The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh Online Division Reviews
Jun 22, 2015
I agree and experienced the same as with everything that posted on Ripoff 06/17/2015 on The Art Institute Online Div. EDMC the Art Institutes of Pittsburgh, EDMC, Education Management Corporation for Profit Colleges Pittsburgh Nationwide.
Here is my situation. I started at AIOP in Spring of 2007 (graph design) with the Academic Counselors knowing that I was on Disability and trying to educate myself to be able get work with my disabilities. We had a very lengthy conversation. In that conversation he told me that if I would start then that he would lock my tuition price. So I did. Worse mistake that I have ever made! And of course I didn’t get it in writing.
My interest in the beginning of entering into school was with Media & Animation. AIOP told me after about a year that I had to switch then or not at all. So I switch over (Media & Animation) after about a year. They did not tell me at that time that I would not have enough money to go for the four years to complete my degree.
I had some credits that would not transfer over.
I had multiple Academic Counselors and
Multiple Financial Aid Counselors after a year and
Noted that the classes where about the same.
After two years I was told my tuition was going up and that my tuition was not locked.
After three years in the media & animation program I was told that I would not have enough money to graduate without money out of my pocket. So I asked to return to the graphic design degree and they said that I could not, because I had already changed degrees.
I looked into going to The Art Institute in my own state and was told that my credits would not transfer and no school in my own town would accept the credits.
I was on disability and still am. I did not have the money for out of pocket I withdrew from classes in the winter of 2011. I then found out that they had locked me into two private student loads in 2007 to get me started with school. That I thought was Federal Loans. I was on disability making $13000 a year, what happen to my Pell money? When I asked Financial Aid about my Pell money they told me that school is not a free ride and that I would have to pay. That is when I withdrew. They then had to send money back and I had to pay them money to them for the class that I took in that quarter.
Now, I am still disabled on SSDI ($14000 a year) and am not able to get work with my condition and not able to go back to school due to not able to loan money owning $75000 and raising every day. I don’t feel that it is my doctor’s responsibility to tell the department of education that I am disabled when SSDI already does, as well, as a Vocational Rehab and a physical evaluation. So I remain on repayment of my loans. No work, no education to open more jobs to me and not able to return to what I am experienced at. I feel that the school has scammed me, as well as the government.
Since I started at AIOP on MAY 2012 (graphic design) and I switch over (WEB DESIGN) after 6 months. NONE of my 17 credits that I have already taken were transferable to the new program. Classes are 5.5. week length and I had been complaining with my multiple Academic Counselors about the classes have nothing to do with Web Design. even that many of the core classes are basically the same between 2 mayors. During all that, I was facing major personal problems, I divorced, I moved to 3 diffent places, while taking care of my son and taking him to therapy, Dr. Appointments etc. I tried to get a job but with my son busy schedule I gave up the idea of working until complete my Degree.After my first year into the program. I started to realize that the classes were basically the same.
I have also complaining about the schedule, you don't get to choose the classes and since the beginning I haven't had breaks between classes. In a whole academic year Online students only have 5 days break (of not being on the computer) During the holidays but always on return you have to submit ridiculous assignments. So there is no mental break for the students, No family time, no friends time, no creativity time. that is the reason why many students drop out. Any student should be at least have 3 days off between classes. But not with AIOP. Artistic minds need to get out in the real world, but no weekends of holidays are allow for us. Is only a schedule thing, "Instructors " and Counselors don't care if you are sick or have an emergency.
The "online classroom" always requires me to post on feedback for other students work, but when a student has a question that was not covered in the online lecture, the student has to send an email to the "instructor" that is more like a monitor of the class. The instructor sometimes would not really explain much or would just provide external links from other articles or websites to answer the student question. The lack of interaction with the "instructors" would make the class even harder. The online lectures were just a brief summary of the theme we were covering and the e-books sometimes had nothing to do with the class. The online classroom does not have their own online tutorials. All the technical skills I have learned from The Art Institute Online Division is from external websites that offer tutorials for any type of topic, such a lynda.com or adobe.com. The help from Google and youtube .These websites provide tutorials for their software. Many of these websites allow anyone to purchase a one year membership for the price of one credit at the Ai per credit, which is $470. I don't think the price I am paying is the education I am getting, since I could just buy a membership of any other tutorial site. The school also is charging me for lab-fees.
My entire schooling has been from my home computer. The computer was not included in my tuition, nor my internet connection. The tuition this institution is charging is outrageous, and I think it is complete fraud. Students who enroll in this institution are expecting a much higher quality of education from well-trained instructors and professionals. The main page hasn't even been updated, and all the classes are just links to external websites that anyone can google for free. I am about to graduate, and I feel that what I have learned what I could have done on my own for a fraction of a price. Now I am in debt with the student loans, and my education is not top quality to get a good job to pay those loans. This institution and its mother company, EDMC, is committing complete fraud and should be considered a criminal act for what they are doing to me and many other students who have a low income. I am a single mother of a special needs child and I was not able to attend regular school, so I thought an online education would be convenient and affordable. I was completely wrong. Please contact me soon, so I can provide evidence that what I am saying is true. Also, the financial advisors and the institution never sent the real charges to me. The statements that I received every quarter only show half of my loans. When I asked Ai to refund me the money that hasn't been used, they sent me a completely different breakdown of charges than I have received. All of the charges seem excessive and the descriptions and accounting codes associated with each charge are unclear for what they are for. How is it possible that an Associate program for a part time student could cost 47,000 dollars when I haven't even put my foot on any of the campuses, and all of my tutorials are not even property of the school itself. Most likely, my credits are not valid to transfer to any other institution.
During my research about this problem I discovered that there is thousands of students from this schools managed by EDMC who had been in financial troubles after graduation of this school. Thousands claim that The school did not help them to place them in a job related with their career of field and almost all of them are still in the minimal wage with the same job they had previous enrolled in this school.
I enrolled in the Art Institute online in Jan 2007 after the birth of my last child. My husband (legally anyhow) is active duty military but decided that he did not want a family so I am a single mother of 4. I applied for financial aid and it was granted and was told that my financial aid would cover my tuition until the end. I made sure to ask this because as a single mother of 4 I could not afford any payment towards an education. Around 1.5 years out from graduation I was told that I now ran out of financial aid. Actually, I was never told, I logged in and saw a payment alert one day. After calling my financial counselor immediately she agreed that I had never been given the appropriate discounts for being a military spouse and that she would get it fixed which should cover everything. Well, I continued on with school and continued to get alerts for payments due. I called my counselor every single time. She wouldn't answer and when she did, had no news to report. I was then passed on to her boss and then her boss's boss. No one seemed to know what was going on or how to apply the discounts. THEN, they had to put the discounts under review once someone finally figured out what was going on. In the meantime, I had 3 classes left. I was now being threatened to be locked out of class. Still a single mother of 4, working 2 jobs, I managed to finish school with a 3.87 GPA and cannot even receive my diploma. I was never sent a graduation packet... nothing.
What I was sent was a bill for $7,778.00! I was floored and am now being told that I would not receive my diploma until my bill is paid- a bill that I do not believe I honestly owe. All of that aside, I was emailed several offers for a discounted payment rate- "End of Year" or "End of Summer" "Savings". Well, the offer was for half of the tuition they say I owe them. As a single mother, now actually not receiving ANY child support I find myself still working 2 jobs and trying to receive my diploma that I worked hard for. I emailed the representative from accounting that sent me my last "End of Year Savings" offer and when she responded she told me I was sent to collections and actually gave me the information from the collection agency. I asked her if I could make the entire payment of what they offered and was told no. So, I called the collection agency and spoke with the gentleman who was assigned to my case. While on the phone with him for the first time I actually read him the email that the Art Institute had sent to me with their 50% discount. I read him the entire thing and I would assume our call was recorded (or at least it says it was) I went back in to print the few "end of Year" offeres that I had received and every single one of them had disappeared from my email. Literally they were ALL gone. I called the collection company back, explained to him what happened and he sounded just as shocked and confused as I.
Furthermore, I explained that I now work for an Attorney and am familiar with how debts are purchased for cents on the dollar. I do not want to get my boss into this and have not thus far but I asked the gentleman at the collection agency to make the Art Institute an offer. He said he would and has been very nice and respectful. A few days later he let me know that they are not willing to make any offer and want the entire balance in full. I explained that the email, that he heard me read, tells me that not only can they accept a lower offer but also that once that payment was made, in full, that the account would be satisfied and I could receive my diploma. Now the gentleman at the collection agency tells me that they told him even if I pay at a discounted rate they will not give me my diploma.
First of all, my tuition should have never been an issue because I was told I would not owe. Secondly, I was never alerted that I owed until I logged in and saw a "past due" alert. Third, it took almost 1.5 years for their accounting department to figure discounts that should have been applied the entire time and I STILL have no proof that whhat was finally discovered was even a correct amount because I had no way of actually knowing and their accounting department did not even know. Finally, missing email offers.....and the fact that the collection agency now emails me (I requested email communication for record purposes) asking ME if I had heard from them because they will not even respond to him after he told them about my allegations.
I told him I was willing to pay the half discount and I demand my diploma at that time. He says the Art Institute will not return his calls. THe COLLECTION AGENT and myself actually have a deal that if one of us is contacted we will contact the other.
The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh Online Division Reviews
I agree and experienced the same as with everything that posted on Ripoff 06/17/2015 on The Art Institute Online Div. EDMC the Art Institutes of Pittsburgh, EDMC, Education Management Corporation for Profit Colleges Pittsburgh Nationwide.
Here is my situation. I started at AIOP in Spring of 2007 (graph design) with the Academic Counselors knowing that I was on Disability and trying to educate myself to be able get work with my disabilities. We had a very lengthy conversation. In that conversation he told me that if I would start then that he would lock my tuition price. So I did. Worse mistake that I have ever made! And of course I didn’t get it in writing.
My interest in the beginning of entering into school was with Media & Animation. AIOP told me after about a year that I had to switch then or not at all. So I switch over (Media & Animation) after about a year. They did not tell me at that time that I would not have enough money to go for the four years to complete my degree.
I had some credits that would not transfer over.
I had multiple Academic Counselors and
Multiple Financial Aid Counselors after a year and
Noted that the classes where about the same.
After two years I was told my tuition was going up and that my tuition was not locked.
After three years in the media & animation program I was told that I would not have enough money to graduate without money out of my pocket. So I asked to return to the graphic design degree and they said that I could not, because I had already changed degrees.
I looked into going to The Art Institute in my own state and was told that my credits would not transfer and no school in my own town would accept the credits.
I was on disability and still am. I did not have the money for out of pocket I withdrew from classes in the winter of 2011. I then found out that they had locked me into two private student loads in 2007 to get me started with school. That I thought was Federal Loans. I was on disability making $13000 a year, what happen to my Pell money? When I asked Financial Aid about my Pell money they told me that school is not a free ride and that I would have to pay. That is when I withdrew. They then had to send money back and I had to pay them money to them for the class that I took in that quarter.
Now, I am still disabled on SSDI ($14000 a year) and am not able to get work with my condition and not able to go back to school due to not able to loan money owning $75000 and raising every day. I don’t feel that it is my doctor’s responsibility to tell the department of education that I am disabled when SSDI already does, as well, as a Vocational Rehab and a physical evaluation. So I remain on repayment of my loans. No work, no education to open more jobs to me and not able to return to what I am experienced at. I feel that the school has scammed me, as well as the government.
Since I started at AIOP on MAY 2012 (graphic design) and I switch over (WEB DESIGN) after 6 months. NONE of my 17 credits that I have already taken were transferable to the new program. Classes are 5.5. week length and I had been complaining with my multiple Academic Counselors about the classes have nothing to do with Web Design. even that many of the core classes are basically the same between 2 mayors. During all that, I was facing major personal problems, I divorced, I moved to 3 diffent places, while taking care of my son and taking him to therapy, Dr. Appointments etc. I tried to get a job but with my son busy schedule I gave up the idea of working until complete my Degree.After my first year into the program. I started to realize that the classes were basically the same.
I have also complaining about the schedule, you don't get to choose the classes and since the beginning I haven't had breaks between classes. In a whole academic year Online students only have 5 days break (of not being on the computer) During the holidays but always on return you have to submit ridiculous assignments. So there is no mental break for the students, No family time, no friends time, no creativity time. that is the reason why many students drop out. Any student should be at least have 3 days off between classes. But not with AIOP. Artistic minds need to get out in the real world, but no weekends of holidays are allow for us. Is only a schedule thing, "Instructors " and Counselors don't care if you are sick or have an emergency.
The "online classroom" always requires me to post on feedback for other students work, but when a student has a question that was not covered in the online lecture, the student has to send an email to the "instructor" that is more like a monitor of the class. The instructor sometimes would not really explain much or would just provide external links from other articles or websites to answer the student question. The lack of interaction with the "instructors" would make the class even harder. The online lectures were just a brief summary of the theme we were covering and the e-books sometimes had nothing to do with the class. The online classroom does not have their own online tutorials. All the technical skills I have learned from The Art Institute Online Division is from external websites that offer tutorials for any type of topic, such a lynda.com or adobe.com. The help from Google and youtube .These websites provide tutorials for their software. Many of these websites allow anyone to purchase a one year membership for the price of one credit at the Ai per credit, which is $470. I don't think the price I am paying is the education I am getting, since I could just buy a membership of any other tutorial site. The school also is charging me for lab-fees.
My entire schooling has been from my home computer. The computer was not included in my tuition, nor my internet connection. The tuition this institution is charging is outrageous, and I think it is complete fraud. Students who enroll in this institution are expecting a much higher quality of education from well-trained instructors and professionals. The main page hasn't even been updated, and all the classes are just links to external websites that anyone can google for free. I am about to graduate, and I feel that what I have learned what I could have done on my own for a fraction of a price. Now I am in debt with the student loans, and my education is not top quality to get a good job to pay those loans. This institution and its mother company, EDMC, is committing complete fraud and should be considered a criminal act for what they are doing to me and many other students who have a low income. I am a single mother of a special needs child and I was not able to attend regular school, so I thought an online education would be convenient and affordable. I was completely wrong. Please contact me soon, so I can provide evidence that what I am saying is true. Also, the financial advisors and the institution never sent the real charges to me. The statements that I received every quarter only show half of my loans. When I asked Ai to refund me the money that hasn't been used, they sent me a completely different breakdown of charges than I have received. All of the charges seem excessive and the descriptions and accounting codes associated with each charge are unclear for what they are for. How is it possible that an Associate program for a part time student could cost 47,000 dollars when I haven't even put my foot on any of the campuses, and all of my tutorials are not even property of the school itself. Most likely, my credits are not valid to transfer to any other institution.
During my research about this problem I discovered that there is thousands of students from this schools managed by EDMC who had been in financial troubles after graduation of this school. Thousands claim that The school did not help them to place them in a job related with their career of field and almost all of them are still in the minimal wage with the same job they had previous enrolled in this school.
I enrolled in the Art Institute online in Jan 2007 after the birth of my last child. My husband (legally anyhow) is active duty military but decided that he did not want a family so I am a single mother of 4. I applied for financial aid and it was granted and was told that my financial aid would cover my tuition until the end. I made sure to ask this because as a single mother of 4 I could not afford any payment towards an education. Around 1.5 years out from graduation I was told that I now ran out of financial aid. Actually, I was never told, I logged in and saw a payment alert one day. After calling my financial counselor immediately she agreed that I had never been given the appropriate discounts for being a military spouse and that she would get it fixed which should cover everything. Well, I continued on with school and continued to get alerts for payments due. I called my counselor every single time. She wouldn't answer and when she did, had no news to report. I was then passed on to her boss and then her boss's boss. No one seemed to know what was going on or how to apply the discounts. THEN, they had to put the discounts under review once someone finally figured out what was going on. In the meantime, I had 3 classes left. I was now being threatened to be locked out of class. Still a single mother of 4, working 2 jobs, I managed to finish school with a 3.87 GPA and cannot even receive my diploma. I was never sent a graduation packet... nothing.
What I was sent was a bill for $7,778.00! I was floored and am now being told that I would not receive my diploma until my bill is paid- a bill that I do not believe I honestly owe. All of that aside, I was emailed several offers for a discounted payment rate- "End of Year" or "End of Summer" "Savings". Well, the offer was for half of the tuition they say I owe them. As a single mother, now actually not receiving ANY child support I find myself still working 2 jobs and trying to receive my diploma that I worked hard for. I emailed the representative from accounting that sent me my last "End of Year Savings" offer and when she responded she told me I was sent to collections and actually gave me the information from the collection agency. I asked her if I could make the entire payment of what they offered and was told no. So, I called the collection agency and spoke with the gentleman who was assigned to my case. While on the phone with him for the first time I actually read him the email that the Art Institute had sent to me with their 50% discount. I read him the entire thing and I would assume our call was recorded (or at least it says it was) I went back in to print the few "end of Year" offeres that I had received and every single one of them had disappeared from my email. Literally they were ALL gone. I called the collection company back, explained to him what happened and he sounded just as shocked and confused as I.
Furthermore, I explained that I now work for an Attorney and am familiar with how debts are purchased for cents on the dollar. I do not want to get my boss into this and have not thus far but I asked the gentleman at the collection agency to make the Art Institute an offer. He said he would and has been very nice and respectful. A few days later he let me know that they are not willing to make any offer and want the entire balance in full. I explained that the email, that he heard me read, tells me that not only can they accept a lower offer but also that once that payment was made, in full, that the account would be satisfied and I could receive my diploma. Now the gentleman at the collection agency tells me that they told him even if I pay at a discounted rate they will not give me my diploma.
First of all, my tuition should have never been an issue because I was told I would not owe. Secondly, I was never alerted that I owed until I logged in and saw a "past due" alert. Third, it took almost 1.5 years for their accounting department to figure discounts that should have been applied the entire time and I STILL have no proof that whhat was finally discovered was even a correct amount because I had no way of actually knowing and their accounting department did not even know. Finally, missing email offers.....and the fact that the collection agency now emails me (I requested email communication for record purposes) asking ME if I had heard from them because they will not even respond to him after he told them about my allegations.
I told him I was willing to pay the half discount and I demand my diploma at that time. He says the Art Institute will not return his calls. THe COLLECTION AGENT and myself actually have a deal that if one of us is contacted we will contact the other.