I enrolled in California Coast University’s online Master’s degree program in Psychology in 1997. I was completing one course per month. After completing my 7th course and paying $1200, I found out that CCU was not accredited at all. The degree wouldn’t be worth the paper it would be written on. So I formerly withdrew from CCU as an online student. I lost out on $1200. I was so disappointed that I had invested SO much of my time and effort into this Master’s degree program. I was CONNED into thinking that this university (?) CCU was “for real” and that they really cared about their online adult students. I read their policies about the courses being self-paced and as long as the degree was completed within 5 years that was their policies. It seemed reasonable to me. Even the fact that CCU mailed out their syllabus and book lists in advance of the completion of each course seemed like the degree would be workable.
As mentioned, I thought that CCU was the REAL thing and with FULL accreditation. I had no reason to believe otherwise. If I had even had the slightest thought that THIS school was such a HOAX, I wouldn’t have bothered with them and just went on to a REAL school. Anyway, it took me a while to GET over being RIPPED OFF in such a way. I tried to put it all behind me for many years. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the time, effort and money I lost.
Time passed and I just kept assuming that those CCU course credits were worthless. Fast forward 16 years to 2013, I was thinking about returning to another online Master’s degree program in Psychology through the University of Phoenix…a REAL fully accredited university. I spoke to the registrar about the possible enrollment and explained that I had taken half of the Psychology courses offered by UoP at another online school. I further explained that the 7 courses were completed at CCU, a non-accredited school. She looked up CCU’s current website that states that they are NOW fully accredited since 2009 and fully recognized by a long list of companies. The UoP registrar asked me to bring in a CCU official transcript and that we would discuss my enrollment at the UoP. She said that if she could match up the courses taken to the current courses listed at UoP that I could enroll with half of my Master’s degree requirements finished It sounded great so far.
I went home and checked out the CCU’s new website and copied, signed, scanned and emailed CCU for an official transcript of my courses completed online through CCU. It sounded easy enough. The the CCU registrar’s office sent a return email stating that I am NOT eligible for that transcript unless I pay $539. CCU accused me of not paying them “in full” and that I had withdrawn from classes before finishing my degree. I did indeed withdraw from CCU because I was wasting my time and money with them due to their non-accreditation. But I still should be entitled to an official transcript listing the courses taken WITHOUT BEING BLACKMAILED into paying more money to them.
CCU told me that I could be re-instated and re-take all those classes for an official CCU transcript. Hmmm, I wasn’t about to that either. I only wanted my transcript for the $10 fee listed in their online catalogue. Needless to say, here I am without any hope of getting that official CCU transcript. I’m again feeling betrayed by CCU once again. I felt I just HAD to list the TRUTH here about CCU and their betraying policies. They are an online school that the WISE adult online student should stay CLEAR off. They change their policies too often and they hurt the very students that they promise to help with an education. That is BEFORE they get your money. That is what CCU is all about…the money that THEY (CCU) steals from honest heard working online students. PLEASE, PLEASE…if you’re reading this right now, please reconsider another online school with a REPUTABLE background and who are willing to take care of their beloved students without holding them HOSTAGE of MONEY!!!
