Investigation on Lehigh Valley College

[Kilgore Trout]

Andrew wrote:

I too was a sucker for their lies...Tuition was suppose to be just as much as the community college plus the 2500 for the crappy ass laptop, but after graduation I received my loan portfolio for all loans and grants and it costed me over 30,000 for an associates degree - they charged me an outrageous price per credit, somewhere around 981.00/ credit. Their financial aid has their heads up their asses! They don't know what they are doing...Long story, tell ya later. But if there is something I can sign to get my name on the investigation list for this so called "college" where do I sign...This summer (July 2008) will be 3 years since I graduated LVC and I have not held one accounting position yet. The department that they call career services shouldn't be called by that name, it should be lying shacks of shits. Their "career services" department provided no help with job placement, oh wait I USED to get one email every 3 months containing ONE JOB, that had nothing to do with my major, Accounting. No companies will hire me because of the name on the degree, LEHIGH VALLEY COLLEGE, and all the front page stories that have read about them. So in turn I'm paying $22,000 for a piece of paper with my name on it. I want them taken down and off the "choices for colleges" list. Can someone please help?!?! Does anyone know how I can get my name on that class action lawsuit againist LVC? My email is [e-mail], please someone have some good news for me!

Andrew, if you learned anything about accounting, try and retake courses in your local community college and get a real associates degree. That's about all I can suggest.

[Sarah]

I'm pretty sure that your education is what you make of it. Instead of sitting on your butt and camplaining about the school perhaps you should go look for a job???? Did you seriously expect LVC to do it all for you? The programs are pretty focused, so you really should have had an idea as to what you wanted to do with your life. They gave you your education now go do something with it. What the hell, quit whining. LAZINESS

[2nd amendment]

LVC is a waste of your time and money.

[Me in DC]

Isn't it ironic how the now "President" of the "college" was the vice president when the investigations first started? Also, it should be known that the Financial Aid department reported to her during that time and the Admissions department reported to the ex-"president."

Hmmm...I would not think this is good practice for a holding company that has one of their divisions on the for sale block.

[Timothy Francis]

I'm currently enrolled at LVC. I started January 14th, 2008. I'm about 4-5 weeks into the Visual Communications program. I attended 2yrs at LCCC in Naticoke, Pa and transferred here after being out of school for about a year or so. I like my teachers and believe they are qualified for the job, however like many others, I've heard bad things about this school and read alot of negative reviews about this place. Unfortunately, it wasn't until today that I thought to actually look into it. Aside from everybody's personal accounts, I can tell you about 65% of the students enrolled don't give two sh!ts about even being there. During classes the lounges and hallways are scattered with kids goofing off. Most of them last quarter failures or worst. Anyways..I came across this school online around the time I was looking into returning to school. I requested a brochure to give me a better understanding of their available programs. I gave them my address and phone #. Probably that same day if not the very next, I received phone call after phone call daily for several weeks until I finally spoke with the Administrative rep. even after my Father told him I wasn't interested. No information was ever sent to my address. Once I spoke with him, he pushed it on me to come out and have a sit down with him. Now I'm here and have flawless grades thus far. I take my schooling seriously and if this school can't get me an entry level job what should I do? They said they are associated with several other colleges in the area and said I could continue my education there afterwards..I'm the oldest and first to attend college and I want to make my parents proud and make a career for my future. My teachers tell me that its whats in my portfolio and my attitude and passion that'll get me a job regardless of my grades. I guess I could understand if you have an amazing portfolio, but is that always the case? Or is it really the piece of paper? Please, anybody who has graduated from their Visual Communications program, please help me..
[e-mail]
I'll be posting quarterly or so and let you all know how things are going I guess. I just need someone to shed some light on the subject, I feel I'm in the dark about a lot still..

[Brewhound]

How this so-called "academic institution" can be even called a college is ludicrous. Please, if anyone is thinking of attending Lehigh Valley College, call around to all of the 4 year colleges in the area and ask them if the credits will transfer. I can guarantee you the majority of all credits will NOT transfer. What does that tell you about the quality of this dump???

[Wiser Time]

Timothy Francis wrote:

I'm currently enrolled at LVC. I started January 14th, 2008. I'm about 4-5 weeks into the Visual Communications program. I attended 2yrs at LCCC in Naticoke, Pa and transferred here after being out of school for about a year or so. I like my teachers and believe they are qualified for the job, however like many others, I've heard bad things about this school and read alot of negative reviews about this place. Unfortunately, it wasn't until today that I thought to actually look into it. Aside from everybody's personal accounts, I can tell you about 65% of the students enrolled don't give two sh!ts about even being there. During classes the lounges and hallways are scattered with kids goofing off. Most of them last quarter failures or worst. Anyways..I came across this school online around the time I was looking into returning to school. I requested a brochure to give me a better understanding of their available programs. I gave them my address and phone #. Probably that same day if not the very next, I received phone call after phone call daily for several weeks until I finally spoke with the Administrative rep. even after my Father told him I wasn't interested. No information was ever sent to my address. Once I spoke with him, he pushed it on me to come out and have a sit down with him. Now I'm here and have flawless grades thus far. I take my schooling seriously and if this school can't get me an entry level job what should I do? They said they are associated with several other colleges in the area and said I could continue my education there afterwards..I'm the oldest and first to attend college and I want to make my parents proud and make a career for my future. My teachers tell me that its whats in my portfolio and my attitude and passion that'll get me a job regardless of my grades. I guess I could understand if you have an amazing portfolio, but is that always the case? Or is it really the piece of paper? Please, anybody who has graduated from their Visual Communications program, please help me..
[e-mail]
I'll be posting quarterly or so and let you all know how things are going I guess. I just need someone to shed some light on the subject, I feel I'm in the dark about a lot still..

I attended the same program. My advice to you is to GET OUT NOW! The piece of paper you'll get once finishing is worthless.

[MeeMee]

Timothy Francis wrote:

I'm currently enrolled at LVC. I started January 14th, 2008. I'm about 4-5 weeks into the Visual Communications program....

There are other schools in the area that offer this type of degree. Kutztown, Northampton CC, and Moravian, to name a few.

I would suggest cutting your losses now and going to one of the other, real, schools in this area. I have a friend who graduated from LVC in that field about two years ago, and oustide of random small freelance jobs, he still cannot find a job in the field.

[mark]

I never really knew how much this fake tour of eight months was. Now I know I too could have bought anthing else for 29,000 and it would be worth more. I have no real paying job, no education, no help or explanation or assistance from lehigh college. I was in class of 02 the old building below the strip mall. I wondered and now know how they built the other school. Our class had 6 computers available to us. what I'm trying to say it offered 1/4 what any community college has to offer. No services the only thing you can depend on is a strict attendance policy. Which if you do try to appeal a grievence the board at the meeting is more inclined 98% of the time to reject and retake and pay again for coarse. Then if for some reason like me you didn't graduate because you failed a class, if you try to retake it all of a sudden now they added 3 more coarses to your major witch now you have to take along with the redo. Oh and by the way I failed because a teacher wanted to prove that lehigh college is stern and respectable and you just don't get 1 point to graduate. I understand but I did try to make well and jumped through many hoops and meetings to no satisfaction. This school taught me one thing investigating is part of educating yourself of people who take advantage of your situation. The stress and bills knocked 15 years off my life and credit score all in 18 months. Please give me any info on the case against lvc @ [e-mail]

[LISACollin]

PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMAIL AND OR THE ATTORNEY YOU ARE USING> WE ALSO WANT TO SUE THE SCHOOL/ PARENT COMPANY FOR FRAUD AND MISREPRESENTATION
pls contact us at [e-mail]
We're fighting mad about the so called settlement and will not stand for this unjustice. If you don't have an attorney we can provide one.

I Am Tired of Them Too wrote:

What a mistake. I'm probably close to $50K in debt when figuring in the interest. I had no idea that these Sallie Mae/Stillwater loans were privatized and couldn't be re-financed/consolidated. If I had know this, I would have figured out some other way to fund my education, or gone somewhere else altogether. Screw the BBB, you'll have the loans paid off before you get through their bureaucratic nonsense. Myself and a friend of mine have submitted letters to the PA State Attorney General and we're hoping to get some sort of action that way. I encourage all of you that have posted and those of you that read this to do the same if you feel as though this travesty of financial injustice is affecting you as well:
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/
Go to the "consumer" button on the top left, and select "consumer complaints". You can then file a complaint using their online form. If anough people do this, we just might be able to get a class-action suit started.

[Joey]

I too attended a similar scam-school.... ICSI, Information Computer Systems Institute (in Catasauqua, PA). I went in the early 90's, paid over 10,000. Couldn't find a job and NONE of the credits were transferrable. Thank you for closing LVC!!!! Now pay back you students.

[LVCGrad2005]

Does anyone have advice? I filed a complaint about LVC to the attorney and the college received my complaint and I got a call from the college asking about it. Does anyone know if they can do that? I felt pressured into giving up and now scared stiff. They are now playing mind games with. I did leave a message for the attorney general's office, though.

[Laura Walter]

I was in the visual communications program as well. I just heard about this I was in class with Dave Herbert. My class size went from about 30 students to about 8-10. Some of the teachers were great but they were frustrated because there was no way they would be capable to teach us what the school required them to teach us in such a sort period of time. I was a full time student who spent 8-16 hours on campus a day. Some of the teachers didn't teach me anything and I had to learn from other students. I worked my butt off to graduate with a 3.49.

The carrier services is horrible. I graduated in 2005 and I have yet to find a job in my field. Why is Walmart, Wawa, and Red Robin at our carrier fairs. You don't even need a GAD to get a job there. The Graphic Design Job market is hard enough as it is and I feel like I received little to no help in trying to find employment. When I enrolled in the school I believe the numbers where in the high 80's or 90's about graduating students finding jobs in 6 months. I was at the top of my class. After a year of not working I went to find work at a grocery store then a truck gate.

I tried to go to another college as well to try and get my BS and no one will accept my LVC credits. I love this field but feel I was not prepared enough to compete with the competition of my field. I am finding myself having to spend extra money on courses on line to reteach myself what I was all ready suppose to be taught.

I feel like 1/2 my classes I paid for a teacher to sit in class have us read the book and do exercises while they had other students work on there freelance business.

How do we get involved in what is going on. I just literally found out about all this today.

[Laura Walter]

Timothy Francis wrote:

I'm currently enrolled at LVC. I started January 14th, 2008. I'm about 4-5 weeks into the Visual Communications program. I attended 2yrs at LCCC in Naticoke, Pa and transferred here after being out of school for about a year or so. I like my teachers and believe they are qualified for the job, however like many others, I've heard bad things about this school and read alot of negative reviews about this place. Unfortunately, it wasn't until today that I thought to actually look into it. Aside from everybody's personal accounts, I can tell you about 65% of the students enrolled don't give two sh!ts about even being there. During classes the lounges and hallways are scattered with kids goofing off. Most of them last quarter failures or worst. Anyways..I came across this school online around the time I was looking into returning to school. I requested a brochure to give me a better understanding of their available programs. I gave them my address and phone #. Probably that same day if not the very next, I received phone call after phone call daily for several weeks until I finally spoke with the Administrative rep. even after my Father told him I wasn't interested. No information was ever sent to my address. Once I spoke with him, he pushed it on me to come out and have a sit down with him. Now I'm here and have flawless grades thus far. I take my schooling seriously and if this school can't get me an entry level job what should I do? They said they are associated with several other colleges in the area and said I could continue my education there afterwards..I'm the oldest and first to attend college and I want to make my parents proud and make a career for my future. My teachers tell me that its whats in my portfolio and my attitude and passion that'll get me a job regardless of my grades. I guess I could understand if you have an amazing portfolio, but is that always the case? Or is it really the piece of paper? Please, anybody who has graduated from their Visual Communications program, please help me..
[e-mail]
I'll be posting quarterly or so and let you all know how things are going I guess. I just need someone to shed some light on the subject, I feel I'm in the dark about a lot still..

I just posted above a little bit about my experiences at LVC. I do agree more then 1/2 the students don't care and don't show up to class. But I was there every day. I mean the security guards and teachers would make fun of me for being there so much. I loved it there at the time. And I really worked hard to get good grades. But I have to agree with every one else.

You are just starting out there. I cut your losses on the 1st semester and get out now. I went to Cabrini after wards to start trying to get my BS and they took a big chunk of my credits. When I went there I realized how much information was held from me. Some teachers at LVC are amazing and it is shame to what is happening there.

I once failed a class on purpose so I could take it again with a different teacher because with the first I didn't learn any thing.

I have sent out so many resumes over the years its not even funny. I wounder if they see Lehigh Valley College and my resume goes in the shredder.

It is because of the few students that didn't care that passed and got jobs who didn't know what they were doing that make us look bad. I have been struggling to get on top of everything but I don't have the time or money to reteach myself. And I am losing that drive and love and motivation I once had.

Honestly If I get hired some where I feel like I need to be retaught everything properly because I didn't really learn the software and all the ins and outs.

Good Luck to you in what ever you decided to do.
~Laura~
[e-mail]