Rio Salado/Maricopa Enrollment Page is AWFUL

[64.5Mustang]

I have been trying to enroll for admissions to Rio Salado through the my.maricopa.edu website and let me tell you how much of a PITA it has been. Many times I keep getting the "Sorry, we can't offer you distance education courses in your state" and then it will go away and let me attempt to apply for enrollment. However, I get to page 4 where I am supposed to put in a academic plan code and it won't accept ANYTHING! I am getting annoyed because I really need to get enrolled into the school and into classes that start in just a few short weeks. I need to complete three courses from the school so I can transfer to the University of Alabama. I dont know of any other colleges that UofA will approve (I need Chemistry, Principals of Human Nutrition and Algebra at minimum) I know I can call Rio Salado tomorrow, but just frustrated that after going back and forth with UofA program director to get approval for a school for prerequisites that Rio Salado MAY not even be authorized for whatever reason to even offer me distance education to begin with. I have NO idea what academic plan code to put in to complete the enrollment application to even find out. It is the last field I need to fill in

[rebel100]

I have no firsthand experience with rio salado, however Chemistry and Algebra might require a guidance counselor to enroll you. There is possibly an issue with a need for placement exams and /or pre reqs.

Just a thought.......might be a computer glitch too.

[marianne202]

As a former Maricopa Community college student, I know their my.mariocopa website is horrible! Their tech support is even worse than the website! Evidently if you don't login to their my.maricopa website every week, it will kick you out and you will basically need to re-register. Everytime I need to order a transcript I have to go through this process, what a mess. I wish you the best of luck. I think that if you are out of state you may need to have an advising session to get you released to register. They are not as user friendly with out of state / long distance students as the Big 3 are! Good luck!

[64.5Mustang]

I haven't had any issues with anyone at Rio Salado on the phone or via email. Was just having hard time completing application and now I know why. It is because of this stupid state I live in.
Something about a Federal law regarding State Authorization and Massachusetts has not authorized many Arizona colleges to offer distance education to people living in Massachusetts (whether here as a resident or not) Many states offer free state authorization to schools who want to offer distance education to students living in other states. However, this not-so-wonderful state of Massachusetts charges colleges $40,000 (highest of any state) for the State Authorization application. It is ridiculous
Academic Impressions - News and Analysis

I called the Mass Board of Higher Education and well, there is nothing I can do besides find other schools (they named off colleges here, EXPENSIVE ones too boot)
I only needed to do THREE classes at Rio Salado- the local college here where I can find TWO of those three classes requires so many prerequisites, that I literally would need to do SEVEN classes just do complete TWO of the prerequisites I need for University of Alabama.

I really want to go to school to become a Registered Dietetican, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. I am frustrated, sad and pissed all at the same time. I am not using any financial assistance and should be able to choose where I want to spend my own money. One school I called which has a "Culinary Nutrition" program said that in order to enroll into that program, I would first have to get their two year Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. When I told them I didn't want to become a chef and that I also am not in this state long enough to even complete that degree, all the program director had to say was "Well, you could LEARN to like being a chef" I am so sick of all of these colleges being about money and not even about what the goals of the students are.

[rebel100]

I would try nmjc or clovis before giving up. Are you able to clep any of those courses? Got a pal in the next state will let you use their address? Not certain, but I suspect most schools will not be aware of any such exclusion.

[GoodtoGo]

Try Quincy College -
Quincy College
I live in Massachusetts too, and have taken some classes online and on campus with them. I actually took College Algebra and Nutrition there. They offer Chemistry too, but I have not taken it. They are reasonably priced too.
Good luck!

[rebel100]

Try Quincy College -
Quincy College
I live in Massachusetts too, and have taken some classes online and on campus with them. I actually took College Algebra and Nutrition there. They offer Chemistry too, but I have not taken it. They are reasonably priced too.
Good luck!

I guess $170 a credit is good for Mass.

I would seriously try another school or two before I paid those rates. Iv'e never heard of such a thing. Your'e not even planning to use the credita in a Mass. program.....makes zero sense.

[marianne202]

What a silly law! Could you get a PO box in AZ through say a pack and ship type place that would look like a real physical address and then enroll using that address or are you close enough to a border state where you live that you could get a PO box in that state? What about a family member in another state? Just trying to come up with some way around this rule. I lived in Phoenix and know there are a ton of such places. I know I looked at doing a few online classes with an AZ university and I was going to use my parents address in Phoenix to get in-state tuition. I still get junk mail at their address occassionally, since I used to live there, so I figured why not get some benefit from all the taxes we all paid while living there. I would keep looking at your options. Is there a professional association for dieticians? If so they may have a list of schools offering programs so you could just go through their list. Good luck!

[64.5Mustang]

Well, my husbands work address is in Rhode Island, but we werent sure if we can even do that. Not sure how it plays into effect from where we connect to the classes online and all of my books and such would be sent to his work address' main office that he gets too about once a week.

I will definitely check into Quincy @GoodtoGo. I am not worried about cost of classes, just want to make sure that the class will transfer over to University of Alabama. I don't think I can CLEP the prerequisites and besides, I am horrible at science classes so I could really use them. I was told I need a Introductory to Chemistry w/ lab, Organic Chemistry w/ lab and Anatomy & Physiology I w/ lab& II w/lab so I have a total 16 credits. The only science courses I have completed so far at a previous college is Sociology and Psychology. I still need to complete a basic Algebra class, which I am dreading.

@marianne202 I viewed the school lists at EatRight.Org which shows which schools are accredited through the American Dietetics Association and show which programs allow students to sit for RD exam upon completion. At this time, University of Alabama is the only one I am qualified to enroll in. Some of them want people who already have Masters in health field, another one (which is 20mins from me) requires that you earn a 2yr Associates in Culinary Arts, another one you must already be working as a Dietetician (which makes no sense to me) I have contacted ALL of the POCs from those school lists and only program that would work is UofA.


I too had NEVER heard of this federal law until trying to apply to Rio Salado which I was really looking forward to doing their Chemistry class and using the chemistry lab equipment they set that would have been sent. It is a stupid law that, IMHO. Like I said, I am not even a resident of Massachusetts, just here on military orders. I am a resident of South Dakota, where I could enter Rio Salado if I had that mailing address. And my husbands military orders has his work location as Warrick Rhode Island (which people in that state can go to Rio Salado) his extension office just happens to be in Massachusetts where we picked to live to be closer to his work. A decision we have regretted for the past year

[dew125]

If it were me I'd put in the Rhode Island address, because you can still get mail there. Rio sends very little...just a letter if you make honors most likely. Everything else is done online. Even if you buy your books from the bookstore, Rio Salado would never know it was a different address. Bookstore is efollitt.com.

Also, being stationed in the military trumps most of these type of state laws, so I can't even see it applying to you if you were to fight it, but doesn't seem to be worth your time.

Good luck. I'm sorry you've had a hard time especially since I was the one to suggest Rio in the first place.