American InterContinental University: A Comprehensive Overview
American InterContinental University (AIU) is a private, for-profit university system headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. Known for its open admissions policy, AIU awards associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. This article delves into various aspects of AIU, including its history, academic programs, accreditation, controversies, and student outcomes.
History and Expansion
The institution expanded its course offerings beyond fashion to areas such as commercial art, interior design, and business. The school opened several other campuses in subsequent years. By 1978, the school had approximately 300 students.
Academic Programs
AIU provides a range of academic programs at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels. Many instructors are professionals in their fields, enriching classroom instruction and career training with real-world experience. AIU offers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of fields.
AIU offers classroom instruction in person at the ground campuses and online via the Virtual Campus, or a hybrid of both. The AIU Virtual Campus gives online students access to course materials as well as nearly all the amenities of a traditional campus, such as a library, career services, student clubs and financial aid information.
AIU confers bachelor’s degrees in seven fields of study and associate degrees in Business Administration and Criminal Justice. The university makes five bachelor’s degrees available entirely online. In addition, the AIU Mobile App provides a way for students to access class materials via their smartphones.
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Campus Locations and Facilities
AIU currently has two campuses in the United States, one in Atlanta and one in Houston.
Following the June 2009 consolidation of the AIU Buckhead and AIU Dunwoody campuses into AIU Atlanta, the new campus underwent a significant renovation. The AIU Houston building was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
AIU formerly had a campus in London, England, located at 110 Marylebone High St, and another in Los Angeles, California, formerly located at 12655 W. Olympic Blvd. On February 18, 2008, American InterContinental University announced plans to gradually close down its Los Angeles campus.
Accreditation
The institution first received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 1987. In 2009, AIU successfully sought to switch accreditation from SACS to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). School officials felt this was best since the majority of its students were served through its Internet-based campus which was based in the HLC geographic region.
Department of Education, Office of Inspector General questioned the Higher Learning Commission's decision to approve accreditation of AIU based on the examination of the commission's standards for measuring credit hours and program length. An assistant inspector general stated in the report, "This action by HLC is not in the best interest of students, and calls into question whether the accrediting decisions made by HLC should be relied upon by the Department of Education when assisting students to obtain quality education through the Title IV programs." NCA-HLC president Sylvia Manning responded that this accusation was "flimsy" because it focused on a single accreditation issue involving a single school.
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The AIU London was accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education until it was absorbed by Regent's College London in April 2013. In June 2008, The Quality Assurance Agency closed an audit published in May 2005 based on an examination of the London Campus in 2004. This report had noted that at the date of the Agency's review in 2004, there were "fundamental concerns regarding the academic standards being achieved." Following successful efforts on the London campus to remedy deficiencies, the QAA noted that, "Since the audit QAA has been provided with information that indicates that appropriate action has been taken by the American InterContinental University in response to the findings of this report.
Controversies and Legal Issues
AIU has faced scrutiny and legal challenges over the years. Allegations specific to AIU include reports that the Los Angeles campus misrepresented its programs and classes, made a practice of admitting students who had not graduated from high school, and included in its enrollment numbers students who had never attended class.
In 2009, AIU whistleblowers alleged that AIU enrolled students who were illiterate and did not possess high school degrees. In Diallo versus American Intercontinental University, students filed a class action lawsuit claiming that the school had defrauded them.
AIU has an open-enrollment policy and, in the past, critics have scrutinized the university's student recruiting practices. On March 9, 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs suspended G.I. Bill reimbursement eligibility for American InterContinental University and several other for-profit schools due to what the V.A.
AIU receives approximately 96% of all funds from the US government, including about $29 million from G.I. Bill benefits. These figures have drawn attention to the university's reliance on government funding.
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Student Outcomes
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, AIU has a 6-year bachelor's degree graduation rate of 8% and only a 20% retention rate for first time students pursuing bachelor's degrees. Average salary after attending is $36,578.
Financial Information
The average net price is $12,585. Tuition is $12,397 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Additional costs include $5,775 for room and board and $400 for books and supplies.
Admissions
AIU has rolling admissions, which means applications are accepted any time throughout the year.
Campus Life
AIU is located in a major city and is primarily a commuter campus.
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