Company Response
9/11/2023
I am in receipt of your e-mail dated September 10, 2023, regarding a complaint filed by Mr. McCalister. Having reviewed Mr. McCalister's files, I am pleased to provide the following information.
Mr. McCalister enrolled in our High School program on July 16, 2019. The initial cost of the program was $689.00, payable in 18 equal monthly installments of $37.16. The High School program consists of 18 modules and 65 corresponding exams. Mr. McCalister successfully completed all corresponding exams on June 6, 2023.
Included with the first module was the course syllabus, detailing the contents and subject matter for each module in the program. Within the syllabus, the following disclaimer is included:
"Please Note that although this program offers a comprehensive range of subject matter, that it is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for state sponsored High School and GED programs. Particular schools and employers may not recognize completion of this program as high school equivalency."
This information is also available on our website, www.scitraining.com in the FAQ section, and is accessible at all times through eService which is an online platform that students may register for free of charge. This online platform contains a wide variety of services available such as online payment, unofficial transcripts and exam submission. According to our records, Mr. McCalister is registered for eService and submitted the majority of his exams utilizing this online platform.
Students may discontinue their studies at any time over the course of their enrollment with SCI. All students are given 5 calendar days in which to evaluate their program and first study package. Cancellation policies are included in the Service Guarantee that is issued to every Stratford Student and cancellation requests may be sent by any method including by mail, e-mail or telephone. Upon review of Mr. McCalister's file, no cancellation request was received by any method. The student successfully completed the program and all financial obligations and subsequently graduated on June 23, 2023 at which time the diploma and official transcript were issued.
I have reviewed all correspondence and notes in Mr. McCalister's file and found no inquiry regarding accreditation until July 14, 2023 at which time he contacted SCI regarding attempted admission into a post-secondary educational institution and was subsequently advised that SCI is not accredited nor have we made any claims to the contrary, verbally or in writing. As Supervisor of Student Services, I contacted Mr. McCalister by telephone on July 17, 2023 as per his request to explain the nature of the program. Mr. McCalister was unfortunately unavailable however a voice message was left on the number provided advising that as a career institute, our diplomas are primarily designed for vocational purposes and we cannot guarantee acceptance of the diploma by employers or any institution of higher learning. A letter containing this information was also issued to the mailing address on file, containing this information, on the same date.
While we acknowledge Mr. McCalister's complaint, SCI has not misrepresented the program at any time and no refund is applicable. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me toll-free at 1-800-435-5338. Our hours are from 8:00am to 4:30pm (EST) Monday through Thursday, and until 3:30pm on Fridays.
Sincerely,
Brandi Hull
Supervisor
Student Services
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