Looking for some information on a college...does anyone know anything

[madmom]

about Ashford University in Clinton Iowa? Daughter was thinking about doing some on-line classes with them, but some of the things in their Wiki link has us wondering. Any info would be most helpful. Thanks in advance.

[rurallib]

1. Having lived in Iowa for a long damn time

I had never heard of it until about a week ago when I was looking at a map of Clinton to find some info.
Considering that I am a real Iowa pusher and I had never ever heard of this made me think things were a bit hinky also.
So while I can't help you, I surely understand your hesitency.

[liberal N proud]

2. Don't know if this will help:

http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/ashford-university

If something feels off, be very weary. Just my opinion.

[virgogal]

3. Wiki link attached---some questionable things mentioned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashford_University

[white_wolf]

6. Just some advice.

I've always heard for profit schools are very risky. They charge a lot more, and I've heard the education isn't better or even as good as a good state school. Just be careful and good luck.

[alfredo]

4. Consumer Affairs

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/education/ashford.html

[zazen]

5. avoid the for-profits--lots of better online options out there

I don't know your particular circumstances. If she's still in high school, there are lots of college options as well.

Ashford is for-profit, and they're sneaky about not telling you on their front page (but why would they).

Don't feed the beast.

[white_wolf]

7. This does raise a question.

Are mainstream private schools like Duke, Harvard, and other Ivy league schools for profit? I know their not state run, but I'm just curious how they operate. Oh, and I know Duke isn't Ivy League, it is just one of the bigger private schools I've heard of.

[virgogal]

9. They are non-profit and don't pay taxes.

[zazen]

15. delete n/t

[WillyT]

8. I Went To A College... And No, I Don't Know Anything...

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[exboyfil]

10. I don't know what she wants to major in

but all three state universities in Iowa have online options available that are priced close to the on campus cost. Also the community colleges also have online options. A resource would be Iowa Learning Online (http://www.iowalearningonline.org/cc_classes.cfm). Northern Iowa's website as follows: http://www.uni.edu/continuinged/programs/. A single 3 hour course at UNI (such as Financial Accounting) is about $650 for example. A community college course is about $400.

In general I think that public school options offer all potential courses that can be meaningfully taught online. If you take these courses, then you can be assured of some level of reciprocity to any university. I have taken a significant number of online engineering courses, and I have been the instruction of them to be strong. My younger daughter has done middle and high school courses online as well, and has gotten a pretty education from them.

[Bozita]

11. If not familiar with for-profit colleges, you need to see Sen. Tom Harkin's findings ...

http://harkin.senate.gov/press/release.cfm?i=328051

Senator Harkin > Press > Releases

September 30, 2010

New Harkin Report: For-Profit Colleges Offer High Debt, Few Diplomas
Despite High Rates of Student Failure, Companies Rake In Record Profits from Taxpayer Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) reveals that more than half of students at many for-profit colleges will drop out within the first two years, most likely with significant loan debt. The companies themselves, however, are raking in record profits largely comprised of taxpayer dollars. The report concludes that under current law, for-profit schools can be extremely profitable while failing a majority of its students.

“The farther we take this investigation, the clearer it becomes that many for-profit colleges view students as no more than cogs in the profit-making machine, with little concern for their education or success,” said Harkin. “As many students face a lifetime of debt with no diploma, these schools are enjoying profit margins that place them among the most successful companies in America – profits derived from taxpayer dollars intended to serve as an investment in American students.”

Harkin released his findings at today’s HELP Committee hearing to examine federal investments in for-profit colleges, the third hearing Harkin has convened this year investigating the for-profits. The report, entitled “The Return on Federal Investment in For-Profit Education: Debt Without a Diploma” reveals that:

Students at for-profit colleges leave without a diploma at an alarming rate:
• Out of 16 for-profit schools analyzed, 57% (546,749) of the students who entered school between July ‘08 and June ‘09 have already left the schools. In total these schools have lost 1.9 million students in the past three years.

The vast majority of students at for-profits are left with significant loan debt:
• More than 95% of students at two-year for-profit schools and 93% at four-year for-profit schools took out student loans in 2007.
• Only 16.6% of students attending community colleges took out loans during the same time period. At four-year public schools the borrowing rate was 44.3%, still half the rate of four-year for-profit colleges.

For-profit schools mask high withdrawal rates by aggressively recruiting and enrolling new students:
• In 2008-09, one school started the year with an enrollment of 71,246 and ended the year with an enrollment of 89,479. However, the school added 120,638 new students over the course of that year. Recruiters had to enroll 120,000 new students to increase enrollment by 18,000 for the following year.

Despite these dismal student success rates, for-profit institutions are raking in record profits:
• For the 16 companies analyzed, profits in 2009 totaled $2.7 billion. Between FY2009 and 2010, one company more than doubled its profits from $119 million to $241 million, while a second went from $235 million to $411 million.

These “profits” are largely made up of the taxpayer dollars intended to support student success:
• Across 14 schools, federal dollars total 87 percent of 2009 revenues and ranged from 93 percent of revenues to 85 percent of revenues.

In June, Chairman Harkin released his first report on the for-profit industry, entitled “Emerging Risk?: An Overview of Growth, Spending, Student Debt and Unanswered Questions in For-Profit Higher Education.” After convening two hearings, Harkin issued a document request to 30 for-profit education companies to better understand the range of practices across the for-profit spectrum. The Committee has received cooperation from all 30 companies that received document requests. Today’s report is based on an analysis of information provided by the 8 largest publicly traded and the 8 largest privately held for-profit education companies that offer certificate, associates or bachelors programs.

To read the full report, click here.

[LiberalAndProud]

12. I think Bridgepoint Education, Inc. looks kinda shady.

http://shareholdersfoundation.com/caseinvestigation/bridgepoint-education-inc-former-student-investigation

Bridgepoint Education, Inc. provider of postsecondary education services. It operates through its Ashford University and University of the Rockies. Bridgepoint Education faces an investigation on behalf of current long term investors concerning breaches of fiduciary duty in connection with the findings in the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) report titled “Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud and Engaged in Deceptive and Questionable Marketing Practices”.

On August 4, 2010, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee conducted a hearing on for-profit education firms, where Government Accountability Office representative, George Kutz, presented the findings of report GAO-10-948T, "For-Profit Colleges: Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud in Deceptive and Questionable Marketing Practices." The report detailed undercover investigations into 15 for-profit schools that uncovered misconduct by school staff. According to this GAO study, the college personnel at schools owned by Education Management Corp. may have encouraged applicants to falsify their financial aid forms to qualify for federal aid and pressured applicants to sign a contract for enrollment prior to allowing them to speak to a financial advisor.

According to the investigation by a law firm former and current students of Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE:BPI), including Ashford University and University of the Rockies, may have material information concerning those allegations and may be eligible to file a complaint for allegedly misleading students.


Once a liar, always a liar, or so I've heard.

[madmom]

13. Thanks everyone, I think she's decided to pass on this particular school.

[exboyfil]

14. Another suggestion is to look at the

subject accreditation of the school. For example AACSB for business. Asford is not on this list, but most reputable universities are. They do have

A bigger question would be to really dig into the placement rates at the college for your major. At the end of the day your tuition dollars need to translate into better career prospects.