Sub Standard quality education from Education affiliates (i.e. Fortis Institute)

Education Affiliates colleges promise potential students a high quality education and once their enrolled their plagued by disappointment and regret. This college only cares about their financial numbers rather than providing the quality education they advertise. I attended one of their institutes enrolled in the Practical Nursing program. When I toured their facility a few things they boasted about was the teacher to student ratio, convenient class and clinical hours and solid pre set class schedules given in advance to go by.The 1st semester I started the faculty was short so our teacher was simultaneously teaching 2 classes at one time. We were told this would only be temporary, but it continued most of the semester. Our class schedules were given on the 1st day of each semester rather than in advance like they said they would be before I enrolled. My first couple of semesters many students were behind on required clinical hours because the school didn't have adequate staff to place instructors at clinical sites and on campus for classes and also because the school was unable to obtain clinical sites. Many students clinical hours were obtained through health fairs and going to community events conducting blood pressures checks!!! Students did written complaints and presented the document to the campus president and nurse program director on the sub par education we were receiving but little was done. We would always receive empty promises on how improvements were coming. My last semester came and everyone was excited about our pinning ceromony. The school provided us with several tentative dates but when the dates approached we received excuses and another tentative date. We were all scrambling to complete the required clinical hours we had to have for the program because everyone was significantly behind because of the schools inablility to place us sites as they promised. We were doing clinical on saturdays and sundays. Most of the time we didnt get notice of a clinical date until a day before through a email sent by the school to us during night hours. There were times me we were placed in a clinical slot and get to the site and be told we couldnt stay cause there were too many students there although we were previously told we were on the roster (I lived a 1 hour drive away).One week before we were scheduled to complete the program the school nursing department held a meeting with all nursing students (day and night) and notified us many clinical signs in sheets were missing and in order to sit for state boards we would have to re-do them!! I had 109 hours of clinical time missing. I'm a single mother that chose to attend this school because of all the things they promised with their practical nursing program. I live +50 miles away from the school so I commuted 1 hour there and 1 hour back because I promised myself the end results would be worth it for my kids and me. I commited myself to this program because me and my kids future were dependant on it. I made many sacrifices to complete even being unable to work so that I could comply with erratic and last minute schedules and schedule changes. I was GREATLY disappointed and went through severe depression over the turmoil a school I was paying $24,000 in tuition to was putting me through,the things I was enduring were through no fault of mine and out of my control. Me and my kids future was at the mercy of this school. I was supposed to graduate September 2013 but didnt complete until May 2014 due to the schools mishandling of my education. The school expressed very little regret for the situation it put MANY students in. The board of nursing stepped in to do a investigation over the many issues. Our futures were placed on hold until the Nursing Board decided the schools nursing program fate, during this time the school held many meetings discussing a plan to "fix everything" and better organization which also ended up being empty promises as well. During the meeting many students were expressing their anger, frustration and disappointment over the situation and we were told by upper staff we could either go along with the "fix everything" plan or withdraw, either way it didnt matter to them because our tution was already paid!!! I could write a book with audio and written exhibits on everything that transpired while I was a student there. Now that i've completed i'm ashamed to put I attended this schools nursing program on my resume because the schools circumstances are known state-wide. Although I might be as competent as another person applying for a job position, the school I attended reputation sheds a dark light on me. Although your story and experience with a Education Affliate school might not be the same as mine, all of our stories and voices needs and deserves to be heard!!! Education Management Corporation are righting their wrongs with former/present students and Education Affilliates needs to do the same!!! We deserve forgiveness of our student loans or some degree of assistance also!!! Sign this petition and use your voice!!! Its time for the world to hear our stories as well!!