Is Us Career Institute For Real Or A Scam?

It is legit...only problem is you are not going to get what you think you are going to get. The website and brochure does a really great job at omitting a lot of information. In the packets I received I was told that by completing the course of my choice I would receive a certification. I was told over the phone and via email that Yes I would receive certification after I completed my course. I received my books and materials on time, the staff was great, everyone was so nice and helpful...Until after I paid for the course. It took 17 phone calls, 33 emails, and a treat to stop payment on the last 4 payments just for them to send me what I thought was my certification packet in the mail...When I finally did get the packet in the mail, it was a certification it was a certificate. When I called the operator I was on hold for about 6 minutes before I actually spoke with Elizabeth. I asked her about the certification number and she says they don't actually certify students only give you the course work. I asked her why wasn't I told this before I paid for the course... And she said I should have asked...I asked her why their brochure and staff would tell me I would be certified if I really wasn't and she put me on hold for about 12 minutes...no BS 12 minutes. Only to come back on the line and give me a website and 800 number to a place that I could get an actual certification (Which I would have to take the course all over and pay for). Then she rushed me off the phone.
When I called the number Elizabeth gave me, and a few others, I found that the training I received from US career institute didn't qualify me to take certification testing in ANY state...not even Colorado where the school is located.
I did a little research and a lot of people who have been leaving positive comments about US Career Institute are people who are affiliated with them. Don't be fooled...It's legit but it's not worth the money. I paid $1500 dollars for a pretty piece of paper and a $4 medical dictionary...

I just signed up with USCI, so far so good, finished my 1st 2 lessons in no time, passed VERY well, should it IS open book..LOL...they ARE on the DETC website as well as the BBB, the parent company is Weston Distance Learning also they have McKinley and At-home professions.  In looking further at the website, there are NO promises of them finding you employment but as employers do go to them, they keep that in their files for their students.  I have seen their certificates in my Dentist office and even at a Funeral Directors office, so they are widely used.  Not sure WHO said it was expensive, but you certainly did NOT do any research on schools, because THIS BY FAR is soooo economical and the lessons I have done today where to the point and the quizzes hey, again OPEN BOOK!  They are MORE than upfront about the transferring of credits issue AND when you sign up, DO READ THE FULL CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT!  Make SURE you understand it, as with ANY CONTRACT you sign, Legal 101!  So I look forward to a career change, hate my day job, and not for nothing, I'm 49...and I thought it was 'too late for me' to change my path....NEVER! 49 in years, 25 in spirit and heart!  LOL....couldn't do the campus deal, looked into it, but when I am in a class taught by a teacher, I tend to 'doze', not sleep but more like in a spell type doze...LOL...so this is PERFECT for me.....so I made my goals and I will repost when I finish my courses, just need to wait for the delivery of my next lessons....BRING IT ON!

I think some of these people who spoke highly for U.S Institute is all BS...I was in Real Estate and mortgage also a former V.P of finances for a tech company... I went to a community college in California and never once had problem with anything. I want to try U.S Career out because I do not have time to be in class.. Let start by saying that I am not a dummy and that I have work very hard my whole life. I did a lot of research before I sign up with this school. They are NOT accreditation school..... For those of you who found a job that is because you are in a very small unknown city... If you were in San Jose California " well let say your degree at U.S Career is worthless." I start this course for a good month, I had always finished my lesson in 3 days, and paid for my course every 2 weeks. Everything seem fine until there Finance Aid inform me that I did not meet the school requirement after a month later. They said that they could not verify my high school information. Well I send them my GED... And a month later they said that it was not good enough... Ha....to think that they can inform me sooner, but instead they had to wait 2 month later to let me know this.  How is this my fault when this school is not accreditation school. I still have to paid them the reminding balance.... HUM yeah right ... Why do I have to paid for U.S Career for not performed the agreement.... On there web site it said money back no question ask....

I have taken the Child Care program about 4 years ago, and i finished, and recieved my diploma, even though i still owed a balance that i had to pay off, wow! I had no problem with Us Career Institute. I worked in a Daycare and showed my employer my diploma at the time of my interview, and thank God i had previous schooling in Child Care at a community college, but i was told i could work but continue my education. So my diploma wasnt enough but they were willing to work with me and hire me.

Later i decided to go a differant career route and become a Legal Transcriptionist. Im currently taking the course, doing well, almost done. Before i took the course i did my research: No extra training or licensing requirements needed, only training that Us Career Institute provides. Plus this field is flexible for me and my life style so i chose it.

Im sorry about the ones that had disappointments, it really depends on the course you take on if you need additional training vs what the employers need from you. Everyone here seems to want the same thing to be educated and work, and no one deserves to be scamed for wanting to bettering their lives!

They are 100% for real. I checked with my state & board & they confirmed they are certified as long a you finish course.  Make sure to pay in full to get your diploma.  READ YOUR CONTRACT & ASK every question you can about the course you are interested in. I just enrolled in the Massage Therapy course after doing so.

Some of the courses offered, like Massage therapy, you have to be certified or licensed in that state.  You may get a piece of paper from this school that says you passed the course but legally you can't work in the state unless you are licenced by the state.  To get licensed by your state, you need to call your state government and see if the school is registered, then after you passed the school, you have to pass a National exam.  50% of massage therapy is hands on learning. How can you properly learn from online?  I am an instructor from Florida, and if you are considering Massage therapy, dont waste your money at this school.  Check the requirements for your state first in order to work in any profession.

The U.S. Career Institute at www.uscareerinstitute.com is a member of the Better Business Bureau.  If you go to www.bbb.com  you can look of the report on this business.

I don't know anything about the institute as I have not taken any classes with them. I do want to say that it isn't anyone's responsibility to get you a job but your own. In today's economical hardships nobody can promise anyone a job really, its a first come first serve basis to a point. Maybe people should do research on where there are jobs before they take schooling. Also this institute is not only accredited BBB  but  by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, State of Colorado Department of Higher Education, a member of the Colorado Private School Association. Also people seem to want to pay nothing for something, well any type of schooling is not going to just give their certifications and diplomas out to everyone, there is going to be a cost, its just what is better for the individual a campus or online. Also no matter what school you go to whether online or campus, NOT all schools will take credits from ALL schools. It is the responsibility to the student to find out before you go to different schools. Just because you go to two different schools that don't combine your credits doesn't mean you can't list them both as education on job apps and resumes. If you have a problem then you need to stop wining and deal with it. Talk with the school, then in you don't get assistance then go to the BBB or Dept of Higher Education. Too many times these posts are from people that are and about something that's not going their way and they don't know what to do, but complain and wine to others.

I took the course and was pleased with the material and I feel I learned what I set out to do. But with no experience there are not any companies out there willing to hire. And they don't want internship to gain the experience until you do find a job because of privacy. So I guess no one wants someone off the street doing an internship, (shadowing). I thought I would have a job immediately. Not so. The thing that disturbs me is I cannot get my certification until I am done paying the tuition. But I've completed the course with flying colors but without experience I have no income. I still owe them around $900.00 and that has gone to collections which is screwing up my credit. I am applying for any type of work until I can get into the medical billing field. I am discouraged but something will come around sooner or later. I have to believe that.

Poeple, stop complaining about U.S career Institute. This is your buisiness to find a job not them. By the way I'm studying as pharmacy Technician and I'm entirely satisfy, So don't behave like a baby and take your responsabilities.

I graduated from U.S. Career Institute....their Paralegal program.  It was expensive.  The instructor was nice.  They did not help me find a job.  And in fact, I am now studying with Kaplan University because a Certificate is NOT enough to land a job in Colorado.  I don't think they are a scam, but the level of education is different, just like the difference between the education offered by a community college & Harvard are different. It has been speculated that they are a diploma mill.  I for one feel that even though my credits did not transfer to Kaplan because of an accreditation issue ( they are national but not necessarily regional), it was a great intro to the field.  It helped me realize that being a paralegal is in fact what I want to do.  I was disappointed because although it is not their job to find employment for me, they did tend to really play that up in the beginning.  In the end, it never happened.  I would also say that I was a single mom when I started.  During the course of time it took to finish the program, I married & was pregnant with my second.  They were very helpful in that they gave me extra time to finish..two years!  And they were very encouraging on the way.  Also, I fell behind in payments...they are very strict about their payment policy..so be prepared!  Life happens & if you are not ready for it, it can blindside you.  So, if you are looking for a flexible course of study that gives you a medium depth intro to your future career & results in a certificate, than this is probably a good choice.  Be sure that if you ever wish to transfer, that your school of choice will accept the credits.  Make sure it is a financial commitment you can keep even if life throws you a curve ball.  And if you are looking for an in depth university level course, don't waste your time!

It's not their job to find you employment, it's their job to educate you. I dont know whether it's a scam or not, but they aren't there as career counsellors, they are educators. And most schools have cancellation fees, look it up before spending money.

I had been lokking for  a fast online method to get my medical assistant certificate, and came across some information about us career institute, the difference between all the other websites and schools i found was that i got my information from a health magazine at a doctors office..

I feel for you although it seems they caught their mistake with you help. Im planning on working at home  doing billing and ckaims and am concerned about that. But only do to the fact I wasted nearly 3 years of my life at chi inst. Getting a criminal justice degree. They were told in the start of things i had gotten in some trouble when i was 18 and obtained a small misdemeanor record, can i still persue being a cop? After checking with the department and saying yes i later found out through friends of mine who were cops i was lied too. That law had been in place for years now, record like mine no work can you find...lol anyway then i decided to go into drug /alcohol therapy the only one you didnt need extensive schooling for, even worked at out pt rehab ans obtained an internship for over a year. When I go to graduate they say , o sorry didnt you hear they just passed law say about 6 ms go saying you now need a 4 year degree or a CAC plus on book hours in field. Now Im at US career inst. And am praying for the wellfare and livelhood of husband and children i was not scammed and lied too once again. If so im afraid all is lost and ill end up stripping in some dive bar for the remainder of my younger days lol... No serious already been there done that not the life for me, i want something better but with no other family and a disabled hubby and 3 kids kinda hard, well wish me luck as i will to you

Career Institute had an add in a fitness magazine promoting their certified personal training program,which is what I wanted as a career. It sounded great. I could study at home, it was affordable and I would get CERTIFIED through them. After 9 months I passed the course and received a certificate. The small gyms I worked at were not totally satisfied with my certificate or DETC. I applied to a very upscale gym that I really wanted to work for. But when they called US Career Institute about my certification they were told that I was not certified because they were NEVER able to certify anyone.Of course I called the school only to be told " sorry about your luck". They told me to stick with woking in the small gyms that didnt need for me to be certified. Or get my own clients and " lie" to them about being certified. US Career Institute has since then taken the word certified out of their add, which is what they should have done from the beginning. I am definately considering talking to the BBB about what happened. I am out $600,cannot get a job at a nice higher paying gym, plus to become certified now is about $300. I do not recommend US Career Institute because of their deceitfulness.

I just searched the DETC website and under accredited programs, you can type US Career Institute. Like all other schools, if you take their programs and choose not to attend... They will keep their tuition policy strict. Maybe the paralegal programs, and medical programs that needs more education might not work but i took the Massage Therapy and it has been going great. Online schools and classes FROM THE BEGINING should be taken by people who will dedicate their time ALL THE TIME... If not, then it is not the school's responsability to try and get you to go... Look into the DETC, they are there.. Dont believe me.. Go to google, click for DETC and check it out for yourself... :)

Stay far far away from US Career Institute. I enrolled on two different occasions with very negative results both times. As soon as you get to a certain point within the training, you'll be told that your work isn't up to the level that the school requires. They'll expect you to pay the remainder of your tuition in full.

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!!!!!

Put in Weston distance learning and it will bring up  the us career institute on the list easily. It is legit and the course is no different if you took in at a baker college ABA approved school, trust me I do know because I attended but transferred,( given  miss information by baker college but all well.

I have not found their accreditation in DETC. You should call DETC and request accredidation information and compare the phone numbers and address.
They also claim that they are the largest distant learning institute. It really does not sound reliable to me and i think it is a scam.

I took the Medical Claims and Billing course. My problem is that no one will hire me, they all want at least  1-2 years experience. Now I am going to have to take classes at an on campus school to get a job.

I started the Pharm. Tech. Program and then realized it was a joke. So "watered down" and not going to get me a credential that would land me a job. Not hardly enough information to prepare me for the exam. So I quit as I could not justify the money and I was losing my only source of income at the same time. Well, they have hounded me for over a year to pay the balance on the course and turned me over to collections after I agreed to a payment plan to pay out the balance. I told the collections people that I was not going to pay for something that I did not purchase, i.e., the entire course! I even sent back their "gifts", a medical dictionary and a leatherette "organizer". I don't recommend them as a source of learning to prepare a person for a new career.

It is legit, and if you take the certificate course, you only get a completion certificate.  In order to get a job in that field, you have to take a state certification exam.  The certificate course prepares you for the exam.  It's like any school, you still have to be state certified to work in the field.

I have already taken classes with them and graduated with my BS in Social Work. This is not a scam. I was sceptic at first as well. Now I'm the youngest social worker in my job place and make over $70,000 / yr.

Don't use U.S Career Institute. I payed the start up fee and received 1 book and decided I did not want to do the course. They said I owe the $750 for cancelling!!!! They suck!!!!!

Its not a scam!!! People should really be sure that they want to take a certain course so you don't have to deal with dropping out. I took a class and its legit.

Make sure you are using punctuation, as in U.S. Career Institute when you are on the DETC accreditation website. They are there and I have had a good experience with them.

I am thinking about enrolling in the medical assisting program. Do you think employers look at this program favorably? Or is it a waste of time and money?

I am hearing both sides of the story about career institute. I am interested in going there I just want the truth. Good or Bad?

USCI definitely isn't a scam. USCI is accredited through the Distance Education and Training Council (www.detc.org), and I've heard good things about them.

No i took courses there for accounting and my mother in law is taking courses for pre-law. Hope this helps

I am taking the medical transcription classes from them as we speak. I am very pleased and satisfied with them. :)

They are DETC accredited: www.detc.org and they are listed with BBB: www.bbb.org

Seriously, is this online school a scam or really an accredited school???

Is this a real school, will i be able to get a job when in done?

US Career Institute is a scam. They take your money, but don't help in finding employment!!!!

Well if you want a list, let start with
1st,  It on-line,  have you been on it? It stated clearly " money back No question ask".
2nd, This is a fact, cause it happen to me, it is call "experience" ... I don't need to gave you the detail for what I been dealing with, just a little summary of what I think of U.S Career.
3rd, if everyone on the earth think or say like you " why would you not get the facts up front" well then we would not have lawyer or over billion of dollar in debt... Will we? Would you like me to gave you the definitions of fraud, mislead and misrepresent etc. This is very common words in the business world that we live in....  I will strongly say U.S Career is not accredit for some college in California .... And that a fact. I could not transfer my grade. So be nice on your e-mail. This is a friendly advice for those who need to know... Bottom line it is all up to them not mine or your... Unless you work there. With your comment about not trust me with your money ... That your loss . I don't deal with people money .... Look it up on what a V. P of finance do.... It my company ...next to CEO. Just a friendly reminder .... Keeping it friendly.