If you’re a student or a graduate of Walden University, you may have heard of the recent class action lawsuit filed against the institution. The lawsuit alleges that Walden engaged in fraudulent practices and misrepresented the quality of its education. In this article, we’ll explore the details of the lawsuit, what led to it, and how it may impact current and former Walden students.
What is Walden University?
Walden University is a for-profit online university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The institution offers various degree programs, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, in various fields, such as education, nursing, psychology, and public administration.
What is the Class Action Lawsuit Against Walden University?
The class action lawsuit against Walden University was filed on February 25, 2021, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuit alleges that Walden engaged in fraudulent practices by falsely representing the quality and value of its education, including misrepresenting graduation rates, job placement rates, and the quality of instruction provided to students. The lawsuit also alleges that Walden falsely stated its accreditation status and financial aid programs.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a class of plaintiffs, which includes current and former students of Walden University who enrolled in the institution between January 1, 2015, and the present.
What Led to the Class Action Lawsuit Against Walden University?
The lawsuit against Walden University is not the first legal action taken against the institution. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education investigated Walden’s practices related to Title IV federal financial aid programs. The investigation was sparked by a report from the Center for American Progress, which alleged that Walden had received a disproportionate amount of federal financial aid compared to its enrollment numbers.
In addition to the federal investigation, Walden has faced criticism from students and faculty regarding the quality of its education and support services. Many students have complained about inadequate academic advising, unresponsive faculty, and difficulty obtaining necessary resources for their coursework.
How Might the Class Action Lawsuit Impact Current and Former Walden Students?
Suppose the class action lawsuit against Walden University is successful. In that case, current and former Walden students in the plaintiff class may be eligible to receive compensation for damages related to the alleged fraudulent practices. The lawsuit seeks damages for the plaintiffs’ educational expenses and compensation for the harm caused by Walden’s misrepresentations.
However, it’s important to note that the lawsuit’s outcome is not guaranteed, and it may take several years for the case to be resolved. In the meantime, current and former Walden students may want to consider contacting an attorney or other legal resource to discuss their options.
What Should You Do if You’re a Current or Former Walden Student?
If you’re a current or former Walden student concerned about how the class action lawsuit may impact you, there are several steps you can take. First, you may want to consult with an attorney or other legal resource to discuss your options. You can also stay informed about the lawsuit’s progress by following news sources or legal blogs.
In addition, if you’re a current student, you may want to consider contacting Walden’s academic advising or student services department to discuss your concerns and obtain any necessary support. You can contact Walden’s alumni association or career services department for assistance if you’re a former student.
Walden Class Action Lawyer
If you’re a student or former student of Walden University, you may have heard about the class action lawsuit currently underway against the institution. The lawsuit alleges that Walden engaged in fraudulent practices and misrepresented the quality and value of its education. In this article, we’ll examine the lawsuit and what it could mean for current and former Walden students.
Background
Walden University is a for-profit online university based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1970, the institution offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across several fields, including education, healthcare, and psychology. In recent years, Walden has faced criticism from students and advocacy groups for its high tuition costs, low graduation rates, and questionable marketing practices.
In 2020, a group of students filed a class action lawsuit against Walden University in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. The lawsuit alleges that Walden violated state and federal consumer protection laws by engaging in fraudulent practices and making false claims about the quality and value of its education. Specifically, the lawsuit accuses Walden of:
- Misrepresenting its accreditation status and the transferability of its credits
- Misrepresenting the qualifications of its faculty and the rigor of its coursework
- Failing to provide adequate academic and administrative support to students
- Failing to disclose important information about its programs, including its graduation rates and student loan default rates
The plaintiff class in the lawsuit includes current and former students of Walden who enrolled between January 1, 2015, and the present. The lawsuit seeks damages for the plaintiffs and an injunction to prevent Walden from engaging in similar practices.
Potential Impact
If the allegations in the lawsuit are proven true, the potential impact on current and former Walden students could be significant. Students who enrolled in Walden programs based on false or misleading information may have incurred significant debt and lost valuable time and opportunity. If the lawsuit is successful, plaintiffs may be eligible to receive compensation for damages related to Walden’s alleged fraudulent practices.
In addition to the financial impact, the lawsuit highlights broader concerns about the for-profit education sector. Critics argue that for-profit institutions like Walden prioritize profits over student success, leading to higher tuition costs, lower graduation rates, and a lack of accountability. As online education continues to grow in popularity, institutions must prioritize the quality of their programs and the support they provide to students.
Conclusion
The class action lawsuit against Walden University is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the for-profit education sector. While the lawsuit’s outcome remains uncertain, it’s clear that the allegations against Walden have raised important questions about the quality and value of for-profit education. Current and former Walden students may want to consult with an attorney or other legal resource, stay informed about the lawsuit’s progress, and seek support from Walden’s academic advising or student services department.
The class action lawsuit against Walden University raises important questions about the quality and value of for-profit online education. While the lawsuit’s outcome is uncertain, it’s clear that current and former Walden students may face significant impacts if the allegations are proven true. It’s important for students to stay informed about the progress of the lawsuit and to seek legal advice if necessary.
Ultimately, the lawsuit against Walden University highlights the need for greater oversight and accountability in the for-profit education sector. As online education continues to grow in popularity, institutions must prioritize the quality of their programs and the support they provide to students.
FAQs
What is Walden University?
Walden University is a for-profit online university based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What is the class action lawsuit against Walden University?
The lawsuit alleges that Walden engaged in fraudulent practices and misrepresented the quality and value of its education.
Who is part of the plaintiff class in the lawsuit?
The plaintiff class includes current and former students of Walden who enrolled between January 1, 2015, and the present.
What could be the impact of the lawsuit on current and former Walden students?
If the lawsuit is successful, plaintiffs may be eligible to receive compensation for damages related to Walden’s alleged fraudulent practices.
What should current and former Walden students do if they’re concerned about the lawsuit?
Students may want to consult with an attorney or other legal resource, stay informed about the lawsuit’s progress, and seek support from Walden’s academic advising or student services department.
Why Would You Want To Join A Class Action Lawsuit Against A Deciding Manufacturer?
Class action lawsuits are becoming more popular in our nation’s court systems. In these lawsuits, a group of people come together in a lawsuit against a company or person. The lawsuit is styled as a class action, meaning each plaintiff is one person on the lawsuit, or group of people. Class action lawsuits allow people who may be financially broken down to get a chance to be compensated for their losses. This often happens with companies who have engaged in illegal activities with customers, employees, and the general public.
Class Action Lawsuit Walden University
Because Walden University was slapped with a highly damning class action lawsuit which goes into detail all of their unethical behavior, all current students of the college are eligible to the Borrower’s Defense to Repayment plan, which can greatly benefit current students and allow for future students to receive a portion of their post-graduation funding if they win their case. For the past several years, the students who were victimized by the unethical actions of Walden University have had very little opportunity to seek financial compensation for their suffering. Most students who have come forward to file class action lawsuits have been met with denials from the bank, credit card companies, and consumer credit card companies. The banksters’ main line of defense has been to tell the courts that it will not be able to process the claims because of the fact that class action lawsuits are considered to be fraudulent. However, it should be noted that many victims of predatory lending practices are members of class action lawsuits, which have won millions of dollars in compensation from major corporations who were wrongfully engaging in predatory lending practices.
Current and former students at Walden University have discovered that the Borrower’s Defense to Repayment plan, which has become a popular tool for litigants to fight for compensation, offers much more than meets the eye.
Borrowers often discover that they may be eligible for as much as six figure scholarships to pay for their college education. Other awards of as much as ten thousand dollars in private scholarships may also be available to eligible individuals. Many of these scholarships will be awarded on the basis of financial need, but some will require applicants to excel in areas beyond the basic knowledge of college economics.
It is important to understand that the repayment plans offered by Borrower’s Defense to Repayment (BDR) are extremely attractive to both current and former students.
The repayment plan provides students with a chance to avoid the repayment of their loans while also postponing the long, arduous graduate research process. While many would be impossible, a few undergraduate degree programs at Walden would be difficult, if not impossible, to attend. The graduate research process at a top tier university such as Walden would take years. For this reason, a graduate study at a reputable university, such as Harvard, Yale or Cambridge, would most likely be required.
Although the class action lawsuit process has proven beneficial to both parties, the plaintiffs must bear in mind that any damages awarded in a class action lawsuit are not “tangible” or “real.”
While it is true that the awards are tax-deductible to the plaintiff’s tax return, it is unlikely that the award will in any way cover the costs of the litigation. Indeed, although the defendants are required to pay attorney fees and court costs, they are also entitled to recover their costs from the class of plaintiffs who have chosen not to file a lawsuit, including lost wages and medical expenses. This is why it may sometimes be in the best interest of a defendant to settle rather than go to trial.
The second option that may be available to the plaintiff in a case such as this, is to join a class action lawsuit against the defendants themselves. One common strategy used by plaintiffs is to simply submit a complaint and ask the court to allow them to join a class-action lawsuit against the defendant. Such requests for a class action lawsuit are often denied by the courts, despite the plaintiffs’ argument that they have a legitimate claim. However, a plaintiff who decides to join a lawsuit against an individual defendant (rather than a company) may be at a distinct advantage. Such a plaintiff may not only have a more legitimate claim to bring, but he may also have a stronger case than one who brings a class-action lawsuit against a corporation. And, if the defendant decides to fight a class-action lawsuit, it may become quite expensive for him.
A third option open to plaintiffs in a case such as this, is to join a class action lawsuit challenging the validity of some aspect of the conduct of the defendant that bears on one or more of their claimed goals.
For example, if the claim centers on an alleged breach of one of the defendant’s academic goals, one would want to bring a class action lawsuit challenging that breach, rather than simply suing the individual defendant. But when the claim goes beyond an alleged deprivation of academic goals to include conduct detrimental to those goals, the class action lawsuit becomes all the more important to plaintiffs.
Perhaps the best illustration of why joining a class action lawsuit against a defendant is so important comes from the story of Henry Walton, who became a US citizen in 1814. At that time, according to the official story, he wanted to join a class action lawsuit against a manufacturer of what was at that time a wildly popular brand of shoes. In pursuing this goal, he argues in his later years, he experienced many setbacks. For example, after a few months of legal wrangling, the manufacturer finally agreed to phase out the manufacture of their “Walton” brand of shoes. Despite this setback, the story goes on to say that after much hardship, the company eventually decided to go on to complete programs that would greatly improve the quality of their product.
I am a victim of Walden’s predatory practices and fraudulent DSW program and have been denied my DSW although my final GPA is 4.0. Multiple attempts to resolve the issues with Walden University’s administration were met with derision. Applied for Borrowers Defense Dec 2020, providing over 2500 pages of documentation and I am still waiting for an answer after wasting 3 years with Walden subjected to dismissiveness, micro-aggressions, micro-assaults, attempted misappropriation of funds, and straight ghosting for an entire quarter.
I am building and creating my DSW Capstone through my 501c3 to put into action to the Grand Challenge of “Ending Racism.” However, these unethical egregious practices must be abated.
Hi Tanita, I was in their PhD Social Work program. I did the borrower defense as well. Here is an update that should hopefully make you feel more hopeful. They had the trial in court 11-16-2022. Looks like Walden was denied their request to dismiss the case was denied by the courts and as long as there are no appeals then in January 2023, there should be some relief coming. If it’s appealed it may be a little longer, but its currently in courts.
Walden University continues to practice unethical practices after numerous Class Action lawsuits and Higher Education grievances reports. I have been fighting these people since 2016. They refuse to acknowledge an error on their part, refuse to acknowledge I was entered in the disabled student status, I did report an upcoming surgery in a timely fashion but the so-called Student Advisor failed her duty to report and remove the schedule. The school refuses to acknowledge they did, in fact, receive government grant money but are trying to stay I owe them over $5,000. I had 7 credits and Capstone to finish my bachelor’s. They know they are in the wrong as an itemized bill has never been, the bill collector who called refuses to deal with the situation and this is not on my credit report. ALL of my loans were also forgiven due to my current worsening heart condition. This needs resolved.
1. When did you attend Walden? I attended Walden from Sept. 2014 till Nov 2017.
2. Please provide the month and year of both enrollment and graduation or withdrawal. I graduated on 11/17/2017.
3. Which Walden program was you in? I was in the Walden Business Management Ph.D. Program.
4. Did you graduate or withdraw? I graduated
5. Did the amount of tuition you paid exceed what you expected? Yes, I ended up with about $110,000 in costs. The site and enrollment officers tell you it’s about 12,000 per year in costs and then $5500 for each of the 4 residences. I was like ok I am so far in over 60K that I have to finish I can’t go anywhere else. I also talked with the advisor and they talked you into going and keeping with it and keeping you signed up so you can’t get out of it. With that, when I got loans, it was well over twice that amount. SO, then I thought I was already in so I would go faster to get done, but you have to have a set amount of dissertation sessions which ended up costing well over 20K. I could not finish even though I was all done. Wasted money and wasted half-year.
Now that I have graduated, I work in IT because a Ph.D. from Walden even though they say they have the credentials means pretty much nothing to employers. I was told by one that it was a Diploma Mill and not seen as a degree.
Where do I sign up for the law suit?
Hello Elizabeth
I sure would like to tell my story about Walden. I was in the middle of my dissertation and they came up with some really stupid nonsense. I said to one of my writer assistants that she has a beautiful smile when she smiled back at me. After that I got an email saying I was going to be investigated for a harassment claim. I was so embarrassed and so afraid that I would have them kick me out because I was a 4 pt student and was about to finish my dissertation. So I withdrew so I would not have it on my record that they were probably setting me up for failure. Please help me. Thank you
I need to sign up for this class action lawsuit. I was in the middle of my dissertation when they stated I told a young woman “she had a beautiful smile,” and then they were told that I was being investigated. I had a 4-point average. I did my Prospectus and was in the middle of my dissertation.. I am heartsick and angry at them. I spent so much money on nothing but heartbreak and something that never really transpired. hank you
How do I join the lawsuit?
My name is Reaelma Gipson, I am a student at Walden University. I have supporting documents of the unethical practices of several instructors. With grade changing refusing to display grades achieved, after grading assignments. Instructors failed to answer any questions asked and responded to students within a timely matter.
How do I join a lawsuit against Walden?? I am a PhD Candidate and was forced to withdraw – NOW the financial aid office has placed over $7K on my credit report. I do not want money – I merely want my hard earned credits so that I may complete my degree at another University.
I paid over 60,000 for a MSN degree with Walden. Just kept dragging it out and were very unethical. I would like to join also.
Am I to late to join this lawsuit?
Walden University needs to be closed down permanently! They lie to get individuals to enroll in their programs, have a horrendous financial aid department that continually makes mistakes, and the programs are just
for-proift money mills for the University that lack educational substance.
I was working on my doctorate. I took years of writing the first part of my plan and still no approval. I have spent over $100K in tuition at Walden University. I have had two new committees. Each time I have to start over. I am paying out of pocket. I began this program in 2010. But with financial struggles, issues with my committee, department chair, and everyone else involved, I only received a certificate. With all the money spent, I deserve my doctorate.
How do we join this class action suit or do we need to start a new one?