$7.25 million settlement reached to settle fraud claims against Ashford University - Shellie Nelson, WQAD

Ashford University denies wrongdoing but will pay $7.25 million to settle claims that recruiters lied to convince prospective students to enroll in online classes. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller alleged Ashford University and its parent company, Bridgepoint Education Inc., violated Iowa’s Consumer Fraud Act by withholding some information, using high-pressure sales tactics, charging huge non-refundable fees and making misleading statements to convince prospective students to enroll in online classes. Bridgepoint Education posted a loss of $4.4 million for first quarter, and the company expected to miss its quarterly filing deadline with the Securities and Exchange Commission. http://wqad.com/2014/05/16/7-25-million-settlement-reached-to-settle-fraud-claims-against-ashford-university/