Capella University
Reviews and Complaints

I submitted my capstone final paper to Capella university review board on January 25. The policy is 2 weeks for a review. The Winter quarter ended on March 15 without any response from the review board. The Spring quarter is about to start and I still have not received a response. I am also requesting tuition credit for the Spring quarter. My mentor has tried to contact some one to inquire about the delay, but no one has an answer. I have reached out to the advising team and they have submitted a complaint and tried to contact someone from the review team. I still have not received an update concerning this matter.

I read a complaint online about capella. I too, had a major issue with them. I sent my required doctoral work to my chair for review. She sent me an email confirming receipt of it and said she would review and get back to me in a few weeks. The course ended without me hearing from her so I emailed to enquire about my status. She told me she never received the documents. I sent her a screenshot of the confirmation. She responded "oh I must have misplaced them. Send them again" so I did and the same thing happened again. I then lodged a complaint with the school. When my advisor learned of the complaint, she dropped me as an advisee. Then I had to go on a faculty search for a new advisor. When I finally got one to accept me, she reviewed my work that had been previously approved and stated that although it had already been approved, she didnt like it and instructed me to "start over from scratch" but would not provide an extension for me to complete the task now assigned. Lo and behold, I missed the next benchmark deadline and as such was administratively removed from the program. I spent a lot of money via financial aid for that program and will never yield a return. I will be paying off my student debts until I die because of them. Thankfully, I found a dissertation completion program at ncu to get me to cross the phd finish line but those student loans from an incomplete program are killing my credit score!

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I have been in the marriage and family therapy (MFT) program since 2012. I have taken all the classes and everything, all that I need to do is my fieldwork.

I am having issues finding a place to do my fieldwork and have had to push back my date multiple times, I am not reaching the cutoff date (I have until September before the remove me from the program). I have done all the suggestions and recommendations that have been giving to me and still haven't found a place. I keep running into the following issues: Places don't meet the requirements of the university, places have already accepted interns, places only work with local university students. I have shared this with the proper people and all I keep getting is "use the resources on the website, network, etc" basically I keep getting the same response I have been getting.

It's like they don't even care about the success of the student only just getting the money. I feel like I am not being heard and I would not recommend this school to anyone.

For all students past and present with complaints against Capella, please see the new law passed on "Obama for-profit college fraud protection order " that has recently been ordered into force. All students should file a complaint against Capella University, seeking to have student loan debts cancelled due to Capella University's fraud and scams we have all experienced.

I filed a complaint against Capella in 2002 with the Federal Omsbudman. The complaint was settled between Capella and myself. I applied to attend Capella in July 2018 but was never admitted after three weeks. The process, as I was told by my enrollment advisor should've only taken one week. Capella was retaliating against me for filing the complaint in 2002. I have filed a complaint with the Higher Learning Commission, Capella's accrediting body. Capella is unfair and has discriminating practices. I will not give up with my complaint.

I was signing up for the second on line class when because of a family emergency I had to withdraw. I couldn't reach my adviser directly, so I left a voice mail in the adviser voice mail box. I followed up with an email 2 weeks later when it was clear by an email I received, they never got my message.
I withdrew before the class started but they still charged my $2900 for a class I never took or officially signed up for.
Capella University
Capella Tower
Attn: DMMS
225 South 6th street 9th floor
Minneapolis MN 55402

I had my first episode with my mentor in the summer of 2017. I was highly frustrated by the way my dissertation was carrying out and on my week 10 assignment I stated that I felt like I didn't accomplish anything that quarter. She gave me a 50% on my assignment and I had gotten 100% on every week 10 assignments until this. I contacted her and told her it wasn't a personal attack on that I was just frustrated. She told me not to worry about it I was still going to pass. Winter quarter I submitted to IRB and they stated that my research wasn't phenomenal and I had been working it for almost a year and that is after working on it for a year as case study just for them to tell me it was phenomenal. I was on a conference call when my mentor suggested that it was generic research and I expressed my concern about her competence as my mentor. This quarter she gave me a NS stating that I had a lot of grammatical errors and rushed work. I never even submitted to her that quarter. I appealed it and never received a response until today and I lost my appeal, they stated that I didn't complete everything on my POA but never addressed my issue about never completing it before and they said that my complaint about my mentor being vindictive was unfounded because everyone who was on the phone during the conference call said that she was professional. This is supposed to be doctoral level staff and they don't know the difference between vindictive and unprofessional. I never said that she was unprofessional, I said that I believe that she gave me a NS because of my comments. So this quarter I submitted and it took one of the people on my chair two in a half weeks to respond. It was then sent back to the school for an approval for the second time. I was on milestone 6 and sent back to milestone 3. I received the revisions and was working on them. On May 28th I was in a car accident this significantly slowed down my work on my research plan. A phone conference was scheduled with my mentor, doctoral success and myself. I explained that I was taking my time to avoid the problem from last quarter and I was in an accident and it hindered my work as well. John from doctoral success program told me to work on it over the break. My mentor gave me a NS for not telling her directly but she was on the phone call when I stated this. Two NS in a row is academic withdrawal. I am not fighting it, I don't even want to be an alumna from this school. I am trying to save someone from the same hell and extremely high student loans from this unprofessional and corrupt school. When you submit a complaint to them, you never hear back, they inform the person who you complain about. This school should not be legal.

I started Capella University in 2009. In 2012 I was in my practicum and internship I where I completed with very high grades. In 2012 I was in a domestic violence situation but still managed to complete requirements. In 2013, December, I had a child all while completing requirements for my second Internship. Unfortunately, at the time of my second Internship I was homeless and missed a few online supervision on camera; however, I made them up but nonetheless I was still provided with a grade of NS. I appealed the decision as I noted I was homeless and living out of a van with my children and was unable to get to the 3 missed camera supervisions but I was on the phone. I was "punished" with writing an essay about the importance of supervision. Move forward March 2014 I was again still in internship, working towards my hours and had to withdraw due to medical reasons (emergency brain surgery). I was made, even though medically withdrawn made to pay an outstanding bill from that course. Again I was not working and finally had to withdraw completely from Capella in 2015. I then, called monthly to see if I could get some assistance with paying for the course and was denied any help.

In 2017 I began researching and was able to dig up the $1500 I owed and spoke with a Jon Gubbels my admissions counselor. I verbalized my concerns primarily being financial and was told by Jon himself (I have emails) that I only had to make up on course COUN5504 and take a Trauma course as it was now required before I can get back into my Internship II. I confirmed and reconfirmed that I would only need these two courses to complete.

I struggle to find an internship site; finally found one; completed the application; my site and application was approved and now in May 2018 (after approval of my internship) I am told I need to retake 5 classes; previously taken; and residencies which would require me to go out of state. Even though I am a single mother; with very limited financial resources and very if any support to watch my children.

I checked with state licensing facilities that stated they do not have requirements of "expired courses" and really it was up to the college. I send a very detailed letter to a Dr. Lange about my past experiences; homelessness, brain surgery, domestic violence, the providing of misinformation by Capella staff and basically beg that I get some type of recourse and even agreed to have to take an extra internship course to make up for any hours that might have been missed.

I am denied and told sorry, we understand you are frustrated but university policy...and she is not approving my moving on and hopes that I can continue with my education. I have no financial aid, I went to 2 residencies at 2 different states and paid out of pocket myself. I do not have any more finances, to continue, have way more than the required credits needed for my masters degree and am provided no recourse except; hopefully you can finish if not withdraw. Where is the identification of admissions staff that provide misinformation? Where is the identification of extreme admission techniques promising one thing only to get a person in the door then not allowing them to move further without more finances even though these courses were already taken.

5/27/18
I have considerable issues with one classroom with accessing classrooms, submitting and replying. Tech support is not available on the weekends when assignments are due. One professor in particular will not accept anything not submitted via email keeps telling me that I need to contact tech support, who tell me to contact the professor since it's her classroom the issue is with.

Professors do not post complete assignments or there are so many grammatical errors that it's impossible to decipher what they even are asking.

To keep me as a student longer in the system
1. Lack of close guidance in the initial milestones
2. Change of grade from satisfactory to unsatisfactory

Charging me with additional amounts twice

1. By delaying to drop me from course despite my timely request to be dropped of from the course

Kept me in the course and extending my program by a quarter.
1. delayed submission of my paperwork to school committee by faculty
2. delayed review of my paper by school committee

Slapped with a heavy lifetime debt of student loan by
1. Lack of information provided on the type of loan - Unsubsidized ( feel like experiencing a heart attack) as I cannot afford the rise in interest on a daily basis! I am the bread winner, and feel drowned and can never lift my head.
2. Repeatedly I was told my loan was less than 50, 000/- when it is 78, 000/-

Did not have a chance to even see my name in the list of graduates after all my struggle to earn the doctoral degree with $77, 000/- I wish not even my enemy any of the suffering I go through.
Reasons provided are ridiculous.. such as submission of paper for printing
They decided to put my name for Aug commencement graduates list!

I feel punished and do not even feel like taking pride in my degree for which I longed due to all the struggle and chasing with Capella.

Very insensitive, money oriented organization overall.
My thought is go for it but knowing what you will have to go through!

Minnesota Office of Higher Education
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) licenses or registers most private colleges and out-of-state higher education institutions operating in Minnesota. The OHE has the authority to take action against the license of a private college or out-of-state higher education institution that violates Minnesota law. To file a complaint against a private college or out-of-state higher education institution, fill out the OHE's Student Complaint Formexternal link icon and send it to the OHE as follows:
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108

I have been in the dissertation course for over two years, I was on milestone 5 majority of this time. I started the study as a case study, I was told that my study wasn't case study, but phenomenal. I worked it as phenomenal and yesterday I am being told that my study isn't phenomenal, but generic. I am being required to repeat a milestone that I have already completed. I have been accused of plagiarism and forced to sit out three quarters, but I had turned in the same work several times before the accusation. I am convinced that they find ways to drag out your stay in the program for maximum time allowed and find a way to withdraw you without a degree. This school is a fraud.

The mentors that teach at Capella are horrible. After I passed my comprehensive examI was assigned a mentor. He made me prove that I was in his class and said he had to many students. clearly he didn't want to be my mentor. The next mentor was a woman that gave me an NS on the last week of class after I met with her over the phone every Thursday. My third Mentor claimed he never got my corrected SMR. As time went on I was making progress I thought, he kept asking if I wanted to do an Ed.S. I said no I already have one. As time went on my husband had a stroke and I turned in my corrections late. He gave me an NS. I didn't like it but I took full responsibility for it. Then he told me to submit my SMR for review. I did, made all of the corrections and HE decided not to resubmit my SMR because HE felt it was not good enough. I did not find out he gave me and NS until the day after the class was over. When he was called on the phone he pretended he did not know what he did. After I tried to get back in they told me know and offered me a masters degree. This will make my third masters. They took my money and made me get in more debt. CAPELLA IS NOT TRUTHFUL AND THEIR INSTRUCTORS ARE BOTTOM OF THE [censor] POND

I graduated from Capella in March 2017 after completing my degree (PhD) in August 2016. To date, I remain unemployed, can not get a job, can not get help from Capella (except for a list of websites I am already on and how to write a resume) and I owe $1400/a month, DOUBLE what I expected to pay, which makes me question charges. I have a debt of $145, 000... more than a house in some parts of the country and I CAN NOT GET A JOB! I CAN NOT get help from Capella and I am drowning in debt. I believe I was over-charged for my degree (how can I owe so much, especially when I took off several quarters?!?!) and WHY can I not get a job? Is it the Capella name that is keeping me from it? (the success is 65%!) My teaching career has been excellent, with outstanding references and a track record that is incredible. This is mind blowing, a loan that is over $140, 000 and no way to pay, which has also impacted my credit score and personal life. It has had a terrible impact of my family and myself; personally, emotionally and mentally!

I completed all my FAFSA documents and loans to get proper funding the 4 years I’ve been at Capella and I’m 2 classes away from graduating classes are due to start 10/09/17 and they say I can’t start my course until I pay a out of pocket expense of $3, 000 because my loan capped out. I wasn’t informed and they said the loan capped out for spring and summer but yet they let me continue with those classes and with this said balance. They said I need to pay the balance before 10/03/2017 and I just had a baby if I had the $3, 000 I wouldn’t need the loans in the first place. So now I won’t be able to graduate because it’s to late for any aid and they don’t even care I worked so hard to gain my degree and this is a kick in the face to not be able to obtain it.

I need the Financial Aid Department to release, my aid in the Department of Education. I need it completed immediately I was released from your program. I am not paying back a loan when this school wants to misuse, my funds. Navient is on me and I want it in the Department of Education computer my funds release as I'm not going to your school anymore. I need it release in 48 hours you are not allowed to use my FINANCIAL aid as I'm no longer a student at your school. Please fix this today.

Michelle Cass

I started attending Capella University in Fall of 2008 at first I thought I was receiving a good education online, but then as my class progressed in my degree class I noticed that I was failing because teachers were not receiving my assignments, or my papers were not up to Capella standards. I paid for my thesis class out of my own pocket and still was giving a failing grade. I was told that I had to pay out of pocket for my classes. I finally had the money saved up for my class and I was told they retired my program and I would have to start over. This university has put me through and wasted my money. I was not even notified that they were ending my program.

— join our class action lawsuit —

Capella University Facts

Many former students of CAPELLA are plagued with high debt to income ratios after taking out student loans from this for-profit university. CAPELLA was even recently questioned by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for the “school” having such a [questionable and suspicious] high withdrawal rate amongst its students, and for CAPELLA spending an unusually high percentage of its revenue on [aggressive] marketing.

The State of Minnesota Department of Higher Education even stated, about CAPELLA, after the agency having received many complaints from CAPELLA students that, "students arguments have merit", and stated, "CAPELLA is not an ethical university, because all they want is money”.

In March 2008, CAPELLA was the subject of an Education Department audit that revealed CAPELLA of having overcharged lenders by over a $1.5M, and even that a [terminated] CAPELLA Financial Aid Director (TIM LEHMANN) received “kickbacks” from [multiple] lenders! The Inspector General’s audit also revealed mistakes in calculation of student eligibility for federal loans, as well as failure to return funds granted on behalf of students who withdrew from their courses. Also, CAPELLA admits that its staff accepted travel, lodging, meals and other perks from student loan lenders.

CAPELLA’s website and “advisers” stated, “students don't mind a non-APA degree”, and also stated, “graduates earn more income upon their graduating from its university” - which was false and deceptive! CAPELLA’s PhD/PsyD (psychology doctoral programs) do not even qualify its graduates to even “practice” clinical psychology, as its psychology doctoral programs are not recognized by the APA in many states - - a requirement of course necessary for any graduate to become eligible for state board-certification or ability to practice psychology - - the same issue as Argosy University faced (a lawsuit Argosy University “lost”!). CAPELLA’s website and “advisers” even stated, “students don't mind a non-APA degree” - which was also false and deceptive!

Argosy University, also a for-profit “school”, was even known for its “bait and switch” and deceptive (“business”) practices as was CAPELLA, whereas all of Argosy’s psychology students were transferred from its PhD program, to its PsyD program, being aware that the “school” was not recognized by the American Psychology Association (APA), and Argosy University even canceled its pursuit to become accredited for its Psychology Doctoral Programs – with its students [actively] enrolled in its programs. Argosy University’s students successfully sued for such “our” goal is to achieve the same justice against CAPELLA!

Also, many CAPELLA students were provided “false information” / “false promises” from CAPELLA “enrollment counselors” (aka “sales representatives”), stated to enrollees that upon their graduating, CAPELLA graduates will be qualified to ‘practice’ psychology within any state, and enrollees were provided “false, misleading information” / “false promises”, in addition to other false / misleading statements by CAPELLA, to its students, stating its graduates would earn a higher income upon completing its program - - regardless of the type of program / degree.

Interestingly, the State of Minnesota passed a State Bill (S.B.) regarding requirements of higher education universities having to comply with annual “reporting” (known as the “Harkin’s Report”), which states statistics / facts about for-profit universities (corporations!). Within this “report” (pages 318-319 - CAPELLA), it’s stated that, “Student complaints indicate dissatisfaction with the instructional quality at CAPELLA”. Also, in a letter to the President of CAPELLA, from HLC, the company’s accreditor, he expressed, “concern regarding CAPELLA’s academic quality”; also stating, “…Students’ letters are troubling in light of other recent complaints.” HLC also indicated that these [many] complaints suggest [many] CAPELLA students’ dissatisfaction with the quality of the interaction and education experienced with CAPELLA’s core academic programs, in addition to CAPELLA’s unwillingness to review and respond to “customer service” issues/complaints from its students.

The Harkin’s Report also states that, “more than 1 in 5 students who attended a for-profit universities (22%) defaulted on their student loans, according to the most recent data; in contrast to the 1 in 11 student enrolled at public / not-for-profit universities, “defaulting within the same period as for-profit universities. Also cited, is that, “students who attended for-profit universities default at nearly three times the rate as opposed to students who attended not-for-profit / public universities”.

CAPELLA provided to the Harkin’s Report, that out of its 5, 602 Bachelor’s students who were enrolled at CAPELLA in [protected] alone, 60.3% (or 3, 378 students) withdrew from its programs by mid-2010. It’s uncertain what CAPELLA’s current statistics are, with its undergraduate and graduate degree programs. However, CAPELLA’s Bachelor degree enrollees had a withdrawal rate of 60.3% during this period, exceeded the sector-wide rate of 54.3%, revealing that CAPELLA had the 6th highest withdrawal rate for Bachelor’s degree programs of any for-profit “school” (company) examined by the senate committee. Also, Capella’s graduate degree students’ enrolled during [protected], had withdrawal rates that averaged at/greater 43.6% (7, 369 students) who were enrolled in its graduate degree programs, with its enrollees having withdrawn, without having earned their degrees, by mid-2010.

Capella Sanctioned by the U.S. Government

The GAO investigation is just the largest among many studies and lawsuits against colleges with deceptive sales tactics. Countless for-¬profit universities have come under fire from state attorneys general and other authorities.

A 2016 GAO report found that CAPELLA had a high withdrawal rate among students in its degree programs. The GAO also found that CAPELLA spent / spends an unusually high percentage of its revenue on [aggressive] marketing and recruitment strategies and “enrollment counselors - - who are really “sales people” that have sales quotas/goals or are terminated, with CAPELLA spending a relatively small amount on its faculty and online instruction. Additionally, most of its instructors are part-time and lack accreditation - all inevitably to be an “issue” in the near future.

Capella University Student Investigation & Lawsuit

An investigation on behalf of former and current students of CAPELLA (NASDAQ:CPLA) and its Capella University, was announced in connection with the report by the Government Accountability Office with the title"For-Profit Colleges: Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud in Deceptive and Questionable Marketing Practices."

CAPELLA is facing an investor lawsuit filed on behalf of those who purchased CAPELLA common stock during February 16, 2010 - August 13, 2010 over alleged violations of Federal Securities Laws.

REQUEST a “LITIGATION INFORMATION FORM”, then send your completed form to:

Roberta Yard, Esq.
Reinhardt, Wendorf & Blanchfield
Attorneys at Law
East 1250 First National Bank Bldg.
332 Minnesota St.
St. Paul, MN 55101
TEL: [protected]
FAX: [protected]
EMAIL: r. [protected]@rwblawfirm.com

REQUEST a “COMPLAINT FORM”, then send your completed form to:

Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Curriculum & Student Consumer Research Analyst;
Institutional Licensing & Registration
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
TEL: [protected]
www.ohe.state.mn.us

FILE your “COMPLAINT” (Under “Consumer Complaints” Section) to the Office of the Attorney General – State of Minnesota at:
www.ag.state.mn.us/

FILE your “COMPLAINT” with the Department of Justice at:
www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint

FILE your “COMPLAINT” with the Federal Trade Commission at:
www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint-ftc

FILE your “COMPLAINT” with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at:
www.consumerfinance.gov/

FILE your “COMPLAINT” with the U.S. Government Accountability Office at:
www.gao.gov

Capella Sanctioned by the Government

According to the GAO report, Capella had a high withdrawal rate among students in bachelor’s degree programs, and spent an usually high percentage of its revenue on marketing.

In March 2008, Capella was also the subject of an Education Department audit, which revealed that the school overcharged lenders and this department by over a half million dollars. The inspector general’s audit revealed mistakes in calculation of student eligibility for federal loans, as well as failure to return funds granted on behalf of students who withdrew from their courses.

SEE ABOVE AS CITED AT:
http://www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org/online-colleges-sanctioned-by-government-organizations/

Capella University joined the long list of publicly traded education companies hit with class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of angry shareholders. The Police Pension Fund of Peoria has filed suit [PDF] in U.S. District Court for Minnesota, claiming that the company misled investors about its business practices in order to inflate the price of its stock.

Capella University has been engaging in abusive and fraudulent recruiting and financial aid lending practices, thereby increasing Capella’s student enrollment and revenues, ” the suit claims.

By: Beth Hawkins
NOV 11, 2010
MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2010/11/suits-against-profit-universities-including-capella-raise-question-do-shareho