United States University, a for-profit institution located on Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista, has an uneven track record. Things have been improving for them of late —so why does a USU student have to hire an attorney to try resolve her dispute?

Celeste P. wanted to become a nurse. When she first started attending USU she had already accrued 60 units at Grossmont Community College. She initially only wanted to take a microbiology course at USU and then get on a waiting list for enrollment in the Grossmont Associated RN program. A USU academic advisor suggested she could earn both a Bachelor’s in Science and a Bachelor’s in Science Nursing at USU in a shorter amount of time than the degree at Grossmont. This sounded like a great opportunity to her.

According to Celeste, during her undergraduate studies the university’s ownership changed several times, staff turnover was high, policies changed and tuition increased. Some students, Celeste said, could not afford the changes and were forced to drop out. She hung in there because she had already invested so much.

When, Timothy Cole became the fourth USU president, Celeste hoped things would improve. She entered an ABSN [accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing] program. Later, however, she was dropped from the cohort because her final grade in Pediatrics was 2% below the minimum. She said the pediatrics’ professor, who was also the assistant dean of nursing, left the university midway during the course and was not replaced.

Celeste sought ways to mediate the grade or retake the class, but was often told she would have to retake—and pay for—all the course work. According to a complaint letter Celeste wrote to the Board of Registered Nurses, President Cole and she came to an agreement that she could retake the pediatrics course. An administrator advised her of the start date for the class —but when she went to register she was told the class was half over.

In a July 28 interview, Celeste she said that she was now in debt $43,000 and while she has managed to defer her payments, interest is accruing. To add to it all, in seeking resolution to her lost years and lost tuition, Celeste was obliged to hire David Bristol, an educational attorney who assists K-12 students, charter students, and private university students from the border to San Francisco. In a brief conversation with Bristol on July 28, he said students often don’t know there is recourse and often turn their back on situations like these and walk away.

Celeste said Bristol was instrumental in obtaining things from her personnel file that made her case clear.

In a July email to Board of Nurses consultant, Leslie Moody, Celeste wrote: “I am happy to report that with the assistance of an attorney USU has agreed to fully honor my student catalog rights. But, the university has sent out notice to students that it intends to discontinue the pre-licensure program [the program Celeste had been enrolled in]…”

In other words, Celeste can win her complaint but there is no way for her to finish what she had begun at USU. She has nothing to show for her four years with USU but attorney fees and a $46,000 debt. Celeste said, “I can see how it may appear that my issue has been resolved. However, the university has agreed to allow me to continue the pre-licensure program, even though USU intends to discontinue the pre-licensure program. I see no resolution in this.”

Celeste speculates that USU is changing their nursing offerings because “With a pre-licensure (RN) program they can only accept 20 students at a time, but with RN [Registered Nurse] to BSN [Bachelor of Science in nursing] they [USU] can have unlimited students doing online classes. It’s more profitable and they won’t have to worry about their low NCLEX pass scores, which jeopardize their accreditation.

A California state website gives university test results for students who have taken the NCLEX, or nurse licensing exam. Over the last few years, results for USU are poor. And in 2013-14 out of 4 who attempted the test, none passed.

In a July 28 conversation with Board of Registered Nursing consultant Moody, she stated that United States University has been approved by the board, but is currently on “deferred status,” while clearing up some issues. Moody also said she cannot discuss an individual student’s complaint; however the board does involve itself in the process of student complaints.

As stated in the introduction, USU has an uneven history but there have been improvements in the last year.

In 2013 USU paid a civil settlement of $686,720 to resolve allegations that the school had submitted falsified aid application to the U.S. Department of Education in order to obtain Pell Grant funds for students who were ineligible.

2013 was also a bad year for USU because the Western Association of Schools and Colleges put the university on probation. The Association found that USU had multiple weaknesses including serious financial problems.

According to WASC documents on the university’s website, the institution worked to resolve problems and in June 2015 WASC took the school off probation. However, the accrediting organization noted that USU needed to “continue to reduce the annual budget deficit while developing long term financial sustainability.”

Around the same time the school was taken off probation the university also gained a new president and CEO, Barry T. Ryan, who is also a WASC commissioner.

In order to reduce their deficit USU was tasked with attracting new students. They got a real catch when Bayfront Charter High School, an independent charter out of Chula Vista Elementary School District, began leasing classroom space from the university. Not only does the university get $750k — they get prospective university students. According to WASC documents, “An agreement to lease classroom space to a local charter school will also provide leads to students enrolled in the charter school.”

Many small colleges would salivate over such an opportunity. In this case, Bayfront Charter appears to reciprocate the feeling.

Minutes from a March 2015 Bayfront Charter meeting state: “Dr. Riley [Bayfront Charter CEO] is assisting USU in expanding its School of Ed [Education] to take advantage of our expanding presence in the building—the plan would bring students to their [USU’s] Education program and potential employees to CVESD [Chula Vista Elementary School District.]
For some students, doors to a new career are opening through USU—for Celeste P. they have closed. Celeste wishes she had just continued at Grossmont and she says she has lost faith in for-profit colleges. “I have wasted five years of my life and I’m farther away from my goal than ever, now I have to pay off this debt.”