Okay since attending ACC Los Angeles campus I been having negative experiences and concerns about this school. After 6 months of being there I want to withdraw in hope to find a better college opportunity, but I don’t want to be stuck with the financial burden any longer. I’m hoping one of you can offer me advice on how to handle this situation.
WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG READ!!!!!
Here are the following reasons I want to withdraw:
1. I felt pressured into enrolling and was not given enough time to make an informed decision.
During the recruitment process, I received repeated calls/ emails and was encouraged to schedule campus tours. Even though I wanted time to think about whether ACC was the right school for me, I felt that the enrollment process kept moving forward.
During my campus tour that was scheduled for me, I met with Ms. Cindi Hawsey. She asked me several questions about my home life, and I honestly explained that my situation was not good. I felt that the personal information I shared was then used to convince me that enrolling at ACC was my way to a better life.
Ms. Hawsey told me that the school would be my “golden ticket” to a better future and gave me the impression that they would provide me flexibility with my financial matter no matter what happened. The conversation made me believe that ACC was my best opportunity to get out of my current environment and build a better future for myself and my mother. I became willing to enroll because of what I was being told.
After the campus tour, electronic documents were brought up for me to sign. I did not feel that I had a proper opportunity to read everything and think about the decision before signing. Ms. Hawsey verbal told me what I would be signing instead of offering me time to looking the documents over before printing my name on those documents.
I did request mire time tk think it over but I was met with her telling me attending thier school is a “one in a life time opportunity” and I should sign up before it’s too late…I felt pressured to move forward because of everything I had been told about how the school could change my life for the better.
I later discovered policies and requirements that I would have wanted to consider before enrolling. One example was the vaccination requirements associated with moving forward into medical settings. I have religious objections to vaccinations, and I was disappointed to learn about these requirements after committing to the program. I was aware of the Covid vaccine requirement, but the many others were NOT brought to my attention.
I understand that I signed the documents, but I do not feel that I was given a fair opportunity to understand everything I was agreeing to.
The school's financial policies were not explained to me the way I understood them.
I was given the impression that my payments could be exempted or adjusted based on my financial circumstances if I needed help. I later learned that I was only eligible for one payment exemption and that I could not receive another adjustment despite being told during the campus tour those exemptions would be available to me whenever I needed one.
2. My medical injury caused financial hardship, and I believe the school handled the situation poorly.
In April 2026, I sustained a boxer fracture that kept me out of work for approximately two months. During that time, I also had multiple medical appointments.
I was told that if I provided doctor's notes for the days I missed, those absences would not affect my grades or put me behind in my payments. However, I later discovered that the days I missed had been graded as zeros, which affected my overall grade. My account was also marked as more than 30 days delinquent, and I was told I owed approximately $325 in overdue payments, along with $9 weekly late fees. My total overdue amount eventually reached approximately $400 to $420.
A fellow student told me that I should have been offered a Leave of Absence (LOA) for my injury. I was upset to learn this because I was never made aware of that option at the time, and I wonder whether taking an approved leave could have prevented some of the academic and financial problems I experienced.
When I returned to work, my employer was not giving me enough hours to keep up with my payments. I explained my situation to the school multiple times and asked for another payment exemption or an adjustment to my payment amount.
My request was denied because I was already behind on payments and was told I was no longer eligible for an exemption until I caught up.
I spoke with Alicia Suzuki, the financial manager, about my situation and how the payments put me in a position where I sometimes had to choose between paying the school and taking care of my own needs. After listening to my concerns, she told me, “Well, I suggest you find better employment to make your payments or you'll be suspended until you catch up, then you can return to school.”
I felt that my financial hardship was dismissed rather than taken seriously. I was already trying to recover from an injury and return to work, and I did not feel that the school made a reasonable effort to help me understand my options.
3. The school did not show understanding when my family and housing situation became urgent.
There was a time when my mother and I were at risk of losing our housing because of problems with my verbally abusive brother. I contacted the school to explain that I could not come to campus because I needed to focus on finding a safe place for us to stay. I was afraid that we could become homeless.
Ms. P, the director of the Medical Assisting program, told me that because I had an exam that day, I needed to attend or I would fail the module. I explained my situation and begged for an opportunity to make up the exam.
I was told that making up the exam would require approval and paperwork, and I was essentially told that I needed to find a way to attend despite what I was dealing with. I ended up attending and passed the exam, but I felt that I had been put under unnecessary pressure during a serious family and housing crisis.
I understand that schools have attendance and testing requirements. My concern is that I was not given clear information about my options or shown much understanding when I was facing a situation that could have left my mother and me without a place to live.
4. I was given instructions about taking a Leave of Absence that were later contradicted.
Around a month or two before I made my September 28 request, my mental health had declined significantly. I was experiencing repeated mental breakdowns, and the financial pressure from school, combined with my personal circumstances, made things worse.
I asked about taking a Leave of Absence so I could focus on my mental health and financial situation. Crystal, the director of the Medical Assisting program, advised me to finish the module I was in because leaving before the module ended could look bad when it was time for my externship. She told me to get an excusal note from my therapist before the seventh module started, submit my request, and get it approved.
I followed her advice. I also checked ACC's website, which stated that students could provide documentation explaining why they needed a leave or submit a personal written statement.
I obtained a note from my therapist and wrote my own statement explaining my circumstances. On September 28, 2026, I went to campus and spoke with Crystal about my request.
She told me that neither my therapist's note nor my personal statement would get me approved because they did not include a leave date and a return date. I had never been told that those dates were required when I was initially given instructions about the request. She also told me that my financial situation was not a valid reason for a leave.
I was extremely frustrated because I had followed the instructions I was given and had even checked the school's website. I felt that the requirements were being explained to me only after I had already submitted my documents.
5. I was discouraged by the school's Career Services staff.
I also had a negative experience with Brandon Gonzalez in Career Services who helped students with resumes and employment.
During our conversation, we discussed tattoos and piercings in medical settings. He made comments towards my appearance saying, “Do you think someone is going hire you looking the way you do. Those piercings have to go.”He even claimed that my chances of getting hired as a medical assistant would be very low because I do not speak Spanish fluently or any other foreign language because “Not being multi-language speaker is gonna cause interferences on the job.”
I understand that some employers have appearance policies and that speaking Spanish can be helpful in healthcare. However, I felt that his comments were rude and discouraging. I expected Career Services to help me understand how to prepare for employment, not make me feel that my appearance and language skills would prevent me from having a future in the field.
6. I have concerns about the hands-on training in the Medical Assisting program.
The Medical Assisting program is approximately seven months long, with an additional two months for externship. Each module covers different medical settings and the roles a medical assistant may have in areas such as OB/GYN and pediatrics.
However, I do not feel that our hands-on lab work has adequately prepared me for the range of duties a medical assistant may be expected to perform. Much of the lab work I have experienced involves practicing injections on each other, performing venipuncture, or filling out progress notes.
I still do not know how to schedule a patient appointment, set up tools for a procedure, use a urinalysis machine ,etc.
I am concerned because I am investing time and money into a program that is supposed to prepare me for a medical assisting career, yet I do not feel prepared to perform many of the duties I may be expected to handle in a real medical setting.
I understand that some skills may be learned during externship, but I am concerned about whether the program is providing enough practical training before students are sent into medical workplaces.
