Good afternoon. My name is Ryan McKenzie and I’m an Army veteran who attended DeVry University online.
When I contacted DeVry, I was working long hours at a factory and needed to provide a better life for my family. When the recruiters found out I was a veteran in a hard spot, they took advantage of me.
They convinced me that a degree in computer game programming would make all my hopes and dreams come true. They told me the program had a 95% job placement rate and that their contacts at big-name companies like Activision would get me a job paying over $200K. They said companies loved DeVry graduates, so their students had many offers before they finished their degrees.
The recruiters said computer game programming was so popular that if I didn’t enroll immediately, I would have to wait a year for a spot. They also said the program was highly selective, but they would let me in because I was a veteran.
DeVry also claimed that they partnered with the VA and provided special help for veterans such as priority registration, tutors, resume writing workshops, connections with mentors, and 24/7 online assistance. The 24/7 help was important to me because I worked odd hours at the factory.
Every single one of those claims was a lie. There were no partnerships with companies, and no one got the jobs they promised. Anyone could enroll at any time, whether they were a veteran or not. And the veterans services they advertised didn’t exist. I tried and tried to contact DeVry’s veterans representative, but no one returned my calls. The school had promised 24/7 assistance, but I got no help at all.
DeVry also threw on extra required courses every semester, which meant I had to take out more loans than the recruiters had originally said I would need. I wasn’t getting anywhere as my debt continued to grow, so I looked into transferring. DeVry recruiters had told me my credits would transfer to any school in the US, but this was a lie too. I couldn’t find a single school that accepted them.
I eventually withdrew and started over at a legitimate school where I finally got a good education. But I still have over $50,000 of student debt from DeVry. I don’t have a problem with paying for a quality education at a good school, but DeVry lied and I never received what I paid for.
I applied for borrower defense, but it is shameful that DeVry recruiters are still out there targeting veterans. Please stop schools like DeVry from lying to students and saddling them with debt for worthless degrees. Our veterans deserve better. Thank you.
Ryan McKenzie Statement