WHY PROPER ACCREDITITION?
Questions and Answers
(Q) Why you shouldn’t consider attending a non-accredited school:
(A) If you attend a non-accredited school, (A.K.A. Post-secondary Trade School), there is a possibility that your credits/degree may not: transfer (by other Universities, Undergrad Programs or Accredited Colleges); nor be accepted by employers.
Highly accredited schools (if you plan to further your education) and career employers may consider these degrees as valueless, low merit and sometimes fraudulent documentation and can place you in the position of becoming a low standard employee. This undercuts your chances of receiving higher pay for what skills you do have with less promising results in your ongoing work history.
If you attend a non-accredited school, there is also the possibility that you will: not gain the necessary experience, knowledge and qualifications that is needed for your chosen career occupation; and possibly be wasting your time and money.
Many students that attend non-accredited schools don’t receive the education they need. The worst-case scenario is that the non-accredited school may be a diploma mill – a business that sells degrees with little or no course work required to graduate. Sometimes these trade schools (even if they’re considered diploma mills or not) have under paid or low standard teaching staff. These instructors do not have the necessary skills, knowledge, certifications (education), or abilities to teach you and therefore cannot provide you with the level of study you paid for to succeed in your chosen field of study thus wasting your time and money.
Many students after graduating from these non-accredited (possibly diploma mill) schools, are stuck paying back thousands of dollars of loans that they can’t afford. This causes many students to go into debt/bankruptcy, lowered credit scores, and destroyed hopes and dreams of going into their chosen occupation.
You may encounter some financial difficulties if you choose to go back to school
again after attending a non-accredited school. Since FAFSA (Free Application for
Federal Student Aid) will only offer aid in one degree at one school, you may
end up not having the necessary loan benefits that you need to further educate
yourself, or to help with living expenses. You might also lose out
on other financial opportunities: (i.e.) Student Aid, F.A.S.F.A., State
Grants, Student Grants, Student Housing Grants, College Fund, Personal Savings,
Family Money, Personal Loans, Etc.
(Q) What is a diploma mill?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diploma_mill )
(A) A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit. These degrees are often awarded based on vaguely construed life experience. Some such organizations claim accreditation by non-recognized/unapproved accrediting bodies set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity.
While the terms "degree mill" and "diploma mill" are commonly used
interchangeably, within the academic community a distinction is sometimes drawn:[1]
(Q) How do I
recognize a diploma mill? What are the common characteristics and attributes of
a diploma mill?
(A) There are many warning signs when approaching or being approached by this type of organization or business. (Below listed are the most important.)
· Mass TV Advertising
· Mass Internet Advertising
· Mass Radio Advertising
· Mass Mail Advertising
· Mass Phone solicitation
· Low standard Accreditation
· No Accreditation
· Internet operated
· Diploma by mail
· Private stock traded
These are the tools of the trade of a student loan predator, with only
one thing in mind, YOUR MONEY!
Diploma mills are frequently named to sound confusingly similar to those
of prestigious
accredited
academic
institutions. Despite the fact that
trademark law is intended to prevent this situation,
diploma mills continue to employ various methods to avoid
legal recourse. An example of this is Thomas James Kirk's
LaSalle University.
In their marketing and advertising campaigns, the mills will often misleadingly
claim to be "accredited" when, in fact, many are found to have been endorsed by
"dummy" accreditation boards set up by company affiliates. In an attempt to
appear more legitimate to potential students,
accreditation mills based
in the United States may model their websites after real accrediting agencies
overseen by the
Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA). Some may even advertise
services for transcript notation and diploma verification in order to seem more
legitimate. Another typical ploy is for mills to claim to be internationally
recognized by organizations such as
UNESCO.
UNESCO, however, does not possess the mandate to accredit or recognize
institutions of higher education or their programs and diplomas. As diploma
mills are typically also licensed to do business, it is common practice within
the industry to misuse their business license to imply government approval.
Compared to legitimately accredited institutions, diploma mills tend to
have drastically lowered requirements for academic
coursework, with some even allowing their students to purchase
credentials without any education. Students may be required to purchase
textbooks, take tests, and submit homework, but degrees are nonetheless
conferred after little or no study.
Buyers often use the diplomas to claim academic credentials for use in
securing employment (e.g., a
schoolteacher may buy a degree from a diploma mill in
order to advance to
superintendent).
Some diploma mills claim to be based outside the country they market to.[citation needed] This is
common with "offshore" jurisdictions.
Diploma mills share a number of characteristics that differentiate them
from respected institutions, although some legitimate institutions can also
exhibit one or more such characteristics.[2]
Some common characteristics are:
(Q) Are diploma mills illegal?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diploma_mill )
(A)Degrees and diplomas issued by diploma mills have
been used to obtain employment, raises, or clients. Even if issuing or receiving
a diploma mill qualification is legal, passing it off as an accredited one for
personal gain is a crime in many jurisdictions. In some
cases the diploma mill may itself be guilty of an
offense, if it knew or ought to have known that the
qualifications it issues are used for fraudulent purposes. Diploma mills could
also be guilty of fraud if they mislead customers into
believing that the qualifications they issue are accredited or recognized, or
make false claims that they will lead to career advancement, and accept money on
the basis of these claims.
Some unaccredited institutions include disclaimers in respect of
accreditation in the small print of their contracts.
Fake degrees are risky for buyers and consumers, says
John
Bear, a
distance learning and
diploma mills expert:
"It is like putting a time bomb in your résumé. It could go off at any
time, with dire consequences. The people who sell fake degrees will probably
never suffer at all, but the people who buy them often suffer mightily. And —
particularly if their "degree" is health-related — their clients may be
seriously harmed."[7]
(Q)
What
if I visited/walked into the school by myself or with my family? How do I tell
if the school is possibly a diploma mill?
(A) If you do a walk in at the school that you’re considering on attending, these are the potential warning signs that something may be wrong with the school:
1.) The Administrative Counselors, as well as other staff members, will usually have a high energy push attitude. They will try to get you into the school right away, while trying to tell you as little information as possible. They may also over exaggerate possibly even in a super happy attitude, when you ask your questions about the quality of the school. They will usually make the school sound like it’s the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to you. They will possibly overstate, exaggerate or misrepresent actual information about your chosen field of study as well as percentages and factual information about students graduating and finding jobs in their field. These people usually do not care about you or about your education. In fact most of the Administrative Counselors and potentially other various staff members, at the school are unaware of the quality of the school, or what goes on, on an everyday basis in the classrooms. Many of these Administrative Staff only care about getting you into the school, so they can make extra commission on their paychecks.
2.) Many Administrative Counselors will want you to sign their contracts to join right away! Especially while visiting the school. They will usually pressure you to go to their Financial Aid Office to qualify for loans, or for that matter put you on the phone with any lender to qualify you for an amount without informing you in-depth about who they are or how they work.
(When dealing with Federal Loans, financial creditors, and contracts;
F.A.F.S.A. requires you to read, understand, look over documented information,
and provide written testimony, before you make a commitment.
This process takes time to learn and understand, and may even require an
attorney. Please be aware if the staff at the school you
plan to attend do not orientate you and/or rush you through this information
and/or process -According to U.S. standard, they may be in violation of Federal
Laws that may constitute student loan fraud or unethical business practices.)
3.) The Administrative Counselors ask you about how good your credit score is and if you have any outstanding debt. (Please be aware: It is against U.S. Federal Rules for them to ask you these questions, and in some states it is against the law to engage a student with any questions or interaction about their personal credit information.)
4.) The Administrative Counselors promise that the career/education program you get from their school will be better or just as good as most colleges, universities, and/or undergrad programs without proving it on record.
5.) The Administrative Counselors promise that their accreditation is well known and they state to you: “MOST OF OUR CREDITS WILL TRANSFER TO MOST INSTITUTIONS.” (NOTE: If the Counselor uses the word MOST and not the word MAJORITY or MOSTLY ALL OF this is a red flag to do a more in-depth investigation in to the school credentials’ and their past before going forward.
6.) Please be aware: when requesting information (in any way) from a school and giving them your personal contact information. If you are contacted multiple times (in any way) from that school with pressuring sales about their educational degrees and programs, 9 times out of 10, they fit the description of and could possibly be a Diploma Mill/Boiler Room Operation.
(Q) What are the different types
of Accreditation in the United States?
(Source:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/education/courses/distancelearn-09.html
)
(A)There are two types of accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department
of Education: regional accreditation and national accreditation.
(Q)
What is Regional accreditation?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/education/courses/distancelearn-09.html
)
(A) Regional accreditation is a term used in the
United States to refer to the
process by which one of several
accrediting bodies, each
serving one of six defined geographic areas of the country, accredits schools,
colleges, and universities. Each regional accreditor encompasses the vast
majority of public and nonprofit private educational institutions in the region
it serves.
Regionally accredited schools are predominantly academically oriented,
non-profit institutions.
Regional accreditation generally applies to what most people consider a
"traditional college or university." UCLA, Ohio State, Harvard, and University
of Phoenix are all regionally accredited institutions. Historically, these
institutions prepared an individual for an advanced degree. In order to do
graduate work at many of these institutions, you must have obtained a bachelor
degree from another regionally accredited institution.
There are six regional accreditation bodies:
(Q) What is National accreditation?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/education/courses/distancelearn-09.html
)
(A) Nationally
accredited schools are predominantly for-profit and offer vocational, career or
technical programs.
National accreditation generally applies to what most people consider a
"vocational college or institution." ITT Tech, Bryman College, and The Art
Institute are examples of nationally accredited institutions. National
accreditation agencies focus on a specific field of study, for example, Art and
Design, Business, or Physical Therapy. Historically, national accreditation
agencies review institutions that have a career-focused curriculum.
(Q) What are the concerns of attending a Nationally accredited school and transferring to a Regionally accredited school?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation )
(A) Every college has the right to set standards and
refuse to accept transfer credits. However, if a student has gone to a
nationally accredited school it may be particularly difficult to transfer
credits (or even credit for a degree earned) if he or she then applies to a
regionally accredited college. Some regionally accredited colleges have general
policies against accepting any credits from nationally accredited schools,
others are reluctant to because they feel that these schools' academic standards
are lower than their own or they are unfamiliar with the particular school. The
student who is planning to transfer credits from a nationally accredited school
to a regionally accredited school should ensure that the regionally accredited
school will accept the credits before they enroll in the nationally accredited
school.
(Q) What is Specialized and Professional
accreditation?
(Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation )
(A) Specialized and professional accreditors are
recognized as reputable by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Best practices are shared and developed
through affiliation with the Association of Professional and Specialized
Accreditors.[16]
The more visable specialized and professional accreditors include the
American Dental Association
Commission on Dental Accreditation, the
American Bar Association
(whose accreditation is a prerequisite to sitting for the bar exam in the vast
majority of states, the most notable exception being
California), the
National
Architectural Accrediting Board (whose accreditation is a
prerequisite to sitting for the architectural licensing exams in most states),
the
Association of
American Medical Colleges for medical schools,
The
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for
business schools, the
American Veterinary
Medical Association for schools of
veterinary medicine, the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for
engineering schools, the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation
automotive schools, and HVAC Excellence for Heating, Ventilation, Air
Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVACR) programs.
(Q) What are Religious creditors?
(Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation )
(A)
Religious schools may seek regional accreditation or a secular national
accreditation, or they have the option of four different specialized agencies,
which include
These groups specialize in accrediting theological and religious schools
including seminaries and graduate schools of
theology, as well as broader-scope universities that teach from a religious
viewpoint and may require students and/or faculty to subscribe to a Statement of
Faith.
The remainder of the accrediting organizations are formed by groups of
professional, vocational, or trade schools whose programs are
industry/profession specific and at times can require technical oversight not
provided by the broader accrediting organizations (i.e. the
Commission on Opticianry Accreditation, the
Accreditation
Council for Pharmacy Education).
(Q) How does accreditation work in other countries
outside the United States?
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation )
(A) In much of the world, institutions of higher
education are authorized to operate by the government, typically through a
Ministry of Education (MOE). The MOE is responsible for ensuring the
institutions meet government standards, so in a sense the government serves as
an accreditation body, too. For example, in Australia, higher education
providers generally need approval of the federal or state governments (or a
non-government body to whom this power has been delegated), or an Act of
Parliament, depending on the nature of the institution.
Canada
In Canada most universities are operated by the
provincial governments
for their respective provinces. There is no institutional accreditation in
Canada. Membership in the
Association
of Universities and Colleges of Canada along with the
provincial charter is considered de facto accreditation for
not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.[47][48]
Germany
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural
Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (Kultusministerkonferenz or KMK) was
founded in 1948 by an agreement between the
states of the Federal Republic of Germany.[49]
Among its core responsibilities, the KMK ensures quality development and
continuity in tertiary education.[50]
Bachelor and
Master programs must be accredited in accordance to a
resolution of the Kultusministerkonerenz.[51]
The German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat)
was founded on September 5, 1957 and conducts institutional accreditation of
private and religious universities since 2001.[52]
The Foundation for the Accreditation of Study Programs in Germany
or Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat) was created in a KMK
resolution on October 15, 2004.[53]
The Accreditation Council certifies accreditation agencies and establishes
guidelines and criteria for program accreditation.[54]
There are currently seven certified agencies.[55]
These agencies accredit programs of study for Bachelor and Master degrees
from state or state recognized
Higher Education
institutions in Germany.[56]
Hong Kong
Main article:
Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational
Qualifications
The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational
Qualificati is appointed by the Secretary for Education of Education Bureau as
the Accreditation Authority and QR Authority under the Qualifications Framework
of Hong Kong (HKQF).
Assessment is made with reference to local and internationally recognised
standards through a process of peer review. The HKCAAVQ will issue an
accreditation report on the outcome of the accreditation activity.
India
Accreditation is compulsory for all universities in
India
except those created through an act of Parliament. Without accreditation, "It is
emphasized that these fake institutions have no legal entity to call themselves
as University/Vishwvidyalaya and to award ‘degrees’ which are not treated as
valid for academic/employment purposes."[57]
The
University Grants Commission Act 1956 explains,
"the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a
University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, or a State
Act, or an Institution deemed to be University or an institution specially
empowered by an Act of the Parliament to confer or grant degrees. Thus, any
institution which has not been created by an enactment of Parliament or a State
Legislature or has not been granted the status of a Deemed-to-be-University, is
not entitled to award a degree."[57]
Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by autonomous institutions
established by the
University Grants
Commission.[57]
Ireland
Legitimate higher education qualifications in Ireland are placed on, or
formally aligned, with the National Framework of Qualifications. This framework
was established by the
National
Qualifications Authority of Ireland in accordance with the
Qualifications (Education and Training) Act (1999). It is illegal under the
Universities Act (1997) for any body offering higher education services to use
the term "university" without the permission of the Minister for Education and
Science. It is likewise illegal under the Institutes of Technologies Acts
(1992-2006) to use the term "institute of technology" or "regional technology
college" without permission.
Israel
Main article:
Council for Higher
Education in Israel
The Council for Higher Education is, by a 1958 law,[58]
the only institution qualified to accredit universities and colleges in Israel.
The council acts as a reviewer of the activity of the academic centers in Israel
and sets terms and requirements for every degree given.
Malaysia
Main article:
Malaysian Qualifications
Agency
Accreditation was done by the
Lembaga Akreditasi Negara
(English: National
Accreditation Board), a statutory body created through an act of Parliament,
for certificates, diplomas and degree courses provided by private higher
educational institutions (defined as institutions providing tertiary or
post-secondary education) until 2007 when the body was
replaced with the
Malaysian Qualifications
Agency.
Prior to the enactment of the legislations that provided for the
establishment of these bodies, no specific framework for accreditation existed
and institutions only required a valid registration status from the
Ministry of Education
of Malaysia.
Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium)
The
Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders
(NVAO) is a binational organization formed by
treaty
in 2003 to independently ensure the quality of higher education in the
Netherlands and Flanders by assessing and accrediting programs. As a result of
separate legislation in the two jurisdictions, accreditation policies and
procedures differ between the two countries.[59]
Portugal
Main article:
Higher education in Portugal
The Portuguese Agência de Acreditação (state-managed Accreditation
Agency) for higher education is, since 2007, responsible for the publication of
the national ranking of higher education institutions and degrees.
Within the Bologna process a state
agency was set up by the
Portuguese Government
to offer central and regulated accreditation. Previously, Portugal had used a
system of professional accreditation and degree recognition by sector, with a
number of associations, Unions and Professional Orders (Ordens Profissionais):
the
Ordem dos Médicos
(for medical doctors), the
Ordem dos Engenheiros
(for
engineers), and the
Ordem dos Advogados (for
lawyers).
The Sindicato dos Engenheiros Técnicos (for
technical engineers), was
created as the professional association of technical engineers, who were not
full chartered engineers, having as mandatory qualification a simple short-cycle
3-year bachelor degree (bacharelato) awarded by the Portuguese
polytechnical institutes
and now discontinued since the mid-2000s.
The Associação de Técnicos de Contas (for
accounting technicians),
the Câmara de Revisores Oficiais de Contas (for
financial auditors, similar to Chartered Accountants),
and the Sindicato dos Enfermeiros (for
nurses)
are examples of organizations which were oriented towards professions that at
least until the 1990s did not demand a specific
academic degree. For example, to be member of the Câmara
de Revisores Oficiais de Contas (for
financial auditors), candidats needed to have two years
of experience and must have a degree in a range of possible area (Economics,
Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or Law). Like in other similar
international associations (Chartered Accountant),
the Câmara de Revisores Oficiais de Contas have very selective examinations.
Some organizations (starting as Associations or Unions) were upgraded
later into Ordens like, for example, the
Ordem dos
Farmacêuticos (for
pharmacists), the
Ordem dos
Arquitectos (for
architects), the
Ordem dos Biólogos (for
biologists), the
Ordem dos
Economistas (for
economists), the
Ordem dos
Enfermeiros (for
nurses),
and the
Ordem dos Revisores Oficiais de Contas (for
Chartered Accountants
and financial auditors). In
addition, the state through the ministry for higher education, has usually been
the central highest accreditation entity, and thus it is illegal to award
degrees without government approval.
For many years, there were state-accredited institutions, both public and
private, awarding unaccredited degrees by the Ordens. This dubious
situation changed in the mid-2000s with the deep reorganization imposed by the
Bologna process
implementation in Portugal, the creation of the new central state-managed
Accreditation Agency and the foundation of many regulated new Ordens
covering dozens of professions until then unregulated by this type of
professional organization.
In 1999, over 15,000 students enrolled in Portuguese higher learning
institutions and newly graduates in the fields of engineering and architecture,
were enrolled or were awarded a degree in a non-accredited course. Those
students and graduates with no official recognition were not admitted to any
Ordem and were unable to develop professional activity in their presumed
field of expertise (e.g. architect; chemical, electrical, or civil/structural
engineer; lawyer; accountant; and financial auditor, among other professionals).
At the same time, only one accredited engineering course was offered by a
private university, and over 90% of the accredited courses with recognition in
the fields of engineering, architecture, and law were exclusively provided by
state-run universities.[60]
In 2007, the compulsory closing of some problematic and unreliable private
higher education institutions (like the defunct
Independente University
and the Moderna University) which
in general had been accredited by the state during the boom of private teaching
of the 1990s, but usually without providing any accredited degrees in accordance
with the requirements of the main Ordens was seen as a remedy of last
resort in order to prevent a further loss of credibility among some sectors
within the non-public university higher education.[61]
Russia
In Russia accreditation/ national recognition is directly overseen by the
Education
Ministry of Russia.[62]
Since 1981, Russia has followed the
UNESCO
international regulations to ensure Russian institutions and international
institutions meet high quality standards. It is illegal for a school to operate
without government approval.
The Russian Federation has a three-step recognition system:[citation needed]
South Korea
It is illegal to falsely claim a degree in South Korea if it does not meet
accredited approval. For example, in March 2006 prosecutors in Seoul "broken up
a crime ring selling bogus music diplomas from Russia, which helped many land
university jobs and seats in orchestras."[63]
People who falsely used these degrees were criminally charged.
United Kingdom
In the UK it is illegal to offer a qualification that is or might seem to
be UK degree unless the awarding body is recognised by the Secretary of State, a
Royal Charter or Act of Parliament to grant degrees.[64]
Prosecutions under the Education Reform Act are rare, as many
unaccredited awarding bodies are based outside UK
jurisdiction. It is also worth noting in this context that the Business Names
Act 1985 made it an offence for any business in the UK to use the word
"university" in its name without the formal approval of the
Privy Council.[65]
Private higher (HE) and further education (FE) institutions (here
distinguished from the qualifications that they offer) are unregulated, but may
choose to become accredited by various non-regulatory bodies such as the
British Accreditation Council
or the British Council and
Accreditation
Service for International Colleges in order to demonstrate
third-party assessment of the quality of education they offer. The Universities
Funding Council, and Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council established in
the UK under the 1988 Education Reform Act[66]
have responsibility for the public funding of the FE and HE sector.
Prosecutions under legislation other than the Education Reform Act 1988 do
occur. In 2004, Thames Valley College in London was prosecuted under the
Trade Descriptions Act
for offering degrees from the 'University of North America', a
limited liability company
set up by themselves in the US with no academic staff and no premises other than
a mail forwarding service.[67]
(Note that this organization differs from the current University of North
America, a non-accredited institution.[68])
(Q) Where can I find information about the Art
Institute of Houston Lawsuit?
(Source:
http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/legal-services-litigation/6705238-1.html
)
Publication:
Business Wire
Date:
Wednesday, September 8 1999
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 1999--
Alleging they were defrauded by their school, 145 Houston-area students have brought suit against the Art Institute of Houston Inc., and parent companies the Art Institutes International Inc. and Education Management Corporation Inc. in district
court, the 113th Judicial District, Harris County.
The lawsuit was filed on June 30, 1999 by the Houston-based law firm of
Fleming & Associates, L.L.P. in coordination with the law firm of Mike O'Brien,
P.C., and the law offices of David B. Black. In addition to the named plaintiffs
who comprise more than 10 percent of the student body, other current and former
students are also expected to join the cause.
Under the terms of the suit, the students, many of whom are honor
students, allege that while seeking to gain a quality education and a bona fide
degree they were lured into enrollment at the Art Institute of Houston and
encouraged to matriculate often under an albatross of hefty student loans.
"The school recruited me and my friends through their calculated and
deceptive marketing and slick sales pitches," said Patricia Kline, Art Institute
of Houston student body president. "It all turns out to be a lie. We were
promised instruction by top-notch educators, access to state-of-the art computer
equipment and targeted career placement services in exchange for tuition of more
than $35,000."
The law suit against the Art Institute of Houston and its parent companies charges that the school knowingly mislead these pupils to believe they were receiving a valuable post-secondary education as well as skills which would lead to subsequent employment. "It's unfortunate that a multi-billion dollar corporation has to resort to misleading practices," said attorney Andres C. Pereira, Fleming and Associates, L.L.P. "These kids were interested in working to improve their lives by getting post-secondary education and instead end up owing a lot of money with nothing to show for it."
The Art Institute of Houston is a subsidiary of parent company Education Management Corporation (Nasdaq:EDMC), one of the largest providers of proprietary education in the United States, based on student enrollments and revenue. EDMC's schools throughout the country offer bachelor's and associate's degree programs and non-degree programs in the areas of design, media arts, culinary arts, fashion and paralegal studies.
The law firm of Fleming & Associates, L.L.P. concentrates its practice on complex litigation matters and has been highly visible in representing Latin American countries in actions filed in U.S. District court against tobacco companies for costs associated with smoking-related diseases. The firm also represents plaintiffs in fen-phen cases and independent gas station dealers against both Exxon and Shell Oil Company.
(Q) Where can I find student reviews and statistical
information about the Art Institute and other schools?
(A) Visit this Website:
Source:
Reviews
http://www.studentsreview.com/FL/AIOFL.html
Comments from Students
http://www.studentsreview.com/FL/AIOFL_comments.html