Katharine Gibbs Schools

Ms. Diaz of North Babylon, NY March 3, 2009

I enrolled into Katharine Gibbs April 2008 and was told that I was going to be on an 11 week schedule and that we are going to have breaks etc. In the 11 week studies we covered a lot of work and had plenty of time to learn and understand the work. Soon we went on to a 5 week schedule with no warning giving us a one week break then later on NO BREAK in between. The schedules are constantly changing and constantly scattered some day students are given night classes and some students that had 2 classes in a mod are now receiving 3 classes in a mod.

The main point is that we are in school to learn and there is no time to learn in the 5weeks given to us to learn. It is difficult to transfer out because there are so many schools that DON'T accept the credits from the school. Right now economically there is not any damage known because I'm still in school. But in the physical and mental sense. The students are paying thousands and thousands of dollars for a piece of paper that CLAIMS they have an education! An Associate of Applied Science degree.

How is that when the learning we do is onlybased on memorization. Once the memorization process is over. The information learned will be forgotten because the information is not repititious. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND IF POSSIBLE PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT CONTACTING CORPORATE TO CHANGE THIS!

David M Sabatino of Plainville, CT February 26, 2009

My daughter went to Gibbs with the understanding she would not only get her degree in visual Communications but they would place her in a job or at the very least help her find a job in the field she was educated in. When she graduated she could not only find a job but everywhere she went to apply did not approve of Gibbs credits. All she got for her 2 years of school was a 30,000 bill, and an associates degree in visual communications that she cannot use.

Meanwhile the school went out of buisness and we are still paying for it. She was also told at the time of applying to the school that she can continue her education at no charge at anytime. How can this be done now? There is alot that needs to be said and cannot be done here but in person and we do not know who to turn to. I know she is not the only one that this happened to there are others with the same story.

Shawneka K. Vereen of Washington, DC February 26, 2009

I attended Gibbs school for Visual Communications in Dunn Lorring,VA for a period of 10 months. I went through a turbulent time financially and I wasn't able to finish due to being laid off.

After having dropped out I stayed in touch with a few people who finished and they were very disappointed.In one case a graduate was working at Home Depot after taking out all those loans and incurring all that debt. He was lucky. I'm now in debt to the tune of 8,000 for 10 months of school. Since I'm unemployed I have no way of even making payment arrangements with the debt collection agency. It's not like they would care anyway. I've been out of work since 10/09 collecting unemployment and the debt collector still snatched my tax return my only means of extra money. If there's anyone out there that knows what I can do to get loan forgiveness or any sort of financial relief please leave your comment here.

Lisa of Brooklyn, NY February 11, 2009

I attended the school from 2003 - 2004 and never even finished. When I started they told me that they where taking out one loan and that when I finished I would have to pay 50 a month and also that I have to make payments according to my income. I started getting bills for over 500 a month. I got harrassing phone calls from some of the rudest people ever and also I noticed that more loans where taken out besides the one I signed for. Totalling almost 30,000 and the school wasnt even that much.

I went back to the school and tried to speak with someone as soon as it started happening and they told me to try to find a better job. They would not give me a breakdown of my financial aid nor did they give me a list of the breakdown of my charges. I have tried to get my monthly payments reduced so that I atleast dont go into default but the company wont lower it. I told them my situation and they dont care and why would they its not their fault. This is defintely not fair. I am depressed over it and there is no one to understand. I am at a total lost.

There is a possibility I could have my check garnished and my monthly payments are tooo high. The loan company refuses to lower it even though I said I could pay something. I just cant afford 500 a month.

Chrissy of Somewhere, NY February 11, 2009

Those who complained about Catherine Gibbs schools are DUMB! Want to know why? Because it is YOUR responsibility to know that it is not an accredited college! It is your fault you did not do your research before you applied and attended; let alone, it is common knowledge that Catherine Gibbs schools are not accredited colleges. You complained that C.G. credits were not transferable to other colleges? Catherine Gibbs has nothing to hide--they did not lie to you. And yep, the teachers are not qulified or certified because they don't have to be! It is not a REAL college/university! C.G. is a vocational/trade school! You all should have known this!

Before taking out loans, you all should have known EXACTLY where C.G. schools stand in the 4-tier evaluation of colleges/universities/post-secondary schools (for those of you who don't know, post secondary is any school that is attended after highschool; thus, C.G. falls under this category). C.G. is at the bottom tier with all other non-accredited, hardly selective, low competition schools, while schools like Harvard and Stanford are at the top tier with all other ivy-league, highly competative/highly selective schools! Now quit your crying and go to a real college/university where you cannot take shortcuts the way you can at C.G.! And here is a tip for the future, any school that says they offer programs that are quick and things like that are most likely not accredited schools or universities;

Lara Ziminski-Kramer of Amityville, NY January 29, 2009

I was really excited about going to school and getting a good career. Little did I know that Katherine Gibbs was a giant scam. I knew the first week I was there that something was wrong. The teachers were a joke and didnt seem qualified to be teaching the classes they were teaching and the classes compared to the classes my friends in other colleges were taking just didn't compare. I was sick to my stomach because of all the money in student loans I had taken out.

The second semester I found out I was pregnant and was very sick. I had to drop out mid semester because I was too sick to even sit through a class. Some how no matter how many times I spoke to them about my situation it just never got put on file. So it shows I just dropped out for no reason and my doctor notes must have vanished. So here I am 4 years later and I am inendated with student loans and have nothing to show for it because when I looked into attending another college I found out that none of the credits from Katherine Gibbs are transferable. I almost passed out right there.

Because they lied at Katherine Gibbs and said they were an accredited school and there not. So I have about 15,000 to pay back for what. I have no problem paying for the books but I refuse to pay the 15,000 and they can take me to court. All I will give them is 500.00 which is more than enough to cover my books.

I am harrased by the student loan companies. They are nasty and don't seem to understand the situation. I am married now and not working because I have two small children and no daycare. I refuse to ask my husband to pay back a school which just scammed me. I got nothing in return. I feel awful for the thousands of people that the school scammed one of which is my best friend. She Lost 18,000 to the school and in return got nothing but heartache. Everyone who was robbed by this school should have their student loans wiped away and only have to pay for their books. That is the only thing that would be fair.

Toni of Monroe, NJ January 14, 2009

I'm a former graduate of KGS/Montclair class of 1974. I was surprised to read about all the negative reports about KGS. When I graduated, having a KGS certification meant businesses took notice and often there were multiple job offers. Even the CIA came to the school to recruit. The classes were tough because the teachers were tough and demanded excellence from their students. Additionally, those students taking the two-year program were able to tranfer the majority of their credits to Montclair State or William Paterson.

 I hope that KGS will return to its core values and demand same from their students, and I also hope that KGS will once again become accredited so their credits will be transferrable. As a side note, during a lecture prior to graduation, we were advised it was tradition for KGS graduates to wear white gloves to job interviews. Because it was the 1970's, we were told that it would be permissible not to wear white gloves, but suggested that we carried them instead.

Diana of Harrisburg, PA January 14, 2009

I attended KGS for about 3 semesters with a goal to get a Associate Degree in Fashion Merchandising and did not achieve the goal.

In my last semester, we received an email stating that we will not get a degree but a certificate. I was shocked, angry and had to withdraw as I basically wasted all that time at a school with bad intentions. I spent 30,000.00 for not even a year at KGS and received nothing from KGS. I drove 90 miles or more, paid a toll everyday and at least 30 every day on gas everyday to this school. The advisor I met told me that the school had just opened and was in the process of building a new dorm for the school so I could live in the area. She told me that I just had to enroll then sign up for the dorms.

After a couple of weeks there, she gave me a list of apartments that I could call and rent. Not knowing, the nice apartments were at least 1,000.00 a month, the most unlivable apartments were cheap and completely disgusting. I put a request for a room mate as I was advised. Throughout this time, I had no help from the counselors.I was working at a job making 6.50 an hour, asking my mother for money daily for gas. I had the worst time at the school and the scariest times driving there daily. I had flat tires on the high way many times, rain, snow..

Throughout my enrollment there, I was told that the credits that i have are all non-transferable to any college. I am now stuck with a 30,000.00 Private Signature loan with an interest rate of 17.775% with a monthly installment amount of 600.00 in interest only. I have no Forbearance time left to postpone my payments. I feel that KGS lied to me in originally promising me a degree and courses that are transferable to any college and then turn out to be all lies. I am now in debt, 26 years old & going to file bankruptcy.

I hope more students come forward to expose KGS for what they are. After the financial aid officer lured me in and told me i qualified without explaining that i had a PRIVATE SIGNATURE loan. I never saw him again. They promised that i could always to come them for assistance at the first interview and completely ignored me once they met their quota. I was scammed BIG TIME, I ask why this happened to me when I was only trying to pursue an education and better my life. Now I havent been to school since to complete anything because I am having to worst financial hardship ever. Without this loan from KGS, I would be able to complete my degree, get a better job and be happier with my life.

Dianne of Scarboarough, ME December 30, 2008

I am a 1980 grad of KGS and sorry to say that Gibbs College has destroyed what was once a nationally recognized program. Graduates could have walked into any office and landed a job just by saying they were KGS grads. MY complaint is that I requested a copy of my transcript about a year ago and found that a grade had been changed to an F, I had previously received transcripts for past jobs and had never failed a course.

I tried to explain this several times to the person at the school who I was dealing with and was told that there was nothing they could do and their records were correct. The Dean said that I was wrong, yet you could see the previous grade was whited out and the F placed in. Gibbs College is a huge disappointment all around. Glad this business failed sorry for all of those who lost out. I hope that somehow you can arrange a class action suit.

I would never admit on a job application that I attended this school for fear that they would request a transcript, I never flunked a course there and shouldn't have to take credit for that failure.

Louise of North Brunswick, NJ November 6, 2008

While it did take me a while to find a job, I am now a graphic designer working for a high-end photography studio as well as an award winning freelance photographer of some renown and a columnist for a national motorcycle online magazine. The instructors at Piscataway were great-knowledgeable, personable and willing to help out, even after I graduated. However, their placement counselors were salespeople who were prone to gross exageration. And in dealing with Sallie Mae, I eventually defaulted and then refinanced the loans, which were astronomical for what I went in for. Working part time in the finance dept there, I noticed a tremendous drop out and default rate. It may be safe to say that only half of any term enrollees completed the courses. It is probably this failure and the bad press that did Gibbs in after almost 100 years.

Those that complained about the job placement departments probably depended on that facet instead of pushing themselves. Same for the education they're whining about. I doubled up on classes, sat in on classes other than my own and even helped other students to the point that one instructor pointed a student to me for help. Gibbs also offered weekend seminars on many topics pertaining to the courses given but those were never filled to capacity. Education is what you make of it and even the best colleges won't do any good if you don't get all you can and more from it at every opportunity. The majority of students I met at Gbbs, primarily young adults, were unmotivated and lazy and ultimately, dropped out. The older students, like myself, used the school to their utmost advantage and graduated.

My main complaint is about Sallie Mae. Harrassment started when I missed one payment and increased as time went on until I was getting 3 calls a day, 6 days a week. When the opportunity came to pay off Sallie Mae in full, they would not release my payoff amount until I sent them 150, supposedly to extend the loan, even though it was being paid off. I was cursed at, yelled at and harrassed continuously for three months. Sending payments to try and catch up did not deter them. Letter writing was a waste of time as they would not respond. I have been researching for any class-action suits against Sallie Mae for their unfair and abusive collection tactics as well as their extortion for payoff amounts and unrealistic interest rates.

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