I often get asked if I enjoy attending school online or if I would still do it if I had to start all over again. I’m currently in my last semester of my bachelor degree program, so I decided to ask the students for some pros & cons of attending The Art Institute Online (AIO). Let me start by saying that this website is not sponsored nor endorsed by AIO so everything you read here is honest and will not be sugarcoated. Students just tell it like it is on this site. So here is a list of their most popular responses in no particular order:
Pros
- Flexible Schedule - Do assignments and read lectures, books, websites, etc whenever and wherever you want
- Learn Anywhere - Wherever there is an internet connection, you can be in class.
- Few “tests” - Most grades are based on projects that help show individual talent and understanding rather than simple memorization.
- Convenience & Flexibility - It’s good for those that prefer to work independently, but it does require a bit of discipline.
- Convenience - Don’t have to worry about weather issues (like snow).
- Anonymity - Because this is somewhat anonymous, people may participate more than they probably would in a traditional classroom setting where they would shy away from discussions.
- Dealing with professionals in my line of work - Most everyone is already in the creative field in one way or another, so we can relate.
Cons
- Cost - Currently about $70k for a bachelor degree)
- Many classes are dated - Quite a bit of interactive media assignments aren’t currently being used in the real world. I don’t care what the facilitators try to tell you, Authorware is dead…let it go.
- Lack of Social Aspect - There is no face-to-face interaction that students of ground schools get to experience. Network and socializing is somewhat more difficult and less effective
- Lack of Traditional Benefits - Due to it’s nature there are no benefits like you would find at a traditional campus, such as student gyms, doctors, social programs, stocked library, ect.
- Lack of Advice - The school only provides a minimum amount of guidance when pursuing financial aid and career guidance.
- Class Lecture Material/Textbook Choices - Most times, the information is so old in the lectures and even more often than that, the information included is not in depth enough. Quite often, the textbooks are less than helpful as well. There are many students that do not even buy textbooks…ever…and still make straight A’s.
- Anonymity - Yes, this is both a pro and a con. Sometimes it’s hard to be so alone…it’s not just being alone as far as classes go. It is being anonymous when it comes to administration, too. Academic advisers would seem to be more apt to help out if we were right in front of them.
- Waiting Period - Sometimes it makes things difficult when you have questions for an instructor and you have to wait for a response through e-mail or in the discussions….sometimes takes days. On rare occasions, the facilitator may not even respond, which negatively impacts assignments.
- Facilitators - They should still be teachers. Just because we are online and this is self-based learning, does that mean that they should simply give grades and feedback. We want the wisdom of their experience. There are some good ones out there, those that go above and beyond to do whatever they can to make the learning experience a positive one. Far too often, though, the bad ones outweigh the good ones…and a bad facilitator makes it a painful experience when you feel like you’re wasting 5 1/2 weeks and $1300+ dollars!
- Pre-structured Classes - The teachers basically have little or no input into what material we cover and how we cover it since it is all laid out in advance. Many facilitators blame the material rather than fixing it as they go. Then again, some facilitators step up and fix the mistakes, errors, and outdated material.
- State grants (outside of PA) will not be accepted at The Art Institute Online since AIO is a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. If you receive a state grant outside of PA…well…you’re out of luck.
- No connection with most of the classmates! I mean yeah, we have bios on the first day of class but other than that, the postings are just blah and it’s easy to disconnect with people. It would be nice if we had a section in each class for more personal topics if someone wants to post whats new with them, life, pictures, to share what they did over the weekend, whatever. There is a student lounge for such posts, but the “new” classroom format makes it easy for cobwebs to form in that section of the forums.
- Session 2 of every quarter - The Art Institute Online arguably has the most screwed up schedule for “semesters”. There are two sessions in a quarter. Each session is 5 1/2 weeks long. The first session runs basically from Monday-Sunday (yes…you can be in class any day of the week, but the first 5 are typically the busiest). The second session though runs Thursday-Wednesday which means you do the bulk of assignments on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! It makes it incredibly difficult to get into any sort of schedule with work and life as you are forced to move everything around the changing school schedule. It flat out sucks.
Summary
So there you have it…a rather extensive, honest list of the pros and cons of The Art Institute Online. Hopefully this will give people interested in attending AIO an inside scoop on what to expect. I hope it also serves as a list of issues for AIO that the students are most concerned about. A few of the cons are minor issues that could easily be resolved within the administration, which would make an immediate impact. The #1 pro was “convenience” as students like the ability to attend class wherever and whenever. I, personally, have an extremely hard time justifying the cost of the online version needing to be $100 more per class than the on-ground version at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and I have never received a straight-up and honest answer for the cost. I’m led to believe they can charge whatever they feel like since they are are private institute…students just have to deal with it. Students simply do not get all of the advantages as campus students with computers, labs, software, library, face-to-face & immediate feedback, etc. Online learning may be the wave of the future, but the waters aren’t settled yet…it’s still a rather rough and turbulent ride as they work out the kinks. If you can attend an on-ground campus, then I strongly suggest doing so. If your schedule prohibits that, then The Art Institute Online would be my next suggestion.
Shane Eubanks is the founder of The Art Institute Online Student Community and dedicates his spare time to giving the students every possible opportunity to earn a quality education.Visit Shane Eubanks's Website
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Everything you said here in the cons is true. These are things that I been complaining about for a very long time, and they keep saying that things are being done… but they aren’t. I been here for 3 years with growing aggravation.
If I can add a few more cons
- Bad class information: the material in the class is not just outdated, sometimes it is just plain wrong. Sometimes it makes no sense, and sometimes its just not there.
- Staff that changes faster than you change socks. I already been through about 5 academic advisor in 3 years. No, it is not me, they simply keep firing them. Same goes for financial advisers.
- Odd choices of software: The school insists on using 3D max. While North American companies uses Maya mostly.
- 5.5 weeks: is not enough time to do anything. Sure it is improvement over the overlapping week (anyone remembers that, now that was hell). But it still bad. 11 weeks courses with less assignment everyday would get people much further.
- 5.5 week: not enough time to build portfolio quality work. You want portfolio work? You will have to do it on your own time extra.
- No live connection with teacher. Never do you really get to chat with them and get real guidance.
- No audio or video lecture. Seriously, how hard would it be to add?
- Courses have wrong assignments: Some courses have simply the wrong assignments that are imported from other places and are not double checked.
- Courses that are built for ground base schools: yup, many are just taken from AIP. They do not fit online environment.
- Teacher that are unprofessional and in many cases simply refuse to help or listen.
- Won’t let you transfer a lot of credits.
- Small selection of General Education classes.
OK, this list can go forever so I will stop. very cool you managed to find pros because I can’t. The only reason I am here is because I have no choice and spent to much money already hoping things will get better.
One thing that I find frustrating is the notice date of the classes that we are enrolled in for the next session. This is only my first session with AIO so I don’t know if this is typical or not, but I was not notified of the classes I was taking until 1 week before the session started. When I tried to purchase my books for the classes (the same day that I received the notification) I found that they were out of stock almost everywhere. Needless to say, I muddled through week 1 with no textbook for one of my classes. We should be given a minimum of 3 weeks notice so we don’t have to scramble and end up paying an arm and a leg for expedited shipping just to get our books on time!
Hmmm, I’m a little surprised. I think the 5.5 week thing is one of the best parts. The Thursday start thing sucks though. Bumping that up to Monday would make things wonderful.
I’ve had a lot of those problems at a regular school before, too. That’s no excuse not to fix things though.
Shane stated “No connection with most of the classmates! I mean yeah, we have bios on the first day of class but other than that, the postings are just blah and it’s easy to disconnect with people. It would be nice if we had a section in each class for more personal topics if someone wants to post what’s new with them, life, and pictures, to share what they did over the weekend, whatever. There is a student lounge for such posts, but the “newâ€? classroom format makes it easy for cobwebs to form in that section of the forums.”
Michele’s feedback:
The connection is here at AIOSTUDENTS.COM. I had 3 students that all lived in the Boston area. They got together to have lunch, dinner, discussions and just to connect. They ended up meeting another classmate that had an art gallery, and did a showing of their work. They now have a bond that goes beyond AIO.
As an online student myself for the past 5 years I have to say that I now have friendships from around the world. We talk often, and travel to see each other.
You have the opportunity with AIOSTUDENTS.COM to put up an employment guide for students to offer, and apply for job positions. This is the place where change can take place, and AIO students need to be involved.
I urge my students to take “ownership� of their education here at AIO.
Thanks for the reply, Michele. I should mention that the pros & cons were mentioned by other students…I simply compiled them.. I don’t want it to seem like one voice shouting out.
You’re right about the things that I could add to help students such as an employment guide. I had early intentions of doing just that. I still might. The problem, though, is that it is something that should be provided by AiO themselves. I do this in my spare time, so I can’t put as much effort into it as the students deserve…not as much as someone at AiO who would get paid to do the same thing. I think AiO Connections that the school is touting may be the key that gets everything going. I’m a graduate now, so I don’t know if I’ll have access to that, but it sounds exciting.
I intend to keep this site alive as long as students use it and can definitely see myself adding info to it that will help students succeed and network with others.
I’m so glad I found this site. I’m just beginning my third quarter here. After 2 quarters of doing really well and being very excited about attending AIO, I’m beginning to wonder.
I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. When I applied to attend and went through the financial aid procedure,I was told by my financial advisor when he went over the plan with me that I could make payments for the amount not covered by student loans. He explained the payments would be $70 per month until I completed school. I have just found out that is not the case and that the balance is payable in 3 installments only, my next two payments will amount to over $3000 (this is within the next 2 months). I tried speaking to someone in the financial aid department. They told me to apply for a clep loan. This won’t be possible, since I have very poor credit. I explained this to them and was told I could get a cosigner. The person I spoke with acted concerned but that was all they could do.
I really feel I was deceived. I hope this is not the case and that the Art Institutes is the respectable school I thought it was. If there are others with a similar experience, I would appreciate hearing their stories. I don’t want to waste anymore time or money on a school that practices deception to get student enrollment.
I”m in my third semester of the online learning and I have a bad feeling about the whole thing. I’m really hoping things will get better. I’m REALLY hoping that the classes will become more challenging and that the student work will get better and that I might actually learn something. But I don’t think any of that wil happenl. I’m starting to think I should just quit AIO and learn this stuff on my own. I don’t think there is enough feedback, in quantity let alone quality, from students or instructors. I don’t think things are set up in a way to really learn this stuff.
My advice to those considering the Art Institute Online: DON’T SIGN UP. If you are motivated enough, you can learn this stuff on your own.
Im a 36 year old alumni of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh - VC 1991 - and was thinking about joining / attending the BS Media Art & Animation program offered by AiOnline. Have been pretty excited about the prospect quite honestly, that is up until I stumbled across this article. After reading it through,as well as all the comments/posts, I am now very hesitant to shell out my $70K.
I very much enjoyed the graphic design program at the AIP back when I went- I learned a lot and feel it was money well spent. I figured the Online program would be up to snuff as well, but I am reading here that it is not the case. Does anyone know if its just the online program, or is the “on-ground” program for Media Art & Animation at AIP all screwed up too?
If any one has any feed back at all about either the program or the school, or any advice about the field what-so-ever, I would be grateful…
Thx.
I’m glad that I found this site, first of all, so thank you. I am (was) a prospective student for AIO, and just spoke with an advisor on the phone yesterday. The whole thing sounded a bit off while talking to him. He had the tone of a prescripted phone salesman, which doesn’t help to build any confidence with this program. I did not finish with him, because I didn’t want to waste 50 bucks just applying for the place that I am unsure about. So I told him I’d call him back later when I had time. The guy had me on my phone for about 2 hours, and I only own a cell phone mind you, so that’s a big hit on my minutes. I wanted to hang up on him, but I really would like to get into an online degree program.
I’ve been told some advice: before you buy into something, go to Google, and type the name of the company, and the word “SUCKS” after it, and check out the results. That’s what I did for AIO and came up with this. Thank goodness too, I don’t think I can shell out that much money for such a shoddy-sounding program.
I think I am going to look into some other online degree programs. (Looking for my Bachelors in a Game Art and Design program, 3d modeling, etc) Hopefully there’s something out there that’s worth looking into. If not, I guess I’ll just build some models for Half-Life 2 and see where it leads me.
It’s really a shame that people are using small amount of posts on this site as the deciding factor regarding AIO. I am just about to start my 2nd year with AIO and couldn’t be happier. After being in the ID industry (I’m an Interior Design major) for 15 years, I have learned more than I thought I would over the past year. I think that people should look at the good AND the bad before making a final decision. I would (and have) recommended AIO to family and friends in a heartbeat. No one, no school, no place of employment, etc. is going to make 100% of the people 100% happy 100% of the time. Just keep that in mind.
Jennifer Janke
Good points, Jennifer, and thank you for the positive reinforcement. Hopefully The Art Institute Online has taken points from this post (and comments) and addressed them since this has been written. I graduated in Sep of ‘06, so I’m not sure how it is now. In the fields that most of us are in, it’s important to do two things if going to college. Learn AS MUCH as you can inside and outside of classes…and network with as many people as possible. It’s highly possible that your classmates, facilitators, and people you come across will be valuable colleagues in the future. Learning a ton and making friends will make any education worthwhile. Sure, it’s easy to “just get by” and make the grades, but the real deal is the extra steps a student takes beyond the classroom. Make that time count and you’ll be well-rewarded.
Hey! well im going to start AIO right now on this semester well now on July 9!
Im so excited and i hope everything goes great and that i dont have a downfall of my expectives.
Take Care everyonee
Im off to check out that site of students.
I currently attend the Art Institute of Philadelphia and was thinking of possibly switching to AIO. This article has answered a lot of concerns I have. So, I’d like to thank Shane for taking time to put this together.
Anyway, the reason I’ve been thinking about AIO, is because I feel my grades have been suffering due to all the group projects I’m forced to do. It seems that every single class I take, the instructors kick back and force everyone to work together. I’m 22 and most of my classmates are straight out of high school, kids who seem to be there for all the wrong reasons, dragging there feet to every class. It’s always the same too, there’s one mule and the rest just jump on the wagon. So, I thought if I were to switch to AIO, the work would be more individualized and my true abilities would come through.
I also thought AIO would be more challenging, since you’re doing it all on your own. I almost thought that you’d learn more that way. But, from everyone’s bitter feedback it seems like the opposite.
So, I’m pretty torn. It’s either, sit through four hour classes with these 18 year old brats who chose an art school because they felt it’d be easier than a traditional college or take a chance at AIO, which seems to have a lot of dissatisfied alumni/current students.
If anyone could exchange thoughts with me and my current situation, it’d be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and regards,
Christian
I think the views of individuals from this site reflect a small portion of students who have had negative experiences. It’s important to realize that most people who don’t attend a 4 year degree directly after high school have limited academic potential as their lives progress and online gives an opportunity to these individuals. Although many students seeking a successful online learning experience are out there, I feel it’s important to take into consideration a lot of negative comments about AIO are coming from the other end of the spectrum. People who have a history of procrastination and obvious lacking of past educational prosperity are often another tier of individuals seeking online as a learning platform. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of negative comments come from those lacking work ethic as well as creative attributes to offer within their program. Ultimately, I guess what I am getting at is that a lot of potential online students don’t really have that much room to talk about when it comes to the concept of competencies. It’s their lacking in the past which has forced them to be left with an online source of education as their option.
Thanks for your thoughts, David. If you have some positive things that you’d like to share about your experience with AIO, I’m sure other prospective students would love to see them. As for thinking the negative opinions come from a certain type of people “who have a history of procrastination and obvious lacking of past educational prosperity” I can speak for myself and many of those that provided the majority of the opinions posted. Actually, the majority of the comments came from people who have been working in the industry or have sought a higher (or alternative) education. I haven’t logged into an AIO class since I graduated in September of 2006 and these opinions were collected in the month prior to my graduation. I passed the information along to various faculty at AIO in hopes to improve the curriculum and experience for students that followed. If you’re currently in a class at AIO, I’d love to know if any of the negative comments have been addressed. I had a sincere hope that AIO would grow into “the” school for online education of the arts.
As a recent student at AIO I would like to add my take. There are positive aspects to the Art Institute, however after a year and half of classes, most fall WELL short of the standards I came to expect at a normal college. Facilitators were hit and miss, some very interested and engaged, others barely there. As is most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it, however I think AIO misses the mark regardless. Antiquated platform, “facilitators” instead of teachers, classes that are too short (I’m sorry, but 5.5 weeks is not long enough for depth of certain subjects), etc… Some may have a good experience, but in the end you’ll end up with a massive student loan debt and still not learn what you need to know. Go to the library, it’s free and you can get the same info.
I agrre with Jace, they are sales people and will tell you anything . It did sound like a script, when i asked a question i could never get a straight answer . Mostly with the finacial person. I f i asked a specific question they answer with a word for word repeat of what they already read me. I also tried e-mails and they will never answer the questions straight forward. It’s almost as if they do not know the answers or they just don’t want it to be documented. I have been told that the start is may 8th. 2008 but yet i still see nothing online for the classes , i have no idea what is going on. Everytime they need me fill something out, i do it and then get another from to fil out. They need to get it together and give it to me all @ once. I feel like i have been lied to on many occasions, too much detail for that. But yes , i am very scared right now and feel i am about to owe a bunch of money and get screwed out of an education. I’m tempted to just call it all off and find another school but i don’t even know how to do that.
Any suggestions on some good online schools? I have 0 freetime two hours late at light is the most because I work full time and have twins. And live on my own.
Maybe everything will come together and it will be ok, but I am not feeling that right now.
Thanks
Sonia
DON’T DO IT!!
I would sugggest doing your research first. I learned my lesson a little too late. They late enrolled me, enrolled me in a class that was never mentioned or even asked if I had the time to take it, which I don’t .It is not in the finacial plan . I have been e-mailing and calling and no-one will give me a straight answer. So I basically got a terrible grade for that class because by the time I was able to even read it the assignment due date had come and gone.
I was concerned about it two weeks before the classes even started because I could not log on to get a head start. They kept assureing me that everything was ok , and it’s not. Don’t waist your time. Or at the very least don’t let them talk you into enrolling right away. The pressured me into starting ASAP even though they could not get there paper work together in time. I still don’t think it is straightned out. Take your time make sure all the paper work financial aid and everything is set in stone (and good luck with getting that) well before your start date.
DON’T LET THEM TALK YOU INTO IT!. They sugar coat everything, they are lying to you .
It’s too late for me , but save yourselves!!!!!!
The Art Institute online is a “for profit” company. There are company meetings about profit margine and when enrollment is low tuition goes up. I would suggest going to a ground campus or learn a trade. Online school is a scam. Take a few business classes and get a Photoshop book and you will be fine.
I have been at the AIO online for approx. 5-6 years. I enjoyed the flexibility because with no family, friends nearby, and kids I could work crazy hours and feel productive toward my academic goals. I would say I was 98% satisfied until the last 3 years. My GI Bill assistance ran out, I had more academic advisors than I can count. I am a hard worker in fact I used to be disappointed with myself if my GPA was lower than a 4.0.For a while it was way up there and I had no complaints about AIO, with the exception of online students who harassed other online course students. This was done with racial slurs or sexual nature. I was one of the few students who reported these issues and made sure they were resolved.
What has changed my perspective is the last 2.5 to three years my financial aid plan has snowballed. It started when my tuition payment plan went from a $249 monthly tuition to a lump $12,000 bill. I went thru weeks and many people telling me different scenarios that may or may not have caused the problem. The one clear message was “we need you to pay itâ€. Who in their right mind would pay a bill that high without a viable reason?
I lost sleep the phone and letters came in but no explanation. Until I pressed them and then there was four different scenarios; the last one was that my subsidized and un-subsidized loans were changed. I didn’t even know hat the term meant and I was sure “I” never changed them. So supposedly, I wasn’t receiving enough aid to cover my tuition hence the deficit. No attempt to hold a financial aid person accountable was made. I can’t count how many times I was put on hold or got a vague email. I was told “you did go to school” when I said so if you guys mace the mistake then you can fix it right. They wouldn’t in words take the blame and I asked can’t you track down the user, id number, or name of the person who messed with my finances. I had an emotional break down one day because this person was so rude he acted as if it was a little bill. My husband and I paid what we could with threats of me being dropped from class; I thought what an insult to injury. Therefore, we trudged along being late here and there after all a mortgage and my kids eating had to take precedence.
As I got closer to my original graduation date I asked if I could extend my payments till after my graduation date of which I already canceled plans to walk down the stage with my family from out of town. I was told this was impossible I would technically graduate but not get my diploma and receive phone calls daily until it would be paid; even though I explained we had a hardship issue financially. To make the excruciatingly long story shorter we took a hardship personal loan, which took a lot of red tape to get with no help of the school.
I paid them in full to the penny. Clincher, I don’t get a receipt with the exception of my campus common reflecting a zero balance for maybe a day or so. I called to get a hard copy receipt because of the agony I went thru and I wanted to make sure I’d graduate on time. I just found out last week It was back to a balance f $1000 , and that my graduation date was changed to three months further. At this point, my positive feelings and memories are tarnished with disgust and how the heck am I going to pay for another three months we just took a loan for the supposed total amount. Even worse I haven’t been able t concentrate on my classes so Miss A is now do I have to get this done. I feel like three more months at AIO will be punishment no disrespect to the facilitators I have had two bad apples in 5-6 years. It comes down to the lack of communication, lack of responsibility on the part of financial aid and the “jus pay the bill†attitude.
So now what? I found this blog looking for answers but if don’t get any leads on what to do next, at last someone else can be on the lookout for financial aid woes’. I say don’t attend this school unless you have enough money or have a relative/friend who can police financial aid at AIO.
Dismayed & Tired,
Wow…I’m sorry to hear about your financial aid issues. Mine were similar in that they offered me no “aid” at all…more like “financial burden”. Their financial “aid” at the time (around 2004-2005) was just to make sure they got their money. I see it hasn’t changed much. My high school guidance counselor offered more financial assistance than anyone at the art institute online offered me. Needless to say, I’ve got about $40k in student loans to pay off.
I don’t know if you have any lawyer friends, but it may be worth looking into. That’s really odd how they changed your payments like that.
I’d suggest talking to someone other than a financial adviser at aio. If that doesn’t work…perhaps find a lawyer….or since you’ve gone this far, just dish out the $1,000 and be done with it. I hate that they left a sour taste in your mouth. It was 2 years before I had my diploma framed…I kept it in my desk and didn’t even want to see it. ha
Congrats on graduating soon!
Thanks Shane,
I put in my FAFSA and I was told I didn’t qualify for any additional aid anymore there is a limit to how much aid you can receive. I don’t think we can afford a lawyer and I just received the first annoying call yesterday telling me I have a balance.The thing is with 3 months left I would need to shell out 3,000 all together.I wish I would have seen this blog sooner in my studies.
I’m sorry you had your diploma sitting in a desk but I completely understand how you feel I wanted a masters after this degree and I squashed those plans.If I do pursue it in the future it sure won’t be with AIO.
Take care
R.Red
Hi, I just found this website while looking for someone to complain to with AIO and I was wondering if anyone has had the same problem that I am having with getting questions answered by staff.
Has anyone had problems getting a return phone call or email from the Academic Adviser’s or Financial Aid people at the school? So far I have received one email response from my “adviser” (since the beginning of September) to a question out off like 5 and one call back after I was told by student support to leave a message for his supervisor.
As for financial aid, well I gave up on them and now I just talk to student support. I left one voice mail for my financial aid “adviser” and sent 2 emails. When I never got a response student support said to leave a message for her supervisor, I did that and he didn’t even call me back.
Then, I referred my friend to the school and she can’t even get a return call from the enrollment person, who’s missed 2 phone call appointments that she set up with my friend. I think that’s pretty bad when you can’t even get the sales people to call you.
I am not a complainer or anything like that, I am just worried because it is quite a bit of money that I am going to owe and I’d like to be treated like I am wanted there. ={
Thanks, any response will be helpful!
I am currently enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online for Web Design. When I first did the research I thought that AiO was a great choice to start my education back up. I was wrong.
I feel like I could have learned most of this stuff on my own. 5.5 weeks is definitely not enough time to learn anything significant and really get a good grasp of the concept (PHP, Actionscript 3.0, etc.). It’s now time for me to create my portfolio and I don’t really have anything (that I am happy with) to put into it.
All throughout my time at AiO I’ve had the chance to look at others’ work and the general quality is horrendous. Some of the portfolios are so amateurish it’s unbelievable. A few of the sites look like something I made when I was 12 years old. I can’t imagine a professional company hiring one of these people based on their digital portfolios. In all of the classes I have taken, I’ve seen 1 or 2 people who are actually good at web design/development. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m already about $15,000 into this program I would have dropped out by now and moved on to something else.
I don’t feel I have acquired the necessary skills to put “Web Design” on my resume and feel proud and confident about it. I will not continue on to get an Interactive Media Design degree, nor will I ever enroll in another program at AiO ever again. It’s really sad because so much was promised, but after looking at just about everyone else’s lackluster works even in the highest level classes, there is so much left to be desired.
Now I’m just looking for a job to pay for all of this sub-par education I’ve received from the Art Institute Online. I doubt it’s going to be in the web design field.
Learn from my mistakes, and do your research! I hope others had a better experience with AiO than I have. If only I could turn back the hands of time….
When I first started at the Art Institute Online it was a very positive experience; I had a great advisor who kept in touch with me and got to know me, every term my most of my teachers would call before class started to introduce themselves, I basically felt like I was getting an outstanding education. About half way though my degree things began to change; the personal interaction began to decline. I was assigned a new advisor who only contacts me at the beginning of each term to inform me that the term is starting, and then at the end of the term to inform me that it is ending. This advisor can not remember my name or what state I live in. When ever I speak to my advisor I am talked down to and treated like I am a bother. The calls from my instructors stopped. The instructor interaction online became slower. I have looked in to changing to another school but many of my credits would not transfer over. AIO sucks you in, treats you great until you reach the point of no return, then you are just a pay check to them.
I went to the Art Institute of Phoenix following my graduation from High School. Previously I was Artist of the Year and designed the graduation pamphlet…now I’m just nineteen thousand dollars in dept and counting…I can’t believe I wasted my life
Michelle,Hi,
I am 47. Artist,Writer,Painting Contractor.I don’t know your background. .It is irrelevant to me any way.I am currently enrolled in AIO course Winter 09.Graphic Arts,I have had nothing but problems since day one,Orientation Course,such as accessibility,down loading upgrades,not to mention my software not being compatible with AIO,which would have been considerate if someone had informed me of this necessity.A little crash online course VIA E mail for any of this would have been nice.Not to mention the fact that I am out of high school since 1979.made staff aware of this,took my computer skills test,(2 weeks ago) no response yet.You know as well as any person who works in a higher education environment,that these younger students have been operating computer since grammar school.I could go on forever.
MY POINT IS THIS!!!! THIS IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT THE BROCHURE SAID IT TO WOULD BE!!!
I still haven’t received my school catalog in the mail,3 weeks waiting,not to mention contacting AIO for assistance.Waiting for RSVP,etc.
Also I shouldn’t have to organize any social gatherings to meet with people in person,
Hence the term; AIO course,this comment speaks for itself.
My real point is this,sad but true I find,that when someone works for an establishment,
they are trained to specifications by their employer.If you don’t adhere,or fit their format,you know as well as I do ( at will clause ) you may be terminated for any reason and any time,with no chance of legal recourse. I know this from personal experience.
I am not saying by any means this holds true to all I have spoken with on this subject.
Some of your colleagues were very helpful to say the least.
What I am saying is this,instead of dropping the “How important Higher Education” is “BOMB” on us students.And various other “hooks”.Which I do believe that education is essential and very important .
My suggestion is this,instead of treating us all as “Text Book” formatted candidates,like some of you are reading straight froma cue card,or have the routine down so well,it’s like talking to “Robo-Trons”such as some of the people I have spoken to from many Institutions over the last 3 weeks,before deciding to enroll with AIO. ( for various personal reasons)
Drop the sales pitch!!Are you people just having membership drives,or making commission??? I can get that from Christians,and Jehovah’s etc. Yeah I said that,because I believe in God,and Jesus Christ,not man made things.I noticed my phone doesn’t ring of the line as it did before i officially signed my promissory note for payment of loan,and officially enrolled in AIO.
Hmmmm… Makes one wonder about what higher education really is about?
Any time you want to further this topic, I am Alientheist@live.com
Sambo,Samuel Michael Kurus,
your feed back is very welcome,and I will RSVP,ASAP
PS. since you like giving your opinion as much as I do in something you believe in,let me know what you think of this piece I wrote
Written by Samuel Michael Kurus
06/1997
“The Devil’s Dilemma”
Oh my God!!!
What have I done?
To deserve such a fate…
I realize now that You are my mentor,
and I am only here by Your grace…
Once I was a mighty hunter,
and now I am just prey…
Demons chasing after me,
every night and ever day…
And now I am lost inside this nightmare,
running scared through the chasms of hell…
And only You and You alone Lord ,
can break this Satan’s spell…
You are my judge and jury,
though I feel I have comitted no crime…
As I look to the heavens above,
from the depths of hell…
I realize now,
that I can not turn back the hands of time!!!
Sambo!!! the Psychic?Burnout,Comedian…
I left AIO almost a year ago now and just decided to check back in here to see how other people experiences have been. I did not graduate, so I get the monthly call from an AIO “readmissions” person asking me if I would like to continue my education. “Sure, when you lower your tuition!” I respond. I feel sick about the student loans I took out to attend that farce of a school. As I said before in my above post…go to the library, it’s free and you’ll get the same level of education. And no, AIO classes aren’t good anywhere but at an art institute, which I knew going in, but now just chaps my hide. Don’t do it. If you have a love of the arts, get a business degree and buy some photoshop books, you’ll go alot farther. As I said before, some of the people there are wonderful people, however in the end, it’s not worth it.
DO NOT ENROLL IN AIO!!!! Let me add my story to anyone who cares to read it. Please do not fall for their tactics. I did and it got me absolutely nowhere.
I signed up for AIO class in 2007 after I was looking to change my career field to interior design. I had spent several years in the medical field with the military and was trying to explore my creative side a little more. I enquired via email to AIO to which I recieved immediate response from one of their representatives. I swear I must have recieved a call every other day about my interest in their program so I started checking with the VA to see if my GI bill would cover this school. It did, so I responded to the representative as to how I would go about signing up. I had never attended online schools so I asked alot of questions. I asked them if it would be an issue if I used my GI bill and I was told that they had a VA rep. that could assist me in getting that arranged. I also expressed that I did not want to start until I was finished with the classes I was enrolled in at a local university. Well, needless to say they contiually called me and tried to talk me into enrolling in their upcoming 5.5 week semester. I eventuall was suckered into it and enrolled into 2 classes. Mind you, they classes had already started so I was going to start off behind and I had no books. Stupid me believed my advisor when she said that I would be able to catch up and I could use the online library until my books arrived.
So, I contacted the VA rep that they told me to call. Ha….what a joke!!! He tells me to contact my local VA to initiate the paperwork. So, long story short…I ended up having to take out some loans because of course they can’t wait for the money from the VA and I subsequently never filed through the VA because I never got the chance.
So, now I’m enrolled in these stupid classes….yes, they were stupid. Some basic microsoft class and how to take online classes or some crap like that. I thought, what the heck…I’ll trudge through it and if it doesn’t work out I will just withraw from the classes and start again when my time became a little more managable. At the time I was a single parent and had a full time job, was taking a night class at another school, and had not even had my internet service hooked up on my computer yet. As you may have already guessed, I could never get “caught up”. So I emailed the school to ask them how I need to withraw from the classes. No response…..FOR DAYS!!!! So, I called…NO RETURN phone calls. All the people that were riding my butt to sign up mysteriously were too BUSY to take my calls. So, when I finally got ahold of my advisor, she informed me that the drop date had already passed. I told her that I still needed to drop and she said she needed a statement emailed to her to confirm that I wanted to drop and that she would “tansfer” me to the financial aid department.
I made sure that the payments to AIO were returned and that I was not charged for the loans. This was probably the easiest part about this whole process. So months go by and I recieve a form from AIO with a balance of $101 for an unpaid enrollment fee. Now it is 2008 and I recieve a phone call saying that I owe$1400.00 to AIO for the dropped classes. I called to enquire about it and got some really strange advise but we won’t go into that. After one phone call I recieved a statement from their institution that looked to me like the balance on my account was $0.00. I had several other people look at it and they agreed that it looked like the balance was $0.00. So, anyhow…a couple of months later I get another email from AIO telling me that I have an overdue amount of $1400.00 and that my “immediate response” is neccesary. So, I emailed this person back and told them that I recieved this statement and that I was disgusted as to the way I was treated and so on and so on.
Several conversations and emails later, I get nowhere. They put me in collections because they said I failed to respond to there “many attempts” to contact me. Not that my credit was that great anyways but still…this school has caused more than a little damage. I can’t even get my freakin transcripts so that I can enroll in another college unitl I pay them in full. All of this because I stupidly wanted to explore my artistic side. I should have just stuck with my medical career which I now cannot persue unless I pay this stupid debt. I have other student loans that I pay every month for classes that I actually completed and recieved a grade for and that is my priority right now so AIO will just have to wait.
I don’t consider myself a stupid person but I should have researched this school and I sure wish that I would have googled this site back then. Maybe my story will help some of you all out when making your decision to persue your online education. Research the school and, for Jake sake….DO NOT let these people pressure you into anything!!!! If the cost of the courses are not covered under student loans or grants or GI bill then don’t waist your money. AIO is only trying to make money off you….they are not looking out for your best interest. They don’t care if you ever graduate. If you graduate you no longer owe them money and how is that beneficial for them?
I may take this to a lawyer. Hey “Dismayed and tired”…we should seriously look into having AIO taken off the school listings at the VA. They should be made aware of the problems they have caused us. I have a feeling we are not the only veterans they have screwed.
So I just graduated from AIO this past September after five years of slowly obtaining my AS degree.
I hadn’t received my actual diploma by the end of January, so I called the school to figure out why.
I was told I owed a balance of $4700 to AIO, because, according to Financial Aid, I was not covered for my final three classes.
Obviously, this hit me hard… I’d applied for the FAFSA for fall quarter like every other year and had NEVER been told that I would not be covered for my final classes.
Upon learning this, I spoke to financial aid and forwarded my FAFSA info, and they told me I should have been covered. and that “they’d look into if they could still apply the funds”.
Weeks went by with no word.
Today I wrote yet again asking about the status of the issue and saying I would be speaking to Sallie Mae to figure out where the funds with, and amazingly, someone wrote me right back!
He said if you aren’t taking a minimum of 6 classes, AIO is “required to change your status to withdrawn” and those classes would not be covered.
No one EVER told me my final classes would not be covered prior to taking them.
So, all in all, with my awesome AS degree (the diploma for which I still do not have, since they are holding it based on the supposed $4700 I owe them) from AIO in graphic design, I am $50K in debt to Sallie Mae and in a fight with AIO regarding why exactly I owe them for my final classes.
AIO, KMA.
Anyone who can verify what AIO’s financial aid department told me, or who has a similar story, please email me at annezeiler@yahoo.com.
Hey,everyone.. I’m 18 and I’m currently enrolled into AIO. I was supposed to actually start my classes in Winter ‘08 but because of my financial aid I started in Jan ‘09 instead.
My admissions adviser was very nice and cared about how I was progressing. Then,I get my NEW student adviser (He’s new at this job too)and he obviously sounds like he doesn’t care about whether I call him or not. The first time I spoke to him on the phone,he didn’t even try to carry on the conversation and was like,”Yeah,whatever.”THIS is supposed to be the person that I discuss with on everything? They also are REALLY bad when it comes to emails. Are they not another dependent way to communicate? My financial adviser hasn’t even replied back to mine for more than a week. I’m well aware that I’m not the only student attending but that is still no excuse..this isn’t the first time either.
And when they DO respond,like Student Support for example..they don’t even bother answering everything! What an easy job that must be. :/ I’m currently in ‘Computer Literacy’ and I can say I’ve learned a bit BUT…I realize that these are things that I could’ve learned myself if I’ve put my mind to it. Assignments: Just pretty much 2 discussion questions,re size this,scan this. It’s not like a super detailed tutorial with tons of awesome information. It’s pretty much you ‘go and find a dependable source from freaking google’ and find out from that. This class just tells you that if you put your mind to it,you could’ve just searched and learned this all yourself. BUT..because you didn’t, you chose the ‘Have someone tell me to do it’ 1k option.6 weeks of that only gets you to just scratch the surface. I enrolled into this school because it looked very promising but now I’m just starting to question whether it really is worth it. I don’t have a car (or a good means of transportation) and I wanted more than that community college around where I live. I was also under pressure of wanting to go to school and not staying behind my other classmates. I just didn’t want to be left not doing anything. Nobody else was helping at all,no one ever never said ‘Hey,let’s go to that college now.Let’s check it out!’ Seriously think about it, the costs of this school are really not worth it. 80K for 4 years online?! I just got a good wakeup call,I had seen the amount when I was in the enrollment process but because it was so quick(and I was so stupid),I just brushed it aside. I could have just went to a community college for much more less. To think that I’ll have to pay that amount back for an online university that ‘participation’ is done at the minimum is nuts. Everyone replies to each other because they have to,barely because they want to. It’s pretty much a drop by and submit place with weekly readings. I don’t know..I’m confused now.I just looked at my Sallie Mae online account and it says Total amount outstanding: $2,510.43. If that’s all I owe then I should just quit that school now. I consider myself an individual that loves art and I really do put effort into my work. I feel that I put more effort than some others and the instructor doesn’t give a shit. It’s just ‘Okay.’ What’s even worse is that he’ll ask,”What is that?” sometimes when I’ve well explained it into my post already.I’m a good student but one who is lower middle class..great jobs these days are even scarcer to get so where do we begin? Many say ‘experience required’ but where can I start without making such sacrifices? All in all,very little communication,no advice,and lots of money required. If AIO was as cheap as my community college then I wouldn’t mind these blemishes but it ISN’T. So much money.. for what?Even with the convenience from home,it’s still too much. I’m aware that other universities are around that much and I just don’t understand it. All they want is your freaking money..why can’t you get a good education for much less? Okay..I’m just frustrated..
My advise is stay away from this school. They are out to get you. Stay away from the advisor Michelle Scott, She ruined my career. This school lost my transcripts and then would not except them and no one would help me and mr or ms Scott, whatever he or she is said it was up to me to get this resolved. I resent them, what else they want, me to drive up there and file them for them. And then I am told by Scott that its best if I withdraw, how helpful is that. Then they come up with this imaginary number I owe them and hold my credits for hostage from other colleges. I get a letter saying to pay 1000 and I will be clear, after that, they say I owe an additional 200, I ask why and emailed them a copy of the letter stating 1000, they say oh it was a mistake and theres nothing they can do until they have the extra 200, I tell them I will show this letter to a lawyer, and the next week I get transcripts I fishy is that? Now I am happily at the American Intercontinental University and will graduate next month yay!!!!
Thank you for this site I just enrolled and now I know I need to get out.
Thanks
I can not believe all the press I am reading on AIO.
I enrolled a the Art Institute in October 2007. I was so excited to be returning to college and getting a degree. I am a single parent and need a degree to advance my career. I enrolled in the Residential Design Program. I started off with A’s and B’s my first year. I was then enrolled in AutoCAD which should be an 11 week course. It is hard to learn the program teaching yourself in such a short time. The teachers expect you to teach yourself. Needless to say I did not pass the course the first time around.
The next semester I was enrolled in AutoCAD and Residential Design. AutoCAD is a pre-requisite to Residential Design. Maybe it is me, but the drop/add period is not mentioned in the campus common. The last day was on a Sunday and when I called on Monday I was told that I had to withdraw.
I am now approaching my last semester. The school sent me a letter stating that I am no longer enrolled and would have to appeal the decision. They say I am not showing academic progress although I have a B average (GPA), and two classes before finishing. I passed my last class. They said I have too many Withdrawals. I have withdrawn from two classes due to missing the drop/add period. They were still paid for the classes. I now do not know what I am going to do. I am waiting for the appeals process to be over.
Last week the school contacted me about enrolling in the Interior Design BA program. I have been hesitant because I would like to complete my BA on ground. All my financial aid grants and loan money is going to the school. I have no extra money to buy books. My money would go further on ground. I have no clue why the school is doing this to me. Perhaps it is because I am not re-enrolling.
To anyone thinking about going to school here, consider on ground school first. I checked into my local college and they are going to consider credit for some of my courses. The admissions person for the Interior Design program said I might be able to test out, but she doubts I learned enough to do so. In order to get my bachelors I am probably going to have to take all those classes over. I still have to pay the loans back and might not be able to get my degree. On top of that not very many courses transfer.
I hope I wasn’t too long winded. Anyone have any questions, feel free to email me mendi_inc@hotmail.com.
I started taking classes in April of 07,and was told that financial aid would cover everything, and needless to say once classes started that was not true.. I had to pay for my books out of pocket, which didn’t seem right, and then they had set up a book store account, which was all screwed up. Something told me, to stop attending AIO, for the cost was way too high, and the unprofessional, with the school. I Stop attending, this past winter, after being fed up, the observation of the school. They had sent my aid back without me knowing anything about it, so i had no other choice to, withdraw, since classes would be over with by the time i get my refund. to buy supplies with.. I am still fighting with the school, about a balance they say i owe, cuz i withdraw after the third week of classes, b/c they Screwed up my account!! Now my case is being transferred to the Department of Education and hope some legal action can finally be done, about how the school treats its students, only caring about charging outrageous tuition and fess, along with a weak educational experience and messed up class schedule.
If any one else has had troubles with the financial aid office at this school, contact me, to see if we can take this school to court, and get some income relief, since we went in serious debt and loads of getting the run around. Here is my email: pavy81@yahoo.com
Do not attend this online school, for it is simply a rip off, and unprofessional..
Art Institute of Pittsburg Online is a complete joke. I was in the Web Design program (until today). I withdrew from the school today as it is the last day of the quarter. My so called instructor was a joke. She didn’t even know what .php was. She never taught anything, she was only a moderator not a teacher.
SAVE YOUR MONEY and go to a state school and take up computer science or computer information systems. Will cost you 1/4 of what this sad excuse of a school cost.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
I am just starting with my 3rd class at AIO. I really enjoy taking classes online and so far, have learned a lot….but as others have said, you get out of it what you put into it. Even though I enjoy the school, this will be my last class at AIO. The tuition is absolutely outragous! I am enrolled for a digital design diploma and if I were to stay in to get the diploma, I would end up leaving with $16,000 debt. I don’t even want a diploma, I want a graphic design bachelor’s. If I did that, it would cost around 72K once it’s said and done. I’m not trying to be a doctor for god’s sake….and I’m not going to Harvard! If the school went down to average tuition prices, I would stay, but I’m not rich and far from it.