
Joyce of St. Louis, MO on April 2, 2012
Satisfaction Rating1/5
University of Phoenix Financial Audit Fraud: I started at the University of Phoenix in 2004. At that time, everything was peachy. I got all my disbursements on time, I did well in my classes, I never had any financial aid problems, problems with instructors or grades - thank you Lord. Therefore, I graduated 4 years later in October of 2008 with a Bachelors degree in Business Management. In 2010, I decided to pursue an MBA, now I looked into other schools but none had online classes that would help me obtain an MBA, and I did not have time to sit in a classroom because of my other obligations. So I returned to the University of Phoenix. I applied for a subsidized and unsubsidized loans to finish my degree. I regularly received whatever funds were left over from UoP, great. That was the first year of the two-year program. I was awarded $13,208 from the grantor and $6,604 was disbursed to the University for my First Block of the 12-week classes. I received a refund of around $1,400.
After those classes were complete, I was to start my last two classes around February of 2012. I spoke with my financial aid counselor, a new girl, the other girl was gone and I asked about when I could expect my refund. She said, after I complete two weeks of my next to the last class. Okay, that's good. So week two came, no refund, week 3, no refund, so by week 4, I called and asked, and I was told that the University of Phoenix was conducting an audit on some of the students' financial aid. I thought okay, as I didn't feel I had anything to worry about. She told me that if they were not done conducting the audit by the end of my class, she would request escalation of funds. I said okay.
So my class ends and a week goes by. I contact her again, because by now, I need the money as I am falling farther and farther behind in some of my bills. This is not Pell grant money, this is loan money, money that I am responsible for paying back, so I feel entitled to whatever is left after I have paid my tuition and fees. Anyway, after I contacted her, she now tells me that I was "over awarded". I said "Over awarded? How can that be, when I wasn't even awarded the full amount I was eligible for". She then tells me that they returned the overage to my student loan lender. Suspicious, I called my lender and was told that if they award the money, it is not usual for it to be returned.
I looked at my account and saw that allegedly almost 1750 and 133 dollars was returned. After speaking with my student loan lender, they were surprised when $133 was returned. I told the lender that this was not my intention, as taking $133 off of a $73,000 loan wouldn't help reduce my loan amount significantly. The lender told me that after they award the money, it is in the hands of the financial aid department of the school and they become responsible for how it is disbursed.
My point is, that I was awarded an amount at the beginning of my last four classes and now that I have only one class left, they are telling me that I was over awarded and are returning money which will cause me to have an out of pocket expense. I went to my account on the University of Phoenix student website and they dropped my last class, and restarted it a week later, but both classes are listed on my account. Mind you, I haven't even started my last class. I am wondering, are they trying to charge me for a class they dropped? Additionally, they went back to my previous three classes and are now calling them "outstanding invoices". What the heck!
They have really torn their butts with me and I was the main person hyping up this school telling people they should try it, on and on. I even went so far as to say it was a perfect school. I definitely do not feel that way anymore. They totally messed up with me. It is so stupid too. How can you hold someone for money that they are responsible for? Someone is going to be real sorry. I took the time to tell one of the financial aid counselors that the University of Phoenix is risking its reputation and credibility. Is it worth it for a few thousand dollars?