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. These students allege, in short, that UOP misled veterans and servicemembers about the school’s accreditation, the quality of education it provides, and post-graduation job opportunities; pressured students into taking loans and takes out loans for veterans without their consent; changed its program requirements for students already enrolled; and imposed hidden fees on students.
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 the University of Phoenix.
University #2 Final Public Version UPDATED w UOP