Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/24/2024

  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.

  This school scammed me, I was nearing the end of my term and needed approval to retake an exam. I needed approval from an alleged instructor who I had never even spoken to. When I asked for approval I was denied, seeing that I had no way of moving forward I decided to withdraw instead of wasting more time. I'd like a full refund from all the terms I paid for. This is a ************.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2024

  This issue has already been investigated internally. *** requires that students demonstrate proficiency to an instructor before being approved to retake an exam that they have already failed. If a student refuses to do that, they are not approved to retake their exam. *** followed all of its policies concerning this complainant. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22600337
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did in fact show the instructor I was prepared for the retake, i was scoring 100% on the practice exam prior to contacting the instructor. I was wrongfully discriminated against and believe I deserve a refund. The initial exam i only failed by one question then I spent 3 months studying for a retake for the instructor to deny the retake.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2024

   The complainants rejection is factually incorrect. *** followed all of its policies concerning this complainant. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents ** from providing additional details in this public forum.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/15/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I've blocked and requested them to not contact me but they keep spam calling me.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2024

   *** apologizes to this individual. This appears to have been an oversight. Their account is now flagged for no contact.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Mentor supported me in taking term break for *** and student teaching alignment. However this mentor didn't have proper information. She caused me to miss out on proper student teaching window application time. She also neglected to mention the placement advisor could take up to 45 days to place me, stating it would be a couple of weeks. I have been checking in my portal for things that needed completion but was informed of the need for insurance renewal on Nov 4. When she promised to connect with me ASAP on November 1st if there were any issues. The application for student teaching is only allowed from Nov 1-7 Mentor also neglected to mention this. She also missed the appointment I scheduled with her the previous Wednesday. I filed a complaint with the school yesterday. My mentor advised me incorrectly to take a term break off for preclinical observations and student teacher alignment, and made for these added complications, which will add complications in additional wait time and school term costs. I had to spend many work hours rectifying insurance issue, I called and emailed the insurance company yesterday. And the late processing may cause me to miss this important student teaching enrollment window. Additonal costs were missing work and time to take care of family because of additional stress notifying all possible areas that could help me with issue yesterday. I entered online request for certificate from insurance, but it doesn't have proper date for WGU yet. I was off by one month's worth of insurance. I cannot afford for delay of student teaching as I have budgeted for this time to have off of work prior to an important family trip.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

   This will be handled internally, as soon as the formal complaint is filed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2024

  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.

  I am submitting this complaint regarding Western Governors Universitys (WGU) lack of clear and timely communication about an outstanding balance on my account, which ultimately resulted in the debt being sent to collections. I was not given a reasonable opportunity to address this debt before it was sent to collections.Details of the Complaint:In March, I withdrew from ***. After receiving a final billing email in May, I was unaware of any outstanding balance on my account. *** claims to have sent notifications about this balance via text messages, yet I did not receive any of these texts. The only notification *** provided about the debt was sent to my student email account, which I no longer accessed because I was no longer enrolled. Despite having my personal email and phone contact information on file, *** did not attempt to notify me through these channels beyond the alleged text *********** was only after the debt was sold to a collection agency that I received an undated postcard from them about it. This lack of timely and accessible communication is particularly concerning, as I filed for bankruptcy at the end of May. Had I been aware of this outstanding balance earlier, I would have included it in my bankruptcy filing and discharge. The delayed and inadequate communication from *** prevented me from addressing the debt directly with the university before it was sent to collections.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2024

   The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents *** from sharing any details of a students academic records in this public forum. *** has a formal complaint policy and process in place for students to seek resolution to issues like this. We recommend that the complainant read that policy at this URL: *****************************************************************************************************, and file a formal complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I reached out to my program mentor before I took my term break in July and she told me I could request a program change before during or after the term break ended in writing through email. in mid september I requested to change from the school of IT to the ******************. From there my program mentor was changed but my program change still hadnt taken place. The new mentor said they would put the request in right away. I thought everything was handled. I found out that the change request needed his mangers approval first and that she had not submitted the approval until after the new term had already started around October 7. I then was told I would now have to wait another 7 business days for the program change. On October ***************************************************************************************************************************** and escalate so that I would get a full 6 month term that I paid for through fasfa. They said no and that I needed to be patient and wait. My mentor then advised me that I could take another term break but failed to tell me if I started a new term break that the program change process would stop. Now I have decided to change to a different program still in the college of business. And the mentor sent me an email stating that he had submitted the change request, then I got a call from the school of it saying that he put in the wrong degree to have me switched to. His manager emailed me and said she would not change the request. That I would have to first change over to the hr degree plan I chose in September and then the mentor will submit another change to change me over to the information technology management degree. Which means I will have to wait another waiting period. I have spoke with the manager **** about my concerns on not having enough time to finish my courses and she has dismissed my concerns. Could someone please help me. I dont want to waste my fafsa money or fail any courses do to admin rules

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

   We have no record of this complainant filing a formal complaint through the *** student formal complaint policy. We recommend that the student read the policy article at this URL: *****************************************************************************************************. Then we invite the student to file a formal complaint so that we may look into their concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/29/2024

  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.

  Requested to withdraw from school due to lack of cooperation with mentor and administrators befor e the 60% of the semester timeline. The school backed out my original financial aid reward post de facto and is a procedural error, thus causing my student account to look like I owe the school money instead of receiving my refund deposited to me. My account should still show a Fin Aid award of $9504 less with $4549 refund on 8/7/2024 and an approximate refund due to me of $3005 as of 10/28/2024. My original withdrawal notification and complaint began the beginning of October 2024, but the mentor supervisor refused to cooperate and the school admin is not cooperating and making errors.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

   *** follows strict Department of Education guidelines concerning return of financial aid upon student withdrawal.*** also follows its own policies concerning proration of tuition when students withdraw. This complainant's concern has already been investigated internally. If the complainant requires further explanation about financial aid and student account policies at ***, they may contact *** financial services.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  *** is contracting out 3rd party service for exam proctoring that is displaying questionable behavior and disrupting the ability to test. Recent example: I schedule an exam which requires you to perform the technology check prior to scheduling, and it passed, it also passed on the day of exam. When connecting to the ******* everything is fine until they check you **, I believe some of the proctors are taking picture with their phone of **s and then disconnecting and having you connect with another ******* after the ** verification. In some cases I was not able to test at all as the ******* which I believe is outsourced in *****, is claiming that the video is freezing on their end and I was transferred 5 times. After finally connecting to another ******* from another region possibly ******, they're able to start the exam, but the exam is no longer available since it has an expiration of approximately 30 min. and then has to be rescheduled in most cases for the next day. I would like to see if they can contract it out to ****************** since this testing center doesn't seem to have issues.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2024

  In July, we made a strategic switch to a new proctoring platform, largely for the enhanced assessment security for our students. Transitioning platforms did introduce some growing pains. Since launch, we have made several improvements, including testing windows staying open longer and a software change to lower the hardware requirements. ID verification is a required component of the proctoring process. Our supplier does not retain the photos utilized during the verification process. The vast majority of our students are satisfied or very satisfied with the experience; however, we will continue to improve and reduce friction for those students who are not. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  February 2024
  I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to address my recent experience as a student teacher at **** **** Elementary School through Western Governors University. I completed six weeks of my twelve-week placement before my time at the school was unexpectedly terminated, and I believe it is important to convey the challenges I faced during that period.
  From the outset, I made an earnest effort to address difficulties within the mentorship dynamic. I proactively communicated my concerns regarding the support and training I was receiving from my mentor teacher. Despite my willingness to discuss these challenges, I found that my feedback was largely unacknowledged. It appeared that my mentor was overwhelmed with her own responsibilities, which severely limited her availability to guide and support me effectively in my role.
  This lack of available support greatly hindered my learning experience and ultimately contributed to the challenges I faced as a student teacher. I remain committed to improving my skills and growing in this profession, which is why I sought out additional resources and worked diligently during my time at **** ****. Unfortunately, the lack of mentorship made it increasingly difficult for me to thrive and succeed in my role.
  While I understand that teaching environments can be fast-paced, I believe that the success of student teachers heavily relies on constructive mentorship and guidance. I sincerely hope that my experience can shed light on potential areas for improvement in the mentorship program for future student teachers.
  Thank you for considering my feedback. I value the mission of **** **** Elementary School and wish the faculty and students all the best in their continued efforts.
  Sincerely, ****** ************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/08/2024

  This matter has already been handled internally and the student has been given all the options available under WGU policy.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Boasted a ten minute enrollment process but lost my transcript documents and actually took a month for their IT department to forward it to the correct team. Enrollment counselors arent helpful and tried to upsell me on additional courses as I was complaining about enrolling two months late. I signed up for a course ahead of time at a price point of $99 and was told it would be discounted from my first payment but later received the mailer giving me the offer again. They had yet again lost track of my work. Twice in a month during what shouldve been a ten minute enrollment process. I would email and call my counselor only to be met by an automated system and forwarded to an entirely different person. They never did help me in the end. I hope theyre fired.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  WGU regrets that this was a case of badly mishandled workflow. Our ********************* has apologized to the prospective student and removed them from further contact. WGU is people, and people sometimes make mistakes. This was frustrating for the prospective student and we feel badly about that. We are a learning institution. No one will get fired over this but lessons will be learned.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  WGU is readily enrolling students & collecting tuition from them while simultaneously not fully meeting their obligations and/or profiding the services paid for by many students. WGU recently switched proctors and many students and I are unable to complete the exams (OAs) required to move forward with our course(s) and/or degrees. Let it be noted, that it can take weeks if not months to prepare for an exam, only to potentially run into issues taking the exam at which point any and all progress made by that student is stymied. Worse yet, if a student is near their term end, a student may potentially face an acadamic penalty for not completing a course and/or making acadamic progress. While I have reached out to WGU to pursue resolution, I've essentially been bounced back and fourth between various departments with no resolution other then - 'Drop any remaining course in my term that require an OA' for now (Not what I paid for).With me essentially being forced to drop said classes through no fault of my own, I feel WGU is obligated to return any tuition paid for the affected courses and/or time spent on those courses, as WGU is responsible for providing exam/OA resources for tuition paid. Worse yet, I recently switched programs @ WGU and WGU is now billing me another (previously undisclosed) $250 for said switch - Mind you, I have been unable to progress in my new program due to the issues mentioned above. In turn, not only is WGU charging me tuition while simultaneously not providing the exam services paid for, WGU is seeking to double-dip and charge me additional fees for the 'privilege'.Why an acadamic institution with a 'College of Technology', that provides degrees in IT, Cyber Security, Software Engineering and others does not have an appropriate 'Plan B' in place for such incidences is questionable at best. In the interim, it appears that WGU is perfectly fine with keeping a student's money despite NOT providing the services paid for.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents WGU from addressing specifics of the complainant's academic history in this public forum. The complainant is already engaged in WGU's form complaint process, where the issues are being addressed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 22154547
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Rather then WGU addressing the matter at hand, WGU has decided to hide behind FERPA in their reply, as there is literally no need to discuss "a student's academic history in this public forum" to address this issue, nor is this issue being readily and/or proactively addressed via WGU's complaint process. It's much the same.

  The actual issue still remains - I have not fully recieved what I paid WGU for this term and WGU has deemed it OK, to keep those funds paid, while simultaneously not wholly meeting their obligations. WGU is either addressing the recent exam issues on their end and refunding me, as an affected student or not. It's as simple as that. FERPA has nothing to do with the actual issue(s). It's just an easy way out to avoid addressing the issue publicly via the BBB. Nothing more then smoke and mirrors, as noted by the lack of any verbiage in their reply that even vaguely refers to the actual matter at hand.

  ATTENTION: All potential students - 'Buyer Beware'. WGU does not take responsibilty when not meeting their obligations and WILL simultaneously keep your money. You've been warned accordingly.
  

  Sincerely,

  WGU Student.
  

   

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2024

  WGU appreciates the complainant's point of view. WGU will determine what restrictions FERPA law places on its disclosures. Fortunately, ******* other students have a different view of WGU.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 22154547
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  WGU's response lacks resolution and substance. Nor can WGU speak for its entire "*******" student body, despite WGU's 'sweeping' reponse.
  

  Here are some facts that cannot be disputed - Many students and I have been unable to complete our scheduled exams ongoing which has impacted our academic progress @ WGU. Additionally, at this juncture - WGU does not believe affected students are entitled to any refunds and/or compensation.

  In short, WGU collected tuition from students and has failed to fully meet their obligations to both students and potentially, related requirements dictated by the Department of Education. What else can one say? The facts above speak for themsleves.

  Sincerely,
  Concerned WGU Student.
  

   

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2024

  In the absence of any new information, WGU questions the legitimacy of this ongoing repetitive dialog. To the extent that WGU's third party proctoring agents have disrupted students' exams and, potentially, their progress, WGU is addressing these issues individually with each and every affected student and providing justifiable resolutions to those students.