have worked together for more than a decade to halt predatory practices in higher education, especially fraud and abuse by for- profit and career schools. We are grateful that you and other appointees have agreed to serve in the Biden administration, and we look forward to working with you and the dedicated career staff at the Department of Education (ED) to ensure [...]
Be Careful of Income Sharing Agreements
By Alex Kish At this point in the game, it might seem cliché to talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on higher education and how students have been forced online. But that doesn’t change the reality that unscrupulous actors are targeting vulnerable students (such as low-income students, veterans, and people of color) in order to turn a profit during this crisis. While enrollment at brick and mortar schools has dropped, enrollment at online for-profit colleges has increased. Many for-profit schools have changed their advertising in response to the pandemic, highlighting their online programs and making questionable claims of [...]