Consumer complaint received 2022-02-17
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Getting a loan — Confusing or misleading advertising
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC. (AK)

While looking online, the site for XXXX made it clear that it was a very prestigious academy and gave the impression that only high calibur students would be accepted into the programs. XXXX was owned by the now defunct XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
I decided to visit the school for a tour and was given the same impression by my guide who also informed me that all of the instructors were in the top tiers of their respective fields and it would be a privilege to be able to learn from such a high skilled group of educators. I was told that an education from this school would give me opportunities I would never otherwise have. 
I was elated when I was accepted, especially since I felt I might not qualify. 
The educators were horribly unprepared and under qualified. The classes were painfully simple, and while applying for jobs, I was informed numerous times that my degree from XXXX didnt qualify me for any of the work that was available. It was embarrassing. I actually only received my associates instead of the XXXX I was initially aiming for because I didnt want to spend anymore money on such a terrible education. 
I had been told that my credits would transfer, I had no reason to think any differently. I simply assumed it had to be true otherwise the XXXX XXXX XXXX wouldnt back the school. It wasnt until I tried to apply to a junior college to finish my degree and actually get an education, that I learned none of my credits would transfer. I cant say I was surprised. The education they gave me was so subpar. It wasnt until later when I read about all the lawsuits and accrediting issues XXXX and other for-profit schools had, that I realized I wasnt the only person in this perdicament. XXXX made the dept of education believe that the money they were lending students was going towards an actual education I felt rushed to make a decision. Therefore, I wasnt really provided the opportunity to do additional research based on what I had been told during my visit. I had to pay in advance for my application to be processed. I dont recall the amount, but I do remember it was non-refundable and it cost enough to further the impression of prestige. 
Where to begin.. The initial excitement at the prospect for informative, and career making internships faded pretty quickly. For every internship location, there were at least 20 different students all applying for the same spot. Venturing out of the schools very limited preferred network meant there wouldnt be any credits given. If you didnt get a spot, you had to wait until the next term to try again. And if you werent able to snag a spot during any of the internship feeding frenzys, then you werent able to graduate until you had. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get a spot after quitting my paying job to make time. the company I did intern with taught me very little and mostly sent me out for coffee or had me work as their receptionist. 
Of the several " design teachers '' I had, there was only one whom I felt had any merit. I confided in her about my disappointment in the education I was receiving, and she echoed my concerns ( as well as the concerns of many of my fellow classmates ) however, she insisted there wasnt anything she could do. The other instructors it seemed, as though they taught kindergarten art class before coming to work at XXXX. The classes were a breeze, the tests were a joke. I didnt feel challenged in the slightest. Even the courses that should have been more technical, felt like beginner art classes. 
Of course in an attempt to keep loan totals down, I wanted to work as much as I could. When visiting " career services '' for any potential job leads, I was told that not only were there not very many jobs available, but the only ones they were aware of were part time jobs at coffee shops. But I needed a living wage. I had mentioned that I was proficient in the automotive industry and suggested maybe they could find me something in that regard. I was told in not so many words that that wasnt the type of work they would look into for me. So I found my own job. Which leads me into how my school misrepresented how often and when courses would be available. 
Many of my courses for the most part were offered in the evening which made it easier to work full time while I attended school. I had found a full time job at a motorcyle shop, and after work, I would head to my classes. Then suddenly classes were no longer offered at night. Enrollment had dropped so significantly that the school couldnt justify teaching day and night courses. I had to quit my job because I suddenly had a class at XXXX, one at XXXX, and one at XXXX. This meant I had to take out private loans to cover living expenses because there was no form of assistance offered through XXXX. This one, single, simple form of misrepresentation has lead me down a path of financial ruin that I am still trying to dig myself out of to this day. 
The only course I had a prerequisite for was XXXX and that was XXXX  I was able to graduate without retaking courses I withdrew from, and failing an online class that I didnt bother to withdraw from after my internet was cut off at home. 
As if getting an internship wasnt difficult enough, trying to get assistance to get employment was even more challenging. Despite asking for help on multiple occasions, I was told job listings would be emailed to me but they never arrived. I had applied for several jobs on my own, however my degree turned out to be more of a burden than anything. Once again, being told that my education with XXXX doesnt qualify me for any positions available. I couldnt even use my school, or my teachers as viable references. There was absolutely no support after my graduation. There would be no additional certifications because as far as the rest of the world was concerned, I didnt have the education necessary. They had " endless connections '' to help me find work, but they never presented themselves. And once I moved out of the XXXX area, they blatantly told me they couldnt help me despite insisting they had connections all over the country. And I was roped into private loans because I was told not to worry about not being able to get a job while in school, once I graduated I would make enough money to have my loans paid off completely within 5 years During my initial tour, the guide told me that the school had a very high employment placement rate. I was also informed by the admissions counselor and the career services center that they were very well respected in the country and I would be able to go anywhere with my degree and get a high paying job. They also had contacts throughout the country through their other campus 's and would easily be able to find me a job wherever I decided to persue my career. 
Aside from the website touting such a high success rate, when asking for employment opportunites to be provided to me, I would be informed via email that either there were no jobs available, or they would pedal the same part time coffee shop type positions that had nothing to do with the degree I was persuing. 
After I left the school with an XXXX in applied XXXX and moved back to XXXX XXXX, I would both call and email trying to get new job prospects. I would be told over the phone that they wouldnt be able to find me anything in the XXXX XXXX area because that was out of their operating range. 
I stopped trying to get a job in my field a long time ago. Even when I would get an interview with a design firm, I would be told that I didn't have the education or the experience neccessary to get a paid position. I was told that my degree wasnt useful and it would be suggested that perhaps I go to a real school if I wanted a career in the industry. I stopped listing my school and my degree on resumes and I currently make enough to pay my bills in the automotive industry. I'd like to go back to school, but with the student loan debt I'm buried under, I wont ever be able to. 
I had been told that they would be able to get me into an entry level design position during the day so I could take classes at night. It sounded perfect. But thats not what happened. After landing my position at the motorcyle shop, I was able to work full time during the day until the following term. Then because enrollment was dropping, classes weren't being taught at the same frequency so night classes were no longer offered to me. I had to leave my job in order to attend classes during the day. which prompted me to take out private " student '' loans in order to help cover extra school costs and living expenses. 
I was told that an XXXX would cost XXXX XXXXXXXX, and a XXXX would cost XXXX XXXXXXXX I believe. This would include books and materials. Since there wasnt on campus living, I would be responsible for finding housing but they would help me find employment to help with rent. However.. not only were books and materials not included in tuition costs, but the list of required books and materials wasn't even updated or complete. XXXX class listed a specific version of a book, while the teacher read and attempted to teach from a different version. So we all had to purchase this other version in order to keep up with the teachings. Another class was listed to require a {$250.00} materials sample kit which was never used because the teacher had no clue about the kit or how to encorporate it into the class. And obviously they never bothered to help me find employment, that was solely on the students shoulders. They then removed night classes from the schedule due to dropping enrollment, so any full time working students had to decide between working or furthering their education, myself included. This led to private " student '' loans being taken out to cover living expenses and additional school costs. I was assured these loans would be simple to pay off too, and even though I needed cosigners, I was told as soon as I graduated and started working, my cosigners could be removed. My dead grandmother is still listed as a cosigner because Navient will not release her or my mom. 
They told me that they were accredited and highly respected, and that any credits I earned would transfer anywhere. They even made a special point in saying this, stating it was because I would need to periodically refresh my training in order to meet new technology and trends. Makes sense for any profession. They also noted that if I were to go back to XXXX in order to keep abreast, there would be no additional charges or fees. But XXXX no longer exists and the math credits from there aren't even transferrable. 
With everything that I had come to be disappointed with regarding XXXX, after having to leave my job and take out additional loans for living expenses and surprise school costs, I thought it might be best for me to use those additional loans to transfer to a community college to get an actual education. It was while initiating that process, that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX informed me that none of the credits I had earned would be accepted. Dropping out meant I'd have to start making payments immediately, but if I graduated, I'd have 6 months to figure something out before payments would begin. So I stuck it out to get a worthless associates. 
It was made so abundantly clear by every member of the staff that students would have countless resources at their disposal for employment, including job placement, exclusive references, as well as a highly coveted and respected degree. They would refer to popular shows and hosts on XXXX or XXXX, implying that members of those crews either graduated from XXXX or that they would reach out to them to get us employed if that was the path we wanted. All I wanted was to work at a firm that specialized in eco-friendly design. Not only could they not get me an internship with any level of merit, but when I had asked for help finding employment, the only weight they pulled was with a coffee shop across the street. 
I've never had a job outside of the auto industry, which I was trying to escape by going to school. I want to go back to school, but I can't afford it. I cant buy a house because of my student loans. I've spent years struggling with XXXX and almost had to be admitted to the hospital for malnutrition because I couldnt afford to eat. My car insurance would lapse, my registration would expire, I've sold personal belongings just to pay rent, I've stolen food, lived in my car, had my phone cancelled, medical bills went to collections, I sacraficed my social life and well being because I never had money for gas or food. Because I have both federal and private loans, I have had to pay on my private loans in order to not destroy my moms credit or have navient go after her. I've wanted to end my own life more times than are even fathomable because I have felt so weighed down by debt and XXXX, but Navient would come after my mom if I died. 
I asked for help finding a job shortly after moving to XXXX for school. The career advisor gave me a small list of part time job opportunities that they could get me in to. They were all with coffee shops or restaurants within a XXXX mile radius. I said that those wouldn't work for me, so I was directed to a room of computers to look for a job myself. And then again after I graduated, I asked for help and was told that they didnt have any contacts in XXXX XXXX XXXX I had moved back to. 
And if all of that wasn't bad enough, XXXX settled a lawsuit applying only to students who were in school at the time of the school closures. To which I didn't qualify. Navient has just settled a lawsuit that was brought against them for their predatory tactics, those of which I have explained above. However, I didn't qualify for that either because I have been making payments due to my family being co-signers on the loans. 
But wait, there's more.. I filed for XXXX in XXXX to have my federal loans expunged because XXXX had been proven to be a predatory and defunct school. It was denied under XXXX. I am currently part of a lawsuit against the Dept of Ed because of XXXX ' unethical blanket denials. They have no record of my original application. But I did save the denial letter. I am just one person among hundreds of thousands of defrauded students who had their dreams preyed upon by these greedy corporations. Navient needs to be held accountable. The department of education needs to be held accountable. The school I went to had the luxury of going bankrupt. I have been held accountable for the last 13 years, for making the mistake of trusting a system that should have had my back. I have been diagnosed with XXXX because of what Navient, XXXX, and the Dept of Ed have put me through. If something doesn't give soon, I can't see myself sticking around much longer..