Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Full Sail University has some of the most aggressive and invasive telemarketing of any university. I never consented to receiving their calls, yet they continuously harass me by calling several times a week, always from a different number to evade my blocks. Every time they call, the ID comes up as "Potential Spam." They flood my voicemail with pre-recorded messages, disrupt my day, and give me no option to stop these calls. *** is violating the Do Not Call registry and I'm sick of it. They should pay the fines or quit harassing people. As someone who just graduated from high school, this incessant spam does not make me want to attend *** at all. In fact, I stopped considering attending due to their spam. There are better ways to market your university than violating citizens' privacy and the law.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/18) */ Thank you for your email sent on July 5, 2022 regarding case # ********* We appreciate the opportunity to respond. Upon receipt of this concern, the University took swift action to review the complainant's provided contact information and removed the complainant's phone number from our calling cycle. The consumer will not be contacted by us again. Our intention is to only contact individuals who request information. We apologize for the inconvenience this caused the complainant. We hope that this clarifies any misunderstandings.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/17/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In 2019, Full Sail promised, amongst other things, that my financial aid would cover my tuition, and all I had to worry about was paying back my student loans upon completion. I left Connecticut to attend school on campus in Florida and started classes in January 2020. I didn't take financial aid to cover living expenses as I had arranged to live with my sister. Then the pandemic happened. My son was born in April. I depleted my savings quickly since there was no work or opportunity to earn. My sister lost her income, her mother, and would lose her house and I had to move. I enlisted in the National Guard to help cover living expenses and debt. During all of this chaos, the worst I have not mentioned, I did what I could to stay in school, but my grades were affected for a few months. I did notify Full Sail of my orders, paused classes, and went to training. While away, Full Sail changed its policy without notice to "pay to retake a class." When I left training, I drove back to Florida with my family. Funds were also running low. At this point, I saw an email about the billing notice. I called Full Sail. They said the policy changed while I was away, and the only thing I can do is ask for grade forgiveness, but still owe. The National Guard approved funds to reimburse a portion of my school fees in February 2022; despite Full Sail's claim to having a specialized team for military students, no one knew how to process the refund. I called and emailed countless personnel, but no one made an effort to help. My family and I needed the funds to help with bills that are piling up. Several weeks later, they said they would reach out to me to confirm if I wanted to take the money or let it go toward my tuition when completed. Today, they said it was processed, and they just took the funds. No one called. I don't know where to turn at this stage. Please help!

  Business Response

  Date: 07/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/31) */ Thank you for your email notification on May 18, 2022, regarding case *********. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. For reference, the complainant enrolled in the Recording Arts Bachelor of Science program on January 6, 2020 and is currently an active student. After receiving this complaint, the University reviewed the complainant's file, which includes correspondences between the complainant and our faculty and staff. We also spoke with Full Sail staff members who had information regarding the complainant's enrollment at the University. We can confirm that the complainant was charged correctly and in accordance with the terms in the enrollment agreement that he signed before beginning the program. We can confirm that funds received on May 12, and May 18, 2020, were applied to his tuition balance. The complainant was unable to obtain federal funding for Semester 8 due to not meeting the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). He was able to meet the SAP requirements as of May 25 and is eligible to receive federal funding as long as he maintains satisfactory academic progress. University staff have been reaching out to the complainant in an effort to explain this and to provide academic support resources. We encourage the complainant to contact the ************************* Financial Aid department for more information regarding his next steps. We hope that this information was helpful in addressing the complainant's concerns, and we wish him the very best in his continued enrollment at Full Sail. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/06/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Contacting the ************************* Financial Aid or any other department is futile. Even if you do get through after days of waiting for a callback, still no one knows anything and can not provide adequate information. I want the pay-to-retake bill to be removed. As I mentioned in the first complaint, this policy was implemented while I was at basic training, and there was no way to find out if a change was made. Full Sail could have called or emailed to notify the policy change, but the institution did not; instead just went ahead with the bill. After a few months, I reached out about that bill but was met with gatekeepers when asked to speak to someone with higher authority. Some stated the policy change was posted in the student portal for everyone to see. Still, I am possibly the only student that went to Military training during that period, and I did not have access to the student portal. At this stage, I don't trust this institution; who knows what other policy changes there will be soon to gain more money. I understand that this institution is a business and needs to make money. Still, the impression they are giving is that getting money from current and future students is the only important thing to the institution. What about the students' well-being during a pandemic? What about the one student who went to military training. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/06/14) */ Thank you for your email notification on June 1, 2022, regarding case *********. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. The complainant indicated in his second correspondence that he would like to have his pay-to-retake charges removed. After further review of the complainant's student file, the University considered this request; however, the facts of this student's record are unchanged at this time. As we have advised the complainant, if he can provide dated documentation showing that he was in military training the months of July, August, and October 202, we can review his file again for a waiver. This is the normal policy for students who may have failed due to extenuating circumstances. We encourage the complainant to remain in contact with the ************************* Financial Aid department for more information regarding his next steps. In closing, I would like to reiterate that the University has followed all applicable rules and policies in this case. Thank you again for the opportunity to respond.