How University of Phoenix fleeced U.S. Military and America's taxpayers

[mojaveman]

On Friday, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer allow service members to use their funds to attend the University of Phoenix, a for-profit college owned by the Apollo Education Group.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-u-of-phoenix-fleeced-america-2015-10

[sinjefe]

Talk about deceptive advertising. I read nothing in that article that showed that the University "fleeced" taxpayers, as the title says. Aggressive marketing, yes. Stealing, no.

[Scimitar]

Phoenix and a few other for profit colleges where shown to have extraordinary low completion and employment rates, compared to the industry norm. I believe phoenix was even sued, and lost.

There are two types of business, one that adds value to make profit, and another that makes profit at the cost of value.

Phoenix systemically avoided adding value.

Just saying

[abc_123]

C'mon now, let's be fair. Phoenix added value. A degree.

The Army (to be more specific, the Officer Corps) has made a masters degree a promotion discriminator and then provided a program by which officers (and NCOs) could attain one. Online? No problem. It's great! Even though anyone with half a brain can understand that online cannot replace real human interaction in the vast majority of cases. Also, the Army never specified what degrees were acceptable; unlike when I pursued a Masters as part of a program offered by a civilian employer who SPECIFIED what degrees were acceptable (before returning to wear a uniform full-time). So, just like so many things in the Army (sadly) it is obviously a check the block thing. A masters in Music? Cool. In business? Cool. Who cares what the applicability to the Army is? Just get one.

What does a masters degree have to do with how good of a tactician/planner/OPORD writer a MAJ is? I can't figure it out.. but it must be vital... because everyone needs one now.

I have an Ivy League undergrad education. So it's not like I can't crack the books when required... Where did I get my masters, and in what? I got it in "management" and online and I got it through the easiest program that I could find in the degree that allowed me to do it the quickest with the fewest requirements. What did it teach me? Nothing. What did it do to make me a better officer? Nothing. But I did finish before the DA promotion board. Block checked.

Oh... and I didin't get my degree thru Phoenix. I found an easier/Better option.

[PRB]

Fleeced may be an inappropriate word but we bust 'posers' all of the time.
UofP used military insignia, passed out coins, and actively implied to servicemen that there was an affiliation where none existed.
Posers is posers.

They were not 'inexpensive' either.

My brothers ex wife was a 'phone salesperson' for UofP for years and making 80-90 k yearly for phone sales of courses.
She ain't now tho.

[blacksmoke]

University of Phoenix's cost per credit hour was a turn off for me. How can an online school with no campus charge top rate?

[Unique Calling]

In case anyone cares to know, I have found that one of the fastest (and cheapest) ways to acquire an under-grad is with the use of CLEP & DSST exams. These are test-for-credit opportunities, and there is a large selection of topics/courses that these exams can satisfy. I mention this only for those who see this as a check-the-block item, as I do. I go through Excelsior College (online) out of Albany, NY. This school allows far more exam credits than most others. Depending on the degree you pursue, you could literally complete a bachelor's degree with only a few actual classes. Most exams are multiple choice.

[CAARNG 68W]

Thank God this happened to be honest, serves as a determent to the plethora of online diploma mills seeking to make a sure buck from the GI Bill and TA. Those bastards are pesty too, as soon as I apply ("apply", more like immediately register), and click on "Yes" to Military Status/Veteran, the emails don't stop regarding further enrollment, i.e. getting more, if any of that sweet confidently backed up U.S. Government dollah.

I registered at one about a year ago to see if I could take an online statistics class to fulfill my State's Community College requirement, unfortunately a state school wouldn't accept it, so I never bothered finishing the application forms; but damn those school administrators were persistent!