National UniversityReviews of nu.edu

If you call someone 17 times a day for two weeks straight and they don’t answer and block the number each and every time you call, you could surmise that a person is not interested. Please stop calling and texting me. It’s harassment at this point.

I've experienced several ongoing issues with the university's learning management system and dissertation review process that have made progressing through the doctoral program unnecessarily frustrating. The LMS repeatedly appears to lose submitted files. Even when the system indicates that a document has been successfully submitted, the file sometimes disappears when I return to review it. I've also received multiple notifications stating that I'm not attending class, despite actively participating and submitting coursework. The dissertation feedback process is equally concerning. Chairs frequently take an excessive amount of time to provide feedback, and in some cases, the reviews appear incomplete. Rather than evaluating the dissertation as a whole, feedback sometimes focuses on a minor typo or formatting issue without addressing the substantive content of the research. The structure of the courses compounds these problems. With 15-week terms, students may receive only two or three meaningful revision reviews during an entire course. This creates significant delays in dissertation progress and raises concerns about whether the process is designed to support timely completion. Collectively, these issues suggest serious opportunities for improvement in the university's technology infrastructure, faculty responsiveness, dissertation review practices, and overall doctoral student experience. At the doctoral level, students should reasonably expect reliable technology, substantive academic feedback, clear communication, and a review process that supports steady progress toward degree completion. Unfortunately, my experience has often fallen short of those expectations.

I did everything they asked of me to start class in October. Admissions and Enrollment communication has been non-existent with broken promises of follow-up calls. Now I doubt I will start in November. I took long consideration on going back to school after 40+ years to deal with this incompetence is so deflating. I think I'll look into other schools.

The degree is useless. This university should be investigated by the Department of Education. Do not attend this university. You have been warned. Their financial aid department is so incompetent. One time, they sent me tens of thousands of dollars in student loans by mistake and begged me to pay it back after I told them about the error. And when they don't disburse in a timely manner, they will get frustrated with you and treat you with attitude when you ask about it. The course materials are outdated, and the instructors are nothing but graders. They don't even try to establish a professional relationship with you or get to know you as a student. Very problematic if you are in a PHD program. The instructor one-on-one model BS is a scam. They are glorified graders and they don't even provide insight or value to the courses they teach, they just grade papers with little to no feedback. I want National University to be included in the Borrowers Defense Program as the degree is absolutely useless and it's considered a joke both in and outside of academia. All of these programs are nothing more than a student loan money grab. I am willing to testify against them before Congress and speak to the media about their fraudulent ways.

I wish I could give this school no stars! This is the worse experience ever. Been here a year and finished 6 classes and no financial aid dispurseded. Now I'm ending my class for this term and don't have my next class. Have left several emails and voicemails for my advisor and no answer. I really want to transfer but I can't get anyone on the phone to get transfer information .I wish I would have never enrolled here. I see in the student aid website and my loans were dispurseded to the school. But they are holding our money creating a high balance. Don't waste time starting at this school. Save the stress and headache.

I am a current MBA student with two courses left until completion who is an active duty Marine. My experience with this school has been subpar, to say the least. The academic advisors are unresponsive. Their "military support" is non-existent. They transitioned to a new system and did a terrible job informing students. After this transition, they've continue to attempt to charge me full tuition cost even though I rate the military reduced cost. They do not process approve TA in a timely manner and have missed TA vouchers for previous courses. You cannot contact leadership in any office because they will not provide you their information. If you are active duty military or affiliated in any way, DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL! The discounted TA is not worth the pain you will likely experience. EDIT/Update 10/22/26: I reached out to the NU representative they provided in their response, and their team still outright IGNORES my emails and requests to correct my financial situation. Again, if you are military or value your hard-earned finances, do NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL.

⭐ 1/5 — My Experience With National University I am extremely disappointed with my experience with National University, particularly when it comes to financial aid, communication, and the handling of my graduation process. I completed my final course on June 28, 2026. However, months later, I am still trying to get clear answers regarding my financial aid disbursements and graduation status. My financial aid issues have been going on for months. My financial aid packaging was completed in April, yet I have been waiting on three disbursements/refunds that I have repeatedly contacted the university about. I have sent multiple emails, followed up, waited weeks at a time, and repeatedly asked one simple question: When will my funds actually be disbursed? At one point, I was told that the necessary authorization had been completed, but I still was not given a clear disbursement date. I have explained that I am experiencing financial hardship and need these funds, yet the communication has continued to be inconsistent and extremely frustrating. What has made the situation worse is that I have already completed my degree requirements. My final class ended June 28. I have even received information regarding the November Grad Walk, yet I am still trying to get clarification about my official degree conferral and why my student status continues to show “Attending.” At this point, I should not have to continuously chase different departments for basic information about my own education, graduation status, diploma, and financial aid. I worked extremely hard to earn this degree. Completing graduate school should have been an exciting accomplishment, but instead, a significant portion of this experience has been overshadowed by administrative issues and the stress of trying to get someone to provide clear answers. I understand that universities have large numbers of students, system changes happen, and processing can take time. What I do not understand is going weeks without meaningful communication after repeatedly reaching out. Students deserve transparency, accurate timelines, and responses to legitimate questions—especially when thousands of dollars and the completion of their degrees are involved. I am proud of myself for completing my program, but I am extremely disappointed in how National University has handled the administrative side of my experience. If you are considering National University, I strongly encourage you to stay on top of your financial aid, save every email and document, keep records of every conversation, and regularly check your student account and graduation status. My experience has taught me that you may have to advocate for yourself repeatedly to get answers. I sincerely hope National University improves its communication and processes because students should be able to celebrate completing their education without having to spend months fighting for answers about their money, graduation status, and diploma.

I have tried to extend grace to National University throughout its new system transition, but I have now completed an entire 8-week doctoral course, July 27–September 20, without receiving the financial aid refund associated with it. I am already well into my next course, which began August 17, and that aid remains unresolved too. I have called, emailed, followed up, and escalated repeatedly. I have received conflicting explanations about whether my funds were requested, received, processed, or unable to be requested because of NU’s new system. Most recently, I was told the system has prevented NU from requesting my federal aid from the Department of Education. Meanwhile, my bills did not stop. Transportation did not stop. My moving expenses did not stop. My bank account did not stop overdrafting. NU’s system problem became my financial emergency. And every time I turn around, someone necessary to resolving the issue seems to be unavailable or on vacation. Employees deserve vacations. Students also deserve an institution with enough continuity that thousands of dollars in financial aid do not stall because one person is unavailable. My courses certainly didn’t go on vacation. At NU’s request, I documented my financial hardship and requested a $13,288 institutional advance for my outstanding stipends. I have also filed a formal NU grievance and a formal complaint with Federal Student Aid/U.S. Department of Education. When I called Federal Student Aid, the representative told me they had personally received several calls from other NU students experiencing the same issue. I have now contacted NBC 7 San Diego, ABC 10News Team 10 Investigates, and KPBS Investigations as well. If asking privately cannot get my financial aid processed, I will continue asking publicly until someone capable of getting answers starts asking questions. Making matters worse, I am a continuing doctoral borrower affected by the new federal graduate-loan changes. Because I began borrowing before the July 1, 2026 changes, transferring universities may have serious consequences for the federal financing available to complete my doctorate. So “just transfer” is not necessarily a financially safe solution. Through all of this, I have continued attending class, completing assignments, meeting deadlines, and progressing academically. I have done my job. I expect National University to do its job. What is particularly remarkable is how quickly NU responds to negative Trustpilot reviews. I genuinely wish the infrastructure responsible for processing students’ federal financial aid operated with the same urgency and consistency as the infrastructure responsible for managing the University’s public reputation. So, respectfully, please spare me another apology, another explanation about the system transition, or another email address to contact. I have contacted enough people. I need my financial aid processed. Considering how quickly NU responds here, I suppose we are about to find out which happens first: National University’s response underneath this review or the resolution of the financial aid I have been waiting for. UPDATE — September 23, 2026: National University has now publicly stated that its advising team is “actively working” with me. For the record, this matter remains unresolved and is now documented under National University Grievance #00011934, Federal Student Aid Case #37323390, and California BPPE Reference #C26-1869. My $13,288 advanced stipend request also remains unresolved. I have fully documented this matter on my end and will update this review when National University provides an actual resolution.