Student complaints in online education

Warning: Read this before signing an admissions form or paying fees for an online education!

Students are starting to speak out concerning online Universities which takes their money and their dreams. I find it utterly amazing how many students are left with nothing more than complaints in this ecollege environment. Have you searched for complaints concerning online education? One site that offers a student the ability to speak out is www.ripoffreport.com which is a service of badbusinessbureau.com is providing a sounding board that few people know about. The complaints range from both disabled and non disabled students who were bilked out of hidden cost by some universities. Note that there are credible schools out there but the trick is in finding them.
Not only are students speaking out but also former instructors who claims that many practices are immoral and unethical, the very structure of higher education is woven in the words integrity, diversity, and the emphasis that is put on academic honesty appears to not apply to the administration and workers of these colleges.
Think about the money that a tradition campus must pay for to keep up the buildings and grounds, the investment in technology equipment that must be kept update and all the employees it must pay to keep this campus safe. Lets compare this to the cost of the online classroom. Most universities already have an online environment of some sort established where students can access information via the school portal for instance from their dorm room. In the case of a student attending school online it is the student who is responsible for the cost of Internet, software required, books and any aids that is needed for the class. They do not have the option of running to the campus library or computer lab and must rely on their own equipment and have the additional cost of maintaining this equipment not the school. So what cost do online universities have? They have telemarketing expenses for the mills of admission specialist who follow leads or cold calls to produce students for their online schools. Often these representatives can be quite aggressive when trying to meet their quotas. They have the cost of developing the course curriculum and the instructors who teach this. The site that the school is on must be serviced by the technical support staff, book store and other administrative staff. Instructors who teach these course are paid far less than many campus instructors so why do they do it? Like most of us they need the extra income or actually enjoy teaching.
Many complaints regarding the cost of education actually stem from miscommunication. A student is presented with a rosy picture of what to expect for their money and once they are enrolled and have completed a term in school they discover they can not get through to their online academic advisor, get any satisfaction with online financial aid offices where they discover hidden cost and charges that do not make any sense. And even end up in classes where the professor does not even show up for the class that they are paying for. An example of this can be viewed at http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=172088&view=printer
or how about student complaints that completed their courses with honors and their degree program and still have not received their degree. How you might ask can this happen? No one not even big brother is watching this rapidly growing for profit college system that is offering the convenience of getting an education around a busy schedule.
It is very hard to find complaints not because they do not exist but because there is no format for a student to find credible information on online universities. I am not against online education and in fact I seeking my degree through the online system. I am against not being able to find out about complaints that are filed and settled out of court where one is unaware that this process is happening on a daily basis.
I find it interesting how one can look up a business with the better business bureau when it is a brick and mortar structure but an online entity is actually a little more difficult to search. Many online institutions have many locations and you must search every one and all their subsidiaries that you might not know exist to find accurate information and the obstacles that you might face before attending the college. So we check to verify accreditation and see this is in place , does this mean it is a good school? Accreditation simply means they have the ability to issue a degree and receive financial aid. Think about how many schools both physical campuses and online environments actually exist in the United States alone. Can an entity responsible for accreditation review every course and see that students degree programs are actually preparing them for their chosen field? How do we hold an institution accountable is it by filing formal complaint through this institution which has its own financial gain to focus on? Where can a student turn to find help when their complaint falls on ears that refuse to hear? Lots of question that actually have answers. Do you want to know more. Watch this blog for valuable resources. If you feel you have been victimized through the online education system please let me know, if you need resources now send me an email at stewart.md@gmail.com and put problem briefly in title so I know it is not spam. I will send you links of how to enforce your rights along with information on where you can turn.
Liability statement: I do not endorse or condemn any specific school online but I do condemn the unethical practices that some colleges are using which constitutes fraud.