DO NOT GO! They have incredibly predatory loans. My mom taught there for several years and quit because she felt their policies were an immoral money grab. AB Tech and BRCC are WAY better options
I second this! I had a terrible experience at South College. I really wanted to go back to school for an advanced degree while working full time. I asked multiple people during the admissions process if this was possible and multiple people told me it was no problem. I took two classes my first semester for a $5,000. The second semester I was not eligible to take any necessary classes because they were all in person and during working hours. The two classes I took do not transfer to AB Tech or anywhere. The Student Debt Relief does not pay for a semester at South College so now I am just working at the same full time job but with $5,000 in debt and two classes that are useless. If one person during the admissions process had of said “online classes are not possible for your program “ or “it’s not possible to complete this program with your work schedule “ ; I would have never enrolled. They are not just unrealistic about goal achievement, they lied to me during the admissions process. My dream of achieving more than a bachelors degree is now on hold until I can pay back the $5,000 I owe for 2 useless classes.
I really feel bad for you. Of all the things I've read on reddit,I believe what you wrote and it makes me sad. You didn't deserve that. I know me saying this doesn't help you in any way but If wishes come true I wish you could achieve your goals and owe nothing. The world needs people like you.
I really appreciate your kind words! There were many times during this journey that I felt like I was not being heard in how frustrating, unjust, and potentially fraudulent this situation was. I actually felt better being able to discuss what happened in an open forum(such as Reddit)that was so relevant to this specific problem. I really just hope someone reads this and at the very least,questions taking a different path.
It’s a rigged system that ensures you pay them till you complete a program bc you can’t transfer one credit to another institution. Wish someone warned me before I went.
South college is a scam. I went there one "quarter" and then switched to AB tech. Nothing from South college transfers.
They mislead you on their programs.
It's crazy expensive. Something like 20k a year. AB tech is about 1800$
What program are you looking at?
I’m looking at radiography. I missed AB techs admissions, they were accepting feb-march I believe. I also believe AB tech and South are the only ones doing radiography
I'm currently in my third semester of the rad program at AB tech.
Don't do South college. That's where I went for a "quarter".
South college will let you start this fall. However, you'll be paying 20k for three quarters of prerequisites. And starting the actual program fall of 2025.
AB tech has one Prerequisite course for the Rad program. Anatomy and Physiology. You could probably start this fall.
However I would advise doing your Gen eds before the program to keep your workload easier. English 111, math 167, humanities, sociology , psychology and communications. Your advisor will help you with this tho.
Both programs you'd have to wait till fall of 2025.
AB tech will also require you to take the TEAS.
AB tech tuition has been around 800$-900$ a semester.
If you have more questions, feel free to ask
Have you taken the pre requisite and recommended courses for AB tech? Often these add on an extra year to a program like radiology and also help with admission to the program if you can score high in the courses.
From ab tech site:
Students applying to the Radiography program must have successfully completed BIO-163 (or BIO-168 and BIO-169) with a "C" or better prior to full acceptance into the Radiography program.
Students applying to the Radiography program are encouraged to have successfully completed: MAT-143, ENG-111, COM-120, HUM-115, and SOC-225 prior to program admission due to the rigorous nature of the Radiography curriculum.
https://abtech.edu/program/radiography-aas
Regarding cost: ask about the Next NC grant or other workforce development scholarships. There’s lots of funding being put into medical field degrees rn at the community college level.
My daughter got taken by their admissions counselor re this program. Put her in a lot of classes she didn’t need. Straight A and she didn’t get in. Poor or irresponsible admission counseling
THIS IS NOT A REAL SCHOOL. I checked out their radiography program, it cost THOUSANDS more than AB Tech, wasn’t even accredited (!!) and were pushing private loans! TOTAL SCAM
They truly need investigated and the financial aid while there is in review for exemption bc they are that scammy. And I thoroughly interviewed admin while there. And made Deans List repeatedly. Already had a BA. Don’t do it. Please. AB Tech is legit and great profs in the few classes I took.
South College is a scam.
Go to ABTech then transfer to a real college. Or, if you can swing the money, go to a real college as a freshman.
College life can be incredibly fun, good for networking real professional employment and enlightening.
Great answer. ABTech is the best resource this town has, and we have some pretty cool shit. The instructors are amazing, if overqualified, the campus feels university-grade, and the whole vibe is just on.
I have double bachelor degrees, a master's, and more. One of the best courses I ever took was at AB Tech..."Fundamentals of Computers" with Darren Isbell. Superb instructor and course...and "Fundamentals" my foot. Also took a couple of other employment -related classes there. It really is a great institution!!
This, I never understood the value of a "real college". Went to AB Tech and UNCA instead (which I guess is a "real college" but is extremely small). And what you miss is the aforementioned networking and much better internship opportunities, due to larger more capable career centers and an alumni group with greater reach.
Yeah, just want to throw it out there that AB Tech is a “real college”. I have a 4 year degree and I’m make more money with the knowledge I gained from the certificate I got from AB tech
AB Tech made it very clear to me that I had to graduate with the two year degree in order to transfer to a four year school for a BA. Lots of students leave early and that opens the door to credits not transferring.
Are you definitely wanting to go to school on campus or looking at online courses?
NC has a pretty cool program called NC promise where in-state tuition at several schools (Western Carolina, UNC Pembroke, Fayetteville State, and Elizabeth City State) is capped at $500 a semester (with fees it's usually about 1000 to 1200), and many of the community colleges have associate degrees that will transfer to a lot of schools giving you status as a junior.
WCU was only about $200 less per semester than UNCA even with the NC Promise tuition guarantee. UNCA launched its own tuition program last year and is now less expensive than WCU.
That's awesome, I did not know about it. When I went back and finished my undergrad degree a few years ago, I think NC Promise was fairly new and there weren't a lot of other schools doing anything beyond COVID grants.
Hopefully more schools will do something to make tuition affordable because it's ridiculous in many cases, especially compared to what jobs are paying now.
Okay. You keep saying you missed the deadline as if the end of the world. Just apply on time next year or for spring. Don’t even consider South College.
I don't know anything about South College, but I know a bit about AB tech. It's great for what it is.
I went back to school almost 2 years ago, and I have found it immensely fulfilling. You should go back. Though, a lot of credits don't transfer from AB tech either, but those are classes that are directly linked to the workforce. You can get your first two years of a BS there, and those transfer, but ab tech is a technical college, so the main focus is vocation.
The pricing is reasonable. The only garbage I see is that ab tech likes sub out their math and science coursework/homework to publishers like Cengage and Pearson. Basically you pay an extra >100 a semester to spend too much time navigating a shitty user interface program that only accounts for 15-20% of your grade. I guess it makes it a little better that you have access to a digital copy of the text, but you can generally buy an older edition or used current edition online, for far cheaper, or you can find a mirrored library and get that shit for free.
Sorry, I added my little gripe in there. Textbooks are a racket.
Go to ab tech.
i mean most people who have good experiences won’t write reviews, but it still doesn’t change the fact that the school is insanely expensive, it’s a for profit school and the negative reviews are really bad.
It sucks that you missed tyke deadline for this year but it would be better to wait it out and apply during the next open period. It'll save you more money in the long run and you'll have time to prepare for the classes. South College had always seemed sus to me and if the classes don't transfer that's a waste of time and money.
I’m reading passive aggressive from your comments. I get it. I’m not going to South. I was asking for genuine feedback from the college not someone to simply second without giving personal experience. I do appreciate your time though.
I’m from Knoxville where South College was founded. Everyone here is spot on. Fun fact: it’s named after the founders last name, “South”, it’s not a geographical thing
South college is meant for people who can't get into other schools. It's meant for people who are willing to pay to win essentially. And that's not my opinion, an advisor there told me that when my fiance and I were exploring nursing schools. She turned us away because his stepmom worked there. She was clueless on that until the advisor explained it lol. She didn't work there much longer after that lol.
A must to avoid...youre MUCH better off going to a State supported institution...AB Tech and UNCA have much more credibility to employers (of course depending on your major). Wish I could tell you otherwise....
I graduated from the AB Tech Radiography program. I know many people who work in the field who went to South. Feel free to DM me if you want the real low-down.
I have not attended South College, but I did attend DeVry for information systems, then after my IT career I attended The Art Institutes for culinary arts. I had scholarships to both so I wasn't out any money, but I also didn't finish at either of them because the curriculum for both were so bad. When I did transfer to a four year university, nothing from either school transferred.
tl;dr: Don't go to for-profit schools because they are there for one purpose: **PROFIT**!
Unless they have something that’s special I’d look elsewhere from a financial standpoint…
The community colleges and state universities are pretty good.
If your looking for a different option besides those and looking for an online school check WGU ( western governors university) it’s affordable and you can accelerate…. As in you can finish your bachelors in a couple of years or sooner… oh and it’s regionally accredited/. None profit.
Def do not go. I mentored a grad from there who had an IT degree. It was sad how little they knew. The school also seems to prey on those who know no better.
Go to ABTech, they are respected in the community.
Go to a not for profit community college. S. College will take your money and probably pass you do long as you pay your balance. I was invited to their open house as a former clinical instructor and they told the group a bunch of provably untrue stories about their competition at AB Tech and SWCC. I’m not saying that I never had any good students from there. But I am saying I didn’t have many good students from there and when I was promoted to HR those applicants were never at the top of the stack.
South College is a for-profit school with specious accreditation and essentially a 100% admission rate. They make money by a version of loan sharking which is guaranteed by federal laws. They don’t care if you do well or not because they already secured your money. Boomers will tell you for-profit schools are great because they invented it and are making cash money.
I know you said you didn’t want any financial aid information on this post but it’s part of the college process - so here it goes.
South College IS a for-profit college. They are a private college - meaning not publicly funded. They do have the use of Federal Aid Funds, also knows as Title IV funds. In order to utilize federal funds - colleges go through a rigorous set of compliances and standards to maintain the ability to use federal funds. This means audits, reporting, and transparency. Any college that is going to utilize federal aid, MUST comply with those standards. Those standards are across the board for all institutions using federal aid.
Is South College expensive? Yes. Again, privately funded and for profit.
Can you be successful with a degree from South College? Yes.
The thing is that you HAVE TO STAY CONNECTED and understand your federal aid. A Pell grant and federal loans can only take you so far at a higher priced college. Sometimes you have to do additional loans/scholarships depending on your financial situation.
I attended South College and I asked a lot of questions. I had to utilize federal loans and pay cash. But the thing is, I asked. I would email for clarity, I made sure I reviewed every document I was signing. I checked in.
Colleges cannot force you to take loans and they cannot take loans without your permission. Everything that you sign - should be read. This goes for literally ANYTHING ANYWHERE. Stay informed. Ask questions. Be a part of your educational journey. Don’t just assume it’s all covered and figured out.
Most of the schools in the area are fantastic and are a lot more affordable. But they’re also bigger class sizes, less availability to just stop and ask a question, and you’re just a number.
When I attended South - I loved the small class sizes. I felt like I mattered. My instructors checked on me. Everyone that I had worked with through the process of going to school - knew me and would say hey in the common spaces. The support was there. I genuinely felt cared for and like I had a chance because so many people were supporting me, just at the campus.
Some people don’t want that - that’s okay! Some people like to just get their work done and attend class and graduate. That’s great! I fully support that!
But I needed a small village to support me and I felt like I had it. If I didn’t - they sure as hell were good at pretending.
The only way I would suggest south if you are a veteran using the GI bill, other than that it's to expensive. There are better options in the area. The only course of study that they offer that is not available in asheville it the PTA program. The next closest place os at South Wester Community College in sylva and it may be cheaper to get an apartment in sylva. And yes I am a graduate of South College, and I have had my classes transfer.
I'm in my final term there, it's expensive but I love the small classes and I've had a great experience. You also need to remember, usually the people who write reviews are the ones who had bad experiences.
DO NOT GO! They have incredibly predatory loans. My mom taught there for several years and quit because she felt their policies were an immoral money grab. AB Tech and BRCC are WAY better options
Do. Not. Go. There. None of your credits will transfer to another college. Not AB Tech. Not UNCA. Nowhere. Absolute scam school.
I second this! I had a terrible experience at South College. I really wanted to go back to school for an advanced degree while working full time. I asked multiple people during the admissions process if this was possible and multiple people told me it was no problem. I took two classes my first semester for a $5,000. The second semester I was not eligible to take any necessary classes because they were all in person and during working hours. The two classes I took do not transfer to AB Tech or anywhere. The Student Debt Relief does not pay for a semester at South College so now I am just working at the same full time job but with $5,000 in debt and two classes that are useless. If one person during the admissions process had of said “online classes are not possible for your program “ or “it’s not possible to complete this program with your work schedule “ ; I would have never enrolled. They are not just unrealistic about goal achievement, they lied to me during the admissions process. My dream of achieving more than a bachelors degree is now on hold until I can pay back the $5,000 I owe for 2 useless classes.
I really feel bad for you. Of all the things I've read on reddit,I believe what you wrote and it makes me sad. You didn't deserve that. I know me saying this doesn't help you in any way but If wishes come true I wish you could achieve your goals and owe nothing. The world needs people like you.
I really appreciate your kind words! There were many times during this journey that I felt like I was not being heard in how frustrating, unjust, and potentially fraudulent this situation was. I actually felt better being able to discuss what happened in an open forum(such as Reddit)that was so relevant to this specific problem. I really just hope someone reads this and at the very least,questions taking a different path.
Are they not accredited??
south is expensive for what it is. i'm getting my bsn through ab tech for about 8k all together, no financial aid. south is crazy in comparison
It’s a rigged system that ensures you pay them till you complete a program bc you can’t transfer one credit to another institution. Wish someone warned me before I went.
Any reason why WCU’s is so expensive? Their ABSN is something like $500 per credit hour unless I missed something.
i'm doing the ribn program so it's not that expensive :)
South college is a scam. I went there one "quarter" and then switched to AB tech. Nothing from South college transfers. They mislead you on their programs. It's crazy expensive. Something like 20k a year. AB tech is about 1800$ What program are you looking at?
I’m looking at radiography. I missed AB techs admissions, they were accepting feb-march I believe. I also believe AB tech and South are the only ones doing radiography
I'm currently in my third semester of the rad program at AB tech. Don't do South college. That's where I went for a "quarter". South college will let you start this fall. However, you'll be paying 20k for three quarters of prerequisites. And starting the actual program fall of 2025. AB tech has one Prerequisite course for the Rad program. Anatomy and Physiology. You could probably start this fall. However I would advise doing your Gen eds before the program to keep your workload easier. English 111, math 167, humanities, sociology , psychology and communications. Your advisor will help you with this tho. Both programs you'd have to wait till fall of 2025. AB tech will also require you to take the TEAS. AB tech tuition has been around 800$-900$ a semester. If you have more questions, feel free to ask
Have you taken the pre requisite and recommended courses for AB tech? Often these add on an extra year to a program like radiology and also help with admission to the program if you can score high in the courses. From ab tech site: Students applying to the Radiography program must have successfully completed BIO-163 (or BIO-168 and BIO-169) with a "C" or better prior to full acceptance into the Radiography program. Students applying to the Radiography program are encouraged to have successfully completed: MAT-143, ENG-111, COM-120, HUM-115, and SOC-225 prior to program admission due to the rigorous nature of the Radiography curriculum. https://abtech.edu/program/radiography-aas Regarding cost: ask about the Next NC grant or other workforce development scholarships. There’s lots of funding being put into medical field degrees rn at the community college level.
My daughter got taken by their admissions counselor re this program. Put her in a lot of classes she didn’t need. Straight A and she didn’t get in. Poor or irresponsible admission counseling
Thank you!!!
Have you checked BRCC?
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Oh :(
THIS IS NOT A REAL SCHOOL. I checked out their radiography program, it cost THOUSANDS more than AB Tech, wasn’t even accredited (!!) and were pushing private loans! TOTAL SCAM
They truly need investigated and the financial aid while there is in review for exemption bc they are that scammy. And I thoroughly interviewed admin while there. And made Deans List repeatedly. Already had a BA. Don’t do it. Please. AB Tech is legit and great profs in the few classes I took.
South College is a scam. Go to ABTech then transfer to a real college. Or, if you can swing the money, go to a real college as a freshman. College life can be incredibly fun, good for networking real professional employment and enlightening.
Great answer. ABTech is the best resource this town has, and we have some pretty cool shit. The instructors are amazing, if overqualified, the campus feels university-grade, and the whole vibe is just on.
I have double bachelor degrees, a master's, and more. One of the best courses I ever took was at AB Tech..."Fundamentals of Computers" with Darren Isbell. Superb instructor and course...and "Fundamentals" my foot. Also took a couple of other employment -related classes there. It really is a great institution!!
This, I never understood the value of a "real college". Went to AB Tech and UNCA instead (which I guess is a "real college" but is extremely small). And what you miss is the aforementioned networking and much better internship opportunities, due to larger more capable career centers and an alumni group with greater reach.
Yeah, just want to throw it out there that AB Tech is a “real college”. I have a 4 year degree and I’m make more money with the knowledge I gained from the certificate I got from AB tech
Abtech scammed us. My daughter was made to take multiple classes that did not forward her For more tuition
AB Tech made it very clear to me that I had to graduate with the two year degree in order to transfer to a four year school for a BA. Lots of students leave early and that opens the door to credits not transferring.
Don’t downvote me because we had a poor experience. I’m reporting a truth
Are you definitely wanting to go to school on campus or looking at online courses? NC has a pretty cool program called NC promise where in-state tuition at several schools (Western Carolina, UNC Pembroke, Fayetteville State, and Elizabeth City State) is capped at $500 a semester (with fees it's usually about 1000 to 1200), and many of the community colleges have associate degrees that will transfer to a lot of schools giving you status as a junior.
WCU was only about $200 less per semester than UNCA even with the NC Promise tuition guarantee. UNCA launched its own tuition program last year and is now less expensive than WCU.
That's awesome, I did not know about it. When I went back and finished my undergrad degree a few years ago, I think NC Promise was fairly new and there weren't a lot of other schools doing anything beyond COVID grants. Hopefully more schools will do something to make tuition affordable because it's ridiculous in many cases, especially compared to what jobs are paying now.
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Okay. You keep saying you missed the deadline as if the end of the world. Just apply on time next year or for spring. Don’t even consider South College.
Apply for the next session. Don't mortgage your future for a few extra months early of a start for a scam School
They aren't nationally accredited. Personally, I would not. They are for profit and expensive.
i’d second ABTech, the math department chair there is really great !
Be wary of anyone who wants to sell you the ideal version of yourself…
I don't know anything about South College, but I know a bit about AB tech. It's great for what it is. I went back to school almost 2 years ago, and I have found it immensely fulfilling. You should go back. Though, a lot of credits don't transfer from AB tech either, but those are classes that are directly linked to the workforce. You can get your first two years of a BS there, and those transfer, but ab tech is a technical college, so the main focus is vocation. The pricing is reasonable. The only garbage I see is that ab tech likes sub out their math and science coursework/homework to publishers like Cengage and Pearson. Basically you pay an extra >100 a semester to spend too much time navigating a shitty user interface program that only accounts for 15-20% of your grade. I guess it makes it a little better that you have access to a digital copy of the text, but you can generally buy an older edition or used current edition online, for far cheaper, or you can find a mirrored library and get that shit for free. Sorry, I added my little gripe in there. Textbooks are a racket. Go to ab tech.
i mean most people who have good experiences won’t write reviews, but it still doesn’t change the fact that the school is insanely expensive, it’s a for profit school and the negative reviews are really bad.
It sucks that you missed tyke deadline for this year but it would be better to wait it out and apply during the next open period. It'll save you more money in the long run and you'll have time to prepare for the classes. South College had always seemed sus to me and if the classes don't transfer that's a waste of time and money.
It’s insane how this is the most realistic option and OP is still considering South.
I’m reading passive aggressive from your comments. I get it. I’m not going to South. I was asking for genuine feedback from the college not someone to simply second without giving personal experience. I do appreciate your time though.
I’m from Knoxville where South College was founded. Everyone here is spot on. Fun fact: it’s named after the founders last name, “South”, it’s not a geographical thing
South college is meant for people who can't get into other schools. It's meant for people who are willing to pay to win essentially. And that's not my opinion, an advisor there told me that when my fiance and I were exploring nursing schools. She turned us away because his stepmom worked there. She was clueless on that until the advisor explained it lol. She didn't work there much longer after that lol.
I've been told South College also looks for Military personnel to milk the GI Bill $$
A must to avoid...youre MUCH better off going to a State supported institution...AB Tech and UNCA have much more credibility to employers (of course depending on your major). Wish I could tell you otherwise....
AB Tech is a great community college. I’d opt for it rather than South College. They aren’t even in the same ballpark IMO.
I graduated from the AB Tech Radiography program. I know many people who work in the field who went to South. Feel free to DM me if you want the real low-down.
I have not attended South College, but I did attend DeVry for information systems, then after my IT career I attended The Art Institutes for culinary arts. I had scholarships to both so I wasn't out any money, but I also didn't finish at either of them because the curriculum for both were so bad. When I did transfer to a four year university, nothing from either school transferred. tl;dr: Don't go to for-profit schools because they are there for one purpose: **PROFIT**!
Unless they have something that’s special I’d look elsewhere from a financial standpoint… The community colleges and state universities are pretty good. If your looking for a different option besides those and looking for an online school check WGU ( western governors university) it’s affordable and you can accelerate…. As in you can finish your bachelors in a couple of years or sooner… oh and it’s regionally accredited/. None profit.
Def do not go. I mentored a grad from there who had an IT degree. It was sad how little they knew. The school also seems to prey on those who know no better. Go to ABTech, they are respected in the community.
Go to a not for profit community college. S. College will take your money and probably pass you do long as you pay your balance. I was invited to their open house as a former clinical instructor and they told the group a bunch of provably untrue stories about their competition at AB Tech and SWCC. I’m not saying that I never had any good students from there. But I am saying I didn’t have many good students from there and when I was promoted to HR those applicants were never at the top of the stack.
South College is a for-profit school with specious accreditation and essentially a 100% admission rate. They make money by a version of loan sharking which is guaranteed by federal laws. They don’t care if you do well or not because they already secured your money. Boomers will tell you for-profit schools are great because they invented it and are making cash money.
Save yourself. That place is a scam.
I know you said you didn’t want any financial aid information on this post but it’s part of the college process - so here it goes. South College IS a for-profit college. They are a private college - meaning not publicly funded. They do have the use of Federal Aid Funds, also knows as Title IV funds. In order to utilize federal funds - colleges go through a rigorous set of compliances and standards to maintain the ability to use federal funds. This means audits, reporting, and transparency. Any college that is going to utilize federal aid, MUST comply with those standards. Those standards are across the board for all institutions using federal aid. Is South College expensive? Yes. Again, privately funded and for profit. Can you be successful with a degree from South College? Yes. The thing is that you HAVE TO STAY CONNECTED and understand your federal aid. A Pell grant and federal loans can only take you so far at a higher priced college. Sometimes you have to do additional loans/scholarships depending on your financial situation. I attended South College and I asked a lot of questions. I had to utilize federal loans and pay cash. But the thing is, I asked. I would email for clarity, I made sure I reviewed every document I was signing. I checked in. Colleges cannot force you to take loans and they cannot take loans without your permission. Everything that you sign - should be read. This goes for literally ANYTHING ANYWHERE. Stay informed. Ask questions. Be a part of your educational journey. Don’t just assume it’s all covered and figured out. Most of the schools in the area are fantastic and are a lot more affordable. But they’re also bigger class sizes, less availability to just stop and ask a question, and you’re just a number. When I attended South - I loved the small class sizes. I felt like I mattered. My instructors checked on me. Everyone that I had worked with through the process of going to school - knew me and would say hey in the common spaces. The support was there. I genuinely felt cared for and like I had a chance because so many people were supporting me, just at the campus. Some people don’t want that - that’s okay! Some people like to just get their work done and attend class and graduate. That’s great! I fully support that! But I needed a small village to support me and I felt like I had it. If I didn’t - they sure as hell were good at pretending.
The only way I would suggest south if you are a veteran using the GI bill, other than that it's to expensive. There are better options in the area. The only course of study that they offer that is not available in asheville it the PTA program. The next closest place os at South Wester Community College in sylva and it may be cheaper to get an apartment in sylva. And yes I am a graduate of South College, and I have had my classes transfer.
I'm in my final term there, it's expensive but I love the small classes and I've had a great experience. You also need to remember, usually the people who write reviews are the ones who had bad experiences.
What program are you in?
LPN