Mackenzie Ryan

FLORIDA TODAY

After earning an associate's degree at Everest University-Melbourne, George Strother said he planned to continue his studies elsewhere to become a physician's assistant.

But after talking with counselors at Nova Southeastern University and other colleges in Florida, Strother said his credits would not transfer — and he was faced with starting college over.

By then, Strother had $30,000 in school loans and a family of five to support. So he made a decision: To leave the medical field, and an $11-an-hour job as a medical assistant, to earn a higher wage as a truck driver.

"I was trying to work and go to school at night, and come to find out that all of that — none of that — was worth it," said the 37-year-old Cocoa resident. "I hate to say it this way, but it was all just crap."

After news spread of Everest University campuses around Florida being put up for sale, people identifying themselves as former students and graduates contacted FLORIDA TODAY with concerns about the school.

Most prevalent among concerns was the difficulty, or inability, to transfer credits.

It appears a difference in accrediting agencies may be at the root of the problem. Everest, a for-profit institution, has accreditation through one agency, while many Florida colleges are accredited through another.

"There are some, but not all, instances where regionally accredited schools may or may not accept credits from nationally accredited schools, and that's a situation of which we make our students aware," said Kent Jenkins, spokesman for Corinthian Colleges, Everest's corporate owner.

Corinthian is selling 85 schools across the nation, including ones in Tampa, Orlando and Melbourne. It's part of a deal hammered out with the U.S. Department of Education.

More than 20 state attorneys general and at least four federal agencies are investigating the corporation, according to a June 25 letter signed by 12 U.S. senators, including Bill Nelson (D-Orlando).

Allegations include exaggerated job placements, inflated grades and misleading marketing, according to The Tampa Tribune, which Corinthian Colleges has denied.

Andre Smith, who said he attended Everest's South Orlando campus, said he was "not surprised" by the allegations.

Smith, who lives in Panama City, said his Everest credits were not accepted by other colleges in Florida he contacted — and that he was also told by other institutions to start college over.

"I just took these courses, paid for them, and now I have to find the means to pay for them and retake them?" he said. "That's hard to restart, financially and psychologically."

Jenkins said Corinthian does everything possible to ensure credits from Everest can be transferred to other Florida colleges.

Ultimately, however, transfers are the decision of the receiving institution, said Cheryl Etters, spokeswoman at the Florida Department of Education.

Eastern Florida, for example, reviews Everest transcripts because of the difference in accrediting agencies, said spokesman John Glisch.

"We'd look at each credit taken individually to see if it met Eastern Florida's academic requirements," Glisch said.

Jenkins pointed out that transferring credits "is a problem everywhere," including among traditional college and universities.

"The vast majority of our students are seeking either associates degrees that lead directly to the workplace, or workplace certificate programs," he said. "For the vast majority of the students, transfers of credits is not an issue."

But others disagree. Palm Bay resident Luis Alicea said he earned his associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees at Everest's Melbourne campus, and went so far as calling the school a "scam."

Alicea said his master's degree has not been recognized by his employer, Brevard Public Schools. He does not earn additional pay for having it, for example.

He wishes he had attended UCF. But when he inquired with the university, he said many of his Everest credits would not transfer, and at the time he decided to continue his education at Everest.

Eventually, Alicea enrolled in an alternative teaching certificate program through UCF. He's now a teacher at Roy Allen Elementary in Melbourne,

"I was stuck," he said. "It's almost like going back to school all over again."

Ryan is at 242-3664 or mryan@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @Mackenzie_Ryan.