Kaplan University
reviews and complaints

I have been told many times that I would get my stipend when my financial posted. It has posted but the number i call the inquire about it says I don't have one scheduled when I was told by financial aid I have one. I am sick of the lies you guys tell me and I would love to drop out. You took my financial aid and kept my stipend. I am going to join the class action against kaplan. you need to be stopped.

I have attended Kaplan University Online and I made it a point to watch my student account to make sure that I didn't owe the school anything so I would have my diploma upon graduation. I have federal money borrowed that in total are $38, 000.00 for a two year degree. If someone would have been honest and told me to total amount and cost I would have never went this route. Based on my income and being a single mother my daughter is going to community college for free the grants are paying her tuition, fees, and books costs. I could have done the same thing, but I was thinking that the price was about the same and I could never get a answer on the total cost and what I would need to borrow money at all from any department at Kaplan University. The second issue I have is that my last term was my externship and I received a Pell grant refund check from Kaplan University and I cashed it like all the other Pell grant refund checks for the two years I attended this school. I received a email from Kaplan Student accounts stating that I had a balance I owed Kaplan in the amount of 1741.00 which is the amount of my Pell grant refund. I emailed the financial aid office at Kaplan and I was told that Pell overpaid and they are refunding Pell the 1741.00 and now I owe this money to Kaplan University.( As if the $38, 000.00 they received the two years I attended was not enough). First of all I don't think that I should have to pay for Kaplan's mistake (error), I did nothing wrong and now I have to pay for there accounting error! I emailed the student relations department and my education adviser, financial aid department . The only department that replied was the financial aid department stating that the Pell grant refund that was sent to me was a overpayment and Kaplan paid Pell back and now I owe Kaplan the money. ( I told them this in my email, but I was looking for someone to help me ). I was told to call student accounts who only want you to pay the said money owed, that is all they are there for is to set up a payment plan and collect money not to talk about how you should have to pay for Kaplan's error. I emailed the Student relations department again asking for a student relations manager contact information either by email or phone and have not yet received a response. So now I am stuck not able to receive my diploma and I don't have the money to pay and my payments are already due . If I had my diploma I could start looking for a job as a RHIT coding but I would need that to get the job so now I can not pay my $400.00 per month payment. Its a terrible circle to be caught up in, I did consolidation myself on the website and I applied for a deferment and I have until 02/2016 and I applied for this in Oct, 2015 and my graduation date was 10/06/2015, with no Diploma and student payment due the next month, what a joke! I have seen so many people just trying to get ahead and this has completely destroyed the future of so many, its terrible and I hope people think twice before attending Kaplan University or any other for profit online university, what they are doing to the American citizens and the Federal Government is criminal.

I needed to get two more certificates in order to start the job in hospital. I applied for the course through kaplan university. I’m certified nurse and need only two certificates. But the representative of the university told me to pass chemistry, math and 3 other subjects. I asked him twice why I needed it, but he didn’t tell me. I have passed all the exams before, so why do I need to do it again. Maybe someone can explain me.

I graduated with a Master's in Homeland Security last year. Have still been unable to find a job in that sector even with this degree and over 10 years of law enforcement experience. They told me they would help me find employment and I received emails for about 3 months after graduation and then nothing. I started seeing articles here and there over the last few months about other people having issues with all sorts of things with Kaplan including payments and financial aid so I began looking back through paperwork. I have found that I was charged $3, 930 for room and board, travel and personal fees for an online course. I've no clue why these fees are on here and have attempted to call but never receive a call back. Additionally, there was a $3, 000 increase in tuition over a one year period and I also noticed that there was a reimbursement (supposedly) to me of over $7, 000 which I never saw. Based on my calculations, this is over $11, 000 that I am paying without good reason. On top of this, my first year there, I attempted to transfer over a credit from a different school. They refused to accept this. After going halfway through the course, they finally agreed to accept the transfer credit but refused to refund any money and made me pay for the full class. Would love to know what my rights are on all of this. I read on a different site to contact the Department of Education as well as the Inspector General so this will probably be my next step if I am unable to reach anyone again this week.

I gave Kaplan two addresses: primary and shipping. I informed them which address to send my check to. Well, they applied my loan to my tuition, but did not send my check out until two weeks later. They end up sending my check to the wrong address. I called and called seeing if they would look into finding my check. I even asked for a tracking number so USPS could track it. They told me to just wait for 30 days. After 30 days, they would start investigating. This is my only income at this moment. My bills will not wait. They acted as if they did not care about my money. Someone could be enjoying my money while I wait until 30 days is up. I will never recommend Kaplan University to anyone.

Kaplan never sends out your financial aid checks on time. They hold onto the money for 8 weeks and by the time the course is over you finally receive your check and by this point, you have already flunked out of your class because you have lost everything you owned with promises to pay very soon and never comes. I spoke to the college 3 weeks ago and they said they mailed my check out. Funny I still have not received it. This is ridiculous. The classes are triple the amount that regular colleges are and you don't receive what you are legally entitled to. This will be my last semester with kaplan after almost two years. I can't even afford to pay the internet for these classes because of kaplan. If they made it clear that you won't receive your stipend check until the course is almost over than maybe they wouldn't have so many complaints. This college is a joke of a college and believe me, don't waste your time. I have been checking the mail every single day, many times per day, for nothing but aggravation. It is a joke.

I recently just withdrew from Kaplan University Online after completing a term. I passed the class but called in to get the final grade and was told that I had a "W" (withdrawal) from the class. Needless to say that I was shocked because I did not not withdraw from the class until I finished and passed the class becasue the last time I checked my grade was one day before the term ended. The grade was an 86 and only because there was a paper that had not been graded yet. I emailed the teacher and he never emailed me back. That would've brought my grade up to an "A". So how does a class that I withdrew from go from passing to a withdrawal after I withdrew from the class after it finished. I then spoke with the guy who input and he thought I had withdrew from it in the middle of the term. I explained to him again that I had withdrew when the class was over and that he was the one who did the mistake and he would fess up to it. This school does not keep track of anything. I do not recommend no one attending this school. This is not the first time I had problems with this school. They constantly say one thing and do another.

Ok, Where do I start. When I first decided to go to school I looked at my options and found Kaplan. I spoke to a women who helped me through the process, from financial aid and so on. Let me say I have never spoken to any of these people once I was enrolled into school.

Few terms went by and I had a teacher for a class, now I was pregnant the whole time but THIS teacher was horrible. She goes by Q and if you go to this school and get a women who wants to be refereed to as Dr. Q, switch classes. Anyways here I am just gave birth to my son, had stitches, third degree lacerations and other complications from having a baby. Let me say she had no concern or care for me as her student what so ever. I failed that class because she wanted an extension for my extension. She claimed it was per policy which is a lie. professor are allowed to make a decision on their own.

Next financial aid is a disaster, not only are they rude but no one can understand your charges, or why you pay 200 for lab fees when you are online and not a lab. Second every FAFSA year my tuition and fees go up, crazy huh? My EFC is 0 and the more tuition the more money they get.

I would say I am leaving this school and I promise I am not the only student with issues. Google this school. I am going to University Of Phoenix. I can say that I have gone here before and no issues and you speak to the same people every week Your education is a life choice and dont pick the wrong school like I have and let them come in between that dream.

PS They're so stupid you never get your Stripend until unit 4, or 5.

Their consultants does not provide enough info for the students, does not keep up with updates with students and he is not able to help solve any problems the students are having. He does not reply to emails, taking a long time to reply, even in emails he does not answer to questions. Upon application, he does not give the students of when will they be hearing back from him and the university, just asking the students to wait for his email. So because of his misleading info, the students end up had to miss some of the lessons, making it unfair on the students because of him and his incompetent.

I have been at Kaplan University for over three years. What work I do gets mostly high grades. I took Linux as a suggested course, not required, and have failed it five times. Every time there was Technical problems, of accessing the right stuff, getting an OS and then having it fail in the time of the course, having to redo what I did, not getting backup.

When I tried to drop the course, they refused. Said i would have to pass it. The last time I got a 65 %, but on what I completed, I got good grades. The Seminars would skip, break up on vocal, not load on visual, and yet, I got the failing grades.

I feel I should get a passing grade, due to the technical failure of the school.

This college is a fraud. This college gave me outdated books, and classes. I had to buy my own books. I paid for the cst (Computer support technician) which cost $16, 099 and I regret it. I regret not going to a community college or state university. Avoid this college at all cost, one of the teacher's didn't even have a single certification. They give excuses for outdated books and I regret graduating. Again, avoid at all costs!

After being told I had to have emergency surgery in my final semester at Kaplan for my Masters in Psychology, they failed me when I hurried through an assiment because I could not get ahold of an acedemic advisor to discuss this. There has to be some better solution, I will appeal this with FASFA and let them know how the University is taking money and I know I am not the first person as I was warned by an individual when I first started the program. I would have held off on taking the class when I found out I had to have surgery to get rid of cancerous cells, but when I tried to contact academic advising I was given a run around then. I was also given the run around after I was told in my second semester we no longer have individual academic advisors that I had a team of people who could help me and since have never talked to an individual who cared about me as an individual just me as a pay check. There has to be some solution, not you guys just get my money I call out for help and I get nothing so I muttle through and come out with a 3.74 until the comp class which I know if life was different as it is today I would ace that class no problem. Kaplan really needs to look at the tatics it has taken, this story makes your university look like a money mill not an educational facility. Even durring this process only one individual called me one time, I beleive us as students and paying to attend the university deserve more than this. We deserve a friendly voice on the other end of the phone, not sorry you loose in an email because you became medically ill and couldnt get some help durring it so I tried to do what I could do to get my paper in on time and failed due to plagerism, for one of course the information we all get is from some other source unless we are into research ourselves. Now they will not even allow me to post on their facebook page and I have not even bashed them besides this complaint but that has to say something.

I feel like this if kaplan is such a bad school then why not sue ? you should of did your research first before wasting your time and energy im not saying this havent happen to anyone is true but instead of pounding your keys about how this school sucks go to the state sue them whatever you have to do to make this right because obviously kaplan still have student enrolled still making there money so i just recently been in kaplan for a month i havent recieved any problem such far but all im saying do your research first about a school becaused you might not approved how their system work get it together people like seriously it a way to resolve a issue.

Kaplan University is a very big scam. I just signed on for the first term a couple weeks ago. I am still in the free 5 week program, but I emailed my adviser and said that I wanted out. Haven't heard from her yet.
The classes are very pathetic. I was learning the stuff they are teaching in my Comp 1 class at Kaplan in my Freshman English is high school. It was ridiculous. When I asked the professor, he said that "High school English classes will overlap with your courses here". So basically he just said that I shouldn't have busted my butt in high school to make good grades and pass AP tests? That seems suspicious.
Also, the discussion boards! Ohmigosh, the people on there have such bad grammar and I cannot stand to read the posts. One student put up one day in a seminar, "Prof, we read dis paper now?" I'm like "Dude, where are you from and how did you get into college?" Then I realized that they just let anyone in.
The skills held by the professors who are supposed to be "very qualified in their fields" are not even close to what my high school teachers had. I actually TAUGHT the professors something that my HIGH SCHOOL teachers learned in college, but the professors had no clue what I was talking. I often times ended up teaching the students on the discussion board. Like writing a good essay? I taught 3 students the words that should never be used.
I also got snoopy and looked at the professors' Facebook pages, I found them because their names are not very common. One teacher is not only very "homely" looking, but his profile pic is of sitting in a chair in a very bad looking look shirt and he looks like he's missing a few marbles. Not the kind of person I want teaching me. (Did I also mention that he is the English teacher who got a degree in Mythology?) The other teacher, a Legal Skills study teacher, has a profile picture of herself partying. Are you serious?! I know that it's a personal Facebook, but profile pictures are supposed to be professional if you work in a professional job.
I had a perfect 100% grade until this past week. (Yes, I know it was only the first week before, but still). Then I check my grade in my Comp class to find that I now had an 88%. So I scrolled through only to find that I had been docked points on a discussion and given a 0/10 on a Journal entry. So I emailed the professor and asked what was up with the journal. (I didn't need to ask about the discussion board, since it was explained when I clicked on the grade.) He replied 2 days later, (mind you, I emailed him in the middle of a seminar WHILE HE WAS ON HIS EMAIL), with "Maybe you didn't cover the topic well enough or you went off topic." I did not want a MAYBE, I wanted a real answer as to why I was given a 0 on something that I worked for 30 minutes on. (For those who don't know, the journals are just 1 paragraph about whatever topic they give.) I have decided that I am just not going to go back to class.
The advisers are not good at all. I have called and she has lost my file because it was transferred without her knowing it and she has also put me on the line with several other advisers because she wasn't going to be in. Once, she even called and put me on the line to finish enrollment and then the guy I was talking to said I needed my diploma first and my adviser goes "oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you didn't have your diploma." Later when talking to financial aid, I had to strain so hard to hear the guy that it wasn't even funny. He talked so low that I had to even turn the fan off, it was making too much noise.
The books suck horribly. 1) they are written solely by the college. and 2) they are all online. I cannot stand them all being online, I get a headache staring at the screen. Not only that, they are poorly written. They have more color than my sketch book from high school. (Yes, I am being very serious.) The reason I mention the color thing is because I have read from college level books before and never once have they EVER had pictures except maybe a small drawing on the side to point to something important. It is very unprofessional.
The seminars (lectures) are pointless because half the time the students have a completely different conversation going on to the side while the professor is talking. Not only that, I bring up again "how did you people get into college", one student did not know first person, third person, second person and another did not know the difference between Martin Luther and Martin Luther King.
That brings up another problem. In this past seminar, which was Thursday June 21, 2012, the professor had us stop to look at a paper written as a sample essay. What do I notice first-hand, the sentence structure. It was very poorly put together if you ask me. It was filled with contractions, which I have been taught since Freshman year in high school are not what you put in a college-level essay. AND it switched verb tenses between past and present. He was writing about Martin Luther, and in the third paragraph he said "this IS a courageous action"--really, so it is still going on? No! It should say "this WAS a courageous action". And this was written by the English professor.
Now, could that have been a mistake? Yes, it could have. If he wasn't trying to show us what a college level essay looks like. He also told us in the beginning that if he is in a bad mood, OUR GRADES WILL SUFFER FROM IT! That is not right on so many levels.
Once my adviser calls, I will tell her that I am going to withdraw early from the 5 weeks. If she doesn't call, then I will fail out. But I'm not a complete student yet anyway. It says so on the paper. During the first 5 weeks of classes, the Kaplan Commitment program for those who don't know, you are not responsible to pay anything and you are not considered a complete student. If you choose to stay, then you will be considered a complete student. If she doesn't call by Monday, I will call someone there and tell them I want to withdraw and that is final. I may even call them out on the game they are playing.
If anybody is considering Kaplan, DON'T! It is not accredited by your local state college or a University you will plan to go to. If you want an online college, I suggest going to an actual on-ground college and speaking to them about online-courses. Many offer these now-days.

I complained about a balance on my student account, which was caused by Kaplan returning financial aid back to the lender without my approval. My complaint went to the ombudsman for the university and she agreed that the money was returned inappropriately. She stated, via email, that my account would be credited and the account brought to zero. I completed the Masters program on April 17, 2012. They responded, on May 4, 2012, the following: "Based on our review, our office has rendered a decision in good faith to credit $3, 055 to your account. Please allow up to 10 business days for the credit to be reflected within the credit agency. Once the adjustments are processed, the balance on your account will be satisfied." As of June 18, 2012, the balance is still $3, 055 and I am now receiving harassing phone calls from student accounts. I have an idea of what my next step will be.

I enrolled at Kaplan University in 2005 to finish my Paralegal Degree. Unfortunately, I had to drop due to financial problems, I paid my Federal Loan - but all of the sudden I received a letter from Kaplan telling me I owed them $2, 000.00
I have been trying to clear my debt, and there is no one to help me clarify this problem. I also found out that they were supposed to return money to the government because I dropped the classes and they had all their payments.
Please help.

The instructors are allowed to grade as they "feel". Each class is run and operated by the instructor, not the university. If you have an issue with an instructor or have a concern like question specific assignment criteria or grading practices Tough luck! I maintained a 3.96 GPA until my last term. I took a lower level elective (200 series)and questioned the grades I was making, as I could not get above and 81. All of my grades had been 96+ in all other classes prior to this. Nothing happened and I was sent a conduct letter threatening to kick me out of the school my very last week of a bachelors degree when I complained to the dean of the department. When I emailed the teacher, repeatedly, she said I insulted her by questioning her and my grades then became worse. I called student advising 5 times and was told to work it out myself since the school has no influence over individual instructors and how they grade or communicate. My 3.96 GPA tanked my very last week because of this class and I even received an academic warning letter from the dean of another department for the "tone" of my emails with the teacher. All of this happened my last week of what was supposed to be a joyous time. The school never asked my side and didn't care that I tried to resolve the issue 5 times with their advisers prior to my "blowing" up in the last email with her. She was equally nasty but used a better writing style to communicate it to me. The bottom line is that I tried to get help starting in week 2 of the 10 week term and was told tough, take the grade and move on with life, despite it's impact on my near perfect GPA. My graduation will always be shadowed by the disgust of this event and the university's unwillingness to help. DO NOT ENROLL HERE! ONCE THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY, YOU ARE STUCK! I had numerous problems with financial aid as well. Idiots! I had to get an ombudsman to review my account 3 time in 1.5 years there because the financial aid people screwed my account up. All 3 times, the ombudsman found accounting errors to my benefit. Getting help and anyone to listen to you is IMPOSSIBLE! I will never recommend this university to anyone, ever! I am not lazy either and had no, I mean zero difficulty with grades prior to this single lower level elective class! Disgusting that they blamed and threatened to suspend me my last week without ever asking my side of the events!. I am an honor student and graduate, Suma Cum Laude.