Ashford University Founded in 1918 , the University of joint education , liberal arts , located in Clinton , Iowa . University awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees in fourteen different field of study such as accounting , business administration , environmental studies , and visual arts , and public relations and marketing. The University also offers nine degrees to obtain a bachelor in scientific disciplines ( like biology , health sciences , natural sciences ) and a bachelor's degree in Applied Science . The college also offers master's degrees in organizational management and business administration .

alves971997

Rabat . Morocco

When i attended Ashford University in 2009 it was one of the only online school's available. Class Selection The school chooses the classes for you; it was not easy to contact your adviser to change the class lineup. Each class is a five week class and I always felt rushed and what I did learn I did not retain well. Teaching Quality The teachers are not always available if at all. One of the first classes I took had an awesome teacher but aside from the first it was very difficult to get answers for questions pertaining to the course. Financial Aid A joke The year at Ashford cost close to 10,000 and I was forever checking to make sure mt financial aid was on time and the correct amount. Accreditation The are under investigation from the attorney generals office in the schools home state. I did verify this with the office of the attorney general before I withdrew from the school. I was lucky to get out when I did but after 2 years I accumulated 35,000 in school loans. I found a school here in my home state which was a online school also, this was in 2011, I have not regretted it since. And it is a third of the price at Ashford.

mmacbabies

USA

The staff at Ashford works hard to help students complete the program. There is help with applying for financial aid, designing a degree program that incorporates previous college work, and obtaining books. The work is pretty comprehensive. Class Selection There was a good selection of classes, but I would have liked to have seen more specialized in different areas. Teaching Quality Most of the instructors that I had were very good and seemed knowledgeable in their field. Some, though, I felt did not really know how to communicate information to the students to really help with their understanding of the coursework.

Chandra829

USA

This has to be the absolutely worse school that I could have ever chose to get my Associates Degree from. The professors/teacher aren't very motivated to do their jobs, as I countless times contacted them for various issues and I was lucky to hear a response back before the actual assignment was due. Some teachers were on top of grading while quite a few others a good majority would take their time grading making it impossible to get any real feedback on work that could be beneficially used towards the next assignment. Financially, they do not take the time to explain anything to you, so be sure to do your own diligence before attending this school. I owed them 150 dollars for a while and they wouldn't give me degree or allow me to graduate because of it. This is after keeping in mind I spent thousands of dollars at this school and for the degree program that I was in. They wouldn't work with me at all as far as setting up payment plan and eventually was sent to a collector where I ended up paying double the amount I owed to begin with. I finally officially graduated a few months ago, since they apparently I ended up back on their call list where they are now calling me again non stop wanting me to sign up for more classes. I think not!

LindseyKitty

USA

I just received my BA in Organizational Management from Ashford. I attended this school for the majority of my college career; although I did leave to pursue a more prestigious degree at the University of Oklahoma. Out of state tuition helped me decide that OU was not for me. My main reason for returning to Ashford was the fact that I only had to focus on one class at a time while working over 50 hours a week and raising a family. I did go to Junior College for a semester in my hometown, but found that I was not really challenged as much as I thought I should/would be. There was no option for learning beyond the associates level without moving away, and I was always unmotivated because of this. As a result, I did the best I could with what I thought had available to me and sought employment as a means for sustenance. I was able to procure well-paying employment, but desperately unfulfilled. I also knew that even more lucrative employment would remain out of reach without a degree. That being said, a degree is only a way to open the door for future employment in the best positions. We get hired based on who we are able to present ourselves as to prospective employers. Higher education helps us to portray a better image because of what we retain from said education. Others have said, and I agree, "You get what you put into it." If you have only studied enough to pass then you won't be able to dispense that knowledge when it matters, for example in a job interview. Someone on this board said, and I'm paraphrasing, that an HR representative told them they do not feel that Ashford taught them what they needed to know about business. That looks to me that they were not able to prove their knowledge in the interview. I can guarantee that HR knew that they had a degree from Ashford before the interview. They would NOT have scheduled the interview had they had the preconceived notion of Ashford's "sub-par" education. Unfortunately for the rest of us who did learn something, because Ashford is not as well respected by some as a known state school, this is the first impression that HR representative had from Ashford. My current employer has applauded my degree completion and has even offered to promote me as well as pay for an MBA. I have, however, succumbed to the reality that to have the best chances for lucrative employment is to cater to the masses and obtain a degree from a more well known institution in my area. Every one of these schools has no issue with the degree that I obtained from Ashford University. The take-away from this is people do not get hired based solely on their degree. It is up to each of us as individuals to make ourselves as marketable as we can. I would not have been able to get to the point I am at without having the option of an online education. The issue that Ashford may have is that they are not as stringent on acceptance as they should be. Hence the cause of many of their poor reviews, and their higher dropout rate. I learned a lot at Ashford. It has honestly helped in my career. I was able to put what I was learning in class into practice while enrolled. Graduating from college doesn't automatically guarantee you a good job, but learning in college does. I am proud to be an Ashford alumni, and I hope others put forth the effort that I did in ores to better themselves. P.S. I did not experience the poor communication issues that others did, and all of my professors, that dealt with these, were accommodating of any emergency. And FYI if there is an extreme emergency a student has the option of pushing a class out, up to a year, to be able to complete the work. It will affect financial aid, however. If someone has the resources to help them complete their assignments (do your work in the hospital while your mother is having surgery) then please go for a degree. It is only a burden for 4 years, and the pay off is well worth it. Accreditation Now with WASC accreditation, so yeah.

JoshuaHill

USA

This school has provided hope for me and the future of my family. I have learned a lot and Ashford keeps it interesting. The admissions counselors there did all of the work needed to get me enrolled while I oversaw it. I always wanted to attend higher education but didn't even know where or how to start. I am looking forward to finally being "qualified" for positions I have worked but was never officially hired on for because I lacked the degree. Now, I can show them that I do QUALIFY. Employers care more that one has showed the discipline needed to complete a higher education and that is something that we all need to realize. Finish it!

eliza110277

USA

I attended Ashford it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life they are a school that preys on your financial aid draining every penny they can as soon as i told them I was going to transfer to  A new school my grades went from high to failing every other school i have attended I get straight A's I am currently at a real university And have A 4.0 GPA and am paying less I hope you don't make the same mistake as me and fall into all the great crap they feed you there enrollment advisors get paid to get you signed up.they are going to make it sound glamorous and tell you what they want you to here and there English 121 is not even the equivalent of English 80 at the local community college in my town so if you go to transfer to a real college you will have to still take more classes good luck to those who do attend  Teaching Quality good luck getting help Financial Aid you do not get financial aid they charge the maximu they can Accreditation not up to par even with the community college i am at now

jeykell

Springfield, OR

Ashford University is a diploma mill. They don't care about your GPA, (unless you have an F average) and they don't require you to take any tests to get in. To go to Ashford, all you need is the money to pay for classes. And speaking of, their classes/quality of education are sub-par. If they are squeezing an entire semester into a 5-week class, how much are you really learning? Or better yet, what are you NOT learning. Their "Enrollment Advisors" are just telemarketers, most of whom are not college grads themselves, so who are THEY to advise anybody about college? They don't care about you, they only care about getting you enrolled so they can make their sales quota. IF you sign up for classes, they'll sweet-talk you and call you every day...but just for your first class. If you drop out before finishing your first class, the Enrollment Advisor doesn't get credit for the sale (and that's EXACTLY what you are to them--a sale). After all, Ashford is a for-profit institute, just like WalMart. After you finish your first class, you'll never hear from them again. And that aint the half of it. Whenever you call anybody with a question, you can never get them on the phone and they never call you back; their customer support system SUCKS!!! I HIGHLY recommend you go to your local junior college and/or public university. You will get an education of MUCH higher quality than one from a shady, 5th-rate, online school that will accept anybody with a checkbook. And you'll save a lot more money because Ashford also has the nerve to be VERY expensive. But hey, if you want a worthless degree because you just want ANY college degree from anywhere, by all means, go to Ashford. If you want a RESPECTED degree and want to actually LEARN something while in college, go somewhere else; go ANYWHERE else. Last edited on Oct 30, 2008 at 4:59PM

AshfordSucks

San Diego, CA

It is ok to have a different opinion, what works for some may not work for others. My review is not to deter anyone from attending this online school. My advice would be to do a thorough investigation. Don't just read reviews, but find out as much as possible by contacting the Department of Education, the State of Iowa Attorney General's Office, and Senator Tom Harkin (Mr. Harkin along with other Senators are speaking out about for profit schools). There is nothing wrong with people who want to make sure their finances are in order that just makes that person more aware. Also make sure that the degree is acceptable within the job industry. Just because it does not say online on the degree does not mean that the company does not know. I have not read any reviews from people who have landed a successful job, but that does not mean they aren't out there. However, I have read many reviews and as an adult, I was appalled at some of the things I read. If you have a different opinion of your experience than someone else's some of the students cannot accept it and, in my opinion are showing you what type of people you will be online with. How does the other person know how many classes the other has taken because they had a negative experience?Or, what does the other person know about the commenters situation/life? That should speak volumes. There are many traditional non-profit schools that offer online classes. I am about to graduate from a traditional university and attend their Law school next fall, but I attend in classroom. I enjoy having the interaction with other students and the professor. Here is the link to the audit that was done on the school in January 2011: www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/auditreports/fy2011/a... Again, I am not here to discourage anyone, but please do your research, and pay attention to the reviews that can't handle opinions that differ from their own. Another piece of advice, make sure you get everything in writing. FYI, I did attend Ashford for two years and let's just say I am in a happier place. However, like I stated above, what works for some may not work for others.

happy25

Chicago, IL

When my husband expressed interest in going back to school to earn his degree in Early Childhood Education I was very supportive.  Our major concern was the cost and how he would find time to do it.  I sat down and researched schools that offered online courses in the field he was interested in.  Ashford University was the one school that we kept going back to.  I filled out the form online to get more information and within 15 minutes someone had called him and was answering all of the questions that we had.  When the campus in California was closed due to the wild fires we were immediately directed to another campus and my husband was connected with one of the nicest admissions reps that I have ever met. She spent hours on the phone answer questions and after he decided that Ashford was the school that he wanted to attend, they connected him with the financial aid department and his aid went through and his classes started within a week. Each class is 5 weeks long and he is loving every minute of it.  If he ever has a question all that he has to do is call and they return his calls almost immediately.  He is building some great friendships with his classmates and is happy to working toward a degree in something that he loves.

kattididd

New Bethlehem, PA