Almeda University Policies and Procedures

Almeda University operates according to the following policies and procedures:


No Obligation With Approval
Upon acceptance by University, the applicant understands that he or she is under no obligation to make a purchase or to pursue any offered degree, certificate, or diploma. The applicant understands that any paid application fee is non-refundable regardless of acceptance to the college.

Disclosure of Student Information
The applicant understands that by submitting his or her qualifications, he or she is requesting that Almeda University and any of its adjunct professors review the applicant’s resume, transcripts, and any other information sent to us in order to assess whether or not the applicant qualifies for the degree for which he or she has applied. This evaluation will be based on how well the applicant’s stated experience and commensurate knowledge matches the knowledge and experience required for the desired degree. One or more members of our assessment team who are experts in the applicant’s chosen field of study will make this decision.

Verification of Student Information
The applicant understands that he or she is authorizing Almeda University to verify any and all information regarding employment, education, and any other pertinent information provided to us, personal or otherwise. The applicant releases all third parties from any damage that may result from furnishing same information to Almeda University. Any misstatement or omission of information on the applicant’s application and/or resume and supporting materials may be grounds for disqualification or immediate revocation of the applicant’s degree and status.

Student’s Right to Petition
The applicant understands that if he or she does not qualify for the specific degree he or she is seeking, our assessment team may award a lesser degree or, alternatively, award a degree in a discipline they feel is a better match for the applicant’s qualifications. The assessment team may also refuse to grant the applicant a degree altogether or only agree to grant the applicant a degree pending certain conditions, such as the completion of further course work or experience in a given area. The applicant has the right to petition any decision made by our assessment team. The applicant may do so by responding to his or her evaluation letter with a detailed explanation as to why he or she feels that the decision reached by our assessment team should be changed. The applicant may append this letter with documentation, references or other endorsements, as required. Almeda University will respond to such appeals promptly and fairly.

Release of Student Information
The applicant understands that by completing this application, he or she is asking Almeda University to reply to his or her application with a decision using the e-mail address provided. Almeda University will never give, sell or rent the applicant’s e-mail address or other personal information to any third parties. However, Almeda University may, at its discretion, use the applicant’s e-mail address to send information about updates to its program and/or other periodic specials, discounts, incentives or any other communication it deems necessary. To be taken off our mailing list, the applicant simply needs to respond to any of these solicitations with a blank e-mail that has the word "remove" in the subject line.

Accreditation
The applicant understands that the Association for Online Academic Excellence (AOAEx), the organization that accredits Almeda University, is a private, professional accrediting organization that accredits academic programs-specifically those in the distance-learning arena. The AOAEx accreditation has been conferred upon Almeda University for our honesty and integrity in business practices and for the value of our diploma process. Note that this accreditation is not based on an examination of our courses or online academic studies. The applicant should read all details regarding our AOAEx accreditation as well as the acceptability of the Almeda College & University degree by other entities prior to submitting his or her online application. Almeda University is a Nevis Corporation in good standing with affiliate offices in several locations across the United States.

The applicant understands that Almeda University is not accredited by any of the seven regional accrediting bodies recognized by the CHEA (The Council for Higher Education Accreditation). The applicant understands that, while Almeda degrees are widely accepted, accreditation by the AOAEX does not guarantee or imply that your degree will be accepted by everyone. If you are unsure about whether the company you work for or the company you would like to apply to will accept your degree, we encourage you to contact them before proceeding any further with us. Since accreditation by AOAEX is not the same as regional accreditation, Almeda is unable to participate in the federal student aid program or the GI Bill. The applicant understands that Almeda University degrees are not legal for academic or business use in the following states: OR, NJ, ND, and ID. Residents of these states should consider the Almeda degree as a novelty item only.

No Mention of Life Experience or Distance Learning
The applicant understands that neither the transcript nor the diploma he or she receives will contain any indication that the applicant’s degree was received from a prior learning or life experience program. The applicant’s transcript will contain a list of courses for which our assessment team has deemed he or she has met the equivalency requirements. The methods used to make this determination are proprietary to Almeda and are never disclosed.

Furthermore, because we do not do testing by proctor, we do not use GPA or letter grades on transcripts. Rather, in order to operate within the guidelines of the AOAEx we must offer only Pass/Fail for experiential crediting. Therefore, the courses accepted and accredited for work experience and/or transfer are graded P (Pass). Exceptions to this rule will only be granted according to the stipulations in the next clause below. The applicant understands that, while we may be making attempts to follow or emulate regional accreditation authority guidelines and recommendations for distance learning institutions, we are not, nor do we claim to be regionally accredited.

Letter Grades on Transcripts
The applicant understands that almost every major State University offers some credits for life experience-although usually no more than six to ten percent of the total crediting requirement. These credits are counted into the total crediting requirement but not as part of a GPA. State Universities do not offer grades for experiential crediting as it us usually prohibited by their regional accrediting agency. This being said, if the applicant can send us copies of transcripts from all other colleges attended showing letter grades, we can use those grades in replacement of the "P" (Pass) for similar courses.

Customizing the applicant’s transcript in this manner will cost an additional $149.00. If the applicant is interested in pursuing this option, he or she must wait until the transcript arrives, mark it as he or she sees fit, and mail or fax it back to us with copies of the applicant’s existing college transcripts. The applicant should then make payment of $149.00 on our secure server. We will adjust the applicant’s transcript within two business days of receiving payment and return it via US Mail.

Refund Policy
If the applicant is unsatisfied in any way with his or her degree, he or she may request a refund in accordance with the schedule below. Once we receive the applicant’s request, Almeda will ask the applicant (at his or her expense) to return the degree as well as the other materials received. The return must be made using a traceable shipping method such as FedEx or UPS. Upon receipt of these materials, Almeda will provide a full refund as follows.
 
Full refund (less $55.00 processing fee) if materials are returned within 7 days of receipt
 2/3rd refund (less $55.00 processing fee) if materials are returned between 8 and 14 days of receipt
 1/3rd refund (less $55.00 processing fee) if materials are returned between 15 and 21 days of receipt
 No refund after 21 days