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CEC is FULL of SHITCategory: Aiu Online ripoff-Scam a college using sales to increase admission Hoffman Estates Illinois *Consumer Comment ..Thank God I found This Page Company AIU online is a complete scam. If you are browsing the web and are interested in getting a little information you are must put in your contact information in order to view the website. This should automatically tell people that something is wrong. After you enter your information you will repeatedly receive phone calls from a so-called admissions advisor. The admissions advisor/sales person can and will call you seven days a week up to twenty times a day! Imagine a school that is open on Sundays and Holidays? Upon the first call conversation the admission advisor will read a script to you. Hello may I speak with_______? This is_____________ and admissions advisor from AIU online how are you doing? Great! You recently requested some information about our degree programs, so I have a few questions for you so I can get the correct information out to you! What is your educational background? What is the highest level of education you have completed? Now_____based on the fact that you seem pretty ambitious, goal orientated, and motivated I am going to send you an email about some of our important online programs. In this email there will be a password and a hyperlink that you can click on that will take you to our admission site. Now the password will expire so you will need to log on as soon as possible. The admissions site will give you a chance to learn more about AIU online our accreditation, course descriptions, financial aide options, and how you go about getting accepted. How does that sound to you? Do you have a pen handy? I would like to give you my contact information. Let me confirm your email address. When you receive my email read through the information and share it with anyone who may be supportive of you going to school. Fill out the online application and print a copy out for yourself for records. This allows me to get to know more information about your background. When you have completed reviewing the website write down any questions that you may have because I want us to get back together over the phone so I can answer all of those questions. We will discuss f-aide, career opportunities, online degree programs, and how you apply and get accepted here at aiu-online. How does that sound to you? Great. I have two times open for _____(always two days later) which one is best for you? Great then do we have that commitment for ____date and time? Good. Since education is taking a higher priority in your life I look forward to speaking to you on ----date and time----. When you set your appointment they will constantly call you. The second phone call consist of a similar line of questioning in more detail with the sales person admissions advisor offering your recommendation and offering to put you on the agenda for the next acceptance committee meeting. The fifty dollar application isn't the biggest deal. The bigger deal is that all admissions advisors say the exact same thing in the exact same way! How can they really mean what they are saying if they all say the same thing? How can they honestly believe in you if they are all saying the same exact thing and you almost guaranteed a recommendation every time you speak to them! If you submit your information you will be surprised in the type of response you will get. A ton of phone calls that never end for months on end. This makes it hard to believe that they are really admissions advisors? What type of school is open on New Years Eve, the fourth of July, and Christmas Eve? Who works on those days "sales" people and that is it! Aiu drives a hard bargain, but as you can see by the website the cost are hidden under f-aide. It is a great website, however, I have been contacted by so many different advisors with the same story it only presents to me that this is a really big scam. Not only did they give a recommendation to my mentally retarded nephew they gave one to my neighbors daughter who is in her second year of high school. What kind of school accepts you before it receives your transcripts? What kind of school has advisors that reads off scripts? What kind of school will not give out pricing information over the phone? What kind of website needs your home and work number to contact you before sending out basic information. I ask all people who are considering an online school to think very clearly about what they are getting into. Accredited today, gone tomorrow it's just that simple. If Aiu was really a great school then they wouldn't have such hard driven sales/ admissions advisors repeatedly contacting people. If it was such a desired school then they would not be constantly calling over and over trying to see why you didn't enroll the first time around. If you give your number to these people then you are putting yourself at risk for obtaining an degree from an institution that probably won't be around in a few years. Regardless, of how many people are enrolling and what congress is saying about Aiu here today gone tomorrow. If you sign up with this school, it will not take much to get you accepted. After you start school then the real bills come rolling in. This would be a great school, if they didn't over promise and underachieve. As a former student of AIU-Online I highly recommend you think very clearly before your first day of school if this is something that you are willing to take a chance at, because a chance is what this place really isn't! Kayla If you would like to see more Rip-off ReportsTM on Aiu Online, please use the search box below In order to assure the best results in your search: * Keep the name short & simple, and try different variations of the name. Click here to go to our advanced search page. Rebuttal Consumer Comment Thank God I found This Page Thanks Kayla, I just got off the phone from a representative from AIU and after he wouldn't let me hang up the phone and call him back (He called at work during my lunch break and yes I spent my whole lunch break trying to be polite and hang up) I figured something was screwy so I typed in "aiu scam" and boom this page popped up. I read the script you gave and it was identical to what I was read. I've applied to several online schools and most seem pretty laid back about admissions and mail me the info I request... But not AIU, they asked me more questions then a telemarketer and try selling me harder then a door to door bible salesmen. Anywho, thanks for the post you helped me clarify my suspicions :) Phil - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Rebuttal Consumer Comment AIU Online is not a scam I do not feel AIU Online is a scam, and I think this rip off report may tarnish their credibilty. Please check it out, and stop posting nonsense online that employers could find, thereby potentially ruining the chances of AIU online graduates chances of getting a job in the competitive market place. Lindsey - Rock Creek, Ohio Rebuttal Consumer Comment AIU is not a rip off I am a current student at AIU online and I am very happy with my experience so far. Yes they call you alot but usually its just to check up on you and make sure that all your questions are answered and that you are understanding your classes and everything is in order. I do not think there is anything wrong with that. The only complaint that I have is the Colleges Cybrary, it is very hard to find any useful information for my classes so far. But other than that my experience has been very good. I think you people have nothing better to do than rip on some company, i dont know, because your bored..or maybe had a bad experience, but that doesnt mean everyone will. Venessa - Elgin, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment Currently Enrolled & Fully Satisfied I am amazed at the support provided by all staff at AIU Online. I have been considering returning to college for almost 3 years. I restarted my education in September of this year at AIU Online. I work full-time, have 2 children (12 & 8) and a husband of 13 years. This University has provided me with the opportunity to earn a BA while still being an employee, a mom and a wife. Marie - Murrieta, California Rebuttal Consumer Suggestion AIU is a FOR PROFIT university After reading this board I had to respond. I am currently an AIU online student graduating in FEB '05 from the AA program. AIU has ground campuses for the past 30 years and isnt going anywhere anytime soon. AIU is for profit and is expensive for most. Some courses are easy, but most are not. AIU typically schedules a student 2 classes every 5 weeks. Each class typically requires the student to write 2 to 3, 1 - 4 page papers a week, though some are more or less. The books are no extra charge and neither is the shipping. The professors exsit, but if you're planning to succeed you'd better plan on reading the books and figuring things out on your own most of the time. I also question the acceptablity of AIU. I have consulted with numerous colleges regarding the transfer of my AIU credits to their school. Without question every school stated yes because AIU is regionally accredited. Hunter accepted, NYU accepted, Syracuse accepted. Look, AIU is expensive but at the same time your in a class discussion you could be in your PJ's watching the game and drinking a beer. You pay for convienence and the rapid pace at which you get your degree. Del - New York, New York Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds Chicago Tribune Article (12-12-04): Maybe you will think twice now... Read this article published on December 12, 2004 in the Chicago Tribune. It tells the real story of what is happening to AIU and what life is like as an Admissions Advisor. The writer nailed it! http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0412120208dec12,1,234494.story You may have to register to view the article, but it's free. I suggest everyone to check it out and rethink your decision or thoughts on the school. Have fun reading!!! Nicole - Chicago, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE Employee ..inside information Insider information on AIU and Colorado Technical University People you must get a little wiser! Both of these are a total scam and you will be taken for a ride....that you will be paying over $25,000 for! If you want to get a real education....Look elsewhere....or I will be calling you and taking your money.... Afterall, I work here! GET SMART! Edward - Hoffman Estates, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment BEWARE OF ACTUAL COSTS!! Anyone thinking of attending this school should be aware of the total cost of their programs. I am an active duty member and I was assured by both my admissions advisor and financial aid advisor that my military tuition assistance and GI Bill would cover ALL my tuition costs. WRONG!!! They blatanly lied to me and now I owe them 400 dollars. Also, be sure that they review your transcripts right the first time. They had my "unofficial" transcripts from the very beginning but halfway through my program when they received the "official" transcripts, they ended up pushing back my graduation date because they wouldn't accept one of the classes. HELLO!! Unofficial transcripts are the same as official in the sense they show the same exact information on them. That whole headache could have been avoided if they would have done their job right. I didn't end up taking that one extra class because they wanted 1800 dollars for it. No thanks, I'll take it at a CC for a couple hundred dollars instead. Sarah Other than those two things, the layout of their program is good and the professors are some of the best. Sarah - Las Vegas, Nevada Rebuttal Consumer Comment Instructional Designer Speaks in Favor Well I guess that I am one of the fools who got a great education at AIU. Thanks to a great set of professors, a demanding program, and people who really cared about me, I am making $50,000 per year - a $20,000 increase from the previous year before earning my Masters in Education. Besides the money that I am now earning, I use the knowledge that I gained through the courses every day in all that I do. My admissions advisor was absolutely professional and helpful and stayed with me throughout the time that I was in school. Always concerned - always there. He did not call me every day, but did contact me regularly by email or phone to see if I was still interested. Any school that does not doing a good job of recruiting. As to the price, I found that AIU was more affordable than most online institutions. In 2002, when I began looking, most wanted as much as $700 to $1500 per credit hour. AIU was only around $350, which included Office XP and all of my textbooks. All online students must take more responsibility for their learning than classroom students, but my professors were always online twice per week for questions and answered my emails with meaningful comments. In addition, the collaborative activities added to my growth and I was even able to work with a soldier stationed overseas. I am at a loss as to how this experience was a scam. Web - Wichita, Kansas Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee Beware of this SCAM!!!!!! Where do I start???!!! AIU is a for-profit school. This should be obvious to anyone investigating this SCAM. There is so much going on there, I will try to be detailed as possible. First, I was attracted to the job because of the money. For someone WITHOUT a college degree, $45,000.00 is a great starting salary. Look guys, more than 95 % of the sales people who call you do Not have a college degree And of course they will tell you they have one, these are the same people who call you everyday trying to get you to “fill out that application.” Please do not fill out the application, because once you sign, you're going to college. No matter if you're qualified or not. O.K now once you are hired you go through one week of training where you learn your scripts, and guys there is more than one. There is the first call script; all the first call is for is to sell the second call. It sounds like you're talking to an admissions counselor when they call, doesn't it? They want to know a little about you, your educational background, how long have you been thinking about getting your education, what does success mean to you, are you employed. Let's take a look at this a little closer. Once you open yourself up like that you are vulnerable, you let your defense down because you feel like the person on the other end of the phone who, you don't even know, is your friend. He/She is not your friend, they never will be, they only want the enrollment. AIU is a diploma mill that is approved by SACS. The students I admit don't have a clue what they're doing. They are supposed to write an essay and they turn in 3 lines and most of the words are missed spelled, no punctuation. So I end up rewriting their essay, who's really going to know anyway. It's about the numbers anyway. I would turn you away if I was at any other school but this is AIU. It's all about the numbers. When I first started you had to get 16 enrollments a month. Today all the reps need to get are 12 enrollments. Isn't it nice to know that you are truly a number? Once I get you through orientation, I'm done with you. Here's another bit of info- the formula for a good day at AIU if you're where a sales rep would be the power of ten. That means I should walk out of there with at least 8 appointments and 2 cows (Contract On the Way). It's all about Filling your Pipeline. In sales, the more qualified appointments you get the better the odds of making you quota at the end of the month. I would like to touch on one more thing. C.S.I. This show has become a phenomenon. Unfortunately there are people who think they can get into forensics by getting their degree online. You need to have special training and you CAN NOT do biology labs or Anatomy & Physiology labs online. Guys, it's a great show but remember its Hollywood and in the real world getting your degree in criminal justice from AIU is not going to get you even close to that kind of work. In reality getting your criminal justice degree from AIU will put you in debt because you probably wont finish but you will have to finish paying your bill to AIU. CHECK out your states school online programs. The average time someone works for AIU is about 3-4 months. They go through more people than you can imagine. They get fired or quit. That's why they use temp employment agencies. Part of the atmosphere there is the fear of getting fired if you don't hit your quota and it happens all the time. It's all about the numbers and if you become an over-achiever you get to go to what they call HIGH ACEIVERS. This is like a bonuses or your year –end commission. Due to SACS a college is not to offer a commission on the enrollment but this is a sales environment and YOU DO GET A COMMISSION on your sales. They pay for everything, your hotel room, meals, open bar, airfare, and a lot more. I'm not sure why SACS turns their back on this; I mean it's in their rules. I have spoken to numerous universities and have asked what kind of bonuses they get and they tell me its illegal. I know I'll be there next year. I believe its in Florida. Earlier this year they went to Vegas. D - Naperville, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds Aiuonline Scam or just lousy admissions advisors As you all have read in the negative posts about Aiuonline most of these people seem to have an insider view on the admissions process. In none of these posts have these people said " I felt this job was unethical and would not perform my duties" All of these people know the job inside and out. So how unethical could the process have been because these people made the calls and enrolled students. It seems more like to me these people making the negative posts just were not very good admissions advisors and are upset about loosing a good job. From the first day you are hired all employees are fully aware this is a sales position. This is no secret. What makes me laugh inside is almost every major school in the world has a recruiting or sales staff. Have you watched t.v. lately or perhaps a sporting event colleges are being sold to us each and every day. On the other hand I don't see massive advertising from aiuonline all over buses or our sporting events like most major schools. Let's not fool ourselves college is a business. All schools want students money. This is why Aiuonline is a great school. Online college is not for every student this is why aiu spends so much time getting to know the student. At your local school they say "fill out the application we will get back in touch with you by a letter" They don't care about you the student if the courses and programs are a good fit they just want your money. Aiu is looking for a student that needs online college or they won't be going to school at all. This is a positive. If the local college was more flexible to people that need to work and have children then there would be no need for online college. I read a post that stated I needed to fill in my # and e-mail and this person felt that was weird. Well, how else can the college contact you. This is an online university so you just can't knock on the door now can you. Serious students want a call and are glad they called ten times and finally made contact. online students have a busy schedule. Therfore many calls are required. The person that stated only one loan source is available to the students is just a plain lie. Sure aiuonline has a close relationship with sallie mae. However if a student gets a loan from there bank or another lender to cover college tuition isn't it just dumb to think aiuonline would say" sorry we can't take all this money now from bankone" or whatever lender you us. That my friends is against the law and would have many associates of aiuonlione in jail if this pratice was true. To all students looking to go to aiuonline just remember school is work and this college is no scam. It seems as though the only scam going are the former associates who had a hard time going to work everday and are probably the same associates who gave all these problems to some aiuonline students. So folks consider the source these people who gave negative posts about aiuonline sold education and had no problem doing so because they accepted the job and knew it was a sales enviroment. To me it seems as though these people need to get back to school and relearn the definition of sales Good luck and do your research Scott - Lombard, Illinois Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee Not a scam AIU Online is not a scam. As an employee of AIU,I Like some of the previous posts had stated, this is a sales enviroment,and some of those scripting bad posts are probably disgruntled ex-employees who probably shouldnt have been there in the first place.Im very good at what I do and I love my job. College is not cheap, shop around youll see. Ewr - Anywhere, Massachusetts Rebuttal Consumer Comment Let's get honest.........now!!! I can tollerate the high pressure sales tactics. You are right. Sales are involved whenever there is a service available. AIU is offering a service and a comodity.........a degree. I can accept the price........if you are advised up front and discuss worst case senarios. Requirements can change if you do not have a signed contract with your academic advisor. That happens in any college setting. Student be ware. Get a contract. What is non negotiable is the blatant lies and bait & switch tactics that I might have fallen for. My admissions advisor actually told me not to worry about what the financial aid people said, that grants were on the way. "Just start your classes and the money will catch up with you." I am NOT the only one who has been told that sort of thing. Once in the classroom, you guys have us. Prospective students need to do their homework regardless of where they attend. AIU makes it very easy for the unsophisticated student to make a huge financial error and walk away without a degree. FYI, the books I was sent AFTER I was officially withdrawn were all terribly outdated. The newest one was 15 years old. These were not for general ed. requirements. Hello????? Susan - Brownsville, Kentucky Rebuttal Consumer Comment Student: Thumbs Up for AIU Hello all, I have nearly completeed my Bachelor's in Business Administration with AIU Online. I saw this and felt an obligation to respond. There are a variety of people in this world who respond differently to different stimuli. What some of us would call "normal", others would have a problem with. I point this out because I want anyone reading this to have an open mind about each of the postings you have read here today. I started looking for a vehicle to my college degree back in 2003. My Father had gone back to school and just finished his AA at AIU and recommended it. Still, I wanted to be sure about my choice so I looked around. I checked out Capella, University of Phoenix, Baker, and one or two others who I do not recall. I was attracted to AIU for these reasons; I was also very concerned about "Diploma Mills" and other scams that might cheapen the perceived value of my "online" degree. I did not want a negative association with my degree because of the price and work involved. I decided that the cost gave me an equivalent value in return. If I was to attend a private university for the full four years, I could expect to pay at least the same and maybe more. Here was an opportunity to continue my current work schedule and go to school full time. So I started with my Associates with the full intention of going on to my Masters. Well, it is very fast, but make no mistake: this is not an easy school. I have put in some ungodly hours ensuring that I retain top marks. At the Associates level, you can expect to make a lot of mistakes with APA style if you are unfamiliar with it. You will also see a lot of individuals who have very poor writing ability. The classes at the Associates level are hard, but not terribly so. More than anything, it is time-consuming because you are tested through your ability to apply course concepts in writing scenarios. At the Bachelor level, you are expected to turn the heat up. There is far less tolerance for writing errors and the concepts covered in the text are much more complex. Statistics was a true nightmare. I slaved in that class to get an 'A'. I mean SLAVED. That was the hardest class I have ever taken. But I am the type of person who won't settle for the minimum. I see some low-aimers, but they are graded accordingly. And just like any school, you have a variety of professors who all grade differently. Some are easy and some are brutal. Anyway, after two years of very hard work, I am stopping. If I continue towards the Masters right now, I will have a stroke! But what do you expect? I have crammed four years of accreditted college work into two years! That is no easy task! In my opinion, the quality of education is good. Not "great" like Harvard or Duke, but it is a solid education. I am amazed at the things I have learned throughout the program. For example: How to reorganize the manpower resources in a company based on tasks, job design, team leadership, and divisional functions. I took a huge mining company and turned it into a flat organization based on self directed work teams with skill-set certifications! I can now make a major capital investment decision (in the millions of dollars) because I can calculate the Net Present Value (NPV-Capital value adjusted for required return on investment and time-loss of money)of that investment based on budget forecasting! I can analyze two businesses and decide which one is at risk, which one is solvent, which one can pay variable debt, and use all of that information to decide which business to buy. (And by the way, common sense and basic math will not help you figure that one out!) I now know how to create an integrated marketing plan by using distribution channels and relevant intermediaries, unique value propositions, strategic planning, and product positioning. I have a solid understanding of human resources management, financial management, marketing management, and much much more. So, from this student, I hope that you will be objective and do your research on each of these schools. I hope that you find one that suits you. AIU is a for-profit private educational institution. This is not unusual. Yes, they have a sales team. Yes, that sales team has a script. But this school also has a lot of flunkies. Students who tried and failed. Why? Too hard, too fast, too challenging, not enough free time, it's anyone's guess! I have enjoyed my experience with AIU and felt that the education was a solid value. The format is not for everyone and this is a very fast-paced University. That can be good or bad, depending on you. I hope you have found my response useful. James - Hem, California Rebuttal Consumer Comment AIU Won't Stop Calling Ever... These people just won't stop calling. I had talked to an advisor named Matt Stewart on Monday Aug. 29th 2005 and this boring conversation lasted over 20 minutes with Matt Stewart repeating himself not once but several times. He wanted to know about my family and my background. Some information was personal, such as, who makes the educational financial decisons and where do I specificially live? This is totally inapproiate and unacceptable. Matt Stewart wanted to set-up an appointment to call me the next day. I told him I would be in Vancouver, British Columbia and taking off at 7am Tuesday (7/30/05) where I am now and that Tuesday would be impossible. He then asked me if he could call me in Vancouver on Tuesday. I said I don't know the phone number in Vancouver and he said ok. Then he started talking about their educational program and the information he would be sending me. After that he said why don't I call you at 11am tomorrow. I said HELLO, I am out of town tomorrow and I won't be in the calling area. He then asked me if he could have a number for Vancouver. Again I said no there is no number you call me at. Remember I have not recieved any extra information either by e-mail or my regular mail yet. I told him I had to go somewhere and he continued to talk for the next 5 minutes repeating himself about the information he is sending me through regular mail. This guy was dumber than a snail. They have tried to call me several times already since Monday and I am totally turned off from this school. If this school died, I would care less. Michael - Elk Grove Village, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment Respone to Kayla Kayla, First of all if you knew anything about higher education and recruiting students you would know recruitment is 95% sales and marketing. I am employed by Texas A&M University and from the first moment a prospective student contacts us we keep ties to that student whether it be by phone, fax, email, or snail mail. We do not "cold call" we simply keep the communication going. Also, I am a graduate of AIU and worked my ass off to get my degree - I didn't simply order a diploma. Statistics show online learning will soon surpass traditional forms of education, as most major universities are currently offering strictly online course for certain majors. Liz - Commerce, Texas Rebuttal Consumer Comment Online education is NEVER easy For those who think an Online Education is easy, you have another thing coming. I currently take online courses through DeVry....it is very difficult and time consuming. Of course online courses are hard.....you have to be self-disciplined in order to take them! You don't have a classroom setting, you don't have a set time to be there. Why should an Online education be simple? Do you think that just because you do it on the internet it should be a piece of cake???? Give me a break. You'd be an IDIOT to even think that! AIU is regionally accredited just like the top schools in the country...Duke, Florida State, Stanford...it's the highest accreditation a University can get. The job of ANY admissions advisor is to get you enrolled in school. If an advisor does NOT try to get you enrolled in school, they are a bad advisor. Plain and simple. If you don't want to be contacted, don't ask for information. If someone contacts you and you don't want to hear from them again, there is something called a DO NOT CALL LIST. Use it!!!! They WILL put you on that list. Yes they will call you at all hours, all days. Number 1, because most students are working people, who work ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, they don't know when is a good time for you!!! Number 2, they actually DO care about you. If they didn't, they wouldn't enroll you in school. AIU DOES deny acceptance! When you get a recommendation, is is only on your desire, motivation, and intent. It is NOT based on grades. That is all determined when your Application package has been received. They are a school that is looking to help those who maybe weren't so good in school, and have been away for a long time. They do not operate the same as a traditional school where grades, extra-curriculars, and ACT scores are the most important. They only want students who are motivated enough to finish their degrees. If you don't have an intent of enrolling in school, and finishing your degree in a short amount of time, then don't request information. You are wasting the time of the advisor calling you! A - Round Lake, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Suggestion Not a Rip-Off Former Graduate with a Masters Degree I graduated over a year ago with a Masters in Education. I can say that my admissions counselor was 100% professional when I applied and I was in contact with her through the day I graduated, and even called her after I graduated to thank her for all of her help. This is a real school with real professors and real books. All of my professors had a PhD and more experience that you could shake a stick at. My program was 48 credits in 10 months. it was the most intensive studying that I have ever done. I whole heartedly recommend AIU online. It was a great experience. Allen - Maitland, Florida Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds EX- employee You all have a valid point. Good luck! Lee - Villa Park, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE Employee ..inside information Tips To Look For I have been reading all the responses so far and I am shocked to say the least! I am willing to clear some of the smoke in the air. The first is to say that in everything there is some good and some bad! I am noticing a repeated pattern of what appears to be disgruntal employees here with negative to say. AIU Online does provide many people with a chance they would never get from most other Universities! It's is Accreditated by SACS. The $50 app fee is required and quite frankly at lots of others schools is more than that! I am not trying to endorse them either because they do have rather aggressive sales tactics! I was not sold on the college I graduated from and don't feel the need to be. I knew what I was signing up for, I did my own research. I contacted past professors from the Community College I attended before I chose a school to attend. Now that's me and plenty of others who work at AIU Online did the same thing! The downside to AIU Online is that with such an aggressive sales environment they let lots of things slip through the cracks. There is a blantant discrimination issue there. I read a post about an ex-advisor who used to work there who was getting paid $45K without a degree. I have yet to hit that salary range without overtime. The shame in that is why would someone without a college degree get paid more to work in education than someone with a degree. Some of it makes no sense at all; the rhyme or reason is just not there. Promotions are few and far between there also. There are very few minorities that get promoted as quickly as their non-minority counterparts! Believe me it's true! While for some this is a great salary AIU Online hires some so quickly that when the background checks come back they have to terminate those employees. Lot's of issues have been printed in the papers regarding AIU Online's Boiler Room tactics. FYI: The sales environment there is exactly like the movie Boiler Room and that should let you know exactly what type of company this place is. AIU Online is the thinking outside the box at it's finest!!! I WILL POINT OUT KEY THINGS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH THIS SCHOOL AND DO YOUR RESEARCH AND YOU WILL SEE. Go to Yahoo Finance and Look up CECO (Note: AIU Online is owned by Career Education Corp). Well a couple of years back the head of CEC schools was John "Jack" Larson! Nick Fluge was also another key player! Neither of the two head the schools the alledge story is they went on to head up other schools under CEC (yeah probably) after they were cited for insider trading. The SEC was investigating their activity (meaning they were selling stock at an alarming rate too much so that the SEC was notified and had to investigate). Checking into that would be a start for anyone not sure of where to get their research started at. They are a company that operates in the education business. They were doing what Enron executives had done and gotten in trouble for. So they had to replace the CEO and key officers. Now the one thing they don't tell the general public and this would have taken a GREAT DEAL of research is that they just got off of "WARNING" with SACS! Because of padding the numbers and falsifying enrollment numbers they were on a WARNING! Not much was explained but it was serious. Employees were coached on what to say and what not to say. The KICKER is when SACS came in to inspect the various facilities well all "SALES" material was torn from each sales reps cube! The REASON is because in education you are not supposed to operate as sales organization. The verbage in scripts has been changed to reflect more of an admissions department and less of a "DYNAMIC SALES ORGANIZATION" (this used to be in the mission statement for admissions). Now what does that spell out... Well the first thing is AIU Online operates as a sales organization not in an educational advisory capacity. Which should not be taking place! SACS (their accrediting organization) gives them ample warning that they will be on thier schools premises. Also the one thing or main reason Accrediation is SO DEARLY IMPORTANT to this school and many others is MONEY? With education this is how it works for the school (company in this case). When you go to school and you complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid all the money you get (at AIU Online at least) goes directly to the school. So if you get $4,000 for a Pell Grant that goes to the school! If you take out the $10,500 in Federal Loans (where the interest is low) that goes directly to the school. The money you take from Sallie Mae (considering you get approved) goe you guessed it to the school and you will still have to redo some of your financial aid (which means taking out more loans) to fininsh financing later on in the program (everything is not covered right away). The bottom line is the school gets paid right away because you (the student) borrowed the money! You end up having to pay it back with interest! Think about how many companies (non-school related) would love to get paid by a lender that never runs out of money (the government in this case). Well the revenue would be flooding in!!! And that's the beauty of being a company (AIU Online) that operates in the educational industry. They get their money up front and on time! Oh and as an admissions advisor if you retain a total of let's say 5 students (if your career is short lived there) on average tutition is about $25,000 per student. Well you just made the company $125,000 and that more than pays the $38,000-$48,000 they decide to pay you! If you didn't convert a lead (meaning they didn't enroll or left school before the 1st week is over) then well after you are gone someone will call them off of a cancels list and get a shot at it down the road. And no they do not have very many criteria on being accepted. It's still the standard application (however now SACS is requiring better essays) and the $50 application fee and guess what you will be a college student! The question is will you know it or not? I hope this was helpful to those who aren't sure why this is considered a scam. Oh and make sure to watch The Boiler Room if you have never seen it, it is a very good movie! And you will have a better idea of how the admissions department runs. Notso - Yorktown, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE Employee ..inside information This place is a joke Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments. They have these stupid ass things called "Rah Rahs" every damn day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of fucking care bears, it makes me want to shit myself. It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. Good day, and suck my balls. Bill - Vernon Hills, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE Employee ..inside information This place is a joke Everyone that works at AIU Online, in admissions atleast, hates it. Even the "DOAs". But they all have to pretend like they like it. Everyone has to pretend to be upbeat and happy, and focused on "changing lives of students" i.e.getting enrollments. They have these stupid things called "Rah Rahs" every day for 15 minutes to go over sales numbers and basically blow each other. Everyone has to clap and be happy and cheery like a bunch of care bears, it's a complete joke. It's funny to see the so-called outsiders post here pretending to not be affiliated with the scum bag company. For instance the poster earlier that stated they went to DeVry online, yet for some reason had all this inside information on the school that only someone that works there would know. Also why would they care so much about what someone else is saying about AIU online if they are attending a different university, and this case maybe even a legitimate university. Or the so-called students that use all this company jargon, and company speak. You know who you are, you know you hate the place, and you know it's a joke. Enjoy the $$$ while you have a job there, because that company will not be around for much longer. What a joke. I can't wait to leave, just everyone else. Bill - Vernon Hills, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment Possible Student I can't believe this even made the rip-off report in the first place. I see nothing relevant in any of these posts that anyone was ripped off at all. The only thing I see they might be accused of was maybe being a bit to aggressive, but what University doesn't go after a student's tuition. First, you made first contact of interest I really doubt they solicited you in the first place. It's hard to contact some people because of work and everydays life activities. I appreciate them contacting me, but that's me. The tuition costs are clearly stated on their AIU website, so you should not have been surprised at all how much the University costs. If you didn't take the time to actually investigate the University properly you are the one at fault. Plus, the original complaint has no evidence this should even be here on the rip-off report for any type of wrong doing. It's mostly complaining on how you were accepted and looks like you never even made it to class. It's evident you were never a student, but in the process of enrolling. Where in the process did they ever rip you off? This is a personal grudge just because you did not like the pre-written script? So, it gives you the right to try to discredit their University for quality of the Education you apparently did not even participate in? There are students that do not mind the extra confidence they give you at least to try to get a degree that you felt you could never achieve before from an accredited University. Plus, it's accelerated. 50 dollar application fee is the lowest of them all. And you can get this waived also depending on what employer you are working for and get a 5% discount on tuition. These online Universities help people such as military that are fighting for us getting an education while they are on active duty. It's a great program and it's not for everyone because it does take a bit more dedication to finish than you think. All I see are disgruntle employees and possible students complaining on the scripts and the calls when in fact you contacted them first. I see no actual wrong doing that the University has done especially being here on the rip off report. In fact you complainers are ripping off us students by trying to discredit this University and our quality of the education that we are getting just because you did not like the cost or the way they read a script. These people are in sales to get you enrolled and yes they do require all transcripts before you start. They have to go by a script for legal purposes, but these guys work hard to get you in and they are good people doing their jobs. And they do not just go by a script; I've had a admissions advisor Mike help me beyond his call of duty to get me in. He doesn't use a script each and ever time he talks to me. He talks to me like a real human being. Maybe they do care maybe they don't but I believe they do. These online Universities are very costly, but they give anyone that has a desire to get a degree get it. Without being scrutinized and having a 4.0 or just having a GED everyone deserves to go to a high quality University whether it's online or traditional. Yes, to bad it costs more, but in reality it's not it's only about two years versus 4 years, the cost evens out with most other Universities. And their credits do transfer, so I think you guys are the ones that are doing the ripping off that have these silly negative complaints. Still there is no proof this University has ripped anyone off. Universities are for profit organizations/business. So, what did this University rip you off for you to complain here? I think rip off report needs to read these initial complaints thoroughly and really investigate before they post negative comments for actual wrong doing. People are using this website now just because they may get upset over something minor that someone else would appreciate, but they feel it's so severe they should call them a rip off. It's absurd, but you have the right to your opinion. If anyone can not go to a traditional college setting AIU online is the way to go. It is very costly, but I believe it'll be worth ever penny you spend. You can get it in short period of time tiem and time is definitely more valuable than money for some. AIU is a GREAT CHOICE if you work fulltime and would like to get a higher education in a few years versus 4 to 5 years. Do not think it's an easy way to get a degree. It's more difficult to train yourself then going to class. John - Austin, Texas Rebuttal Consumer Comment About to Graduate I am currently about to graduate from AIU, and I can honestly say that the experience has been a wonderful one. I actually take offense to those who have posted and made comments regarding the intelligence of those who attend AUI. I'm sorry to say that not eveyone has the time to attend a classes full-time at a university while working full-time, serving their country as a reservist, and raising children. The fact is that AIU allows people to obtain their degree and balance a tight schedule. As for the admissions personnel and advisors, I have found that there are quite a few phone calls. However, the phone calls where not only during the admissions process, but random throughout my enrollment to see how I was doing. They requested infomation on how to improve my experience, not to sell me on a SCAM. To address the comment on the books...I have only received book that are either well written and pertain to the subject or they have been new. Colleges and universities are out to make money. That is a fact. Those who believe otherwise are fools to say the least. Bobbi - Eugene, Oregon Rebuttal Consumer Comment Ripoff or Disgruntled Student/Employee I've read the complaints. Any large university has real-life complaints that would make these pale in comparison. Large educational institutions, especially state universities, have a difficult time delivering any individual customer service to students. The student is own their own to navigate the system, with all its faults and pitfalls. State universities have state funding, who needs profit when the money tree will never die. Still yet, with all the funding state schools have, many are so large, and so corrupt many incredibly horrible things happen--lost transcripts, lost course grades, to name but two of the natural horrors of a large institution. Then there's the real-world life on a big campus: sexual abuse by faculty and staff, organized-crime run drug, gambling, prostitution, and car theft crime rings that have been operating on-campus for decades (payoffs). So, these complaints are petty. Grow up. I am a student of AIU. I have also attended two state-run universities. I'll take AIU. It's a much safer environment; way better customer service. And, it's not a magnet for organized crime. Put that in your book. --"Dances with Wolves" Patrick - Annapols, Maryland Rebuttal Consumer Comment When a company or a business gets this many compains it is always fun to know why people are complaining.... In the case of AIU all I have read is about is that they use sales people to get students. Who doesnt??? Devry, Colorado tech, university of Phoenix, and the list goes on. When a university is labeled as a for profit university , the question that cames to mind is "what woould u want it be ?" Is there a college out theere these days that is not out to make money or has education in america became free? Before AIU went online it had land campuses and it is accredited in many states...of all the people who have complained about being ripped off I have not heard one person say that the academics at AIU are not up to standard... and who says sallie mae is the only loan that is approved by AIU? I went to aiu and I did not get my loan from sallie mae. It is obvious that when employees are not doing a good job and they are let go there is nothing good that can came out of them concerning their previous employer...I have dont it so I know what I am talking about Willy - Irving, Texas Rebuttal Consumer Comment Valedictorian Willy Willy, judging by your post, it appears that AIU may be a bit lenient in it's admission standards for students. The sad part is, you probably graduated at the top of your class. So, who do you drive cab for? R - Portland, Oregon Rebuttal Consumer Comment When push cames to shove Who do I drive a cab for??? Willy - Irving, Texas Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds It's that simple huh Willy Well you have no idea what you are talking about. As far as there just being employees that don't know what they're doing and they are all to blame. Maybe you should consider the company's training and ethical standards, or in this case, the lack thereof. AIU is a horrible school built on lies. They WILL except everyone that applies to the school. They lie to the "potential" student telling the student that there will be an "acceptance committee meeting" determining whether or not the student will be accepted, however any numbnutz moron like youself will be accepted to the biggest joke of a school there is. And all this time that student will become a number for the "admissions advisor's" esp. But nothing is more important then getting that student his/her education to aiu. Bullshit, all the admission's advisor hears is, where are the enrollments, we need more enrollments, blablabla. Your theory, that aiu has just had bad luck with a few bad apples employees is bullshit. They will hire anyone, and in many cases thier top executives, who promote associates, bacheolrs, and masters degrees, only have a damn ged or hs diploma. AIU does not care about thier employees or thier students. AIU only cares about the almighty dollar. They will not be around much longer, and your degree will suck even more after that. Ask any HR manager or employment agency, very few on-line degrees carry any wieght. A degree from a "school" by the name of AIU online is laughable. And before you make an generalizations about my ability as an employee, I was hitting my sales numbers when I left, but actually have a conscience and cared about the people aiu wanted me to just push through thier doors. I know the company is crap, they treat employees and students like crap, no amount of money could ever make me reconsider working for this place again nor could I ever recommend it to someone who wants to get a quality education. Bill - Vernon Hills, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment Good Luck Willy Thanks Willy. Mom's getting up there in age and she can't drive anymore. She had told me that a very nice man who graduated from AIU had been driving here around. She felt bad for him, as he had mountains of student loans, and the best job he could get was a driving a cab. She's going to be real upset that you quit, so I think you should be the one to tell her R - Portland, Oregon Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds AIU is not a scam but Admissions Advisors are sales people I am a former employee of the Hoffman Estates, IL office of AIU-Online. Admissions Advisors (AA's)are sales people however,they are trained to do "reverse selling" where the student sells the AA on why he/she should be accepted INSTEAD OF the AA selling the bells and whistles of the school (like a car salesperson). As a university, AIU-online can not pay its sales staff commissions but internally, it is a high pressure/performance based position. FYI, AIU pays it's AA's a respectable wage; most Advisors can earn 36k-45k in the first year but the starting amounts vary depending on the AA's hire status (direct or via staffing agency). I was hired through an agency and started at 38k but was on pace to make much more with the generous Overtime available. I also have a BA and noticed that they are seeking degreed Admissions Advisors unless the person has a plethora of sales experience (which I don't). I am admittedly not a very good sales person which is why I moved on but during the time I was there, earlier this year, I did not notice any unethical practices by my coworkers. However, I will say that I would overhear, occasionally, an AA revert to conventional selling methods to "close" a prospect. To their credit, the monitors would usually approach the person to remind them of the correct proceedure. FYI, AIU-online caters to the nontraditional student; one who is older, is working, has a family, and in all likelihood has had many failed attempts to complete a degree. It is because of these reasons that the reverse selling method is used (Admissions Advisors are tasked to gauge the plausability of success based on the answers given by the potential student. As a result, more weight is given to a student's answers than his/her previous academic track record). I can personally say that I did not recommend all of the students who wanted to attend... As a final note, there's nothing wrong with AIU's for profit status. The school's tuition is on par with many other institutions and the price is disclosed prior to acceptance. Not to sound preachy, but one could say that an education is an investment in one's future and that prospective students should always examine their options closely. In short, AIU-Online is not a scam. E - Chicago, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds It is Scam and unprofessional work place It is true , education they provide might be good , not excellent but what they do to Admission Advisors is Naci Camp . Also they all pretend from Directors ( mine did not even have HS diploma ) all pumped and happy with stupid songs to like motivate you , only if u are retarded . They change people every day and fired once who don't want to kiss ass . All it is fake and it is good place for someone who worked in Collection Agencies . They dont care about students , they put poor people in bigger debt . All they care is their own profit . I get scamed by salary they offer but latter I realised I dont want to call same people 4-6 times a day , because I dont want same thing happen to me when I am at home . Un profssional , un ethical place is Zoo , for people who cant get another job . School where Advisor is fired if he/she doesn't keep with script tells for a smart people what is going on in there . I know end will come for those so called education providers and only professional institution will stay . AIU and Colorado Tech are shame of todays America . I - Schaumburg, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds I use to work for AIU Online... the bull shit that was going on was unbelievable. I am an ex-employee of AIU Online. I was not fired, I quit. I stayed there for almost 1 year and the bull shit that was going on was unbelievable. AIU Online has quotas to meet, they don't care about the student, and they only care about getting your $50. Each and every single admissions representative there has to meet a certain number of enrolled students per month and God help you if you don't. You will hear such comments as, "You want to feed your family, right?" or "If you don't get a certain amount of enrollments per week you MUST work overtime, but you will not be paid for it." Do keep in mind that the admissions representative are hourly employees, they must be paid overtime. You also have to have a certain amount of DIALS per day!! and you must have spoken to a certain amount of individuals. Reasons why people will get phone calls from AIU 20 times in one day! The only way to get promoted is by sleeping your way to the top or by sucking up to the managers and the owners of the company. Nick Fludge, Steve, Mr. Larson and others. As an admissions representative, I was given as little information about the programs as possible. When asked if I could speak with AIU Online professors we were told no! Someone here put up a script, as it is called, on what is called the First Call! There is also a script followed by everyone for the second call and a script for the third call! Yes, every single admissions representative reads the same thing! You are expected to close the deal with in the 2nd phone call and once again, God help you if you don't. We are told to find the weak points of the person looking into AIU Online, what is their motivation, and interests for going back to school and then, to use these as weapons against them. For example, someone might say that they want to go back to school because they want to provide more to their children. If the individual then backs off and says they don't want to go to AIU Online we are suppose to ask them, “I thought you cared about your children and that you wanted to give them a better life?”. The telemarketing department is divided by teams. Each team is headed by a DOA (Director of Admissions) and they have ADOAs. These teams also have a “trainers”, which forces you to follow their ridiculous script and then there are the admissions representatives. AIU Online is run more like an auto dealership show room, rather than an educational business. AIU Online has been opening up different locations around the Chicago land area, they also opened up other telemarketing centers in the West and Texas. The Texas center which was located in Dallas was shut down by the Department of Education do to accreditation problems! I was contacted by the FBI and the Department of Education because they wanted information about AIU's shady business practices. They are still under investigation from these two government bodies. Their stock has taken a hit because of this. Take it from someone that cares, AIU Online doesn't care about anyone, either their employees or students. They have a huge, huge turnover in the sales department. It is a revolving door. No one wants to stay there unless they can't move on. Please, anyone considering AIU Online heed my warning. They are fakes, they are thieves, they are corrupt salesmen. DO NOT ENROLL IN THIS SCHOOL! AND IF YOU HAVE, I FEEL BAD FOR YOU. Also, keep this in mind, online education is not looked upon very well! Ask any serious employer. it is worth spending the time going to a brick and mortar school. One last thing, I quit on moral grounds. I was not fired, but I came to the conclusion that I could not feed my wife and children by using the "blood" money that AIU was paying me with. Carlos - Skokie, Illinois Rebuttal UPDATE EX-employee responds he is completely right very well said Carlos, I agree with everthing you said. I worked there for no more than 2 months, which was 2 months too long. Also anyone considering working for AIU or their sister phoney school CTU please think otherwise, they do not give 2 craps about their employees. I turned down several employment opportunities with legitimate companies before I took a "slave" position with AIU, what a foolish mistake. GAYIU sucks balls. Bill - Vernon Hills, Illinois Rebuttal Consumer Comment Quality of Education While I appreciate complaints about their business practices and how they treat their employees, I would like to know about the quality of the education and the experience of the student. One described the institution as a Diploma Mill. To be such, the organization must be in the business of selling degrees and that there is not actual learning taking place there. There are also no standards on the quality of education at a Diploma Mill. I would ask... While sales calls may be an annoyance and internal business ethics may require addressing how staff is treated, the complaints I see listed here are more "Don't Work at AIU" and not "Don't Attend AIU" or "The college is not real." Lm - Cheyenne, Wyoming Rebuttal Consumer Suggestion A Credible Response Hello, As an avid researcher and graduate student at AIU Online--I perceive many of you need to educate yourselves of what AIU stands for and how the Department of Education views the institution. As for the faculty, I was blown away by their experiences, not just in their academic achievements, but at how they treat their students. Even on the weekends I was able to get in contact my professors to ask questions I may have been unable to ask throughout the week. As a student, all departments, including admissions, provided me with the support I needed to follow through with everything needed to begin my classes on time, without worrying about any unresolved issues (ex: financial aid, academics, etc.)Having this type of support is critical and almost unheard of. Last, for those who would like to provide some credibility in your claim--please support your claims with something more substantial. A good web site to research is: http://www.ed.gov/programs/disted/descaiu.html Dani - Portland, Oregon Rebuttal Consumer Suggestion A Credible Response Hello, As an avid researcher and graduate student at AIU Online--I perceive many of you need to educate yourselves of what AIU stands for and how the Department of Education views the institution. For the disgruntled employees--your voices carry little, if any, weight in determining the quality of education the school provides. As for the faculty, I was blown away by their experiences, not just in their academic achievements, but at how they treat their students. Even on the weekends I was able to get in contact my professors to ask questions I may have been unable to ask throughout the week. This level of communication is critical for anyone taking online courses. As a student, all departments, including admissions, provided me with the support I needed to follow through with everything needed to begin my classes on time, without worrying about any unresolved issues (ex: financial aid, academics, etc.)Having this type of support is critical and almost unheard of. Dani - Portland, Oregon Rebuttal REBUTTAL employee I do not work for a company of scammers. Look, I have been working for AIU Online for about 3 months now and I might not love my job every minute...but, who does??? And, please, tell me of a job in America where you can lack in business production and continually receive a paycheck. AIU Online is NOT a scam. It is a regionally accreditted university and the price is stated quite clearly on the website. Not only that, it is the 'total program cost' to get the degree, not by semester, quarter, or credit hour. Also, the price includes brand new books, software, and fees. The books are even delivered right to your doorstep! Honestly, people...the price is 'very good' compared to traditional schools. Also, the 'regional accreditation' means that we MUST abide by a set of standards for integrity, quality, and academic freedom. We are 'shopped' by the public who is basically paid to see if we mess up something (anything really), and report that to the "Better Business Bureau", you know who that is, don't you?? People that have worked in the resturaunt industry know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Additionally, most people that I work with are required to have a BACHELOR's DEGREE. AIU is CONSTANTLY updating the website to accomodate students' needs better. Everything that we do is clear and concise. We ALWAYS strive to look out for the needs of the student, not get 'sales' as you call it. You want to talk about a scam?? I worked for MCI back in 2001... now, THAT WAS a scam. You want to talk some more folks???? or do you see that maybe you are just crying about a bunch of nothing?? AIU IS THE HIGHEST ACCREDITTED ONLINE UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD!!! And, no one pumped that info. into me...I did my research!! Be sure that you do the same before you go shoot off your mouth about something. And for the people that applied for information about AIU and don't want it now...Why did you request it to begin with?? Are you still stuck in the same sorry-ass job, barely getting by? Still struggling from paycheck to paycheck with your same old sobb story about how your a single parent with your kids living in a dinky apartment? Trust me, you won't get anywhere crying about it. We call because we want you to have that extra money in the bank...we want you to be successful, so how 'bout it folks, who's got something to say??? Roberta - Rockford, Illinois REBUTTAL BOX |
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