California State University

Review: Student: [redacted]Campus Wide ID: -Date: November 4, 2014Attention to: Whom it May Concern I attended [redacted] to get a certificate. Before I received my certificates in May 2012, I decided to transfer to a four year school to get my Bachelors degree. I currently have an Associate of Science in Electronics degree from a foreign university and 59 credits from three community colleges in the United States. I spoke to the staff at Transfer Center at [redacted] campus in summer 2012 about transferring to California State University [redacted]; one lady asked me to have 30 units of general education from community college to transfer. Before August 1, 2013, the admission staff and Transfer Center at California State University [redacted] in [redacted] and Business Department of California State University [redacted] on [redacted] Campus told me to apply on August 1, 2013. Later, I learned that it was for attending in spring 2014. I told the people I spoke with that I would like to find out how many units I have to take and how long I need to be in school to graduate. During these visits, I was not informed that I had to register for a class while I was waiting to see my evaluation result.I applied on August 1, 2013; Cal State [redacted] emailed me to congratulate on my admission on October 25, 2013. Since I wanted to work and go to school, I really needed to know the required courses to finish, in order to save time and money since I planned to get a loan. I did not think to attend school until the evaluation is done; in addition, I did not want to use my aid money to take unnecessary courses and be in school longer. First, I spoke with a counselor at Transfer Center, [redacted] who suggested a major in business. On November 5, 2013, Cal State [redacted] emailed me to pay a fee to accept my admission until November 15 if I wanted to attend in the spring 2014 when I was not ready to begin. I visited the math and electrical engineering departments the first week of November; on November 8, I had a meeting with the electrical engineering department advisor, [redacted]. He believed that it is beneficial to major in business and not engineering and to use my credits from the overseas degree toward general education to finish faster; his opinion confirmed my attempt to get the evaluation result first. [redacted] suggested taking an upper division general education course in the spring to save my spot on the admission list. She mentioned if I can not keep the course, I would be able to drop it. I was thinking to take upper division major courses not general education such as music or dance which I enrolled in spring semester 2014.After getting that idea from [redacted], I spoke with Graduation Specialist [redacted] twice to learn about the general education courses listed under my TDA, and later two other advisors. One of the advisors recommended waiting for reading the result; after, I should take the remaining courses for graduation.My first appointment with a business advisor was on December 2, 2013; she told me that my evaluation for US transcripts was done but not the overseas transcript. She stated that it was going to get ready in the middle of next semester which was difficult since I had to see the result before registering. I met with two business advisors on three occasions; I asked one of them if I could take upper division major courses in the spring 2014. She suggested I go back to community college and take two lower division business courses and then transfer to Cal State [redacted] and start taking upper division major courses.When I met [redacted], a business industry specialist to obtain career advising, she thought that I should start taking upper division major courses since I had so many credits. Califronia State University [redacted] had put hold on my account and made me to do online student orientation and take ethic test to get ready to register. I turned in my financial aid forms to the department on or after December 13, 2013 except two sheets. On the last day before Christmas break, an employee at financial aid department told me that I was fine without those two sheets for a month until January and she asked me to just enroll. One day before classes started in January, I enrolled for four classes. I drove to Cal State [redacted] the first week.I had asked [redacted] before registering if I can drop within two weeks and get a full refund. I even mentioned at [redacted] if a student can not continue studying for a course, it is possible to drop within two weeks and get a full refund. She said yes, I can drop within two weeks and get my full money back, but it takes a little longer for processing the refund. I asked this question from her at least twice. When I talked to the graduation specialist, [redacted], I mentioned that I had to move and had doubts that I would be able to study in the spring. I asked her whether or not I will get my full tuition back if I drop a course. She told me that I would. I was not informed during these visits, doing online student orientation and taking ethic test that dropping a class is prorated. I was not aware of California State University [redacted] refund policy at all. When this school asked me to accept my admission by paying a deposit until November 15, 2013, I did not know about their policy after admission, and if they were going to make me enroll during evaluation. When I realized in June 2014 that I had an account balance after I dropped the courses, I called FAFSA. The woman I spoke to told me that California State University [redacted] was not supposed to make me take a course until my financial aid was approved. She believed that this was a misuse of money to take unnecessary courses. I contacted School Eligibility Service Group located in Washington, DC in mid-June as well; a lady was going to contact Cal State [redacted] to learn about the situation. This application became inconveniDesired Settlement: I would like to ask California State University [redacted] to remove this balance from my account.