Is westwood college a scam

Answer 1

THE REAL ANSWER:

Let's try to stick to the independently, verified facts when answering questions about Westwood College -- rather than hearsay, conjecture, and flat-out fiction. It's easy to make things up, but people really looking for credible answers will see right through it and come away with the truth. And here's the truth about Westwood College:

· Westwood offers career-focused programs to prepare their students for employment upon graduation, and many times, before they even graduate. In fact, 76 percent of its students find jobs in their area of study.

· A sampling of companies that have hired Westwood grads: 20th Century Fox, Apple, Disney, EA Games, Ethan Allen, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, Met Life, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Quake Studios and Wells Fargo Bank.

· In addition to national accreditation, Westwood College became a candidate for regional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission in October 2007. Here are some of the schools that have accepted Westwood credits: Purdue University, DePaul University, University of Phoenix and Kaplan University.

· Compared with nearly 400 other private four-year colleges, our students are more satisfied than the median - across all areas (source: Noel-Levitz). A few notable examples are:

o Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment

o The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent

o I receive the help I need to apply my academic major to my career goals

· Unlike tenure-track faculty at traditional colleges, Westwood's faculty have strong academic credentials, as well as being working professionals who can help students develop the skills they need upon entering the workforce. Some facts:

o Every student fills out a Faculty Course Evaluation at the end of each course. On average, students ranked their professors 5.4 out of 6 through January 2009.

o Westwood's faculty members have won numerous awards and accolades, including the Outstanding Engineering Educator Award and the Career College Association Instructor of the Year

· The Career College Association says tuition and fees at Westwood and similar institutions reflect the true cost of education to students, not the taxpayer-subsidized cost.

· Choosing to attend a career college, students decide to make an investment in themselves and their futures. The vast majority of career college students are able to manage their loans and pursue better, more professionally rewarding careers, the CCA reported.

These are all well-recorded facts about Westwood, rather than the personal opinions of a few. I would encourage you to visit the Westwood Website (www.westwood.edu) or contact the school if you have more questions.

AN ALTERNATIVE AND FACTUAL VIEWPOINT:

DALLAS - The owners of Westwood College - which has branches in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston - will pay $7 million to settle a lawsuit with the federal government.

Four years ago, News 8 investigated student complaints against Westwood, which operates seventeen schools nationwide. Its three Texas campuses are known as "career colleges," but in a federal lawsuit, the government charged Westwood was not the college it said it was, and that it did not provide careers for its students.

The lawsuit covers a period from 2002 to 2005, and contains the same complaints Westwood students shared with News 8 in 2005.

Westwood can cost a student tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the curriculum; most students get government grants and loans to go there.

The government charged Westwood with fraud and misrepresentation in participating in those loans.

Westwood told students that 97 percent of its graduates got jobs, but the government said the placement rate was far lower.
For further information see WFAA TV http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090529_wz_westwoodfolo.2d592685.html