Western New Mexico Univ. Harrison

I was enrolled in the Online Master’s program in Vocational Counseling at Western New Mexico University and had a 4.0 GPA while working full time as a Vocational Development Specialist with the Anaconda Job Corps Program. I genuinely enjoyed my coursework and was committed to completing my degree. At the time, I was paying my tuition directly rather than using student loans. After completing a part-time semester in 2020, I knew I owed a balance and called the university on three separate occasions to make a payment. Each time, I was told that my account showed “in good standing” with nothing due, even when I expressed concern and attempted to pay anyway. A week later, I received a notice that my account had been sent to collections. When I called, I spoke with the same staff member who appeared confused, blamed COVID-related issues, and could not clearly explain what happened. Her supervisor was abrupt and told me I “should have checked my emails.” After carefully reviewing all of my emails, I found no billing notice or warning from WNMU. When I called back to address this, the supervisor avoided my calls and only responded after I escalated the issue to her supervisor. At that point, I was told the error was “in the system” and that nothing could be done, despite the fact that I had repeatedly tried to pay. By then, significant late fees had been added. My request to have those fees removed due to the university’s error was denied, and no apology was ever offered. Ultimately, I chose to withdraw from the program rather than continue giving my time and money to an institution that would not take responsibility for its own administrative mistakes. This experience was deeply disappointing and stressful, and it permanently impacted my educational plans. I strongly caution prospective students—especially online students who pay out of pocket—to document everything and be extremely careful, as billing errors and lack of accountability can have serious consequences.

Really beautiful campus! And the people I asked for directions etc were super nice. The museum on campus is awesome 👍

Fabulous collection of Pueblo pottery from southwest New Mexico. Free! Helpful staff. Go soon!

I enrolled in the online Master’s in Mental Health Counseling program at WNMU, and unfortunately, my experience was largely negative. The assignments felt repetitive, and communication with professors was extremely limited—emails often went unanswered, and there was no alternative way to get clarification. While the program is affordable, the lack of support and overall disorganization made it a frustrating experience. Education is too important to me to compromise on quality, and I wouldn’t recommend this program to those seeking meaningful engagement and guidance in their studies.

Great school. Small campus. Fantastic dorms.