Student sues NA FMU because credits don't transfer

I'm surprised that anyone is taken back by the tuition figure for two years. I could have easily spent that much in the first two years sending my son to any one of several private colleges here in KY. Transylvania Univeristy here in my own hometown is about 18,000 per year without room and board. There are many others.

And before we come down too hard on her for not realizing that her credits wouldn't transfer I think you need to remember that many many people don't understand this concept. I didn't really know anything about it until I started researching completing a degree, even though I already had a degree from an accredited school. It was only when I started seeing accrediting agencies attached to web sites that I began to research what those were, which brought me to this site and all the information about what they were and why they mattered. Even now when I look at websites, I sometimes have to search and search for their accreditation, even though they may be completely legitimate, they don't always display this information prominently.

If this makes anyone read what they sign more closely or makes schools display their accreditition more prominently, then all the more good.

 

You are right

And that in itself is scandalous. The cost of education in the past 30 years has far outstripped the CPI for the same period. Yes, there are some other factors which come into play outside simple inflation, but it doesn't provide any solace to the kid graduating with $30k or more of debt. Harvard charges, what, $36,000 for a year that they could almost offer for free with their endowment. An insider admitted they charge what they do because they can. When the premier schools charge this much you have a sliding scale where everybody lower down the tier charges a little less. My daughter had her heart set on a private school in Wisconsin that charged over $20k per year just for tuition. Even with the 50% scholarship she qualified for the tuition alone was $3000 more than the total cost of her year at a state school. She made the right decision and will graduate owing $0. The private school where I teach charges more than a state school but it is less than $10 a year for tuition so it can be done if the school wants to.

 

I don't know that her legal challenge will be productive because her degree is not useless. There are colleges that will accept her NA FMU degree for transfer. AIU for example will accept a degree from any accrediting agency recognized by the US DOE.

I myself ended up with a NA associates degree. When I started looking to further my education I went to the local state community college Okefenokee Tech. It's administered by the state department of technical and adult education, and so to me the accreditation wasn't even a question. However, I got a crash course in accreditation in the US when I tried to transfer into the local state university.

It was a pain, but I found a number of programs I could transfer into. All she has to do is a bit of searching and I'm sure she could arrange something.

 

sounds like she made a very uneducated guess! hardy har har!

 

Would like to dispel some of the misinformation....

the lady that is filing the lawsuit has 2+ associates degrees. This is why her FMU loan amount is so high.

FMU does participate in the Florida Statewide course numbering system

Every student signs a disclaimer about transfer of credits when they register, FMU never guarantees transfer of credits. It is always up to the receiving institution. Not because of the accreditation, many universities have 50/50 rules about how many credits they will transfer in and the credits have to be within the curriculum typically.

My personal opinion is that her federal loan amount is maxed out because she's wasted her time & money on two associates degrees, she needs to get a bachelors and now can't because her funds are maxed. To me she seems like a career student.

 

Well, I'm still surprised that she didn't check out the University of Phoenix. With all of the advertising they do it seems quite hard to miss. UofP's Tampa campus offers a BS in Criminal Justice Administration:

http://www.phoenix.edu/ZipLocations.asp?Orga=30

UofP also states that they WILL ACCEPT credits earned from NA institutions:

http://www.phoenix.edu/transfer/transfercollege.asp
and/or
http://www.phoenix.edu/articulation/

"The University of Phoenix will transfer all college-level (not remedial or developmental) courses with a grade of C- or better from regionally and nationally accredited* associate degree granting institutions. Depending on the upper division major chosen, 60 to 69 semester credits will transfer as either:

an elective,

or to satisfy University of Phoenix general education requirements,

or replace a required University of Phoenix course.

*Your school is regionally accredited if it has been accredited by any of these organizations: WASC-Jr., WASC-Sr., NCA, SACS-CC, NEASC-CIHE, NASC, MSA. Your school is nationally accredited if it has been accredited by any of these organizations: AABS, ABHES, ACCST, ACICS, AARTS, ATS, COE, DETC."

How could this woman NOT know about UofP?

 

Perhaps there is a specfic RA school she planned on transfering to that rejexted her NA credits? Otherwise, I agree with you. There are many RA schools with non-competitive enrollment that would accept her NA credits.

 

Perhaps after spending $37K on an A.A. she can't afford UofP.

 

Because she's used her title IV on two associates degrees, she probably doesn't have enough funding left to go ANYWHERE. Hence the lawsuit.

 

In the past, I would have posted a rant about how people should be responsible for their own actions.

However, given the recent actions of our non-elected judicial activists....errr....I mean....our "courts of law"...I'll just say that nothing surprises me anymore.

If a stupid person can win millions of dollars for burning themselves with hot McDonald's coffee, then I can picture this "student" winning a lawsuit.