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:06/06/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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.

  This school publishes false information through marketing that they will never allow financial constraints be a reason why students cannot study at their school. They claim that they offer scholarships, and never tell you that scholarships are only for specific programs, but in order to find out about this you first have to spend $60 to apply to the school. The school uses overseas employees to control their online chat support, and I have experienced horrible support experiences with their staff taunting me and passing me from one agent to another in order to mess with me. Once I was told that a scholarship is not available for my program, I requested a refund of my $60 application fee. The agent on their social media account said I would be helped with this request, and then a month later they finally denied me my request. This school should lose its accreditation status because it does not meet the standards for an ****************** institution. The staff are not supportive, they are bullies and liars. I simply want my $60 back for being lied to, they scammed me.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2025

  University of the People is a fully accredited non-profit university whose goal is to bring tuition-free education to everyone and assist as many individuals as possible with scholarships.  Our policy clearly states, on our website, and in the Enrollment Agreement, that the application fee is non-refundable after the student is accepted to study with us.  Mr. Hug was accepted to study at UoPeople, completed the enrollment process, including signing the Enrollment agreement.  He changed his mind about attending classes with UoPeople when he was informed that he does not qualify for a scholarship. Our refund policy can be found at: https://www.uopeople.edu/public-disclosures/. 

  We understand that this is not the outcome that Mr. Hug expected, but we stand by our decision not to refund the application fee for the reasons already stated.  We wish Mr. Hug the best in his future studies, wherever that may be. 

  Thank you, 

  University of the People

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2025

   
  
  Complaint: 23411052
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  University of The People makes numerous marketing claims on social media and via email that they “never want finance to be a barrier between the student and their studies”. They claim to offer financial aid but never give details on the restrictions or limitations. This information is also not easily accessible for the average person doing research and none of their staff answer emails or chats in a timely manner. When I was rejected for a scholarship, the school has violated the very claim they make via advertisement, that no student should be left behind due to finances. This rejection shows that the university does not stand by their principals and it shows that they participate in deceptive marketing practices.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Cody Hug

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Told me to violate local covid laws, professers demand you know the program even if youre a pure beginner, they entire school is a scam that doesnt teach anything except how to get scammed out of 2500 per test.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 am a current student with disabilities at University of the People. On November 26, 2024, I received formal, written accommodations approved by Dr. ******* ******. These included extended time on quizzes/test/exams, a full 7-day window for all assignments, and complete access to all course materials at the start of each term.For two consecutive terms, the university has failed to apply any of these accommodations. I was given a zero on a quiz because it was due early, even though my accommodations explicitly grant me 7 days. I received no accommodations during a medical hospitalization last term and was again denied my accommodated extended time on my assignment. Despite emailing my advisor, instructor, and Student Affairs, I have received no resolution or response.After submitting a formal complaint, I experienced what appears to be retaliation: my access to Yammer (UoPeoples community platform) was revoked without explanation, and a completed, paid-for course (from last term) was removed from my course list and grade history. I can only find proof of it by searching for it in my payment records. No one has explained, acknowledged, or corrected these issues despite my multiple complaints.I want my grades corrected, my accommodations fully enforced, my course and grade restored, and my access reinstated. I also want acknowledgment that retaliation and tampering with my academic record are serious matters and will not continue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/05/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 paid $5,000 for Marble Law to arrange a family lawyer for a guardianship case for my mother. I spoke with the lawyer, provided my information, and had several phone conversations with him and his assistant, as did my sister. Both the lawyer and his assistant assured us they had everything they needed and would contact us if they needed anything further. They advised us to expect a minimum waiting period of a few months.After about 4 to 5 months, I tried reaching out to the attorney and his assistant via email and text to check on the cases progress. Neither the lawyer nor his assistant responded to my messages, and after weeks of trying to contact them, I finally reached out to Marble Law directly. I spoke with a paralegal who assured me she would investigate the matter and escalate it to her manager. Four or five days later, she emailed to inform me that the best Marble could offer was to assign a new lawyer to my case.I responded to her email with questions about the situation, including whether anyone at Marble Law had spoken with the original attorney. However, I received no response, and Marble Law's team has since ignored my emails. This matter is time-sensitive, as my sister and I are working to prevent our mother from being left in the care of an abusive relative. Yet, there was no sense of urgency or concern about my case. Now I fear I have not only lost $5,000, but also wasted over six months, leaving us back at square one because I trusted this company.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2024

  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 had made a payment of $60 on the 5th July 2024 for an application fee which I believe was done in error. The business was supposed to provide access to tuition-free online degrees with a limited option of being granted a scholarship to assist low income learners to cover the application fee and the assessment fee.I had contacted the university of the people customer service via chat before applying, they had advised me that I have to register an account first, after registering I could apply for a scholarship.Not being too clear that there was going to be additional fees to pay, meaning that the full cost to the tune of $5600 for the actual degree was going to be made payable by me after enrolment. Being on government benefits, on a low income, I would not be reasonably able to afford it.Proceeding with this application would put me into further financial hardship and intense financial pressure.The registration I was making to the ** the people, was purely to find out whether I would be eligible for financial assistance during my studies, however, I was still required to pay a non-refundable application fee which I shouldn't have had to pay.I have contacted the university of the people on several occasions via email about this matter and they still will not resolve this issue. The information they provide on their website is very misleading and violates the rights of an individuals to be able to choose and protect people's money without there being risk of financial loss.This $60 application fee has put me in financial hardship and I would like it refunded.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/30/2024

  al aid options for students experiencing financial hardship. Advisor explained that scholarships are available for eligible undergraduate degree applicants, awarded on a first-come-first-served basis, and dependent on the financial aid team. He clearly stated that we cannot guarantee financial aid for all students and encouraged her to submit an application.
  
  Ms. ******** proceeded to create her application and subsequently asked Advisor about the application fee. Advisor correctly informed her that a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $60 is required to ensure sustainability. Despite this clarification, ******************** demanded the fee would be waived.
  
  Ms. ******** asked if the application fee would be refundable if her scholarship application was unsuccessful and inquired about the assessment fee at the end of each course. Advisor reiterated that the application fee is non-refundable and the assessment fee must be paid at the end of each course.
  
  Due to the abrupt end of the chat session, Ms. ******** emailed her advisor with further questions. The advisor's response reiterated the non-refundable nature of the application fee and the requirement to pay the assessment fee. When ******************** asked what would happen if her scholarship request was denied, advisor responded that she would have another chance to apply for a scholarship once she became a student. 
  
  ******************** then paid the $60 application fee and informed Advisor that her scholarship request was denied. She asked about the total cost of the course, and Advisor responded that a personal program advisor would assist her upon enrollment. After another email from Applicant, Advisor assigned an application fee refund task. It was then suggested that ******************** could claim a partial scholarship by contributing $30 per course, intending to assist the her with her financial difficulties. Ms. ******** declined his suggestion, reiterated her initial misunderstanding and requested a refund.
  
  University of the People is a tutition free university that strives to provide an education to anyone that wants one.  We keep our fees as low as possible to aid our students in affording an eduation, and also offer scholarships to assist the students with the fees, though we cannot provide this courtest to everyone. As a one time courtesy to ********************, we have initiated a refund of the application fee, and which her the best in her future studies. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/30/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 applied to the school with the intention of taking their CS 1103 (Programming II) course to transfer the credit to my current university. I was initially drawn in to the school because of its mission statement, and the class was the cheapest option I could find that my university would accept.After paying the $60 application fee, my advisor told me that I am not allowed to take the class, because I must take all courses in the degree. Therefore, I am not allowed to take the individual class that I need.While I was initially excited at first to take the class at University of the People, I am now disappointed by the fact that the school will not accommodate transfer student needs.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/17/2024

  University of the People is not set up to offer only 1 class to a student and we apologize for any confusion regarding that.  We are an institution of higher learning and offer Certificate, Associate, Bachelor and Master degrees in a variety of fields.  We have processed your refund and wish you the best in your future endeavors. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/20/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/28/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  When I enrolled in the *** program last year (Student ID: ********, I encountered technical difficulties, and one of the advisors helped me complete it. At that time, I was assured the my assessment fees would be $120 per course, and it would not change during my studies. Rest assured, when I needed to pay the first assessment fee, it was $120 (see attached screenshot). However, I had to apply for late withdrawal from the course due to health issues, and I had to retake the course. At this time, they are asking me to pay $300 per course.When I reached out, they claimed it was a glitch in the system, and the right assessment fee is $300 per course. However, stating this is not a reason to not adhere to a promise (agreement).University of the People made a promise, and they need to follow through. It means that need to adjust all my assessment fees to reflect the agreed upon $120 per course, until I finish my degree.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2024

  We have reviewed Mr. ****** complaint and would like to clarify a few things as Mr. ****** seems to have misunderstood.  Mr. ****** graduated for our Bachelor's in *********************** program in 2021.  This is an undergraduate program and the fees at that time were $120 for course assessment.  Mr.  ****** is a returning student, interested in pursuing his Masters degree in Business.  The assessment fees in our graduate programs are currently $350.UoPeople announced in April a slight increase in our fees, which increased the undergraduate assessment fees to $140 and the graduate fees from $300 to $350, which is reflected on our website and in our catalogs which you can find here *************************************************************************;

  UoPeople strives to make an education affordable and accessible to everyone, though we do not charge tuition, we do charge some fees and the fees are the same for all students. At this time Mr. ****** has requested to withdrawal from our University and that will be processed as per his request.  Though we are not able to change our fees for any one student, we do hope Mr. ****** reconsiders his plans to withdrawal, but if not, we understand and wish him nothing but the best in his future and know that his is always welcome back if he does decide not to continue his studies with us. 

  Thank you, 

  University of the People

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 applied to this school on 9/1/2023. I paid a $65. application fee and was charged for it twice, making a total of $130. I paid to this business. I attempted in good faith to become a student of this school and had my transcripts from previous schools transferred. I was given a deadline of when I needed to decide which credits I wanted to pay to have transferred, and I had questions about which of the credits would count towards various course requirements of the degree I wanted to pursue. I received a lot of automatically generated generic emails from someone who was supposed to be my student advisor, I emailed this person hoping they could help me with these questions.I never heard back from the student advisor despite numerous times of trying to contact them. I have attempted to contact the school via social media,I have left voicemails on their business phone number, I have sent emails to various staff members that I was able to find on the website or online, I have been trying to speak to a human being for 4 months and nobody ever responds or assists me. At this point I no longer wish to attend this school and I would like to get the entirety of my money refunded since I was never rendered ANY service whatsoever. I never received anything for the $65 application fee, and the second charge was erroneous and should be refunded. I have never had an experience anything like this with any other educational institution and it's been very frustrating, very disappointing, and hard to believe that an organization so disorganized and unprofessional is somehow handing out college degrees to people. This has been ridiculous and I highly discourage anyone from having anything to do with this school.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2024

  We sincerely apologize for any confusion ****************** encountered during her enrollment process. It appears there was a misunderstanding as she unintentionally submitted two separate applications to our university. We have refunded the fee for the second application, amounting to $60, and confirmation of the refund has been sent to ****************** via email (a copy of which is on record today).

  We understand that such occurrences can be frustrating and want to express that we value Ms. ******** interest in studying with ** and would like to extend our invitation for her to continue her journey with our university. We are committed to providing her with a supportive and enriching educational experience, and we hope she will consider joining our community.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/25/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 inadvertently paid twice for the same course because I did not receive confirmation of my first payment. I sent a second check for $300. Both checks cleared my account. I have been requesting a refund for overpayment but have received zero response. I have contacted my advisor on multiple emails but have not received any response. There is no number by which I can talk to a human being about my request for refund of overpayment. The overpayment does not even appear in my student financial account but both checks clearly were processed by my bank.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/02/2024

  We understand how frustrating this situation must be ****, and we want to apologize for any inconvenience you've encountered so far. We have contacted your advisor and you will be hearing back from our team within two business days. If you have any questions in the mean time please email us directly at *******************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2023

  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 went in their website to apply. It was 11am pst, before applying I clicked the chat button to speak to a rep and found one right away he walked me through the process. I paid my application fee and thats when the problems started. The site crashed and I couldnt upload my transcripts. I contacted them again via chat and was told to wait. I kept getting messages that were saying to upload my transcripts before the due date (that was fast approaching) even though I couldnt due to their site being down. Finally the site came back up (I never got a notification, I just had to go check everyday) I uploaded four transcripts. But apparently they received only two. They didnt take all my classes. I emailed and messaged at least 5 times and didnt get a single response. I missed the due date to except my transfer classes. I didnt except it because I was waiting for them to get back to me about the missing classes. They were only responsive until I paid. No one cares afterwards. Thank god I didnt pay the fee for transfer courses. I would never ever recommend this place to anyone.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Technical issues can indeed be quite frustrating, and it's disappointing to hear that you encountered them during your application process, *******. We have contacted your advisor and you will be hearing back from our team within 48 hours.