A class action lawsuit alleges that Northcentral University misrepresents its doctoral program, leading students to believe the program takes between three and a half and five years to complete, when really, it takes nearly seven years.
Allegedly, the for-profit university does this to maximize the profits it can gain from students trying to complete a doctorate.
Plaintiff Christina Torres says that she was enrolled in a doctoral program through Northcentral University from 2010 to 2017, aiming to get a doctorate in education.
Allegedly, she chose the program in part because it was advertised as taking an average of 40 months to complete. However, she says she discovered later, during her enrollment, that the program was designed to take much longer.
The Northcentral University class action lawsuit says other communication from the school sent a year later stated the program took an average of 47 moths, and the length of โ47โ months was articulated in a range of disclosure documents from the school.
This timeline was allegedly stated by the school multiple times, both in writing, and verbally by school representatives, between 2010 and 2013.
However, on Jan. 29, 2015, the Northcentral University class action alleges that the school admitted that the Ed.D. program was โdesigned to take 81 months,โ or almost seven years, and would cost $49,058 in tuition, as opposed to $30,600, which was advertised to Torres.
Additionally, Torres says that she saw on the website that only 63 percent of students who graduated did so in 81 months, and did not address how many students enrolled but did not graduate.
Allegedly, in 2016, the numbers changed again. Torres claims that in 2016, NCU stated that the program was designed to take 81 โ 83 months, cost $50,958 in tuition.
The Northcentral University class action claims the school stated that only 41 percent of students who graduated did so in 83 months, meaning that the average time for students to complete the program was longer than seven years.
The NCU doctoral program says that NCU intentionally misrepresents the length of time needed to complete its doctoral programs, and misrepresents the tuition a student will incur when completing the program.
Torres claims that the program is not designed to help students succeed and graduate, but is set up with numerous roadblocks in place to cause students to take a long time to graduate, thereby paying more tuition and giving more profits to the for-profit university.
Allegedly, many students are forced to drop out to pay off their ever-mounting student debt, and never earn a degree after years of work in the doctoral program.
Torres says that the fact that the program is completed online isolates students from one another, so that they cannot share experiences and see if the difficulties and misrepresentationsย they are experiencing are consistent among students or unique to their experience.
The plaintiff is represented by Adam B. Wolf and Tracey B. Cowan of Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane A Professional Law Corporation, and by Paul Lesko.
The Northcentral University Doctoral Program Class Action Lawsuit is Christina Torres v. Northcentral University Inc., Case No. 3:18-cv-02069-BEN-WVG, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, San Diego Division.
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105 thoughts onNorthcentral University Class Action: Doctoral Program Misrepresented
Please include me in this lawsuit. It took me nearly 7 years to graduate from Northcentral University. My problem statement kept getting returned for modification. I had to change advisors to make progress. I experienced several supplementary courses, which prolonged completion. I was also receiving Veteranโs tuition assistance, however, I am still confused about my final tuition costs. The NCU โpreloadedโ credit card was never preloaded with any funds. I never received a satisfactory answer regarding this issue. It just didnโt add up.
How do I become a part of this action ?
Since it happened so long ago, perhaps we need to start a new one. This is ridiculous whatโs happening to me.
I was a B student, then new teacher flunked me. I had 4 counselors in 2 months who said I had financial aid, ten charged $5100 tuition. Add me to lawsuit
Please include me in this suit. Iโm in the same predicament as K.S above: โ They changed my chair three times. I got my chapter 1 approved, but when I started my chapter 2 and 3, I was told that I have to redo my chapter 1. They keep dragging and delaying to force you take additional 8 week supplementary sections up to three time that is additional 3X $2435 for each dissertation step. this can generate 9X $2435 in addition to what they already charge for 4 of 12 week long steps for dissertation. how is this even legal? I wonder if U.S. department of education or Higher learning commission would say about this practice?โ
This same exact thing is happening to my friend. I am taking the proposal class for the THIRD time.
Please include me as well..They are hounding for money, because I told them to withdraw me from classes and they kept giving me the run around telling me Iโll be fine, when I kept telling them I was NOT ready withdraw meโฆ
Please provide an update to this lawsuit.
I would like to be included in this class action. NCU misrepresents its โone-on-oneโ instructional model, as instructors do not stay in touch with students nor actually do any teaching. NCUโs model is no different than University of Phoenixโs model โ cookie-cutter 8-week assignments without any asynchronous lectures, vague assignment instructions, and antiquated course materials. Instructions are left to the interpretation of the instructor. Furthermore, instructor feedback often doesnโt correspond with the work product submitted by students. Much of the work cannot realistically be done in one week, thus setting students up for potential failure.
I would like to be added to the potential lawsuit and case against Northcentral University for misrepresenting the cost and expected graduation time in Doctoral Ed Program.
NCU is a SCAM, add me as well 2018-2020, left them because they were dishonest.
please add me too. I was dismissed with a B average but was let go today due to not being in good standing. they changed counselors on me several times and 5 yrs later im in debt because of this fradulent school.
Please add my name to the lawsuit
Add me to the lawsuit. I was delayed by more than a year with my unqualified Doctoral Chair.