ComplaintsforSpringboard

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I enrolled in Springboard’s UI/UX Design Career Track in March 2023, and it’s clear the company has used contract terms to create a no-win situation for me. The Job Guarantee terms have subjected me, a college graduate trying to build a career, to unfair conditions. The legal advice I have gotten on this issue supports my position as a consumer being put in an impossible position after being led to believe that outcomes from Springboard were convincing evidence of potential success for me. The outcomes report, which I initially relied on, is deceptive. It states that 79.0% of job-qualified individuals received a job offer within twelve months of graduation, with an average starting salary of $84,316. It also claims “6 months” of job prep, including portfolio building, resume crafting, ******** profile polishing, and mock interviews "up to 6 months after graduation." This is misleading advertising, as Springboard career coaches can and do work with students indefinitely. Furthermore, no outcomes statements have been updated beyond December 2023. A conversation I had with an employee revealed extremely limited success with job placements in the past twelve months. It’s unfair to expect someone in my position to make ends meet under these circumstances, especially when I’m not allowed to seek alternative employment and the terms of Springboard's guarantee keep slipping into the unknown future, which is all at Springboard's discretion. The more time I spend without a full-time job, the worse my candidacy becomes for any type of job I might need to get in the rather likely event that I fail to secure employment in the UX/UI design field. The terms Springboard has set are impossible to adhere to while I’m trying to plan for the future, pay my bills, and survive. Overall, the company has damaged my career prospects more than it has helped them, creating an employment gap that will harm my long-term competitiveness in the job market.

  Business response

  09/23/2024

  Dear *****,

  We are writing in response to Complaint #********, filed on September 14th, 2024. Our goal in responding is to:
  1.) Provide follow-up to the issues highlighted in the complaint
  2.) Provide options and the next step for resolution 

  Summary of Claims made and Next Steps:
  From our review of the letter and the call with the Head of Career Success on September 19th, we have summarized the main complaints below. Also included is an overview of the support Springboard provided, and the expected program offering that is included in our course and job search support program: 

  Complaint: Springboard created challenges with maintaining a livelihood and being able to provide financially.
  Response: Based on the call on 9/19, we discussed how you had received and declined a full-time job offer that would have provided financial stability assuming that it would conflict with the terms of the Job Guarantee Program *****************************************************************************************************************. Our conversation also highlighted how Springboard makes it a practice to work with our students in cases of unrelated job offers and financial hardship concerns. Because this job offer was not officially reported, we did not have the opportunity to support you and work with you to ensure that you were able to gain financial security while also navigating a job search.

  Complaint: Springboard created an employment gap, thus making it hard to find a successful job.
  Response: Springboard offers a variety of ways to support students as they build out their professional portfolios with the goal of making them employable. For students in our Design courses, we offer an Industry Design Project (IDP) that provides real-life work experience. We also offer additional IDPs for students while in post-completion. The goal is to create professional work/project experience to make profiles more competitive. We offered you an opportunity to participate in a post-completion IDP on August 29th. Our records show that this email was received and opened. (We have attached a screenshot of these records to this response.)

  Complaint: The Outcomes Report provided was false and misleading. 
  Response: The Outcomes Report ***************************************************************************************************************************** in question was published in December 2023 and included all the job outcome data received through December 2023. We update and republish outcomes data on an annual basis given that job market trends can change drastically year over year... Specifically, we discussed frustration around how the report cites a 6-month job search, while your search was extended. However, the “Definition of Terms” section outlines that “Job-placement rates: defined as (a) the number of Job-Qualified Graduates who reported receiving a job offer within 6 or 12 months of completion.” 

  Support Options & Next Steps:
  We understand that you have requested a full refund as a preferred solution. However, based on our review of the complaints made and the support Springboard provided, we cannot offer a full refund based on ensuring fairness with our policies. However, we are committed to supporting you given your specific situation. We can provide two options and are happy to discuss either of these further with you:
  - Continued Job Search Support: We will continue to support you in finding a job through the duration of your Job Guarantee End Date (March, 19th, 2025) which includes access to Career Coaches, networking events, and other job search support. Please note that your Job Guarantee status will not be reinstated. However, we remain committed to supporting you throughout your job search. 
  - Partial Refund: We can offer you a partial refund of 25% of your tuition to help support you through the financial hardship you have experienced. Please note that this option includes no continued access to Career Services.

  
  Please let us know how you would like to proceed by Monday, September 30th. We've attached a hard copy draft of this response to this message for your reference. 

  We look forward to hearing from you, and continuing to support you. 

  Sincerely,
  ****** ******** 
  Head of Career Success, Springboard

  Customer response

  09/24/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I will respond to each of Springboard’s numbered statements...
  
  1. If you read the contract, you do not give any impression that this was negotiable. “Accept[ing] a role that […] is outside of the UI/UX field/industry” voids the job guarantee. The contract I signed gave me the impression that if I reported my job offer to you, my job guarantee status could be called into question. The language in your materials does not imply in any way, shape, or form that it is permissible to consider a job offer from any other industry. 
  2. Given the terrible quality of the first IDP that wasn’t offered by a serious business, I felt that my time was better spent continuing to look for a full-time job. You found a mom and her son who had an extremely vague idea about an app that they wanted to build, and you called that a real career development opportunity. The leader of the project also had very limited English skills, making it very difficult to communicate, and changed the project goals halfway through so as to render the work we’d accomplished up to that point nearly unusable—a serious problem in a month-long timeframe. The IDP was also part-time and unpaid.
  3. Number one: my point still stands that the phrase “up to 6 months,” taken on its own, is patently false. There is no additional context that would make it true. It appears in both the Outcomes Report and in large headings on Springboard’s website as a marketing tagline: “Launch your design career with job prep included up to 6 months after graduation.” Number two: Springboard discontinued its UI/UX Job Guarantee on July 30, 2024 (see attached images), just seven months after Springboard touted the benefits of its UI/UX Job Guarantee in its December 2023 outcomes report. This occurred right in the middle of my own job search, and demonstrates that Springboard lost confidence in its ability to get me a job while I was still being guaranteed one according to the terms of my contract. This casts doubt on Springboard’s ability to uphold the terms of the contract I signed, and possibly infringes upon them.
  
  I’m willing to settle this for a 84% refund at minimum.

  ***** T********

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  To whom it may concern,

  Thank you for taking the time to review our offer. We’ve read your response, and still believe that a refund of 25% of the tuition paid is fair. As previously offered in our original email, you also have the option to receive ongoing career services support until March 19th, 2025. (Please note that while this support would include access to coaching calls, networking events, and other job search guidance, your Job Guarantee status will not be reinstated.)

  
  While we understand this is not the outcome you’d hoped for, this is our standard offer. Please understand that offering a refund of any amount to a student before their job guarantee program ends is only reserved for cases of exception. 
  
  Our goal here is to respond to the additional points made in your last email to help clarify our program policy and expectations:
  
  Accepting a non-qualifying job offer:
  The terms of the Job Guarantee program are centered on accepting the job offer, not on reporting it. Reporting a job offer does not imply that a student has accepted it, nor that they will. Instead, it allows the student and the Career Services team to work together on assessing whether it is in the student's best interest to accept the offer based on the role, pay, and other relevant factors.
  
  IDP Expectations: 
  Our Industry Design Project (IDP) uses a trusted third-party partner that supports us in matching students with vetted clients that could be at different stages of scale and maturity. Nowhere in the program materials do we imply that this is a paid internship. Instead, the goal of the IDP is to offer students an opportunity to gain real-world professional experience which they could highlight in their resume and professional portfolio.
  
  Concerns on Outcomes Reporting: 
  As previously noted, the Outcomes Report that you cited mentions on page 4 that the reported job offers were received within 12 months of graduation. This is further clarified on page 16, where the definition of "Job-placement rates" is shared. 
  
  While we appreciate your feedback, we continue to have full confidence in the quality and impact of the programs we offer, including the UI/UX Design Career Track.
  
  Please let us know whether you would prefer a 25% refund OR receive ongoing career services support until March 19th, 2025.
  
  We look forward to hearing from you. 
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ****** ******** 
  Head of Career Success, Springboard

  
  

  Customer response

  09/27/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Your 25% offer is inadequate for the following reasons...
  * The IDP program is poor, and you’re hardly attempting to defend its quality in this response. Springboard even admitted in an email to my IDP student group that the company we partnered with had flouted Springboard’s own IDP policies and broken rules, so the IDP I did wasn’t even acceptable by Springboard’s own internal standards. There is absolutely no quality assurance going on here, despite your use of words like “trusted” and “vetted.”
  * The fact that you got rid of the UX/UI job guarantee is very telling—it was probably worthless to begin with.
  * The minutiae you’re getting into about page 4 and page 16 is not a good argument for you, and it will not represent you well going forward.
  
  
  I’m trying to come to a compromise, and you appear to think this is a negotiation where you can hold steady. This doesn’t stop at the BBB, though, because the claims you made in your advertising are very misleading and affected me very negatively. I don’t doubt that they may have affected others negatively as well. The evidence will speak for itself.
  
  
  I suggest you make a good counter-offer right now. If you don’t, I have other avenues for dealing with deceptive marketing.
  
  
  I look forward to resolving this with a favorable settlement that adequately addresses the concerns I’ve expressed.
  
  
  By the way, I still maintain that your contract's language is misleading regarding the subject of non-qualifying job offers. If Springboard does indeed “[make] it a practice to work with [their] students in cases of unrelated job offers and financial hardship concerns,” why would they not explicitly communicate this in the contract itself? I see no reason other than intentional obfuscation.

   

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** T********

  Business response

  10/04/2024

  Hi *****,

  Thank you for your response.

  Based on the feedback you shared, we reviewed every aspect of your Springboard experience, including but not limited to:
  - The information made available to you before you enrolled
  - The information provided during the admissions process 
  - The orientation and onboarding materials you recieved
  - All of the in-course communications
  - Feedback on the IDP
  - Information shared in the outcomes report
  - And your concerns regarding the Job Guarantee terms
  

  In our assessment, the Springboard team did not misrepresent any information and was diligent and proactive in offering you all the necessary support.
  

  Acknowledging that you feel differently, we are revising our previous offer of refunding 25% of your tuition up to 40%. Please note that we almost never offer refunds after a student has been issued a certificate of completion and has received six additional months of Career Services support. We hope you understand that we will not be able to increase the refund amount any further.
  

  If you want to accept the revised refund offer, please email me at ************************ by Friday, October 11th, and I will guide you through the next steps.
  

  Sincerely, 
  ****** ******** 
  Head of Career Success, Springboard 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  10/04/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  

  Thank you for the movement. I think 50% would be fair, based on all the points that I’ve made previously. Please let me know.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** T********

  Business response

  10/09/2024

  Hi *****, 

  As stated in our previous email, we cannot increase the refund amount any further. This means that our offer of a partial refund of 40% is our final offer. 
  If you want to accept the revised refund offer, please email me at ************************ by Friday, October 11th, and I will guide you through the next steps.

  Sincerely, 
  ****** ******** 
  Head of Career Success
  

  
  

  Customer response

  10/09/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** T********

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I applied for Springboard bootcamp. I accepted the job guarantee program, which means no tuition is due until I graduate. I missed the enrollment fee and they withdrew my enrollment and did not report it to the loan program, ******. Springboard has not returned any funds to ****** and is seeking $3500 from me. I completed 2% of the course which consisted of mainly ******* videos.

  Business response

  09/24/2024

  Hello Crystal,
  
  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We value your feedback and want to address the issues you’ve experienced.
  
  Upon reviewing your account, we found that our team made three attempts to collect the remaining $450 second deposit required for your type of loan-based enrollment. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful, which led to the cancellation of your account due to non-payment.
  
  On July 17th, we coordinated with your Admissions Representative regarding the payment, but we did not receive a response from you. As a result, your account was canceled, and as explained by our Finance team, your removal from the cohort was due to the failure to pay the second deposit.
  
  Regarding the loan with ******, we adjusted the loan amount to $3,135.56 based on the time your account was active and based on the prorated refund policy in your Enrollment Agreement. This adjustment typically reflects in ******’s system within 6-8 weeks.
  
  We also want to clarify that all of our curriculum materials are advertised to be curated and not created in-house, and we provide comprehensive career services support for all students, including those eligible for our job guarantee program. Additionally, students have access to mentor support and on-demand mentor calls.
  
  When reviewing your recent communications with us, it appears that your concerns were resolved over email, but please feel free to reach out if there are any other issues you need assistance with. We are here to help.

• Initial Complaint

  09/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Springboard under the same scam of "job guarantee" that most people in these comments experienced. I was told that I would have opportunities to speak with a one-on-one mentor but I was never told that this was a requirement and had to happen in live time. The entire reason you take an online course is so that you do not have to have any synchronous things that conflict with the rest of your busy life. When you do not attend the mentor calls (which btw.. the mentor does not have something planned to do with you -- it is up to you to come up with an agenda for what the mentor should do with you -- this is not a mentor), they freeze you out of the system. Also the "curriculum" is either several hour long ******* videos (of which most of the video has nothing to do with what you need) or already created ******** courses that you can get from ******** for about $100ish per year. The entire thing is a scam and I am looking for a refund.

  Business response

  09/11/2024

  Thank you for alerting us of the student's complaint. We have thoroughly reviewed the details of the student's situation before responding. Michelle R***** enrolled in the Data Science Career Track course offered by Springboard in March 2022, and was canceled from the course in March 2024 after the company was unable to collect tuition payments owed for the “Paid Extension,” an extended course timeline that students can choose to opt into. All course policies were provided to the student in written format prior to enrollment, and those policies were followed. During the course, Michelle received all promised services as well as extensions, breaks, accommodations due to challenging life circumstances, and grace periods when tuition payments failed. According to the policies communicated prior to enrollment, Michelle is not owed a refund for the course.
  
  We want to address the points of concern in this complaint to validate the student’s experience and share our perspective and efforts to support the student throughout the course.
  
  #1 Springboard is an online education platform that provides courses in technical subjects. We advertise a curated curriculum in all of our informational materials, and students receive access to otherwise paywalled materials as part of their enrollment. Students who enroll in our courses are provided with this curated curriculum as well as 1:1 mentor support, career coaching, and project grading in support of their learning and career goals.
  
  #2 Students choose the day and time of their 30-minute weekly mentor call when they begin the course. A requirement to remain in good academic standing in the course is for students to show up to their 1:1 mentor calls, or provide 24 hours of notice to cancel or reschedule. If a student is not showing up to mentor calls, we have a gradual notification system that informs them that if they do not get in touch with us or attend, cancel, or reschedule their next mentor call, their enrollment will be canceled. This system is built in support of the student, as Springboard’s tuition and refund policy dictates that financial obligation increases the longer the student remains enrolled in the course. We aim to ensure that students are getting the value that they paid for from our courses.
  Michelle’s enrollment was canceled in March 2024 due to inability to collect tuition payments that were owed, not due to lack of mentor call attendance. Springboard first provided multiple warnings for failed tuition payments, then after receiving no response to these warnings the student was placed on a grace period called a “freeze,” after which cancellation was processed because the student failed to get back in contact with us about returning to the course by paying tuition.
  
  #3 Springboard’s Job Guarantee requires active participation in the course as well as successful completion of the course by the student’s end date. Students are provided with the Job Guarantee Terms prior to enrollment, and agree to those terms when enrolling in the course. Michelle did not complete the course by the end date or by the extended end date provided. This voided the student’s Job Guarantee eligibility in accordance with the Terms. 
  
  #4 The student signed an Enrollment Agreement that included an outline of the tuition and refund policy. Based on the EA signed by the student, no refund is owed because the student utilized the full course timeline as well as 4 total months of extended time free of cost, beyond what was initially promised.
  
  Even for students who don’t complete our courses, we strive to be empathetic and fair including in how we supported this student. In this case, we feel that we went above and beyond in our attempts to support this student. Please let us know if we can provide any further information.
  
  

  Customer response

  09/12/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The things they say in the response are completely false.  I --did-- pay the extension fees to them already.  They have already received the full payment.  And, no there was nothing anywhere that said the mentor calls were required.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Michelle R*****

  Business response

  09/18/2024

  Hello Michelle,

  Thank you for your response. After further investigating your account history, Springboard would like to issue a correction: While your Paid Extension payments both failed upon first attempts, we were eventually able to collect both payments owed. We apologize for the previous mistake and will outline the reason your enrollment was cancelled: After two months on the Paid Extension, you chose to take a break called a "Freeze" from January 16, 2024 to March 19, 2024. A Freeze is a full step away from the course, and students must notify us before they wish to return to the course so that our teams can take the necessary actions to support their learning, such as matching them with a mentor again.
  
  You received two emails asking if you wanted to return to the course and requesting that you notify us of your desired return date as well as outlining the payment implications of not returning from the Freeze break. Because you did not get in touch with us to schedule your return to the course, your enrollment was cancelled as outlined in the emails you received.
  
  Because you utilized the full course timeline, including additional time granted to you free of cost via our Accommodations program, Springboard is unable to issue you a refund. Students are able to cancel their enrollment at any time if they decide that Springboard's courses are not the right fit for them. When a student cancels early, they are provided with a prorated refund as outlined in the Enrollment Agreement. You did not choose to cancel your enrollment early, and you continued to opt into that enrollment at multiple points, including when you applied for, were accepted for, and utilized the Accommodations granted to you in March of 2023 (as fully outlined in our initial response to your complaint).
  
  Springboard aims to provide our students with the degree of flexibility they need to support their learning, including breaks, Accommodations, and the option to cancel at any time. You were able to utilize breaks and additional time in the course free of cost via the Accommodations program, and you chose to remain enrolled and using course services through the entire course duration. Springboard charges tuition in exchange for access to course materials and use of the services made available during enrollment, including mentor calls, career coach calls, the ability to have projects graded, and more, and our records indicate that you received these services during your enrollment period. For the reasons outlined, we are not able to offer you a refund. Thank you for your time, and we hope that this response is satisfactory to you. 

  Customer response

  09/18/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they still need to correct.  Obviously they've admitted that they were not telling the truth with their first response.  This response is still a lie.   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Michelle R*****

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This organization sends emails out that contain a ************* sales tactic type of unsubscribe link. The link says "unsubscribe", but when clicked it re-directs to the Springboard homepage which is loaded with prompts to sign up for this or that. There is no option to unsubscribe in sight, and no indication at all that my email was taken off any list.

  Business response

  08/30/2024

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the broken unsubscribe link. This issue was unintentional and not reflective of our intended practices. We are actively working to fix the unsubscribe link to prevent this issue from occurring in the future. In the meantime, we have removed your email address from our mailing list to ensure you do not receive any further emails from us. Thank you for alerting us to this matter. If you have any other concerns or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

  Customer response

  08/30/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing this complaint and would like a refund. I signed up for a course with springboard after speaking with an advisor. I was told and understood that post completion I would have 3 months to apply to jobs and if I did not get any offer within that timeframe, I would be receiving a refund of my full "tuition," as per the job guarantee. One of the reasons I signed up for the program because I felt it was honest and gave me confidence in the program and its effectiveness in helping me transition to another career. After completing the program, I was sent an email that it would not be 3 month, but instead, 6 months. This is not what I believed I signed up for, nor what I would have agreed to. I have since had another 3 month extension. I find this practice unethical and deceitful. I am requesting a full refund.

  Business response

  07/24/2024

  To whom it may concern, 

  We are writing in response to Complaint #********, filed on July 17th, 2024. The filing of the complaint stated the following as the reason: 

  "I am writing this complaint and would like a refund. I signed up for a course with springboard after speaking with an advisor. I was told and understood that post completion I would have 3 months to apply to jobs and if I did not get any offer within that timeframe, I would be receiving a refund of my full "tuition," as per the job guarantee. One of the reasons I signed up for the program because I felt it was honest and gave me confidence in the program and its effectiveness in helping me transition to another career. After completing the program, I was sent an email that it would not be 3 month, but instead, 6 months. This is not what I believed I signed up for, nor what I would have agreed to. I have since had another 3 month extension. I find this practice unethical and deceitful. I am requesting a full refund."

  
  Our goal in responding is to:
  1.) Provide an overview of Springboard's Job Guarantee Program, including the expected duration of the job search period, and details of how this information is communicated to students at multiple points in their learning journey.
  2.) List out Springboard's support options that the student continues to have access to in order to get all their concerns addressed, and conduct an effective job search.

  Program Overview and Communication:
  As part of Springboard’s Job Guarantee program, eligible students are expected to complete their prescribed job search activities for a minimum of 6 months OR until they receive a qualifying job offer; whichever comes first. It is important to note that as per the Job Guarantee Program terms, Springboard reserves the right to extend the duration of the job search period due to external factors adversely impacting the job market. Any such extension is accompanied by additional support for impacted students.

  Expectations around a 6-month job search and the extensions applied were made clear in the following ways to the Student throughout their time with Springboard 
  1.) Pre-Enrollment - Springboard's website highlights “6 months of job prep included” as an important feature of the program.
  In-Course - the terms for the Job Guarantee program, outline that “the “Guarantee Period” is defined as the period beginning at enrollment and ending 6 months after receiving a Career Track certificate of completion, or a longer period as set forth…” through a program extension. These terms are linked throughout the program curriculum and are shared directly with students via email. 

  2.) At-Completion - The Student received an email on November 13th, 2023 that outlined the job search program and next steps. Review the email here. This email clearly outlined the expected length of the job search period: In an effort to be transparent, it's important to let you know that your Job Guarantee Period is currently impacted by the national wide decrease in job postings and entering your post-completion job search period during the “seasonal slowdown”. To help combat this, we will be unilaterally extending your job guarantee by 3-months. This extension more adequately supports the common job search timeline entering this time of year and under these current circumstances. What Does This Mean? You will have a total of 9 months of career support services and job guarantee eligibility.”
  

  3.) Post-Completion - In January 2024, the Student met with a member of the Career Services team and discussed their job search program. During this call, the Springboard team member reviewed the duration of the job search. For an overview of the notes from the call, and the follow-up email the Career Services team member sent, review the attached document. In May 2024 the Student received an email that outlined a job search extension that was being implemented for all Springboard students. This email clearly outlined why it was getting implemented and what it meant for them: “In response to the current job market challenges and hiring trends, we’ve extended your Job Search Period by 3 months to give you more time to interview and secure a job with Springboard’s full support”
  

  We hope that this information clarifies any confusion related to the expected duration of the job search period included in Springboard’s Job Guarantee program.
  

  Support Options & Next Steps:
  So far Springboard has yet to hear directly from this Student about their concerns related to the job search duration. Our team would be glad to support them in the following ways:
  - Meeting with the Head of Career Success at Springboard to discuss their job search, the extension, and how the Career Success team could best support them. 
  - Filing a Tuition Appeal Application for a review of their case and requesting a release of their program expectations before their current November 13th, 2024 end date. 
  - Exploring additional support and accommodation options to ensure they have all the support they need. 
  

  This student is currently active and continues to have access to our Job Search support. Due to the two 3-month extension that Student has received, their job search end date is currently November 13, 2024. During this time, they can access support in the following ways:
  - Biweekly 1:1 career coaching calls with a dedicated Career Coach
  - Access to 1:1 Technical Mentor calls 
  - Access to Group Technical Mentorship 
  - Access to participating in an Industry Design Project, where they’d work with a group of peers on a project to strengthen their professional portfolio 
  - Access to monthly Career Connection events 
  - Access to an Alumni Network 
  

  As of July 24th, 2023, the Student remains in good program standing. Should this continue through their program end date of November 13th, 2024, they would be eligible to request the refund as is a standard part of Springboard’s Job Guarantee Program. 

  
  We intend to continue supporting the Student throughout their job search and welcome the opportunity to continue supporting them through our internal processes. We hope that this response provides a clear outline of: 
  - What was communicated to the student regarding their job search program
  - Our intentions around continuing to support the Student moving forward 

  Please let us know if we can help to provide any further information. 

  Sincerely, 

  Rachel S*******

  Head of Career Success, Springboard 

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In February 2024, I started a 9 month course for Software Engineering through Springboard. I was told that I would receive a discounted rate for prepaying for the course. I was also offered an additional $750 discount for signing up early. I ended up cashing out my retirement fund in order to pay for this. I was told that I would have support from the staff to complete the course, and the people who had no experience find success completing the program. When I got to a portion of the program that I struggled with, I would reach out to my mentor for help, but the response would be "let's talk about it in our next meeting," which could be up to 2 weeks away. As I was already falling behind, this was unnacveptable. Trying to reach out for support through Slack was even worse, as I would barely receive responses. Considering they offered a refund if you had to cancel the course, and I found myself completely overwhelmed and stressed with the workload and lack of support, I opted to cancel. They told me that it would take 8-10 weeks to process the refund. 10 weeks came around and I had to hound them to process the refund, which only turned out to be $780, out of the $9900 that I paid. I was told that the student would be responsible for 60% of the cost after 12 weeks, which would've amounted to $3690 being refunded. They are saying that because I prepaid and "already received a $750 credit" that THEY offered, I am only entitled to $780 back. You cannot talk to anyone when you call them, (and this is IF they don't hang up on you) they insist that you communicate via email, where the billing employee ceased responding. They provided me with two different refund receipts, totalling two different amounts, both higher than the $780 I received back.

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  Thank you for alerting us of the student's complaint. We have thoroughly reviewed the details of the student's situation before responding. Prior to the filing of this complaint, our team was in touch with this student in order to understand their experiences and concerns in hopes of reaching a satisfactory resolution. After evaluating the case, we determined that a more generous refund beyond the terms of our Cancellation Policy was warranted given the students experience in the course. On the day this complaint was filed, our team approved and communicated a $3,060 refund. As per our records (attached), this additional refund was initiated on July 12, 2024 and our team confirmed the student received $3,060 in refunded tuition on July 18, 2024. 
  
  Beyond this resolution reached in partnership with the student, we want to address the points of concern in this complaint to validate the students experience and share our perspective and efforts to support the student throughout the course. 
  
  #1  We can confirm that our tuition structure offers a discounted rate for an upfront payment plan. We also routinely offer scholarships to increase access to our programs, such as the $750 discount the student received. 
  
  #2 We do have a record of the student reaching out to our advising team when struggling with the course. We offered multiple opportunities for additional support including additional mentor calls, however, we understand that the structure of our learning offering may ultimately not have been suited to this learners needs.
  
  #3 We transparently share our Cancellation Policy with students during their onboarding. We acknowledged the students perspective and interpretation of the policy, approving an incremental refund based on frustration and confusion the student experienced.
  
  Even for students who dont complete our courses, we strive to be empathetic and fair including in how we supported this student. Please let us know if we can provide any further information.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Though it is not accurate that I was offered multiple mentor calls, because my mentor would push me off for two weeks at a time when I would ask for help. Their cancelation policy is hardly transparent either; if it had been, and I had known that they would act this way, I never would have  signed up for the course.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am requesting compensation or a full refund for Springboard's UX/UI boot camp I paid two separate transactions- $5,000 on 9/29/23 and $5,400 on 10/2/23- paying for the class in full. My mentor, who is also responsible for grading my assignments, has missed five of our monthly meetings, which prevents me from finishing this class as expected. I am currently 10 weeks behind in the course due to Springboard's failure to manage this absenteeism with my mentor. Furthermore, I requested a new mentor last December due to missed meetings, and Springboard declined, saying it was my responsibility to resolve it with her. She is a paid mentor they hired; therefore, it should be their responsibility to help me fix this issue. My mentor continued missing meetings, citing forgetting morning commitments. Due to my mentor's conduct in April, I had to request an extension because I needed her help to finish the class on time. At that time, Springboard suggested a refund was possible, but I agreed to an extension after they assured me my mentor would not miss any more meetings.Unfortunately, on July 5, 2024, my mentor missed our 10:30 AM EST meeting. I notified Springboard, who again offered a refund or extension. I requested a refund due to their and my mentor's negligence. Springboard responded at 12:15 AM on July 10, stating I'm not eligible for a refund if I cancel the class, despite no certificate and the course ending on 9/23/24. According to Springboard's terms, dissatisfaction isn't a reason for a refund. I am not dissatisfied with the class but with the mentor/management. I have been misled throughout this class and have not been able to complete the assignments because of my mentor's failure to help me finish. Therefore, I am requesting compensation or a full refund from Springboard due to my mentor's mismanagement.

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  We have thoroughly reviewed the details of this students complaint and appreciate the opportunity to address their concerns.

  
  Before this complaint was filed, our team had already been in contact with the student to understand their experiences and work towards a satisfactory resolution. We sincerely regret any inconvenience they have experienced, particularly regarding issues with their mentor's attendance. To address this, we have fast-tracked our Tuition Appeal process for them, should they decide to pursue cancellation. Additionally, we are offering to rematch them with a new mentor and provide extra time in the course to compensate for the missed calls, hoping to enhance their learning experience and support them in completing the program successfully.

  
  These options align with Springboard's Exceptions Policy, which is designed to accommodate students needs in exceptional circumstances. Our Student Advising team is committed to working closely with students to provide individualized support and exceptions when necessary. While our primary goal is to help students complete their courses, we also offer the Tuition Appeals Program for those who may not be able to continue. This program allows for a review of tuition charges under extenuating circumstances, or in instances of significant deviations from promised services, with decisions based on the severity of the situation and the student's course experience.

  
  We are committed to being fair and empathetic in all our interactions, including how we have supported this student. If there is any further information we can provide or additional steps we can take, please do not hesitate to let us know.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Springboard's cybersecurity program claims it takes 6 months (I'm not sure how, the workload is intense) complete but require career coaching calls. At the end of the course, there's a salary negotiation call you have to do before you can complete. My term ends March 11, but for the month of February, I was given one career coach who only had one time slot available on one day which I couldn't make. No other coaches or time slots available until March 18 and I would have to file an extension. This is unreasonable and I'm being blamed because I didn't tell them anyone is available.We paid in full for this course so they got their money but refuse to give me a certificate or schedule before my completion date.

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I graduated with a bachelors degree in business. I was struggling to find a job so I reached out to Springboard in January of ******************************************************************************************************** get a full refund. Prior to enrolling with Springboard, I worked with the admission director and it was determined that I was eligible. for the Data Analytics Bootcamp. I paid the $500 deposit upon enrollment with the understanding that Climb Credit would finance $9640. I started my coursework on February 5th, 2022 and met weekly with my OpenClassrooms adviser. I graduated in six months, applied to more than ****************************************************************** the high-demand field of data analytics. During the course and job search, I accessed the career services and coaching. More than 6 months passed, and I did not reject or leave unanswered job offers, I did not secure employment. I still do not have a data analysis job. I am requesting a refund for the total of $10,140. Additionally, I am requesting that Climb Credit discontinue inquiring about further payments, cease the inaccurate negligent reporting on my credit report, and resolve the inaccuracies that have been reported.

• Initial Complaint

  08/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  November 2023 I came across an ad on ******* the ad was from springboard and it promoted 100% job placement guaranteed. I was intrigued to learn more so I gave them a call, the person that answered was ***********************. To which I later found out he was a scam artist making false promises false advertisement and also pressuring people and scamming people into what he claimed was a one in a lifetime opportunity. The business committed to provide me a withdrawal if I wasnt satisfied with the course or if I felt like it was not a good fit for me. I was charged the amount of $200 and was told that this is all I had to pay unless I got a job that made me ****** to $100,000 a year. I did not like the program and I dropped it shortly after starting. In June of 2023 I receive a letter to my address and they are demanding that I pay them $7600 or they will destroy my credit. I have attempted to make payments to them but they failed to provide me a receipt and claim that it takes 5 to 15 business days for me to receive a receipt. Then i'm told that my payments are not going through do to a system timeout I need help because these people scammed me. I'm not the only victim there are thousands of other people around the country and the other parts of the world where springboard is pressuring people into signing up for their course and then leaving them with a debt months later they don't even honor their withdrawal. I did not authorize to pull out a loan. I need help and many others as well need the same kind of help. Climb credit says they only adhere to what springboard tells them and springboard has given me a hard time i cant reach to anyone live it is always through email and it feels like im talking to a bot. this is urgent they are damaging my credit. i provided a document below that says final truth in lending disclosure statement. the file says i have the right to cancel without penalty and the date is 4 days prior to the date i signed up. its a trap i was deceived

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩