University of the People and Shai Reshef are scammers They claim this "school" to be tuition-free and then want you to pay Internet

 This "school" doesn't even have a real address or a working phone number. You pay $4000 and you get a degree: it's a diploma mill, plain and simple.

I have to rebut this person that thinks his intelligence is being insulted. Perhabs your aggressive language is due to the lack of understanding of the difference between tuition and administrative fees, or testing fees etc.  Look at any statement from any college. 

You have your tuition fee, PLUS all the other costs, admin, computer, library, etc., the list goes on and on.  Tuition is the largest portion of cost for a college education.  If a Bachelors Degree costs approximately $4k in fees, consider that a win. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.  Their statements are 100 percent accurate, they are in fact tuition free. 

By all means if you dont like it, introduce your bank account or borrowing powering power to the average tuition for a bachelors degree in the united states of about $10k per year.  I am not a current or former student of UoP, but am considering it. 
Best of luck to you!

When someone posts saying 'their MBA is not accredited' it only shows the poster doesn't understand accreditation. UofPeople is a legitimately accredited Online University accredited by the accrediting body Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), formerly known as the National Home Study Council (NHSC) and later the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). DEAC is recognized by not only the U.S. Department of Education but is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This means the institute 'is' accredited and all degrees offered by the institute is accredited.

Now there are different types of accreditation that a person must take into consideration and for an MBA (even though the MBA is accredited by DEAC) it may not be accredited by the professional accrediting bodies like Association of MBAs (AMBA) or Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Bottom line UofPeople, like all institutes of higher learning accredited by a recognized accrediting agency is not a 'scam'. It is the responsibility of the individual student to do their own work when applying to any school as to whether a degree or training program from one school will be recognized by other colleges, universities, businesses or in a professional files of work.  https://www.mbacentral.org/mba-accreditation/ 

 I was a student and things were going well until we got into a class called managerial accounting in the Masters degree program. This class was taught by a guy named John Osiemo who supposedly had a doctorate in business Admin. First the guy started signaling people out and telling them that they have to do more work that was required in the assignment. When approached about this, he simply stated that what he stated was required (after the assignment had been done and turned in) no such "requirements" were found in the instructions or anywhere previous to the assignment turn in date. Complaints were made and grades were ignored and not fixed. First of all I want to know why the University hired someone with fake credentials to teach? In another group assignment this guy wanted our writing assignment done in powerpoint. This is not the correct format for a writing assignment. The when we handed it in powerpoint format (.ppsx) he told us that it was not in powerpoint format and took 20 points off. When we complained, he ignored us. I understand the reasoning behind hiring teachers from all over, but I am saying straight out that no university should hire someone that does not have a clear grasp of the English language if that is what the course in to be taught in. An instructor should not be saying that something is "required" after a submission when it was stated no where previously that it was indeed required. Then I get the complaint back telling me that these teachers have complete control over the grades. DONT GO HERE. IT IS MORE HEADACHE THAN IT IS WORTH. Plus you will be fighting for your grade every class if this mr. Osiemo is similar to other teachers there.

I cannot comment on the undergrad experience, only the MBA.

I work for a "real" accredited provider of MBA degrees. In fact, I help design MBA programs and courses, and yet I study at UOPeople. I have successfully completed 3 MBA courses (the foundation courses). They are well designed, generally well taught, hard work, and exceptional value. The students you "meet" come from all over the world and are exceptionally passionate.

If you consider the full cost of a typical MBA then their degree is a bargain. Topics are essentially the same as any standard MBA (non-specialized). Course content, assessments, modes of taking class etc, are all in line with how fully online MBA programs work (if you can even find them). And I know for a fact, that you can take their qualifications and use them overseas, as the national accreditation is recognized in some other countries (you need to check local universities for recognition status of their accrediting body).

Is it in the same league as Harvard, Insead etc? Well no. But then again, it costs $2400 (US$200 per course) for an MBA. Not 100K. 

I am extremely disheartened by what I read here, as University of the People is real, effective, and providing a real opportunity for people all over the world to get educated. 

Estimated Serious Readers:

 I am shocked about the level of ignorance, ungratefulness, sense of entitlement and MALICE of some posters.

To go to ANY school, one needs to know the least ONE language, and in this case it is English. ENG is NOT my 1st language, yet it WAS clear to me the distinction between Tuition Free & FREE.

The ones that vilify UoP, it is clear they don't know how to read, or don't know the difference between TUITION free and FREE. They are so desperate to make the most of everything in life through sucking the system, or desperate that if they vilify the system THEN magically will get lunch free that they simply do not care.

Facts:

1. The school is Tuition Free, NOT FREE, and this is NOT a game of words. For those who have a bit of sense about ANY business, there is something called Operating Cost. Although there is a lot of volunteering from scholars, STILL UoP has Operating Costs. To expect that you are going to get everything for free is ludicrous, and makes YOU a non-candidate ("non grata persona" for to say) for anything good in like.

2. To ANY University you apply there is something called Tuition and (countless) Fees. At a specific Public U in California one has Services Fees, Students association Fees, Writing Center Fees, Union Fees, Programs/Activities/Resources Fees, Administrative fees, and so the "world of fees” goes on & one: THESE disregarding document Fees, Room & Board, Transportation, Health Insurance, etc. In this case, fees account for THE LEAST 28 % of TOTAL COST (Tuition & Fees), YET, NOBODY whines about it. 

3. UoP IS accredited: PERIOD! To say that it is not is DEFAMATION, and I believe a case for a law suit.

I could go on writing FAR further, but will stop here.

FINAL Facts:

1. UoP is NOT for everybody. It was created by righteous minds that TRULY understand the true meaning of social justice, and understand the hardship of many of us in this life. So, for the whiners, this is NOT for you.

2. Many in the education field (University Sphere) will be sad when they get aware of the fact that in this NEW Business MODEL ONE does NOT need to be in debt to get an education, OR be PREDATED by Loans, OR be “hostaged” for years by the ghost of student debt or will even have the need to go through the FAFSA.

How Many Universities will lose as time goes part of their FAFSA and WAFSA and the “in need” quorum, used to justify their fundraising? How many Lollipops will be missed along the way? 

Long life to Shay Reshef. May he live beyond 120 years !

This fake university sells unaccredited MBAs, claiming they are "tuition free" while you end up paying thousands of dollars. Enough said. What a scam.

Hi Mark,

I am sorry to hear that you are so frustrated, and believe that University of the People is a scam. Our website says, "Tuition-Free", not "Free", so I am afraid there may be a misunderstanding. UoPeople is able to offer our students an online degree tuition-free because of our unique model of online higher education. Our minimal processing fees help to maintain our tuition-free online degree structure—allowing all qualified students to receive their online degree without educational instruction expenses, course material or annual enrollment fees.

On our website, it outlines our processing fees, so there are no surprises for our applicants and students. For those who are unable to cover the costs of these fees, we offer a variety of grants and scholarships which they can apply for. Furthermore, for students who are able to pay for their processing fees on their own, they are never asked to pay them upfront or all at once. If you read the details about our processing fees on our website, it states that exam processing fees are only required at the time of final exam period. 

I hope this clarifies. 

Best,

University of the People

Dear John,

I am surprised to hear that you believe UoPeople students are unable to find jobs after graduation. It's surprising as many of our students and graduates work for the world's leading companies, such as IBM, Dell, Amazon, Microsoft, Y&R, Wells Fargo and many more. You can see details of where our students and graduates work, both on our website and LinkedIn page. If you are indeed a real person, we would love to speak with you and help you pursue quality employment opportunities. Please contact us through Facebook or send us an email to student.services@uopeople.edu, and we would be happy to help.

Kind Regards,

University of the People

Tuition is defined by Dictionary.com as: (dictionary.com/browse/tuition) noun

They inform you of ALL of the charges in their website, so don't act like it's some huge surprise when they charge $100 for an exam. They aren't thieves who are ripping you off plus they're an accredited university. Of course they don't have a physical location, they're 100% online, staffed with VOLUNTEERS and some paid personnel. 

First of all, their "address" in California is fake: it's a virtual PO box! This "school" has no offices or campus. Go visit their "location" in Pasadena, and you will NOT find them. In fact, their (paid) administrative staff are all located in Israel. They bill themselves as an "American university" but they just use a virtual, fake, US PO box, LOL

That being said, they claim to be "tuition free" just because they use the expression "exam fees" instead of the word "tuition". Bottom line: you must pay thousands of dollars anyway! What a joke.

Last but not least, the "MBA" is not accredited.

Scam!

The University of the People is a tuition free online university.

They clearly inform before you apply that they're tuition free but you've to pay exam fee (100 USD each course). It's clearly mentioned on their website and as well as inside the catalog.

So, they're legally and morally corect.

They won't send you email if you don't subsribe newsletter. 

UoPeople is 100% tuition free. They only charge for exam fee (100 USD for each for AS and BS).

UoPeople clearly mentioned difference between tuition and exam fee. If you're a literate person you must know the difference.

It can't be a scam while they clearly inform you before you apply. It's written in the catalog, website and everywhere. 

Please check: http://www.uopeople.edu/tuition-free/processing-fees/

They are correct from both legal and moral aspect as they:

1. Didn't mention anything false

2. Clearly inform everyone before they apply

If you think student shouldn't pay for exam fee, I suggest you go to other US universities. It's up to you.

Creep guys like you won't understand the value of this university. Those students who are from third world countries and stiving for a low cost quality degree, they really understand. They welcome this university. 

 Everyone who is saying that University of the People is charging tuition fees are not educated enough to study for a degree at any high education institutions. Why? They do not understand English at all. The University charges examination fees and application fee. It does not charge semester fees (tuition fees). What's wrong with people? Go study with Alison and stop false accusation. Do us a favor please go and study with havard.

Unfortunately I got a BS from the University of the People, and I can't find a job because every employer say this school is not regionally accredited, and their national accreditation is a joke. In all honesty, I can't say they are wrong: our exams were ridiculous. They were same questions as the weekly quizzes which you can take infinitely online until you get a score of a hundred.

So basically I paid thousands of dollars for a useless "degree" which I will have to remove from my resume because it's like a stigma. What a colossal waste of time and money.

On top of that, University of the People keep bombarding me with spam, advertising their new "tuition free" MBA… which means they want more money. Money, money, money… it's all about money. Too bad the MBA has no business-related accreditation. I will never ever fall for it again.

Other online MBA's are tuition-FREE for real, such as smart.ly and My lean MBA. Tuition-FREE means that you pay NOTHING there. 0 dollars. They don't have any specific MBA accreditation, just like University of the People which makes you pay several thousand dollars instead while claiming it is tuition-free. Bottom line: UoPeople's tuition is NOT FREE. Scam.

I signed up for UoPeople.edu because their website said the school was free, but a few minutes later they asked me to pay $2500! It is NOT FREE and their ads are misleading. Total scam.

Remarkable. You haven't even applied yet? And you know this for a fact how? Without taking a single course, how have you arrived at such a conclusion? The website says tuition-free. Where does it say free? You can't afford $100? Compared to a $1000 fee for each credit at a decent American university? Sorry to say (Thousand apologies?) but some of us in Third World countries have spent our money and received a decent return-on-investment as we're about to complete the Associate's degree. By the way, I met Shai Reshef at the Indian Institute of Technology in my second year. Arranged by an employee at the university in California. Sorry, no one from Israel. I wish that were true because I would have actually signed up sooner. Speaking of Mr. Reshef, he didn't get invited to speak there because of his pretty face or because he won a popularity contest. People don't get invited to other countries to speak like that. It comes with having a decent reputation in the field of education. Especially in this country where that really really matters. Just making it obvious for you so that you get the right picture. Instead of buying into hearsay, gossip and secondhand information, could you not just try it for yourself and then decided to post this report? All you had to do is ask us students with a positive frame of mind. Yes, it's good to be cynical and skeptical but there are times when it isn't necessary. People, much like Mr. Reshef, are kind and sometimes want to do something good for others. No one is saying that the university is perfect but it's far from being a scam. It's a bit extreme, harsh and hurtful to post something like this. Saying this nicely because even if it hasn't worked out for other people, some of us are very happy. Please look at what's possible. Instead of writing it off immediately like this. If you really like the open source movement, you'll understand why the university does what it does in the way it does. Thank you!

Dear Jared,

I hope all is well with you these days. It has been almost two years since you wrote your report and I came across it accidently through a friend on Facebook. I have been a student at the University of the People since April 2015. I am pursuing the bachelor degree in business administration. My journey has been fantastic so far. I have learned a lot, and I have changed a lot as well. I do respect your opinion, and I don’t intend by any means to try to change what you believe to be right. However, I will try to show my perspective of what I know about the University of the People.

The University of the People is tuition-free. I am not a native English speaker, I am Lebanese living in Lebanon, and I do struggle sometimes with new words and with their meaning. You see, the University of the People doesn’t write on its website or in any of its publications that it is free, but it says that it is tuition-free which means that it doesn’t charge any tuition. However, in higher education institutions, there are some fees like administrative fees, registration fees, examination processing fees, parking fees, visa fees, internet fees, library fees, and book fees, etc... The University of the People charges only a registration fee of 60$ (paid only once when an applicant fills an online application form) and an examination processing fee of 100$ per course. In the associate degree level, there are in total 20 courses, and therefore the total amount to be paid for the entire duration of studies is 20 x $100 + $60 = $2060. In the bachelor degree level, there are in total 40 courses, and therefore the total amount to be paid for the entire duration of studies is 40 x $100 + $60 = $4060. In the MBA level, a new degree which has been recently introduced, the examination processing fee is 200$, and there are 12 courses; therefore the entire amount to be paid is 12 x $200 + $60 = $2460. Students pay per course. They can’t pay the entire amount as a lump sum. They study at their own convenience, anytime, anywhere. They pay for their course as of the 5^th week of the 9-weeks term, not before. They can take up to three courses per term, as long as they keep a high GPA. Therefore, if they face financial hardships, they can slow down with their studies by taking a course or two per term, or apply for a scholarship. They can also take a leave of absence. Studying online allows such flexibility and is a plus towards balancing life, studies, and work.

The University of the People has many scholarships. They are available on this link: http://www.uopeople.edu/tuition-free/our-scholarships/ . There are 16 different types of scholarships offered by different foundations, some of them are from the Western Union Foundation, the HP Scholarships and Mentoring, and Microsoft4Africa. It had recently offered 500 full-scholarships for Syrian refugees. You can read about it on this link: http://www.uopeople.edu/tuition-free/our-scholarships/syrian-refugee-scholarship/

Further, the University was founded in 2009 and was accredited in 2014 by the DEAC. Please have a look at this link to read more about the DEAC accreditation: http://www.deac.org/ . It had in its first year a small number of students from all over the world. By 2013, it had 736 active students from 137 countries according to this article published in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/education/edlife/where-are-the-graduates-of-university-of-the-people.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0). Nowadays, there are more than 6000 students from more than 200 countries. Most of them are in the United States, a big community is in Canada, the UK, Nigeria, and Syria, and the rest are scattered all over the world.

Additionally, the University of the People partnered with UC Berkely and with NYC- Abu Dhabi. More can be found on this links: http://www.uopeople.edu/about/worldwide-recognition/press-releases/uc-berkeley-partners-with-uopeople/

If the University of the People is a scam as you believe it to be, would it have all those students from all over the world and most importantly would famous institutions like Western Union and Microsoft offer scholarships to its students? Would it have all those articles written about it in the New York Times, Paris Match, BBC, the Economist, and many other famous and reliable journals and magazines? Would two of the biggest universities partner with it to accept its students?

Furthermore, please click on this link to view the University of the People administration’s members: http://www.uopeople.edu/about/leadership/administration-3/ Please look them up on Facebook and Linkedin, approach them and see for yourself that they are real.

The idea behind the University of the People is for it to be entirely online without the need for brick and mortar buildings. This is the vision of its Founder, Shai Reshef. He wants to open the gates of higher education to all qualified students no matter where they are. The advancement of technology in addition to globalization are making his vision a reality.

Since everything is online, I only sent my high school diploma and proof of English proficiency to the mailing address in Pasadena towards the end of 2014 when I applied for admission. Over the last two years, everything has been done via email, Moodle (the study portal) and the student portal, so far I didn’t need to send anything by mail, and therefore, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter where the headquarters are located.

Additionally, all our course instructors and program advisors are volunteers. They offer their time, energy, and passion for helping students advance in their lives, gain the needed education to thrive for excellence, knowing that education is the key to change the world. Volunteers are scattered all over the world. Would it matter if they were located in one specific place?

Moreover, the University of the People is a not-for-profit organization. However, in your opinion, how would any organization no matter how big or small it is, sustain itself and keep offering its services if no money is generated? How would it update its courses? How would it introduce new courses? How would it maintain its website, its Moodle, and its study portal? A few weeks ago in one of the courses at the University of the People, I was introduced to the concept of “social business enterprises” also called “social entrepreneurships.” I read that while profit maximizing enterprises work towards disseminating products and services by employing marketing strategies to achieve their aim, their only purpose is to make a profit; social business enterprises, on the other hand, work towards helping others while suffering no financial loss. In other words, social business enterprises , a relatively new field, can be defined as: “capitalist efforts which are focused on social change, social service, and/or social justice, marked by a purposeful agenda to empower the target market instead of exploit them, whether by intent or indifference” (“ONE Magazine,” 2011, p. 1). Therefore social business enterprises while not primarily aiming at amassing wealth, seek to empower people, create more job opportunities, and work towards eradicating poverty. They believe that: “Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish, or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry (Drayton, 2007 as cited by Ghalib & Hossain, 2008, p.5). These enterprises operate in the same market and compete with other social enterprises and with profit maximizing enterprises (Ghalib & Hossain, 2008, p. 4). The University of the People isn’t a social business enterprise because it isn’t a business, but if I were to label it, I would say it is a social educational enterprise, but this is only my opinion.

Last, but not least, the University of the People is active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. The links to these platforms are on its website, please have a look, approach a few people there and see whether this is what you are looking for.

Thank you and take care.

Z.

References:

Ghalib, A. K., and Hossain, F. (2008, July). Social business enterprises – maximizing social benefits or maximizing profits? The Case of Grameen-Danone Foods Limited. Book World Poverty Institute working paper 51. Retrieved from: http://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/gdi/publications/workingpapers/bwpi/bwpi-wp-5108.pdf

ONE Magazine. (2011, October). What Is Social Entrepreneurship? ONE Magazine. Retrieved from: http://onemagusa.com/october2011/what-is-social-entrepreneurship/

 Disgusting!!! Let me begin from the onset, University of the people just like every other online University was founded to restore the hope of those who thought they won't be able to continue their higher education. Let's be realistic for once, take a good look at the ongoing situation in Syria, where many high school graduates can't even go to school again due to the massive destruction due to war. What about the ongoing situation in Cameroon where all schools have been shutdown due to political disagreement. Taking just these two examples, y'all will agree with me that, through the help of UoPeople, thousands of Students are comfortably studying from various locations for the betterment of their current situation. Talking about $100 per course, what happened? Did the author of this post considered how much it cost to attend online Universities in United kingdom, Europe and other American universities? No! The $4000 he mentioned is not paid in installment, that's a big lie. We only pay $100 per course towards exams after studying not before. UoPeople is already accredited by DEAC, it has every entitlement to operate a distance education. Let me share with you my personal experience. I was asked to deposit $1,500 in a USA online University ( name withheld) as a deposit before accepted for studies. The entire fees was $9000. But when I found UoPeople, I knew my career and education is guaranteed. Talking about Building, UoPeople is capable of having such, but they don't want to put the Burden on Students to pay for them but we do have an administrative office located in Pasadena, California USA. That's where all administrative activities are been carried out. Also, we are not out for profit making. Don't get lost about the $100 per course. These funds are used for the running of the administrative bills and expenses. The instructors are free volunteers who come to help students to give them the gift of higher education. Majority of Students in UoPeople are here because of the fantastic services within UoPeople. First no fees, excess Scholarships, free text books, flexibility in studying, incredible program Advisors, Course instructors etc. I will finalize by saying UoPeople is not competing with any other University rather we are just the best. Critics always have something to say because we don't have Angels on earth & human beings are dynamic. Greater minds talks about ideas and innovations while low minds talks about people. Other students have something to say as well.

 Disgusting!!! Let me begin from the onset, University of the people just like every other online University was founded to restore the hope of those who thought they won't be able to continue their higher education. Let's be realistic for once, take a good look at the ongoing situation in Syria, where many high school graduates can't even go to school again due to the massive destruction due to war. What about the ongoing situation in Cameroon where all schools have been shutdown due to political disagreement. Taking just these two examples, y'all will agree with me that, through the help of UoPeople, thousands of Students are comfortably studying from various locations for the betterment of their current situation. Talking about $100 per course, what happened? Did the author of this post considered how much it cost to attend online Universities in United kingdom, Europe and other American universities? No! The $4000 he mentioned is not paid in installment, that's a big lie. We only pay $100 per course towards exams after studying not before. UoPeople is already accredited by DEAC, it has every entitlement to operate a distance education. Let me share with you my personal experience. I was asked to deposit $1,500 in a USA online University ( name withheld) as a deposit before accepted for studies. The entire fees was $9000. But when I found UoPeople, I knew my career and education is guaranteed. Talking about Building, UoPeople is capable of having such, but they don't want to put the Burden on Students to pay for them but we do have an administrative office located in Pasadena, California USA. That's where all administrative activities are been carried out. Also, we are not out for profit making. Don't get lost about the $100 per course. These funds are used for the running of the administrative bills and expenses. The instructors are free volunteers who come to help students to give them the gift of higher education. Majority of Students in UoPeople are here because of the fantastic services within UoPeople. First no fees, excess Scholarships, free text books, flexibility in studying, incredible program Advisors, Course instructors etc. I will finalize by saying UoPeople is not competing with any other University rather we are just the best. Critics always have something to say because we don't have Angels on earth & human beings are dynamic. Greater minds talks about ideas and innovations while low minds talks about people. Thank you Shai Reshef for bringing higher education to our door steps.

Shai Reshef claims the tuition to be free, while the tuition is actually $2500. It is lower than other (more important) colleges, but it is not free. Fake ads: scam!

According to the author of this complaint gasoline should not cost anything since it is Lead Free, diet food should not cost anything because it is Fat Free or Sugar Free.  No where in any of the marketing materials does it say that it is totally free.  The author is choosing to ignore the subject noun "tuition" and focus on the adjective "free" which is describing the type of tuition.  Nothing is confusing about the situation, it is clear that the individual making the complaint simply wants it to mean what they want it to mean instead of looking at the complete picture.  I encourage them to study grammar to get a better understanding of what it is they are trying to say in the marketing materials.

 I have attended a state university prior tomoving to another state and attending UoPeople. Yes it is low cost and technically 'free tuition' compared to other schools. But you can not compare to any other schools, only to those who offer computer science, business and now medical industry (or whatever they want to call it) on their curriculum. My experience with this school hasn't been great, and speaking with other students nor has it been for them. The exams are a joke. They are the same questions as the weekly quizes which you can take infinitely until you get a score of a hundred. As far as teachers and peers. Everyone is everywhere, so you meet and learn alot about other cultures, but if you really want that join an online community or something. As far as teachers, it depends on who you get in what class. The only method of contact with faculty abd staff is through email. Some teachers don't check their email as often as they should. The most off putting of this school dor me were the writren assifnments. One is due almost every week. They are peer graded, not teacher, peer. Most students do not speak fluent enough english or know how to write a well written essay. I know because of high school and attending another university. GSU in fact. So in my situation I would write good essays and because peers did not understand the task of the assignment or misundertsood my paper, I would fail the assignment. At that point I would contact the teacher and ask him his 2 cents on the situation. 99% of the time turns out the graded needed to be corrected because my assignment was done correctly. So this hapened every week. Not to mention that your grade only got corrected if you got in contact with the teacher. Cause if he or she didn't check their email regularly, you are screwed with a bad grade. I am currently in the process of attending another school. The school needs every trancrips whethere they take the credits or not. I have made my request and paid my trancript fees almost 2 months ago, about a week ago I email the faculty to check on the status of the transcript. I get an email back saying they never received request form nor payment. I had to go back, forward the original email with both form and receipt (which they had sent me). A week later still no update on whether they are doing anything about it. Apparentely a fellow student who had the sense tp do the same and switch schools went through the same dilema. If you still have the chance, rid yourself of the headache and apply to a local community college, try to get scholarships, or financial aid. Very much not worth money, waste of time and money (no matter how much).

I totally agree that tuition free is exactly what they mean. Paying for app fees and exams is a way of providing you with some level of dignity. Everything in life is not free. I think to those people who expect something for absolutely nothing at all are being unreasonaly selfish and immature.

University of the people keeps saying it's "free" but they ask you for money just after you sign up.

Your getting upset that it says tuition free bu have to pay for regitration $50 and $100 per exam so for an Associate thats $2050 or Bachelors $4050.  I think of tuition being $10000 for a nine month course that might get me a better paying job.  I think that paying a few thousand over the course of 2 or 4 years nominal.  A bachalors costs more than $200000 in Canada.  If I can get my BA for $4000 im all over it.  Ok maybe they should have said low cost, but now we are splitting hairs in my mind.

Im not affiliated with the school but am seriously considering enrolling as this maybe the only way I will ever be able to afford my BA.  Also they dont pay the teachers they all volunteer!! from highly recommended schools and universities all over the world.  

I will happily give up my coffees and eating out for this opportunity.  Just sad that you think a few thoudsand as gouging and ripping you off for the chance of higher education.  Of course he wants to make money, thats what the world is all about.

Just my two cents.  Check out these Okanagan college, BC charges $1100 per course, Mount Royal University Calgary, AB is $6500 per semester.  Just some perspective, and if yu think $4000 over the couse of 4 years is expensive, I hate to see what programs you were looking a before when you said you couldn't afford other programs.

Regional accreditations and national accreditations a equivalent in standards. The only difference is that the regional accreditation agencies charge higher fees and help create an oligopoly of regional accredited colleges/universities that use regional accreditation to charge more tuition. Please take the time to review their accreditation standards at 

http://www.deac.org/Seeking-Accreditation/The-DEAC-Accrediting-Handbook.aspx,

You will find that the standards are very solid. You can compare them to the High Learning Commission standards, you will find that the main diffrence is the cost for becoming accredited. 

Regards

ABD Business Administration

MS Industrial Administration

DEA

MS Engineering

DTEC is a good accreditation and the University of the People is accredited. 

Regional accreditations and national accreditations a equivalent in standards. The only difference is that the regional accreditation agencies charge higher fees and help create an oligopoly of regional accredited colleges/universities that use regional accreditation to charge more tuition. Please take the time to review their accreditation standards at 

http://www.deac.org/Seeking-Accreditation/The-DEAC-Accrediting-Handbook.aspx,

You will find that the standards are very solid. You can compare them to the High Learning Commission standards, you will find that the main diffrence is the cost for becoming accredited. 

Regards

ABD Business Administration

MS Industrial Administration

DEA

MS Engineering

I used to teach at University of the People and they never paid me. In the end, I left. They were also very controlling: in my case, they wanted to know everything about my private life and finances. UoPeople looked like a cult. Also, most people don't know that the administrative staff is based in Israel, though they claim to be in "California". Not a big deal, honestly, but why lie about this too? Unbeliavable.

The fact that this is a low cost online degree program is great, the fact that the program is not regionally accredited is not.  To quote a recent article on Blog Critics 'http://blogcritics.org/university-of-the-people-is-accredited-just-not-as-you-might-think/' "...the University of the People has the gall to call DETC accreditation something of significant importance. That’s just unfortunate, and misleading to boot." and "The only correct answer here is for the University of the People to right this wrong by ensuring that its students understand what its current DETC accreditation means: that the school offers quality courses via distance education, but that the courses will not transfer to most major colleges or universities and that degrees granted will probably not qualify students for state licensure."

False: $4,000 is not free, and no ads still say that you have to pay $4,000 in installments.

Hello to Author: I have been researching various higher education opportunities, and while I did not choose to attend University of the People, I have to say the nitpicking about words is very silly on your part. Their website and advertisements are very clear from the beginning that in order to maintain their courses, website, professors, etc, that they charge a small admissions fee of $50 and final exam fees of 100$ per exam. 

When you look at the cost breakdown at any university (I know, I've been to three), there are separate costs associated with separate things. You have base tuition, which allows you to attend the course(s). You have lab or materials fees, which allows courses with labs to keep their equipment updated and allow students to use said equipment. You have an admissions fee at most colleges. Then, you have your textbooks. 

Now, with that price structure in mind for literally every other university I have researched and the ones I have attended, I can safely say that the advertising for this university is neither misleading, nor are they giving anyone a bad deal. Please point out to me one college that you can get a bachelor's degree for $4,000.00 at the end without any financial aid/scholarships, because if you can find one, then go there. 

So, yes, that is considered "Tuition Free". If you are not willing to invest $4,000.00 into a bachelor's degree, which has statistically proven to earn people on average twice as much as their counterparts who did not attend college, then you have no business complaining. Let me make this very clear to you: No one owes you anything. You have to work for, earn and yes PAY FOR the things you have in life. 

My advice would be to not waste your time complaining online about an extremely reputable organization that came about in order to help people who would otherwise not be able to attend college. If you want your college 100% percent paid for and free, I suggest you instead spend your time applying for scholarships and working hard. What you're doing here is just bad-mouthing a business because you don't appreciate the value in their work. "My friend told me" is not valid grounds for even making the claims and accusations you're making. I suggest you act like the adult you're supposed to be, and realize that nothing in life will ever be free. 

  The President  of the UoP said tutioin free. That means you don't have to pay to take the class, but there is a fee to take the class exam which is $100. Tell me where in the US can you receive higher education at this rate. They are completly honest of there fee's you just have to read the information. If reading is not your thing then neither is higher education.

For "Truthseeker": your name could be "Scamseeker" instead. This school doesn't charge lab fees simply because… it doesn't have any labs (it doesn't even have a building, for that matter). As you said, they should write "NOT COMPLETELY FREE" INSTEAD OF "FREE". Alas, their ads don't say that. In other words, the school adopts a non-traditional business model based on small installments ($100), which cuts labor costs and makes a profit anyway.

Last but not least, this page is getting full of users who claim to be "not affiliated with the university" but are actually sending ads :-)

 I am not affiliate with the university, but I have researched them as a means for several states friends to look at attending. Univerisity of the people is not a scam and people are clearly not understanding what this school is offering. The school does not charge tuition at all. BUT they, like every other school in America, charge testing and admin fees, application fees, tech fees etc. don't believe me, go to you local technical or community college and ask them for an itemized receipt of fees they charge along with tuition. These people who are complaining about this school need to understand that "tutition free" does not mean completely free. Tuition is typically charged per credit hour per class. Ex: a 4 hr biology class may run $150per hr therefore the tuition fee for that one class would be $600 PLUS WHATEVER lab fees, admin, testing fees, technology fees a school charges. University of the people ONLY charges you a $100 testing fee for the class. You can take the class for free but for them to credit you with the course and validate it, you have to pay the test processing fees. Seems pretty clear and not confusing whatsoever.

Anna: "free" doesn't mean "low cost". Until a few months ago, UoPeople's ads were confusing and misleading. Now they are changing: the word "free" is becoming rarer, and they are making it clear that the college is "low cost" (not free).

However, they still claim to offer lots of scholarships, while it seems that these hypothetical "scholarships" are actually very, very, rare.

 I am in no way affiliated with this college and I have never attended this college. I however do feel the need to clearify what is considered typically "tuition cost" as per most California state colleges covers the fees for teachers and the fees for the college per unit. Books and exit exams are not typically included in these fees. The university of the people is stating they are a tuition free college. This is correct they are tuition Free, this doesn't mean you will not be charged for other fees like the cost to take an examination. What many fail to realize is its very standard that examination charges are $100-$120 these examinations are typically held at a testing facility and you can clep out of many classes needed on your own. The difference is this college provides the corse work and teachers free of charge. It's a very simple concept to understand, many accredited college will charge you way over $4,500 for a degree. I paid close to 60k for my associates in nursing and our California community college charges $246 per unit, remember this doesn't not include books (another $50-150) parking ($50) and other charges. Per class you can easily spend $1000. In my educated opinion I would say it's very clear that the University of the People have a very good affordable program.

Reshef claimed that his university was "tuition-free" (especially in his TED talks and even in the school's logo) for several years. After the report on this page, he is now saying that UoPeople is "low-cost".

In other words, this report was accurate, which is why the unknown employee is no longer writing any useless "rebuttals".

It's just a new business model with a different way to pay tuition in installments. My advice: don't trust them.

Again, you are insulting my (and everybody else's) intelligence.

From your homepage, at the top, left corner (namely, from your own logo!): "University of the people — Tuition-free online university".

Liar! Your organization is not tuition-free. You want me to pay thousands of dollars. You should be ashamed. I won't give you a cent.

If your commercials managed to scam other people, it doesn't mean that your fraudolent, fake non-profit, business model will manage to rip me off. Shame on you.

Dear Jared. We are sorry that you feel mislead. However, we are completely transparent and never claim to be completely free. Go back and check our articles in the NY Times (nytimes.com/2014/02/14/education/free-online-university-receives-accreditation-in-time-for-graduating-class-of-7.html?_r=0) and BBC (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27117597) – we are always saying that we are tuition-free (so no one pays for tuition, which is one of the main parts of the cost,) but we are not free.

The Exam Processing Fees and Application Processing Fee aid the university in remaining sustainable and continuing to give the gift of a high quality education at minimal cost to those who cannot afford a traditional, brick and mortar education. For those who cannot pay, as mentioned above, there are scholarships available as it is our mission to leave no student behind. Once again, we are sorry that you feel mislead and I'm sure you can appreciate that it was definitely not our intention to make you feel that way, as we make every effort to be as transparent as possible. Also please keep in mind that by saying we are a scam, you are hurting a non-profit organization that is helping thousands of people.

Why are you insulting my intelligence? $4,050 is not "tuition-free". When I hear or read the word "free", I understand "free" (=zero dollars), not $4,050 at best. And the total cost might also be higher. Total SCAM

PS: No I won't watch your videos: why should I watch your ads?

I'm sorry that you think that way – however your facts are incorrect. University of the People is a tuition-free, non-profit university that is accredited by the DEAC since 2014. The very fact that the university received accreditation from the DEAC, is a clear indication of the quality and high level of our institution. Having said that, we have partnerships with distinguished academic institutions such as Yale Law School ISP and New York University, and the people making up our academic leadership are from the top universities such as Columbia, Oxford and Berkeley, and we have partnered over the years with organizations such as Microsoft and HP among others. 95% of our students are constantly recommending UoPeople to their friends. Our instructors choose to donate their time and resources in order to open the gates to higher education for all qualified individuals, guaranteeing that our students enjoy an extremely high level of education. All of this information on our academic leadership and partnerships can be found on the website. In addition, if you are interested in having a look at our financials, as a US non-profit organization, they are available online.

In regards to being a tuition-free university – as we state on our website, social media pages, and everywhere else - yes we are, but we are not completely free. We are (and will remain) tuition-free, meaning students will never be charged for their educational instruction, course materials or annual enrollment. UoPeople has succeeded in cutting down almost the entire cost of higher education. In order to remain sustainable, all we ask our students to cover is a $50 Application Processing Fee, as well as the cost of processing exams at $100 per end-of course exam. There are also scholarships available for those who cannot pay these processing fees, as it is UoPeople's mission to leave no one behind, regardless of their financial position. If you're interested in having a look at all the positive things our students have to say, and how UoPeople has changed their lives, you can click here http://uopeople.edu/groups/meet_our_students?s=203625. It is a shame that you posted here without approaching us with your complaints directly, as we could have clarified any of your concerns personally. You are more than welcome to contact me at any time if you have any more questions. My email is (((Redacted))). All the best.