Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  After being told by a school official that this school was accredited by the FL Board of Nursing, I paid $125.00 to take the entry exam. Once I passed, I gave a total of $2,000.00 for a down payment in early October 2022. I attended this school until mid-December, making 2 monthly payments of $500.00 each, giving me a total of $3,125.00 spent. During winter break, I discovered this school had lied and is not accredited, making it questionable on if I'd be able to test for my license at the end of the 1 year LPN program. None of the credits from the 2 classes I completed are able to be transferred elsewhere. Upon my request for my refund for that, among other reasons for leaving, I was told by the owner of the school that I would not be getting any kind of refund back whatsoever. I have my signed contract on file where it clearly states that any student deciding to leave, that has completed no more than 40% of the program, is due a refund. I have only completed roughly 16% of said program. I have sent several emails requesting my refund, to no avail. I have been to the office to request my refund, only to be verbally attacked by the owner (which I do have on recording). I am not currently the only student from this school who is being verbally attacked and denied any kind of financial refund from this school. I am a single mother of 2 children, and this has been indescribably detrimental to our livelihood.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2023

  ***** *******                                                                                    February
  3, 2023
  Better Business Bureau
  1600 S. Grant Street
  Longwood, FL 32750
  
  Dear Ms. ********
  In response to your email dated 2/2/2023, I would
  like to provide clarification regarding the complaint ID ********. Neither the school
  administration nor any of its employees has stated that the school is
  accredited. The school is approved by the State of Florida Board of Nursing and
  the Department of Education. The cost of the LPN program includes the $125 fee
  for the application fee and the HESI entrance exam, a deposit of $2000 and
  months payments of $500 to be paid throughout the LPN program. As an approved
  school, students are eligible to sit for their state nursing board test
  (NCLEX-PN) once they have completed their didactic and clinical hours
  successfully, paid all of their fees and passed the HESI exit exam. Although
  the LPN program is rather new to the school, we have already had two students
  successfully pass their NCLEX-PN test with other students being scheduled
  daily. In other words, there is nothing preventing a student who has completed
  these requirements from taking their state board exam.
  The student handbook that each student receives
  clearly denotes this information and the student also signs an admission form
  stating that they understand these requirements. This specific student
  completed four courses (Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology,
  Introduction to Nursing, and Fundamentals of Nursing), and is able to receive a
  record of that, however, rarely do these courses transfer to other schools as
  they are considered foundational courses and each school may prefer to have new
  admissions complete their own foundation courses for consistency of curriculum.
  A detailed record of the costs incurred by this student indicates that she is
  not eligible to receive a refund as the payment she has made covers what she
  has already received rather than any future courses or textbooks. The student
  has sent an email to the school and dropped in without making an appointment to
  discuss this issue with the administrator and has not been willing to discuss
  this in a professional or calm manner. While the tone of the discussion may
  have been firm, I assure you that it does not rise to the level of verbal abuse
  in any way.
  Please let me know if there is anything that you
  need from me to resolve this complaint.
  Respectfully,
  

   Angeline D******, Administrator
  Doxa Academy Inc.
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because a refund of $255 is unacceptable. I have attached the pay stubs where my monthly payment was $550, which was the monthly allotted payment allowed after the $2,000.00 deposit was made.  I did NOT receive all four textbooks. The only textbooks I was given were Anatomy and Physiology, and Fundamentals of Nursing, which I still have. I would understand the sum of those two textbooks and the uniform being taken out of the refund I am requesting, but that is all I received. The credits are not accepted to any nearby schools, so all the time spent has been a waste. I won't continue this "he said, she said" battle of the school claiming to be accredited upon my application, but I am an honest person, a single mother who was trying to be very careful with my limited funds, about enrolling into a school that is so new. I'm not concerned about all of the certifications that continue to be sent back in the replies from the school, it was the false accreditation claims that I am speaking of. Again, the contract I signed and have a copy of CLEARLY states that if a student does not complete over 40% of the program, a refund is due. The hours and time I put in have been calculated.  I have only completed approximately 16% of said program and the refund due to me should reflect a much larger sum than the one recently offered by DOXA administration.

  As for the reverse racism I experienced by the teacher, B*** R******, I have been called a liar by Angeline D******, the director, upon telling her and that is on recording. I did not feel comfortable speaking to anyone in the office about what happened because I knew I would not be taken seriously, nor did I feel comfortable confiding in anyone there. The exact date and time of the first and most concerning incident is documented in my files, and I have shared that with an authority who is able to investigate it and do not feel comfortable telling anyone else at this moment. During class discussions, Ms. R****** was openly voicing her dislike towards white people, on a few occasions. I was treated differently than the other students in a very obvious manner, and Ms. B*** made it known she did not like me although I was a standout student who did not ever cause issues and always helped my classmates. I was the only white person inside that classroom, and I know that if it was the other way around, people would've made a big deal about it, and I expect to be treated the same. I did not deserve to be treated that way. I understand B*** has been a teacher for a long time, but that does not mean that she would never treat someone that way. I have 2 witnesses willing to testify on my behalf as to what happened, as well as copies of the text messages I sent to my mother and sister immediately after the incident(s) occurred.  I am in discussions with appropriate authorities on this matter. I'd like to clarify that this is not a threat, but a statement on where I currently stand with the school.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2023

  Tell us Better Business Bureau
  Attn: ***** *******
  Dear Ms. *******,
  In response to our last email exchange, I wanted to
  include our licensure from the State of Florida Board of Nursing and the
  Department of Education (See attached). As stated in my earlier email, we are
  licensed by the Commission for Independent Education (CIE) and approved by
  Florida Board of Nursing; our Practical Nursing (PN) students are eligible to
  sit for their NCLEX exam. Again, I must stress that no one affiliated with the
  school has ever suggested that we are accredited by a third party, only that we
  are approved and licensed.
  In regard to the financial request by the student, the
  following is a breakdown of the cost for the practical nursing program. Tuition
  is ten thousand ($10,000) for the year, which divides to eight hundred
  thirty-three ($833) a month, four textbooks ($206.00), uniform ($40), totaling $
  2745; a difference of $255.00 from the $3000 that the student is requesting. Given
  that the student received goods and services totaling $2745.00, I am willing to
  process a refund of $255. You will also find the student agreement signed by
  the student that defines the requirements to receive a refund (See attached).
  The student has not provided any evidence of reverse
  racism. Our classrooms have a video-monitoring system and if we were provided
  with the date of the occurrence or even a date range, we could easily review
  the video to determine if an incident occurred. Without that, I must take the
  word of our instructor who has over 20 years of clinical and instructional
  experience and is without any previous complaints.
  I hope this clears up any questions and that we may
  all move on from here.
  Respectfully,
  
  Angeline D******, CEO
  Doxa Academy, Inc.why here...