University of Phoenix, waste of time? Advice please

[Brokenbad]

Ok,

So I am currently taking classes online at University of Phoenix.

It certainly was not my first choice of school.

Due to details I will leave out, I had no source of income and it was the middle of the semester for regular colleges. I enrolled to earn my GI Bill every month.

I am asking if it is a waste of time because I keep reading bad reviews about it. Aside from the reviews, I feel like it is a joke to take the classes. The classes are also really expensive.

If you were me, what would you do?

[Tarheel31]

I did the ITT Tech school of drafting and design in '98-'99

It was murder to get through and ultimately it was good for nothing more than a foot in the door.

I got in with an HVAC/Plumbing design firm while I was still enrolled there and have been in the engineering field ever since.

I never went back and got my BS, but with my experience most employers don't care.

I am now engineering dept./ plant supervisor for a custom ergonomic furniture company and get a pretty decent salary so I'd say that for me it was totally worth it.... but it's only worth what you make of it after you get your foot in the door.

[Wither]

I wouldn't do it, but that doesn't mean it is worthless.

[Jackofalltrades]

Friend of mine went through then to get her MBA and it propelled her up the corporate ladder, got a sizable raise and a significant promotion shortly there after.

[Skew]

Just watched a Frontline episode on PBS which was on this exact topic (not U of P particularly, but For-Profit Universities aggressive marketing towards GIs). Couple of facts I remember:

For-Profit Universities graduation rate: less than 30%

Non-Profit Universities (UNC, NCSU, ect.) graduation rate: close to 70%

In today's employment environment employers give more credibility to non-profit universities.

Also, recruiters have been found to be enrolling GIs with severe mental handicaps due to war injuries just to get their GI bill at Fort Bragg just last year.

The government is supposed to be warning GIs about certain for-profit schools that use unethical tactics in enrolling GIs.

At the end of this program, the conclusion I came to is:

I'm sure not all are bad, but if going that route, precede very cautiously.

[Brokenbad]

Just watched a Frontline episode on PBS which was on this exact topic (not U of P particularly, but For-Profit Universities aggressive marketing towards GIs). Couple of facts I remember:

For-Profit Universities graduation rate: less than 30%

Non-Profit Universities (UNC, NCSU, ect.) graduation rate: close to 70%

In today's employment environment employers give more credibility to non-profit universities.

Also, recruiters have been found to be enrolling GIs with severe mental handicaps due to war injuries just to get their GI bill at Fort Bragg just last year.

The government is supposed to be warning GIs about certain for-profit schools that use unethical tactics in enrolling GIs.

At the end of this program, the conclusion I came to is:

I'm sure not all are bad, but if going that route, precede very cautiously.

I noticed ads for Devry and Phoenix and Troy were EVERYWHERE when I was in the military.

I also started getting suspicious of UoP when I noticed it was an internet advertisement on some sites.

[Brokenbad]

Couldn't you just take classes through a regular college instead of one of those online only schools? I know that most colleges now offer online degrees so it shouldn't be too hard to find something legit. I know that Penn State and ASU have large online programs.

I will have to look into this.

I did not think that schools like Penn would let you start at any time. I thought it was on semester schedule. I will have to find out though.

I started Phoenix because I could start at any time regardless of semester.

[pstall]

these type of colleges have created the next bubble which is for profit education. something is better than nothing but like skew said, navigate wisely.

[Jangler]

I'm sure CWG will tell you what he thinks.

[Guest Irv]

No degree is worthless its what you make of it when you get it.

[Grammer]

University of Phoenix

Get out, now. I'm not even bullshitting you. Go to a community college

[Hotsauce]

Heres the deal...

Yes those degrees are better than nothing. However, you are better off going to a community college or a junior college, busting your butt to get good grades, then transfer your credits to a better known college or university.

I had horrible test scores and grades coming out of HS. No respectable colleges would accept me (I applied to 8). I had to goto a junior college for 1 year, where I made a 3.9 GPA, then I literally had the opportunity to go anywhere, like UNC or State...

Point is, those colleges are marketed towards lower income, less educated people. They take advatage of these people (much like "check cashing" or "title loan places"). They are for profit, and have alot of money to market being a "college". Most of these places offer a 2 year bachelors degree, express classes, etc... In other words a ton of things that sound too good to be true.

[Skew]

HotSauce's post reminded me of another fact I learned from the Frontline program. Most credits from For-profit schools do NOT transfer to non-profit schools. The program interviewed a GI who was told by the for-profit school his credits would transfer to non-profit schools. They flat out lied to him.

If this is your ultimate goal, check with the non-profit school you want to attend and ask them if they will accept their credits.

I went to Lenoir-Rhyne and then transfered to NCSU. State accepted some, but not all of my Lenoir-Rhyne credits, both non-profit schools. I knew I was going to transfer to NCSU and tried to take only classes I knew would transfer, but still missed on a couple.

Finally, from what I've seen, you truely get more education bang for your buck with non-profit schools. For-profit schools seem very expensive compared to what you get from non-profit schools.

If you were my son and it was my money, I'd send him to the community college before I'd put any of my money in a for-profit school. But that's just my opinion.

[Niner National]

UNCG has provably the best online program in the state. If you are in NC and want to do online college, you should look into them.