National UniversityReviews of nu.edu

During my last few months at the school, I kept reaching out to my counselors and financial aid staff to make sure everything with my FAFSA was good and that I wouldn’t run into problems later. The main issue was supposedly a missing MPN form, but on the student portal it literally showed as completed, and I have screenshots proving it. Even after checking in multiple times and trying to stay ahead of everything, my FAFSA still wasn’t processed correctly or on time. Because of that, I ended up getting sent to collections for a balance which should have NEVER happened. I appealed the decision to the "school committee" which took 2 months BTW and submitted proof of everything! From screenshots of the portal, to emails, and communication records showing I had been trying to get clarification for months. Even with all of that, the committee still denied my appeal, and the response felt really dismissive and vague, like they didn’t actually address the evidence I sent. Now I’m not allowed to continue into the Master’s program, and they’re also holding my Bachelor’s degree instead of mailing it to me. It’s beyond frustrating because I genuinely liked the school at one point and even referred multiple friends there, so it sucks feeling like I wasn’t supported or given the proper time when an issue came up that I tried hard to prevent. This whole situation has honestly caused me a lot of stress and disappointment. I worked hard throughout my program, tried to stay proactive, and did everything I could to avoid issues like this from happening. Instead of feeling supported by the school, I’ve felt ignored and blamed for something I repeatedly tried to fix before it became a bigger problem. It’s been really discouraging knowing that this situation is now affecting both my finances and my future education plans. UPDATE: I reached out to the email suggested in the comment and still haven't heard back, it's been two months now....

I’ve been enrolled in National University since 2021. I started while I was in the military and continued my education after I got out. In August my advisor reached out and informed me that I had a few classes left, and we went ahead scheduled everything. Feb. 2026, I finished my final research class. I received an email about graduation and a congratulations for finishing my degree. March 31, I received an email from a different advisor informing me I didn’t have any active classes, and there wasn’t an LOA on file. I responded that I had finished my degree. The next day that advisor told me I was missing three classes, and asked if she could schedule them for me. I asked her to please schedule the classes, and never heard back. I emailed her a total of three times, and then called her twice. So after being told I had finished my degree by one person, I was told that I actually had three more classes to take by another person. I had been discontinued from NU because I didn’t schedule any more classes. I had to re-enroll, and schedule my last three classes after I had “finished” my degree. Throughout my time I’ve had more advisors than I could count, each of which were difficult to get ahold of. No one that I’ve talked to about this seems shocked or concerned with the fact I was told I finished my degree, and then told I didn’t, and needed to be re-enrolled. I’m appalled and angry, and genuinely confused on how this big of a mistake could be made. My re-enrollment advisor, Sarah, has been very helpful in getting me restarted. She’s been easy to contact so far.

This has been, without question, one of the worst academic experiences I have ever encountered. The program is plagued by systemic issues—chronic delays in feedback, unclear and constantly shifting expectations, and a complete lack of accountability from faculty. I submitted fully completed work and was repeatedly left in limbo, waiting with no guidance on how to move forward. The process feels intentionally inefficient, trapping students in an endless cycle of revisions and resubmissions without clear direction. What is even more concerning is the culture. When I attempted to ask for clarification or advocate for myself, I was met with responses that were dismissive, unhelpful, and at times belittling. Instead of mentorship, you’re met with resistance. Instead of support, you’re met with silence or deflection. This is not how a doctoral program—or any institution of higher education—should operate. The lack of communication, professionalism, and respect for students’ time and investment is unacceptable. For those balancing careers, deployments, or real-world responsibilities, this system is not just frustrating—it is completely unworkable. At this point, it feels less like an institution focused on student success and more like a process that benefits from keeping students stuck. If you value your time, money, and professional growth, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. There are far better institutions that actually support their students instead of working against them.

My experience with National University’s financial aid office has been extremely frustrating and concerning. For over 2 months, I have been trying to get my financial aid processed so I can start my program, and instead of moving forward, they have created constant delays and unnecessary obstacles. I was told that because I am enrolled at multiple institutions, I can only receive funding for direct costs (tuition/fees) and cannot receive additional loan funds or refunds. This directly conflicts with the Federal Student Aid Handbook (Volume 3, Chapter 5), which clearly states that schools cannot impose blanket limits on Direct Loan borrowing and that students can receive loans at multiple schools with proper coordination. Instead of following federal guidance, they applied an internal policy that restricts borrowing and blocks access to funds I am eligible for. They also went as far as contacting other institutions, including the University of Phoenix, attempting to gather financial aid information without properly resolving my aid at their own school first. On top of that, they required me to provide full financial aid breakdowns from multiple schools before even processing my aid. They even told me they could not set up my financial aid and needed to delay my enrollment due to “overlapping loans,” which is not supported by federal regulations. The result has been over two months of delays, confusion, and unnecessary stress—all because the financial aid office is not applying federal rules correctly. Students should not have to fight their own school just to access federal financial aid. If you are relying on financial aid, be extremely cautious and verify everything yourself. Avangelina Cazares

I came very close to completing my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) at National University, but unfortunately, I had to withdraw due to significant communication and support shortcomings from the MFT team. This experience turned out to be the most frustrating and disappointing aspect of my journey with an online university. Over the course of five years, I dedicated countless hours to my studies, striving to meet all requirements and gain the knowledge necessary to succeed in this field. As I approached the final stages, specifically focusing on my Capstone course, I encountered a major obstacle. The MFT team rejected my clinical hours and proposed that I undertake a 12-week extension course instead. This suggestion felt like a complete waste of my time and effort, as I had already invested so much into my training and was eager to move forward. Despite these challenges, I am grateful to have been accepted into a Ph.D. program. I am hopeful that this new academic path will provide a more supportive environment where I can flourish without the setbacks that I faced at National University. I look forward to a fresh start and the opportunity to engage in a constructive and enriching educational experience at another successful University.

If I could give less than 1 star I would. I just wanted to know how many credits from my previous college would transfer over to their school. I was required to enroll and sign up for a million emails and newsletters and text messages before I could even speak to anyone about the transcripts. It took 3 weeks and mass emails with the all the advisors, teachers, and Director of the School before my transcripts were recognized. I spoke to one advisor on the phone stating I needed financial aide options before enrollment now and he said he would get back to me. That night, at 5pm, I got a voicemail stating "congratulations youre enrolled, your classes start tonight". I never agreed to this! I immediately called back the next day, dis-enrolled and told them to NEVER call me again. Im still getting emails from the school!!

Future Students: Please take this as a serious warning. If it takes initiating a formal lawsuit and having a Constable serve a University’s Registered Agent just to get them to do their job, you are looking at the wrong institution. I spent months pleading with National University for transparency regarding a highly disputed debt that I was forced to settle under financial duress—only because they used my credit report as a weapon while ignoring my communications for over 60 days. In a blatant display of obstruction, the University even refused my certified mail before I was forced to escalate the matter to the University President. Ironically, it was only after I notified the University that I was moving forward with litigation that Robert Conlin and the financial aid staff 'miraculously' produced a receipt on February 2nd. However, their sudden cooperation was too late—I was already standing in line at the Henderson Justice Court paying my filing and Constable fees to have them served. Do not be fooled by a school that only acts once they are under the threat of a Judge. Save your peace, your money, and your future. Seek a school with actual morals and integrity. I look forward to my day in court on April 29th.

I was enrolled in MFT program since 2019-2025, completed my clinical hours and Professor gave me C average grades twice. I was dismissed from the program. The Administration has No integrity.