Florida Metropolitan University (Everest University) - evaluation of university and online degrees review

Florida Metropolitan University (Everest University) - evaluation of university and online degrees review

A brief look at the university - Florida Metropolitan University (Everest University)

Note: Florida Metropolitan University is now known as Everest University; there was a name change in 2007, and so we will be referring to it by the new name in the evaluation - the old name has been left here so that people can easily find the university if they are looking for it (alumni, former students, researchers etc)

Everest University is a system of for profit private universities located mainly in Florida in the USA. Everest University also has many campuses located in Canada and in other places in the USA, and is one of the USA's largest educational institutions that makes a lot of money. Everest University offers many degrees, masters and career specific programmes, and also offers distance and on campus part time learning as well, making it a school that offers many offers and opportunities for many students of varied background and varied interests. Everest University is owned by Corinthian Colleges international, according to Wikipedia.

Everest University is accredited, but there is massive debate over its accreditation because it holds national accreditation, unlike regional accreditation. There is no worry about Everest University not being recognised, because it is indeed recognised, but the problem is that other educational and study insititutions that have regional accreditation may not necessarily recognise its national status and there may be some problems with credit transfer. Be warned and you should be alerted to this if you are interested in reading for a degree or certification from Everest University.

There were, in 2004, controversies surrounding Everest University but there has been no conclusive evidence of any wrongdoing (wikipedia, Everest website). It is very complex and students should be warned before they look into it. Everest University is nonetheless recognised and accredited, although there is massive debate and controversies surrounding it.

Which university degree courses are offered here at Florida Metropolitan University (Everest University)

Everest University offers associate degrees, bachelors degrees and also the usual MBA. Everest University offers really career oriented degrees and programmes and these are:

criminal justice, criminal investigations, accounting, business, MBA, computer information and IT science, homeland security, paralegal, medical insurance billing and coding.

Therefore it can be seen that the main areas are accounting, business, computing and criminal justice. The insurance billing and coding course is very specific (correct as at 2008).

Finance and other important matters here at Florida Metropolitan University (Everest University)

There are many avenues for financial aid available. All the following materials are from the Everest University website and financial aid section:

Financial Aid has actually 3 Simple Steps (all according to their website)
1. Speak with a Student Finance Officer
2. Complete some financial aid questionnaire
3. Complete the FAFSA

What is it? The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a single application that allows you to apply for a variety of government grants and loans. As part of this process, you'll apply for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) and electronic signature.

There are many federal financial aid programs available to those who qualify.
For instance, Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans. Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans are awarded on the basis of financial need. A student will not be charged any interest before beginning repayment or during an authorized postponement. The federal government subsidizes the interest during this period. This is a low-interest loan that is granted to the student by a lender such as a bank, credit union, or savings/ loan association.

Sallie Mae Alternative Loan Program. The Sallie Mae Alternative Loan program is a low-cost, private loan alternative available to students who need funding beyond the limits of the federal loan program. It allows you to borrow all the money you need after you have reached your annual Federal Stafford Loan limit.

Student Tuition Assistance Resource Loan (STAR Loan). Students who do not qualify for the Sallie Mae Alternative Loan Program may be eligible to borrow up to fifty percent of their tuition costs through the STAR Loan program. It is not available for financing the full cost of tuition. Students must have a primary source of tuition funding to be eligible for this plan.

Why you should study there and my personal recommendations

I will withhold judgement on Everest University and I think that more research is needed. Nonetheless Everest University might be good for business, criminal studies and other very specific courses and online degrees that you could be looking for, and I still reiterate that more research needs to be done.

What does the online university itself say? Everest University says that there is hands on training, small teams, flexible timings for classes, experiences pro teachers, financial planning is available, modern equipment is present, there are good career services available, there are lots of programme offerings, there are many other good reasons why you should study at Everest University. You may wish to consider their opinion in this case and not mine, since I am withholding my personal recommendation for this one. The controversies surrounding the university may have an impact and I personally would not want to give any opinion other than that you may wish to have a look around my site and see if there are other institutions that offer the online degree (at the level, type of degree, and cost) that you might be looking for.

Thanks for reading, all the best and cheers!

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