Capella University - Degree is worthless

I obtained a masters in counseling from Capella (started in 2006 and finished in 2009). When I initially spoke with an enrollment counselor, I was told that after completing their program and obtaining a Masters' in Human Services in Counseling Studies, I would then have to take a couple of additional certification courses and complete an internship to satisfy the final requirements and become a Licensed Professional Counselor.

These could be done on my own timeline since I was not in a financial position at the time to quit my full time job and complete the 900 internship. When I later called Capella back to find out how to enroll in those certificate programs and complete the requirement for licensure, I was told that was not possible and that whomever had told me I could do this was mistaken and should never have told me that was a possibility. Furthermore, they no longer even offer the course of study I pursued and the degree I worked so hard to obtain is worthless. I was told that CACREP (the national licensing board) has changed their requirements, and that my coursework did not satisfy them.

I would have to simply enroll in one of Capella's 'new' masters' degree programs if I wanted to become licensed to practice. When I asked if any of the classes from my previous program would transfer, I was told it would not because "seventy percent of the content covered would have to match the new courses", a requirement for credit transfers. The representative I spoke with kept blaming the CACREP , saying that they have changed their licensing requirements so drastically and quickly, so someone who had graduated as recently as I had would not be able to count even one course I took for credit towards a recognized degree program. I wondered out loud how it is then that therapists who had been in practice for more than 10 years could still retain their licensure, to which the representative could not respond.

Bottom line is, I have $46,000 in student loan debt for a degree that is worth nothing.

I have reported them to the Department of Education for fraud and am waiting to hear back about that. My advice to anyone would be to stay far, far away from Capella.