Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Empire Education Corp Mildred-Elley Education's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Empire Education Corp Mildred-Elley Education

  1 Park Pl Albany, NY 12205-2676

• 

  Empire Education Corp Mildred-Elley Education

  25 Broadway Fl 16 New York, NY 10004-1005

• 

  Empire Education Corp Mildred-Elley Education

  855 Central Ave Albany, NY 12206-1513

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:10/22/2024

  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.

  The school promised a degree, then lied about class times, and dates, ordered incorrect books 4 times, refused to give me a refund. HID THE COMPLAINT FORMS in the locked office, never gave me the correct books for weeks after the school started, as well as other students getting the wrong books as well. this caused me to go through 3 jobs because the class times were lied about.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2024

  Ms. ********** enrolled in the Clinical Medical Assistant
  (CMA) Program for the Fall 2 term beginning on 11/14/22.  She attended 2 semesters in the CMA program
  for which she ordered and received the proper textbooks.  In July 2023 the student requested to switch
  her program from the CMA program into the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)
  Program (see attachment #1).  Ms.
  ********** requested to do the weekend program, unfortunately due to lack of
  enrollment Mildred Elley was unable to provide weekend courses for the Summer 2
  term.  The institution reserves the right
  to cancel any course sections due to insufficient enrollment, this policy is
  clearly stated in the college catalog (see attachment #2).The very next term, which began on 9/18/23 the student was
  enrolled in the LPN program for which she ordered
  her books.  Unfortunately the third-party vendor that Mildred Elley contracts to
  fulfill textbook orders unintentionally shipped the wrong ATI textbook bundle
  to our students. which was a portion of the total textbooks ordered for the term.  As soon as the institution
  was made aware of the error, we contacted the vendor who worked swiftly to get
  the bundle returned, see emails attached (see attachment #3).  Unfortunately, Ms. ********** requested to be
  withdrawn from the institution on 10/1/23. 
  Upon her withdrawal she returned the incorrect ATI bundle and some of the other textbooks she purchased, but not all of them.  The
  detail of what she purchased and what she returned is attached (see
  attachment #4).  Per Ms. **********’s
  student ledger, you can see that the student was issued a refund for all
  textbooks she returned (see attachment #5).Additionally, you will notice from the student’s ledger that
  upon withdrawal from the institution the student had a credit balance of
  $3,446.48 that was refunded to her. Based on the facts presented above, the institution rejects
  the student’s claims that she was lied to about class times, dates and that she
  received incorrect textbooks 4 times and that she was refused a refund.  Additionally, the institution does not
  understand the student’s claim regarding complaint forms being hidden.  The institution does not have any formal
  complaint template forms.  At any time if
  the student had a grievance, there is a grievance policy in the college catalog
  that she could have referenced to submit a formal complaint, but she did not do so (see attachment
  #6).  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2024

  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.

  My daughter completed and LNA training class at Mildred Elley in September/October of 2022. We paid all of the invoices that were received. In late April of 2024 Victor T***** left a message for ***** stating that she owed $560.61. According to him the person responsible for billing became ill and the school was just now able to send invoices. I did speak with Victor T***** briefly and explained that we never received anything in the US mail and that this seemed suspicious. He did send ***** an invoice, via email, that showed the charges and payments that were made. When speaking with him I suggested the invoice should be written off. They refused and then began calling ***** and threatening to send the invoice to collections. They took close to two years to send an invoice and then threatened collection after less than 30 days. I paid the invoice because of the threat of collections. During this time frame I left messages for the financial aid office so I could pay, and Mary (in the Albany location) never returned my calls. She would not speak to me because there was not a FERPA form signed. I do realize businesses have up to 6 years to send invoices, however, this is an irregular business practice. Victor T***** was also threatening and harassing.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/19/2024

  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.

  I went to Mildred Elley College back from 2012-2014 and graduated with an Associates degree in Administrative Assistant in 2014. When I was attending school I also worked in the financial aid office under the work study program. During that time of 2 years working & attending school. I was told I would be all set to graduate. I graduated and thought things were in order until recently I tried to go back to school and needed my transcript from Milderd Elley to be informed that now I have a balance of close to 400$. So now I can’t get my transcripts because I don’t have an extra 400$. Which is hindering me from advancing my education. I tried to talk to the staff but the woman Robin who is new & in charge of old debt was the most vial person I have ever experienced. I could not get my transcript & was told not to come to the school to get them. I worked hard & now they are holding my transcripts hostage for a bogus balance financial was supposed to cover. Please help

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2024

  Our records show that there has not been any communications from Ms. **** since March 2020.  In addition, our records do not show any request made by Ms. **** for a transcript.  Additionally, the individual that Ms. **** named as the person whom she spoke with and that denied her transcript left our employment last July.  Mildred Elley does not withhold transcripts of students based on outstanding balances.  Ms. **** can request her transcript from our website at ******************************************************** , the student will have to pay the nominal fee associated with processing the transcript request, but should receive the transcript withing 2-5 business days.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I have tried to pay for my transcripts before but was give the “unofficial” transcript. I am trying to go back to school so I need the “official” transcript to provide to their registration department. I was told until this mysterious balance is paid in full. I don’t want to attempt to get them again & face the same issue. 
  
  Regards, ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2024

  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.

  I was enrolled as a student in Mildred Elley NYC campus. As a student there I noticed that the representatives at the school basically force you to write down your social security number so that they can fill out the FAFSA for . Then when I get into the financial aid office the manager informed me that I had to enroll as a Medical assistant before I can enroll into the LPN program. They used my financial aid to cover Medical assistant classes which they considered were prerequisites for the LPN program. None of the classes counted toward the LPN program. The day before I was due to start the LPN program the manager in the financial aid office forced me to sign a contract with *** Corporation otherwise he informed me that I would not be able to enroll into the LPN program which started the following day . When I informed the manager I don’t have a job he stated you have a Louis Vuitton bag so sell it or find money some how. I signed the paperwork and continued into the LPN . Toward the end of my program I noticed charges on my accounts that were inaccurate . When I tried to talk to someone I was basically chasing my tail . Another thing is when I enrolled into the program MIldred Elley informed me that I would be able to transfer to many different colleges of choose to continue to a registered nurse program in NYC. I have searched and all of the programs in nyc does not accept Mildred Elley credits . This school scammed me and scammed so many like me . Please help. I owe almost $30k and I am unable to get accented into a LPN to RN program . If I knew this from the beginning I would of never enrolled into there program. They deceived me with their lies.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2024

  To Whom It May Concern,******* ******** enrolled in the Clinical Medical Assisting (CMA) Program at Mildred Elley’s NYC Campus beginning 7/16/18.She met with an Admissions Representative on 7/2/18 and•completed an Application for Admission to the CMA Program,•signed an Enrollment Agreement for the CMA Program•Signed a disclosure confirming enrollment in the CMA program and requirements for acceptance into the Practical Nursing Program.Ms. ******** was sent a letter on 7/6/18, announcing and congratulating her on her acceptance into the CMA Program.(Application for Admission, Enrollment Agreement, and Metro CMA Disclosure signed 7/2/18 are provided) (CMA Acceptance Letter is provided)After her acceptance, the student met with a Financial Aid Representative on 7/12/18 and was presented with an Estimated Financial Aid Package with a projection of the total direct costs, grant aid, and loans for her enrollment in the CMA Program. Her eligibility was determined based on information collected on her 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Institutions of Higher Education are sent an Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) after the student files the FAFSA and the data is analyzed. If a student makes a change to their FAFSA information, the changes are denoted on the ISIR with a # sign. Ms. ********’s ISIR shows that it was corrected to be sent to Mildred Elley and signed by her, thus there is no evidence to support Ms. ********’s claim that the school completed the FAFSA for her.(Estimate signed 7/12/18 provided) (pages 3 and 4 of Institutional Student Information Report 2018-19 are provided)Ms. ******** completed a Request for Program and/or Major Change Form on 7/3/19, requesting a change from the CMA to the PN Program effective for the term beginning 7/15/19. This request was approved and she signed an Enrollment Agreement for the PN Program that day. The Registrar’s Office reviewed her academic transcript and prepared a Credit Map of the remaining courses needed for the PN Program after transferring 21 credits from the CMA Program, this demonstrates that indeed classes she took in the CMA program were counted toward the LPN Program.(Program Change form, Credit Map and Enrollment Agreement provided)Albany, After her acceptance into the PN Program, the student met with a Financial Aid Representative on 7/3/19 and was presented with an Estimated Financial Aid Package, revised to include the costs and assistance for the PN Program. It was explained to Ms. ******** that her expected costs were greater than her expected financial assistance, leaving a balance due to the College. Ms. ******** was generously offered a payment plan to cover the expected unfunded balance. The student agreed to a Revolving Credit Account with *** Tuition Financing, *** manages student payment plans on behalf of our institution. Later, in was determined that Ms. ********’s was eligibility to receive a NY State TAP Grant, and the *** payment plan contract was cancelled. Ms. ******** owed a balance of $264.21 after graduation, which she paid as shown on the Student A/R Listing.(Estimate signed 7/3/19 provided) (*** contract is provided) (A/R Listing provided)The Applicant Certification Ms. ******** signed 7/2/18 upon enrolling states “I understand that the programs at the institution are designed for training students for career advancement and entry into the workforce rather than for transfer to other colleges. I understand that acceptance of transfer credit is always up to discretion of the receiving college, and that credits earned at Mildred Elley may not be transferrable or applicable to programs offered by other colleges. No one at Mildred Elley can guarantee or imply transferability of credits to other institutions.” The student was not promised that she would be able to transfer credits.(Applicant Certification provided)Sincerely,Michelle L. C**********Chief Financial Officer

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2023

  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.

  I was informed false requirements to enroll in the LPN program. This has resulted in me being billed 10,000 for classes that I was not required to take/

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  This letter is in response to
  the complaint filed by Ms. ****** ***** against Mildred Elley to the Better
  Business Bureau. In the complaint, Ms. ***** alleges that she was not correctly
  informed of the requirements for admission into the Practical Nursing
  Certificate Program. She further alleges that she was billed $10,000 for
  classes she was not required to take. These allegations are not true.
  Supportive evidence includes the following:****** ***** executed an “Enrollment Agreement” on June 6, 2022 in the Medical Assisting Associates Degree Program. (Attachment 1). Ms. ***** also signed a “Practical Nursing Admissions Options” form on July 26, 2022 which fully discloses options with respect to transferring into the Practical Nursing Certificate Program. She certified that she was fully aware of the admissions / transfer requirements into the Practical Nursing Program. (Attachment 2).Additionally, Ms. ***** executed the “Applicant Certification” form which sets forth in specificity certifications regarding enrollment into the college. (Attachment 3).Also attached for your review is the “Transcript” for Ms. *****. (Attachment 4).Ms. ***** asserts that,
  because she was not correctly informed of the requirements for admission into
  the Practical Nursing Certificate Program, she was billed for additional
  classes. In fact, Ms. *****’ financial aid estimate increased because she
  transferred into a different academic program along with subsequent changes in
  her original financial aid eligibility estimate.  Specifically: Ms. *****
  originally enrolled in the Medical Assistant AOS Program. At the time of Ms.
  ***** original enrollment, an estimated financial aid assistance package was
  presented to her which estimated a balance of $7,778.00 for the entire
  program.  Ms. ***** acknowledged that she
  would have a balance which she would be responsible to pay the school by
  signing the estimated financial package along with a payment plan for $7,778
  with TFC Credit Corporation.  The financial aid office
  reached out to Ms. ***** several times and left messages reminding her to make
  her payments. Ms. ***** never made any agreed upon payments and subsequently
  defaulted.  The agreement was cancelled
  on 5/31/2023 by TFC Credit Corporation for non-payment. On July 17, 2023, Tamara
  transferred from the Medical Assistant AOS Program to Practical Nursing Certificate
  Program.  At the time of this transfer
  another estimated financial aid assistance package was presented to Ms. *****,
  which set forth that she would have an estimated balance owed to the college
  upon completion in the amount of $19,082.91. 
  Ms. ***** again acknowledged the balance that she would owe to the school
  by signing her estimated financial aid assistance package. Ms. ***** applied for a
  Sallie Mae Loan but was denied.  She was
  advised on August 7, 2023 by the financial aid department that if she wanted to
  enter into another payment agreement, we would require a 20% down payment on
  the balance and we would then allow her to go on a monthly payment plan for the
  remaining balance -- notwithstanding the fact that she previously defaulted on
  her payment plan.  Ms. ***** has not
  complied with that 20% down payment requirement.When Ms. ***** completed her
  22/23 Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form in July 2022, she had an Expected Family
  Contribution (EFC) of 5680, which determined the amount of Federal and State
  Grant and Loan funds she would be eligible to receive to assist her in funding
  her education.  An EFC of 5680 made her
  ineligible to receive the full federal Pell Grant award, but she was still
  eligible for NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Grant and Federal Direct
  Loans.In July 2023 when Ms. *****
  filed a new 23/24 award year FAFSA, her EFC increased dramatically from 5680 to
  10412.  The increase in her EFC made her
  ineligible to receive any Grant assistance from the Federal Pell Grant or the
  NYS TAP Grant programs.  The loss of
  grant funds, estimated to be around $7,700, along with the increase in cost due
  to the transfer in academic programs, resulted in increasing her unfunded
  balance to $19,082.91. (Attachment 5).Accordingly, Ms. *****
  allegations have no merit. We remain available to Ms. *****
  to thoroughly explain academic requirements and her financial obligations.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2023

  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.

  I began my degree at ME in February 2021. Ms. G****, financial aid and admin gave me a slew of misinformation as well as misleading facts about the program in general. Due to the institution's continuous understaffing, unprofessionalism and lack of organization, I still have not graduated an 18 month program and have been left with no choice but to completely withdrawal.
  Working directly with the institution's former Dean, I was forced into taking a LOA so that the staff could restructure and they could offer the classes necessary for me to graduate while operating within the constraints of my allotted financial aid funding, . When I reached out to return to the program all of the staff I had been working with had been replaced and the new staff had no idea about my schedule and were not helpful. I attended and paid for all my training at Mildred Elley as a night student, yet this new staff were not willing to let me return and finish my degree as a night student.
  Regarding my financial aid- the woman I worked with for all my needs while in school was demoted while I was on my LOA. While looking through my bills I discovered that ME had skimmed $8000 from my government financial aid package loan. When it was discovered they acted as though it was a clerical mistake, however that is questionable. As a student, you are not permitted to view your financial records and everything is so overcomplex and indistinct that you're unable to make sense of their billing or calculate your estimated graduation date.
  This institution has acted deceivingly, unprofessionally and lacks transparency about fees, graduation dates, scheduling of classes, and does not provide the structure nor environment that cultivates a NYS higher learning education program

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  ******** ****** enrolled in the Massage Therapy Certificate
  Program at Mildred Elley for the Spring term of 2022.  She fulfilled all entrance requirements,
  signed the enrollment contract and began the first module of her program on February
  1, 2021 with her anticipated graduation date being September, 2022.  (Attachment A).  It was anticipated that she would take the
  professional boards for licensure in January of 2023. 
  The New York State Board for Massage Therapy’s licensure
  examinations are only given twice a year—once in January and once in
  August.  With Ms. ******’s assumed
  graduation date of September 2022, it was expected that she would take the
  boards in January, which would be her first opportunity to take the test.   Applications for board testing are accepted
  until November 1 and June 30 for the respective exams.  This information appears on the New York
  State Board for Massage Therapy’s website; it is also reviewed multiple times
  with students, specifically in two classes:  MT 111 —Professional Development and Ethics (Part I) and in the Capstone
  class which is the culmination of the student’s program at Mildred Elley and is
  offered in the student’s last semester. Ms. ******’s successfully completed MT
  111 and she should have understood the testing requirements and timetables as reviewed
  in class.  Attached is the syllabus for
  MT 111 outlining the topics covered in the course. (Attachment B and B-1).
  ******** ****** was an evening student.  Evening students in massage therapy are
  scheduled weeknights from 5:30-9:30 pm.  It is widely known that evening massage students, upon reaching the
  clinical portion of their program, will have to attend clinic on Saturday for
  two modules.   (Attachment C).
  Ms. ****** progressed on schedule in her program until the
  Spring 2 term (3/11/22-5/15-22) when she requested a leave of absence due to a
  medical procedure (Attachment D).    She was notified at the time that the leave
  could put her out of sequence in her program and might delay her graduation
  (Attachment D-1). This is because the Massage Therapy program is small (less
  than 50 students in the entire program) and therefore an interruption in a
  student’s program may cause the student to wait for certain classes to be
  offered since not every class in the program is offered every term.  This is especially true as the classes become
  more specialized.
  Upon return from her leave of absence, Ms. ****** progressed
  in her program, but opted not to take her clinicals in the summer sessions, as
  she should have.  Clinic I and Clinic II,
  which must be taken in sequential order, were offered in the two summer modules
  of 2022 (5/23/22-7/17/22 and 7/18/22-9/11/22).  In a communication earlier in the year with Belinda G****, who at that
  time was the Chairwoman of the Massage Therapy Division, Ms. ****** indicated
  that she did not want to take clinicals throughout the summer and again that
  she preferred to take them on Fridays.  (Attachment E).  Again, Friday
  clinics were for the day students, Saturday clinics for the evening
  students. 
  In the first module of the Fall term of 2022
  (9/11/22-11/23/22), Ms.  ****** was
  scheduled for two classes, Clinic I—offered per her request on Fridays.    Luckily
  for Ms. ******, there was room in the clinic on Fridays to accommodate
  her.    She refused
  that schedule and asked for another leave of absence stating that all the
  classes she wanted were not scheduled.   Looking
  ahead to the next module she refused that schedule as well--although HEA 251
  (First Aid and CPR) was offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Clinic II
  was offered on Saturday.   All three of these classes were required to be
  taken by Ms. ******; all three of these classes were offered in time slots that
  she requested or knew about (Attachment F, G, H).      Kerri
  Cirillo, Dean, questioned this decision by Ms. ****** in an email to her dated
  July 5 (attachment I).
  In the Spring I and Spring II of this year (January 23-March
  20, 2023 and March20 to May 14, 2023) four of the six courses remaining in Ms.
  ******’s program are being offered—the clinics are offered on Saturdays as
  originally known; the other two are offered during the day.  Unfortunately, by not accepting courses
  offered in the time frames she requested some of the courses she needs are not
  offered in the evening in this semester (attachment J).     
  On January 13, 2023, Ms. ****** opted not to take any of the
  courses and instead requested to withdraw from the program (attachment K)  
  With regard to financial aid, Ms. ****** funded her initial
  program by applying for a Pell grant and a grant from the New York State Tuition
  Assistance Program ( NY TAP).   Her initial estimate (dated and signed on
  1/25/21) shows that Ms. ****** was awarded no NY TAP based on the fact that she
  had used all her TAP points at previous institutions, exhausting her lifetime
  eligibility and preventing further awards of NY TAP grants.    She
  was awarded less than a full Pell grant because she had already received
  several Pell grant disbursements for attendance at other institutions and was
  approaching her lifetime limit for the award of Pell grants.  She borrowed $10,109.88 in Federal Direct student
  loans at the onset of the program which provided full funding for her program
  (Attachment L).  It should be noted that
  Ms. ****** signed an authorization to hold a federal student aid credit balance
  (Attachment R).  This authorization
  permits Mildred Elley to retain federal student aid received that results in a
  credit balance on a students account unless instructed otherwise by the student.  It is unknown what was meant by Ms. ******’s
  complaint that Mildred Elley skimmed $8000 from her government financial aid
  package loan, but any funds held on her behalf on her account were done so with
  Ms. ******’s authorization.
  In September of 2021, Ms. ****** requested additional loan
  funding so that she could receive a stipend check for her living expenses. Her
  estimate was revised, offering her maximum loan funding, and she signed
  acceptance of this offer on 10/14/21 (Attachment M).   Funds were disbursed to Ms. ****** as
  follows:
  12/02/2021$2,800
  02/15/2022$2,885.70
  Ms. ****** went on a Leave of Absence (LOA) from 3/23/22
  through 5/23/22. When preparing to return from LOA, she signed another revised
  estimate on 4/27/22, which included additional increases to her loan borrowing
  and included future estimated credit balances[1] (Attachment N).  These credit balances
  were issued to her via check as follows:
  06/23/2022 $1,500 (voided and reissued 7/6/2022)*
  09/20/2022$7,806.99
  *the check issued went to an old address and was reissued
  immediately upon the student informing us of this (Attachment O). 
  On 9/6/22, prior to her request for the leave of absence
  (10/1/22) which spanned two modules (a full semester), Ms. ****** requested a
  large disbursement of the credit balance on her account.  The check was issued on 9/20/22. (Attachment
  K).
  Copies of all checks issued are included in Attachment P.
  In conclusion, we believe the school acted in good faith and
  responsibly in attempting to assist the student in progressing through her
  program to her desired career outcome.  The
  student received several accommodations in response to her requests to modify
  her schedule and Mildred Elley’s staff and faculty tried to assist Ms. ****** in
  every way feasible.  Unfortunately, the
  school is not in the position to rewrite the schedule for the convenience of a
  single student (attachment Q).
  Clearly, the student is at a financial disadvantage having
  used all her financial aid resources, including the remaining $15,000 she took
  in student loans, beyond what was needed to meet her educational expenses for
  the program.  This tapped out her student
  loan access.  She previously used all her
  TAP points and the majority of her Pell grants at other institutions.
  We believe Ms. ****** to be a bright lady who did very well
  when she attended school.  We would like
  to be able to count her among our successful graduates.  To this end we are offering to give her an
  institutional grant for tuition only for the remaining six courses she needs to
  complete.  This amounts to a grant of $3,069
  for 11 credits at $279 per credit.  This
  would allow her to resume her education, take the licensing examination, and
  upon obtaining a passing score,  apply
  for a license to practice the art of Massage Therapy in New York state.
  I hope this explanation satisfies all open questions of your
  agency.  Should you have any further
  questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 
  
  
  [1] A
  credit balance arises when a student’s account has a positive balance against
  applicable charges for tuition and fees for the same semester.  In this instance, Ms. ****** took out loans
  for an amount in excess of the tuition, fees, and charge for her program, and
  when the loan proceeds were disbursed to her a credit balance was created.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ******Apparently whom ever is reviewing my case is not understanding the original complaint. I can not accept your offer to complete my degree with absolutely no information on the how or when. Are these night classes which is what I signed documents for? When are my classes being offered? Considering I started this degree in 2021 and it is only an 18 month program, exactly how much longer am I expected to pulled around and around in circles with no straight answers? Your offer does not address the core issues. Furthermore, in the first offer you stated it was 3,690 in a grant you were offering, or somewhere around that number. Your new response states it is over 4,000 than I am gifted. This type of response is precisely in alignment with my original complaint. Nothing that comes from Mildred Elley is transparent or useful. The institution talks in circles as to confuse and muddle situations, never giving straight answers. It has been my experience for over two years now that Mildred and it's employees, don't have straight answers because there are none. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  This is the final response by Mildred Elley in response to
  Complaint ********. In our prior responses, we tried to address the issues in
  the Complaint. The second supplemental statement the Complainant filed with
  your office indicates it is doubtful further exchanges through your office will
  be successful.
  Rather than accept the
  proposed resolution in general, with the specific details to be worked out
  between the parties, the Complainant tries to pick around the edges and
  introduce unjustified assumptions and strawman arguments. Her response suggests
  there can be no resolution. It is simply not productive to negotiate each
  detail of her continued education through your office. The offer is clear and
  simple. If she is interested in completing her education, she needs to
  unequivocally indicate that desire and the parties can proceed from that point
  with the details of her class schedules, etc. Just like every other student
  does. That process should be done between the parties after she indicates her
  desire to complete her education. If the Complainant would simply indicate that
  our offer is generally adequate, she can work with the College to figure out
  the details of which classes on what dates can be arranged. Perhaps no common
  ground can be reached if she continues to insist on a schedule that is not
  offered by the College, but to try to negotiate through your office using
  ineffective written exchanges does not seem efficient or inclined to
  succeed.   
  The College appreciates your
  efforts and respects your involvement. If the Complainant is genuinely eager to
  complete her education, the College has indicated a strong willingness to make
  that accessible to her. Her most recent submission to your office suggests that
  she has an alternative agenda that cannot be resolved through the efforts of
  your office.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2022

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I graduated from Mildred Elley in 2017 with a certificate in practical nursing. I have been unable to move forward into a RN program because they will not release my transcripts. When I originally started with the program in late 2015 I was told that the credits I received would be transferable to other colleges within NY including **** and ******* ****. However upon inquiring what classes would transfer to either of those institutions I was told that they don't accept any of Mildred Elley credits. It is now almost 6 years later and my official transcripts will not be released as they say I owe a balance of something like 1800.00. I'm not sure where that balance came from to begin with and the amount of student loan debt I am in due to going to this school is absurd. The least they could do is release my transcripts so that I can advance my career and have some type of chance of paying off my 27,000 in student loan debt from here without having to choose between feeding my family and paying my loans off....life is hard yall don't have to make it harder.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2022

  We do not have any record of Ms. *******’ request for a
  transcript.  If Ms. *******’ would like
  to request a copy of her transcript we would not deny her request.  A request can be submitted on our website at ******************************************************** .
  As for the balance owed to the school, Ms. *******’ was
  advised that she had the balance, and she even signed a payment plan agreement
  it which she agreed to pay the balance at that time of $1,714.00 (see attached).  Ms. *******’ never made any payments on her
  promised payment plan, she defaulted on the agreement.  We cannot discharge this debt but we will settle
  the debt for $1,200. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  Upon graduation I had made multiple requests in person at the registrars office to get my official transcripts so that I could further my education and take an RN program. My request was denied on each occasion due to the outstanding balance on my student account. Now it is probably too late to see if any of the credits I obtained while there will transfer to a school in my new state of residence. As far as that agreement with TFC it was the only option that I was given. The reason for the balance was never explained to me in detail. As far as their offer to settle for $1200.00, I can not afford a 1200.00 lump sum payment.
  
  Regards,
  ***** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  As I stated previously, we will honor Ms. *******' request for a transcript, all she has to do is submit the request on our website in the link provided previously.  As for the payment, we will accept a reasonable pay plan.