Hello my name is Tammy
I have been attending Westwood college sense September 2008 I thought how great is this. I will be able to earn my Bacholer's degree online and with my schedule this would work for me an online college. But I was surprised when I learned how much it was costing me. I was blinded at first the the glory of me being able to go back to school for something I love to do and that is working on computers and web design. When I googled last month Westwood and all the entries of scams and how much more it is to go to Westwood vs another college I started to investagate. I called Phonex University and Kapland just to find out how much their tuition would be. Both colleges said it is most cost efficient to go for you associate degree and then go for you bacholer degree. This is not what Westwood stated they automatically put me in a Bachelor's degree program which cost more. So with my disbursements from my student loans and some grants I received I still was paying out of pocket 117.00 a month to Westwood. When I finished my research I have decided for my self that if I can get the same type of degree at another online college for over half the cost that is the way to go. I feel Westwood is over charging all students and if you are attending Westwood you may want to research the way I did because if you want to spend more money for the same kind of education that is up to you but if you are a hard working person that values your education along with money management then rethink if going to Westwood is worth it. You can get the same type of education at other online colleges that will cost you less. You may want to google Westwood scams and read from other members. I am not a sour grape Westwood was great at the time I was attending I am a straight A student but when I found out I was being over charged then that is when I decided to go else where.

Westwood is a for profit institution and yes they are overpriced, but always ask how much tuition is before you sign those papers. The most inexpensive universities and colleges are probably going to be your local community or jr colleges, which are state supported. I am an adjunct for one online university and I will admit that I am shocked at how much the students are paying for a bachelors and an associates degree online, but to each his own I guess!

__________________
Ed.D Should complete in 2011

M.S. , M.Ed. ,
Director of Online Faculty Training and Management, Online Adjunct, Online Instructional Technologist, and Course Designer

Tammy;

You should use caution when using terms like, “scam”. College tuition varies from University to University, for instance, IMHO, a Phoenix degree is almost worthless… dime to dime, are you sure your Westwood Degree is not the better over all value?

__________________

PsyD WannaBe, M.S., LPC, LADC, CADC II

Always check how much tuition is going to be before signing enrollment papers. Private colleges and universities tend to be much more expensive than in-state tuition at your own state's state colleges and universities.

__________________
Theodore Lamar Heiks
BA, History/Political Science, Western State College of Colorado, 1984
MBA, Entrepreneurship, City University of Seattle, 1992
MBA, Marketing, City University of Seattle, 1993

They can cost 5 or 10 times as much and earn less respect. Whether one gets an associates on the way to a bachelors is usually irrelevant. The bachelors requirements don't change.

Westwood college online is a totally scam.

For the sake of argument I'll treat this as a serious post made by a young woman named Tammy Waller although I have my doubts. The poster has made a huge mistake by tackling at Westwood College online. Judging by her post she should be in a remedial English class at her local community college. After taking the needed noncredit courses to put her on par with a high school graduate, she should stay enrolled with the community college and complete an associates degree. It is the most economical way of knocking out general education courses. Distance education isn't right for everyone and it does not sound like it's right for this poster at this time. Maybe after receiving her lower level courses via face to face instruction she could consider distance education for the remaining 2 years?

She claimed that she was a straight A student while studying at Westwood. It looks like they were stealing from her in more ways than one.

__________________
Mort

And where did I mention the issue of respect or the question of whether togety an associate's degree on the way to the bachelor's? I simplymentioned the very basic economic reality that state universities are generally less expensive than private universities because your state legislature is funding part of your education if you study at an state university where you qualify for in-state tuition. I'm tired of people ragging on accredited schools because they paid private university prices at a private university. These people signed the papers. Didn'tthey read what they were signing?

__________________
Theodore Lamar Heiks
BA, History/Political Science, Western State College of Colorado, 1984
MBA, Entrepreneurship, City University of Seattle, 1992
MBA, Marketing, City University of Seattle, 1993

People should go course by course in almost all cases. It may cost more but the ability to quit or switch can be worth a lot. Some schools are totally dysfuntional and almost force their students to bail out. A school like Penn Foster College which only charges around $ 1,000 for the first semester is an exception.

My absolutely favorite school was California Coast University. I paid $100 per month and could quit anytime owing only for courses completed. That was many years ago and things might have changed.

I have been attending westwood college since aug of 08. I actually go to the fort worth college. I have noticed so changes going on over the past few months, and I can say that the changes don't seem to get better. They have let go of really great instructors for newer ones that don't even know what they are teaching. To clarify, I am in the medical assiting program. Not only is that the problem, I found out last term that I had to extend due to the fact that I had to take an extraa class at the beginning of school. So insteaad of graduating in the 11 month cycle, I am graduating in 14 month range instead. It was a shock to me becasue they never told this to me when I signed up. Not that it would have been a problem for me, but they should have been up front about it. Then half way thru my program they said that they needed to add extra classes to my program, because doctors were saying that they needed us to be able to write better and have more expereince in the computer side of it. Well, they said that we would not be charged for these classes, but it had made some students extend, including me. So when they said that we didnt have to pay, not true. I had to pay for an extra term since they added 2 extra classes to my program. Not only did that put me behind, I ended up paying for extra anyhow. Nothing was "FREE". I also don't understand anything about fasfa, stafford loans, sallie may, and then the UNISF{apex} according to the school, that if you dont have a cosigner becasue your saally mae or staffords loans didnt cover everything after fasfa, you still meed to pay while you are attending. That doesnt make any sense to me. I also then found out that when you take your certification exam to become a {certified medical assistant} you have to pay for the state exam. I spoke to someone that had taken the test and hardly anything that you learned from the school wasn't even on the state exam. And after all that money that you have paid out of pocket, you still have to pay for the state exam. Then you only get 3 chances to pass or you cannot become certified. That is such a crock to me. I only have one more term to go. I am gonna finish. I enjoy doing it, but I don't enjoy finding out that I am getting scammed or that I shouldnt be paaying anything extra. That is what bothers me. To me it is like paying for a down payment on a house. I am just worried that I will be screwed in the end and not find a job like so many people that I have spoke to that graaduated last year, and they still dont have a job. I am just confused and weary. I really wish I could really get to the bottom of things. ANd if that means that some people want to take the school down, so be it. Being scammed is not cool, you should get thrown in jail for taking peoples monie like that. When you figue it all out, westweood is making over 150,000.00 or more on students a year. They make all this money and they cant even afford to get thier stuff straaight and even keep labs stocked. You are suppose to do clinicals but you cant because they never supplies..
signed.....confused and dumbfounded