anyone go to university of phoenix?

Curious about this school. I'm currently working in IT and with my crazy schedule, I can't go to regular school. I have a degree from a tech school currently. Should I try and go to online school here or just get certs?

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markulous

If you want to go the online route, go to WGU. You want something that is non-profit and regionally accredited, which Phoenix is not (at least not non-profit). There are some other good schools too, but WGU gives you certs as well.

jerseyIT92

I don't meet the requirements for WGU

Danielm7

How do you figure you don't meet it? You already work in IT, you have past schoolwork. What's the worst case, you have to take the A+ first?

Don't do UoPhoenix.

nelson8403

I'll second the do not go to University of Phoenix, I have friends who have gone there and it is a disaster of a school and you can see the results with their latest report of losing over half their students. It is extremely overpriced and without accreditation it is actually looked down upon when put on a resume.

If you need to go online look at WGU, Capitol College, DSU, there are many accredited and worthwhile colleges that won't charge you 18k a year for a worthless degree

NetworkNewb

If your current job is the reason you can't go to a regular school you must be making some pretty good money right now. Otherwise, why wouldn't you just find another job that allow you to go to a school? Alot of schools have morning and night classes.

And if you already making decent money, I would just say go for the certs.

successrealm

I'll third don't go to University of Phoenix. They charge waaaay too much, and I've heard horror stories about their curriculum. If you are extremely busy at work, then you will be even busier at University of Phoenix. Trust us, RUN DON'T WALK away from them...now.

WGU has been fantastic for me and everyone I know. Do something like A+, and then apply to WGU. (It seems you would already be qualified?)

jerseyIT92

Danielm7 wrote: »

How do you figure you don't meet it? You already work in IT, you have past schoolwork. What's the worst case, you have to take the A+ first?

Don't do UoPhoenix.

I'm not going to bother with an A+ cert. I have a little over 1 year of experience in IT and finished the tech school. Apparently you need either an Associates degree or 3 years of IT experience.

jerseyIT92

successrealm wrote: »

I'll third don't go to University of Phoenix. They charge waaaay too much, and I've heard horror stories about their curriculum. If you are extremely busy at work, then you will be even busier at University of Phoenix. Trust us, RUN DON'T WALK away from them...now.

WGU has been fantastic for me and everyone I know. Do something like A+, and then apply to WGU. (It seems you would already be qualified?)

Please see post above this one

jerseyIT92

NetworkNewb wrote: »

If your current job is the reason you can't go to a regular school you must be making some pretty good money right now. Otherwise, why wouldn't you just find another job that allow you to go to a school? Alot of schools have morning and night classes.

And if you already making decent money, I would just say go for the certs.

I'm making decent money. It's not an easy thing to just go find another job. I'm not going to just quit since I'm already working in IT.

the_Grinch

Do not go to UofP. At some point their were a decent school, but now I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. They charge a lot for education that you could get elsewhere for a lot less. I'd suggest looking to see if any schools in your area have an online side (most do). Work at your own pace, if you're making good money, no need to rush it.

nster

University of Phoenix has become a joke recently. Many employers will not consider it a real degree. I think I heard they are at risk of losing their license too

If you think you are "too good" for A+... WGU requires A+ as part of their degree program. Actually, any University will have General Ed classes. Are you too good for taking English classes? Geography, physics, math? Are you too good for foundation level classes?

IT isn't about doing on the parts that you like, sometimes, especially at the beginning, you will do things that you won't like, that you feel are "below" you. You better get used to that

nelson8403

Why wouldn't you bother with the A+? It's a great entry level cert, you can't predict the future, if something happens with your current job it will definitely help in the future keeping yourself in the IT field.

You could look at community college nearby your location to get an associates degree, they may have IT programs you can get a degree in and they are usually very cheap, then afterwards look at getting your bachelor somewhere else.

hurricane1091

Do you want help or what?

Go to Phoenix then and spend a $$$ instead of getting an A+ to get into WGU (which should be easy, since you're already a decently paid I.T. professional)

A+ will count as credits I believe, it's not even a waste of your time.

dou2ble

nelson8403 wrote: »

I'll second the do not go to University of Phoenix, I have friends who have gone there and it is a disaster of a school and you can see the results with their latest report of losing over half their students. It is extremely overpriced and without accreditation it is actually looked down upon when put on a resume.

If you need to go online look at WGU, Capitol College, DSU, there are many accredited and worthwhile colleges that won't charge you 18k a year for a worthless degree

UOP is regionally accredited. When reviewing resumes I always considered it the same as any online degree. I've never it was looked down upon more than other online schools. For the OP, I'm not recommending them, just saying they meet the "get the paper" requirement. Since you can't get into WGU I'd also look at National University.

jerseyIT92

nster wrote: »

University of Phoenix has become a joke recently. Many employers will not consider it a real degree. I think I heard they are at risk of losing their license too

If you think you are "too good" for A+... WGU requires A+ as part of their degree program. Actually, any University will have General Ed classes. Are you too good for taking English classes? Geography, physics, math? Are you too good for foundation level classes?

IT isn't about doing on the parts that you like, sometimes, especially at the beginning, you will do things that you won't like, that you feel are "below" you. You better get used to that

LOL woa man, taking that way out of context. The reason why I said I didn't want my A+ was because I'm not looking for an entry level position. I'm already in IT and it's just not needed where my current experience is at. It has nothing to do with being to good for something. It has to do with the fact that I'd rather focus on studying for something less that would be better....

GreaterNinja

I worked for UoP for like 6 months. They do teach you business and IT things. They teach you how to sell yourself. However, going to UoP costs more than going to some State Universities. You will get more debt going to a for profit school. WGU has most ROI vs debt ratio.

anoeljr

If you want to go to an online only school, make sure it's regionally accredited, non-profit and cheap. Minimize the amount of money you have to pay. That's one of the main reasons I went online and I saved a bunch of money (10-15k).

aspiringsoul

jerseyIT,

I have done extensive research on for-profit schools, and I support what everyone else is telling you. Do NOT go to University of Phoenix. There is far less ROI for your money, and it's less respected than its non-profit counterparts. Please see the fact sheet below, or the attached PDF detailing the investigation of UoP by the HELP committee.

University of Phoenix Fact Sheet

UNCATEGORIZED
Is this the education we want?
Many Apollo Group students leave the University of Phoenix without diplomas.

60.5% of students that enrolled with the Apollo Group in 2008-09 withdrew by mid-2010, with 66.4% of Associate degree students withdrawing within two years. In comparison, the average withdrawal rate among for-profit colleges is 54%.
For students who entered a Bachelor’s degree program in 2006 only 13% graduated by 2012 and nearly 83% had dropped out.[ii]

More than 1 in 4 students at the University of Phoenix default on their loans.

26% of Apollo Group’s students will default on their loans within three years of entering repayment.[iii]
The online program appears to be particularly harmful to students. According to Apollo Group, 75% of their undergraduate students that default on their loans attended the online program.[iv]
Apollo Group expects the lifetime default rates for Associate degree students entering repayment in 2006 to be 77.7%.[v]

Is the Apollo Group harming low-income students?

Apollo Group receives more Pell Grant dollars than any other college in the country, more than $816 million in 2013.[vi] Pell grants are need-based grants for low-income undergraduates and certain post-baccalaureate students, and intended to increase access to higher education. Studies have shown that 95.1% of Pell Grant students have a family income at or below 250% of the federal poverty line and 67.5% of Pell Grant recipients have a family income at or below 150% of the federal poverty line.[vii]
Nationally, 41% of undergraduate students received Pell Grants in 2012-13, yet 59% of University of Phoenix students received Pell Grants in 2012. When the data is examined campus by campus, the rate goes even higher: as many as 81% of undergraduate students at a University of Phoenix campus receive Pell Grants in 2012.[viii]
Alarmingly, the loan default rate among University of Phoenix’s Federal Perkins Student Loan students is a staggering 36.3%. University of Phoenix’s Federal Perkins Student Loan students owe $769,796 for loans in default for more than 240 days as of June 30, 2013.[ix]

Apollo Group is not providing the highest quality education.

The University of Phoenix’s accreditation is on Notice status by its accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Notice status is a sanction that indicates that the University is on a course of action that, if continued, could lead to the institution being out of compliance with one or more of the Criteria for Accreditation.
- Specifically, the University of Phoenix received this sanction because of practices around governance, student assessment and faculty scholarship and research for doctoral programs.[x]
- Although the University of Phoenix was only placed on notice, a comprehensive evaluation by a peer review team from the Higher Learning Commission actually recommended in February 2012 that the University of Phoenix receive a tougher penalty and have their accreditation put on probationary status.[xi]

High Costs and Misplaced Priorities
Tuition is higher at Apollo Group than at public colleges: hurting students and veterans.

For example, tuition for an Associate of Arts in Business at the University of Phoenix Online costs $24,500, but the same degree only costs $4,087 at Phoenix College in the Maricopa Community College System.[xii]
The higher tuition results in higher costs for veterans. From 2009-2013, Apollo Group received $751 million dollars from the post-9/11 GI Bill. For 2012-2-2013 the average cost per veteran attending an Apollo Group college was $6,250. In comparison, public colleges received an average of $3,914 per veteran.[xiii]

University of Phoenix collected $12,319 per student in tuition but only spent $1,655 per student on instruction in 2012.[xiv]

In 2012, John Sperling, founder and Chairman of Apollo Group, received $6.95 million in total compensation.[xv]
Sperling’s retirement package includes a $5 million bonus, two company vehicles, reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs he incurs to obtain medical and dental care coverage under the Company’s health plan and a lifetime annuity of more than $70,800 per month.[xvi]

Kicked Out of California:
University of Phoenix performance is below the California standard.

University of Phoenix is ineligible for Cal Grant, financial aid for California residents, for the 2014-15 school year.
To be eligible for Cal Grants a school’s cohort loan default rate must be below 15.5% and graduation rates must be above 30%.
- University of Phoenix’s 2010 three-year cohort default rate is 26% and its 2011 graduation rate is 19.1%[xvii]

Lawsuits and Investigations
Apollo Group is under investigation by Attorney General offices and the Department of Education in numerous states.

On March 21, 2014, University of Phoenix received a subpoena from the Mid-Atlantic Region of the OIG. The subpoena seeks the production by the University of documents and detailed information regarding certain activities conducted after January 1, 2007, including information relating to marketing, recruitment, enrollment, financial aid processing, fraud prevention, student retention, personnel training, attendance, academic grading and other matters.[xviii]
Attorneys General in Florida and Massachusetts are investigating University of Phoenix allegations, including “misrepresentations regarding financial aid” and “unfair or deceptive practices regarding recruiting, enrollment, placement, etc.[xix]
A 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation uncovered multiple instances of deceptive and misleading recruiting by University of Phoenix staff. Undercover agents were told inaccurate prices for tuition and were not given answers about job placement rates.[xx]

Apollo Group has been the subject of numerous federal investigations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigated the Apollo Group in 2012 and in 2009 but did not take any enforcement action.[xxi]
The federal Internal Revenue Service is auditing Apollo’s tax returns from 2006 through 2010. Apollo previously settled with the IRS over an audit of taxes from 2003-05. Apollo paid $27.3 million in this settlement.
- Apollo Group was audited by the Arizona Department of Revenue in FY 2010 for fiscal years 2003 through 2009. Apollo paid $57.9 million in this settlement. [xxii]

Apollo Group is being sued by former employees.

In 2003, Apollo Group was sued by two former employees for violating incentive compensation rules. The case was settled in 2009 for $78.5 million. In 2004, the Department of Education alleged that Apollo Group violated incentive compensation rules; the suit was settled for $9.8 million.[xxiii]
In May 2011, a qui tam lawsuit was filed in California alleging various inappropriate actions by recruitment officials leading to infractions of the False Claims Act; the case is still pending and a trial is scheduled for January 2015.[xxiv]
In January 2010, a wage and hour lawsuit was filed in California and certified as a class covering 1,500 employees. The case was settled in August 2011.[xxv]

Apollo Group is being sued by its own shareholders.

In 2008, a jury found in favor of the plaintiff in a securities class action by the Policeman’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago, which alleged that Apollo Group made misleading statements by failing to disclose a Department of Education program review report. In 2012, Apollo Group entered into a settlement agreement of $145 million.[xxvi]
In 2012, a securities class action lawsuit was filed by Douglas Gaer alleging that Apollo Group made false and misleading statements about its business practices and prospects for growth. Two related lawsuits were also filed with an overlapping class period of 2007-2010; the three suits were merged and the lead plaintiffs are the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund, the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, and Amalgamated Bank. The case was dismissed in Apollo’s favor in June 2012 but the plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal in July 2012, and the appeal is currently pending. [xxvii]
On November 2, 2006, the Teamsters Local 617 Pensions and Welfare Funds filed a class action complaint purporting to represent a class of shareholders who purchased stock between November 28, 2001 and October 18, 2006. In 2014, Apollo settled with the plaintiffs and the settlement is pending approval from the district court.[xxviii]
On April 24, 2014, a securities class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona by Nader Saleh against the Apollo Group. The complaint alleges (i) Apollo manipulated federal student loan and grant programs to appear to be in compliance with federal regulations; (ii) Apollo’s predatory and deceptive recruiting and enrollment practices violated federal regulations; and (iii) Apollo engaged in a number of practices, including loan forbearance programs, to create the appearance that it was in compliance with federal regulations. The complaint further contends that the truth emerged regarding these statements when Apollo announced on April 1, 2014 it had received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Education.[xxix]

Apollo Group is facing lawsuits about its business practices.

In November 2010, K.K. Modi Investment and Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. filed a suit in India to enjoin Apollo Group from investing in the education industry in the Indian market in breach of an alleged noncompete agreement.[xxx]

Apollo Group is being investigated by Chile.

Apollo Group institutional accreditation for its university in Chile was not renewed in Chile in 2011. Further, in 2012 a prosecutor’s office in Santiago, Chile requested documents between a former employee and consultant who served as a member of the accreditation commission until March 2012. The prosecutor’s office has also requested documents about its business structure and operation and relationship with other Apollo entities.[xxxi]

Source: http://forprofitu.org/2014/08/university-of-phoenix-fact-sheet/

Apollo.pdf

aspiringsoul

I would recommend that you consider WGU or one of the other non-profits on this list Online Bachelors Degree Computer Science | Affordable Online Degrees | Best Online Colleges | Best Online Universities | GetEducated.com

Please, for your own good, STAY AWAY from FOR-PROFIT universities. You will spend far more money, and usually get less out of your experience than from a non-profit.

Keep in mind that to qualify for WGU, you don't NEED the A+ certification, merely any IT certification will likely qualify you. Just pick one on this list that is relevant to your interests. Keep in mind that most of the programs require the A+, so you may well have to take the exams at some point if you enroll in a program at WGU.

Transferable IT Certifications | WGU Online IT Certification

nster

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

LOL woa man, taking that way out of context. The reason why I said I didn't want my A+ was because I'm not looking for an entry level position. I'm already in IT and it's just not needed where my current experience is at. It has nothing to do with being to good for something. It has to do with the fact that I'd rather focus on studying for something less that would be better....

Oh well, A+ was just an example, getting a CCNA, MCSA, Security+ or whatever else that is in their program would be even better

markulous

aspiringsoul wrote: »

I would recommend that you consider WGU or one of the other non-profits on this list Online Bachelors Degree Computer Science | Affordable Online Degrees | Best Online Colleges | Best Online Universities | GetEducated.com

Please, for your own good, STAY AWAY from FOR-PROFIT universities. You will spend far more money, and usually get less out of your experience than from a non-profit.

Keep in mind that to qualify for WGU, you don't NEED the A+ certification, merely any IT certification will likely qualify you. Just pick one on this list that is relevant to your interests. Keep in mind that most of the programs require the A+, so you may well have to take the exams at some point if you enroll in a program at WGU.

Transferable IT Certifications | WGU Online IT Certification

This 100%.

Just get a cert and transfer in with that. It's what a lot of people do and it'll likely be a cert they'll make you take anyway. If they still take the MTA cert, just get that. It's cheap and easy. You don't have to list it on your resume if you don't want to.

successrealm

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

LOL woa man, taking that way out of context. The reason why I said I didn't want my A+ was because I'm not looking for an entry level position. I'm already in IT and it's just not needed where my current experience is at. It has nothing to do with being to good for something. It has to do with the fact that I'd rather focus on studying for something less that would be better....

We are not suggesting you do the A+ to get into an entry level position...we are suggesting you do A+ so that you can get into WGU.

Or, like aspringsoul said in post #20, (and others have mentioned now) check the list of what WGU accepts and do that.
(I see in the last two months you have gone back and forth between getting a Sec+ cert, the MCSA cert, the CCNA cert, the CCENT cert...)

---->Standby for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
I honestly think that if you are this confusing in your life, then I can again say University of Phoenix is NOT going to help you. Pick something, stick to it, and MOVE FORWARD.

What exactly, do you want to accomplish? We are here to help.

JamesKurtovich

Not only is Phoenix expensive, but it's considered a joke by many.

Before I did five minutes of research on the school, I filled out a form on the website and proceeded to get hounded by their telemarketers/"counselors" for a couple weeks and it completely turned me off.

JamesKurtovich

hurricane1091 wrote: »

A+ will count as credits I believe, it's not even a waste of your time.

6 CUs.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Wow.... You are actually considering UoP? Sure, they have those cool commercials with those dudes wearing goofy Red Socks, getting that awesome job because of it. But, in the real world most who see UoP on a resume it will usually get round filed and not considered no matter how good they may be. There is a huge negative stigma with that school, and it's well deserved. It costs a fortune and the return on investment is horrible. WGU is a better choice, and even better would be to look at your local CC to pick up your AA, then find a good 4 year school to finish that BS degree. Now, we all know the benefits of having an online school, as you can set your own hours and time to work on school and "attend" classes. Many schools now have online programs that will fit your need. Find a good non-profit school, go there, get your degree. And to think that the A+ is beneath you, it might be, but you are still new to IT and honestly anything you can do will improve your future chances and job opportunities. Find a nice Desktop job you want next year, but it asks for the A+? Guess what, the HR drones will key on that part and usually ignore the rest because you don't have that cert.

I'm not a fan of the A+ for someone with experience (more than 3 years) as it is stuff that I would expect a new hire to understand and for the most part know. It's an entry level cert, but one that does have a place. I got mine back in 2009 and it did help me get jobs because of those HR folks who key on those things. At that point I had over 3 years of experience, but it was a tool that I used to make me look better on paper and to check a box for HR.

aspiringsoul

For Profit Higher Education: The Failure to Safeguardthe Federal Investment and Ensure Student Success

http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/for_profit_report/Contents.pdf

successrealm

LordSevink wrote: »

6 CUs.

Better yet, it's actually 8 credits. Counts as 4 for IT Fundamentals II, and 4 for IT Fundamentals III.

Just did the A+ at WGU about a month ago, and knocked those out. Woot!

BradleyHU

i wouldn't suggest Univ of Phoenix either...but i'm not gonna be like the others and suggest WGU also. There are plenty of online programs @ state schools. Try and look into those as well, especially for a school in your state.

mstd0n

Ditto not for profit schools!

Like WGU there are certain schools that are very friendly for testing out of degree requirements. There are even a few regionally accredited schools that have no residency requirement, so you could complete a bunch of tests/exams and transfer almost everything in. Along with WGU I would recommend looking into Charter Oak State College, Thomas Edison State College, and Excelsior College.

Definitely check out the school sub-forum here and check out some other forums online that are dedicated to helping people complete degrees fast, cheap, and online (I would link a couple, but not sure how Kosher it is to link to other forums).

N2IT

Don't have a dog in this fight. However I thought I would tell a short story

My friend went to the Air Force ~ 10 years ago and after his 4 years he used his GI Bill to get a MIS from UofP. He went to the help desk after he got out but advanced pretty quickly into other system roles. It didn't seem to slow his progress. He was unusually good at IT though so.......

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