This has been the worst experience of my life. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology in April 2013. I enrolled in school to help my family because my husband had recently switched jobs and I wanted to help ease the burden. I dropped out of high school, only completing ninth grade. I had gotten my GED in 1996. I was very nervous about attending school after so much time had passed. I knew nothing about for profit schools versus non profit schools. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do, though I liked psychology and thought I'd like up be a high school counselor. The enrollment counselor was very pushy not giving me time to think things over stating that I had already wasted so much time. The academic advisor wasn't much different. She advised me to enroll in first an associate's degree in psychology and then when finished enroll in the bachelor's degree. I was going to do online school because my children were small at the time I started, April 2009. I was excited about getting a degree to do what I enjoyed and I even asked the counselor if they were sure that would be the degree I needed in my home state of Indiana. She assured me that it was and went on with enrollment. I told her I would like to speak with my husband first because I was sure that it would cost a lot of money and I felt I needed his input. She stated that I needed to go ahead and enroll so I could start the next classes that were getting ready to start. Needless to say I did what she told me because I believed her job was to help me get the best education possible. I never would have thought that it was all a scam. My husband was very upset with me because when he asked questions such as how much is out going to cost, I couldn't tell him because she never told me. I tried to reassure him that it would be worth it because the counselor told me I'd be eligible for Pell grants and the rest could be paid for with financial aid /student loans. The counselor made it seem like most of it would be covered by the grant and that I may need a small loan. I put my complete trust in the staff because I didn't really know what questions to ask. I felt like sry she 32 I should know enough about schooling to not have to ask alot of questions. And when I did ask questions, they would side step them until I was confused but didn't want to admit to it. I had to take algebra 1&2 and I did not understand it at all. I kept asking my professor for help but they never could help me. They kept telling me to find a tutor on my own to help me. I even had my stepfather help me and he was an engineer for the army corps of engineers. Even with his help I barely passed with a D- and with his help in my second algebra class I got a D. I had always considered myself fairly smart in math but after that it shattered my self confidence. I ended up having to take a full time job to supplement our income so I was working forty hours a week and going to school online. The whole process put a huge strain on my marriage and I almost got divorced. Towards the end of my bachelor's degree I started having health issues partly due to stress and lack of sleep. I ended up taking a medical leave at the advice of another counselor. It seemed like I was always getting a new counselor just as I would get used to someone then they were gone. The counselor dais taking a medical leave would just extend the amount of time it took for me to graduate but it would keep me from falling the class and having to pay out of pocket to take it again. When I first enrolled I had inquired about job placement and was assured that they had excellent job placement. However that was not the case, I kept asking various counselors who I needed to talk to about job placement. They told me to sign up for the alumni page. I then proceeded to ask what my next step was in order to be a counselor. She stated that I would have to look up my states licensing requirements to determine what to do next. When I checked into the state licensing it turned out to be for marriage counselors and substance abuse counselors. In my state most schools required a master's degree in psychology. I was devastated, I didn't want to be a marriage or substance abuse counselors. I was so embarrassed about the situation that I did nothing. I didn't tell anyone, I just pretended everything was fine even though it wasn't. About a year after I graduated I stumbled across a lawsuit out of California in which a young woman was suing University of Phoenix over a psychology degree that was worthless. I tried to get involved in that suit but it wasn't a class action suit and I live in Indiana. I currently owe over 65, 000 with interest accruing. I haven't been able to make payments because my husband makes good money so the payments are the same as our house payment. What people don't realize is that my husband and I were already in debt and that was the reason I went to school. To be able to get a good paying job so that I could contribute to paying down our debt. Now my daughter is graduating high school and we can't afford to send her to college. I just feel like it was not only a waste of money (that I didn't have) but a major waste of four years because I have a worthless degree. It sickens me that these schools take advantage of those of us that are in the pursuit of the American dream. I thought my husband would be so proud along with the rest of my family but instead we were all disappointed. I haven't been able to get a job in the field in which I got a degree. And the University's solution was to enroll in the master's program. I hung up and never spoke to anyone again. I don't even display my diploma because it reminds me of all the mistakes that came after I enrolled in school at the University of Phoenix...What a rip off! I would love to get a class action suit going against them so that they can pay off our loans as well as compensation for the lies and broken promises of success. My name is Melody Sommerville and my email address is melodysomm32@gmail.com
If anyone decides to get a class action suit going against them for deceitful and misleading practices please let me know. My marriage almost ended because of this school and things will never be the same! Melody Sommerville melodysomm32@gmail.com
I enrolled in 2009 and unfortunately I was naive and trusting the school to help me down the correct path. I was told numerous lies and since I had no knowledge of the college admissions procedure I trusted the advisors. I dropped out of high school so I had never seen the FAFSA or knew exactly what it was. I knew it had to do with financial aid though I was told by the enrollment advisor that I would receive most of my needed aid in grants since I wasn't in a stable enough financial situation to afford any type of loans. I wasn't prepared to enroll the day of my initial phone call however the advisor convinced me that I needed to enroll immediately so I wouldn't miss the start of this block of classes. I was nervous about making such a big decision without talking it over with my husband. The advisor asked me if I thought my husband would be proud of my decision to further my education, and so I said, Ok you're right. He wouldn't want me to miss my opportunity. My husband had just took a new job with the railroad so he was gone most of the time, leaving me to care for our two children by myself. Fast forward to 2013, it was a struggle to achieve a bachelor's degree while working full time and being the primary caregiver of two small children. I spent the next 7 years trying to find work with this degree even though EVERYTHING the advisors said I could do with it was a LIE! So to finish this horrible nightmare I have almost $80, 000 in student debt and my husband of almost 20 years divorced me because he didn't want to be responsible for the debt from my stupid decision. Thanks University of Phoenix for showing me that people don't mind lying to trusting idiots like me. I want my loans discharged because I can't use the degree.
