An investigation by The Indianapolis Star has found hundreds of allegations of deceptive practices by the College Network, a for-profit online-learning company that sells college-preparatory materials and academic-support services to nontraditional students looking to earn a degree or college credit from an accredited university.
According to The Star, more than 200 complaints have been filed against the company in Indiana, and nearly 100 in Ohio, Texas, and Florida, claiming its salesmen used deception to get customers to commit to paying hefty fees upfront. The Federal Trade Commission and Indiana’s attorney general are investigating the company.
In a lengthy response to the newspaper's investigation, the College Network released a 13-page statement in which it says that it will cooperate fully with the FTC probe, and that the complaints represent just a sliver of the company's customers.
Among the company's partners are Indiana State University and Purdue University.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/online-learning-company-faces-hundreds-of-allegations-of-deceiving-customers
The Indianapolis Star: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/08/09/test-preparation-predator-college-network-faces-complaints-lawsuit/13848511/