Trump University: Student Enrollment Numbers Revealed

Trump University, also known as the Trump Wealth Institute and Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC, was an American company that ran a real estate training program from 2005 to 2010. It was founded by Donald Trump and his associates Michael Sexton and Jonathan Spitalny. The company offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. Despite its name, the organization was not an accredited university or college. It conducted seminars and used high-pressure tactics to sell them to its customers. Records indicate that 7,611 tickets were sold to customers attending courses, with about 6,000 of these for a $1,500 3-day course. The company became the subject of multiple investigations, lawsuits, and student complaints, and ceased operations in 2011.

Trump University's real estate training program ran from 2005 to 2010

Trump University, also known as the Trump Wealth Institute and Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC, was an American company that ran a real estate training program from 2005 to 2010. It was founded in 2004 by Donald Trump, Michael Sexton, and Jonathan Spitalny, with Trump owning 93% of the company. The company offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. Despite its name, it was not an accredited university or college, and it did not confer degrees or grant college credit.

The real estate training program began with an introductory seminar, often held in rented spaces such as hotel ballrooms, where students were urged to sign up for additional classes. These classes ranged from $1,495 seminars to a $35,000 "Gold Elite" program. Records indicate that 7,611 tickets were sold to customers, with about 6,000 of these for a $1,500 3-day course, and 1,000 for silver, gold, or elite mentored courses ranging from $10,000 to $35,000.

The program's focus was on real estate investing, with Trump claiming in advertisements that he could "turn anyone into a successful real estate investor." The company's original business plan focused on online education, but it quickly expanded to include live, in-person instruction.

Trump University was the subject of multiple investigations, lawsuits, and student complaints, with allegations of misleading marketing practices and aggressive sales tactics. In 2011, it became the subject of an inquiry by the New York Attorney General's office for illegal business practices, and it ceased operations that same year.

Trump University's real estate training program ran for five years, and during that time, it attracted thousands of students with the promise of learning successful real estate strategies from Trump himself. However, the program was ultimately mired in controversy, leading to its demise and multiple lawsuits that were eventually settled by Trump for a total of $25 million.

The company offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation

Trump University, also known as the Trump Wealth Institute and Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC, was an American company that ran a real estate training program from 2005 to 2010. It was founded in 2004 by Donald Trump, Michael Sexton, and Jonathan Spitalny. The company offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. Despite its name, the organization was not an accredited university or college. It conducted three- and five-day seminars, often called "retreats," and used high-pressure tactics to sell them to customers.

The company's original business plan focused on online education, but it quickly expanded to include live, in-person instruction. The instruction primarily focused on real estate investing, with Trump claiming in advertisements that he could "turn anyone into a successful real estate investor." The introductory seminar typically took place in rented spaces such as hotel ballrooms, where students were urged to sign up for additional classes ranging from $1,495 seminars to a $35,000 "Gold Elite" program.

Trump University's real estate seminars often fell short of providing a substantial education. In some cases, it seemed that the instructors were more interested in making money from people who dreamed of successful real estate careers than in imparting knowledge. The seminars often began with a free session to attract participants, and once individuals arrived, salespeople attempted to upsell them on the more expensive "Trump Elite Packages." These packages ranged from the Bronze Elite Package for $9,995 to the Gold Elite Package for $34,995.

Over time, as Trump sought higher profits, the company shifted its focus to offering more in-person seminars. This shift may have been driven by financial hardship, as former Trump University Chief Learning Officer Roger Schank suggested. Schank believed that "Donald Trump was in bad times," and the shift to in-person seminars was a way to increase profits.

By the end of its operation, Trump University focused almost exclusively on these seminars, both running them and licensing the brand name to an organization called Business Strategies Group. The program essentially became a series of hotel ballroom consultations with salespeople rather than academic courses.

Trump University functioned from 2005 to 2010 and served thousands of students. Approximately 7,000 former students were eligible to submit claims for damages under a settlement agreement reached in 2016. More than 3,700 students submitted claims to receive payment, and they will receive a large percentage of the funds they paid to Trump University.

Records indicate 7,611 tickets were sold to customers attending courses

Records indicate that 7,611 tickets were sold to customers attending courses at Trump University. The company, which was founded in 2004 and ran from 2005 to 2010, offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation.

The courses were not cheap. About 6,000 of the tickets sold were for a $1,500 3-day course, and 1,000 were for silver, gold, or elite mentored courses ranging in price from $10,000 to $35,000. The company's original business plan focused on online education, but it quickly expanded to include live, in-person instruction. The instruction's focus was real estate investing, with Trump claiming in advertisements: "I can turn anyone into a successful real estate investor, including you."

The courses typically began with an introductory seminar in rented space, such as a hotel ballroom. At these seminars, students were urged to sign up for additional classes, with prices ranging from $1,495 to $35,000. The higher-priced courses were marketed as "Gold Elite" programs.

While Trump University was not an accredited university or college and did not confer degrees or college credit, it employed many of the same tactics as predatory colleges. These tactics included preying on vulnerable populations, implying that the school offered a fast track to financial security, and creating the impression that recruiters were friendly advisors.

The university was the subject of multiple investigations, lawsuits, and student complaints, and it ceased operations in 2011. In 2016, Trump settled three lawsuits against Trump University for a total of $25 million.

Trump University was not an accredited university or college

Despite its name, Trump University was not an accredited university or college. It was an American company that ran a real estate training program from 2005 to 2010. It was owned and operated by The Trump Organization and founded by Donald Trump, Michael Sexton, and Jonathan Spitalny in 2004.

Trump University offered courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. It conducted three- and five-day seminars, often called "retreats," and used high-pressure tactics to sell them to customers. The seminars were priced at $1,495, while the silver, gold, or elite mentored courses ranged from $10,000 to $35,000.

The organization did not confer college credit, grant degrees, or grade its students. It was not licensed as a college and did not use student loans. Instead, it employed similar tactics to predatory colleges, such as preying on vulnerable populations and implying that the school offered a fast track to financial security.

In 2005, the New York State Department of Education sent a letter to Trump University, stating that they were violating state law by using the word "university" when they were not chartered as one and lacked the required license to offer live instruction or training. Despite this, Trump University continued its operations until 2011 when it ceased operations amid multiple investigations, lawsuits, and student complaints.

Trump University was the subject of inquiries and lawsuits by the New York Attorney General's office, who described it as a "bait-and-switch scheme." The organization was accused of defrauding its students through misleading marketing practices and aggressive sales tactics. These lawsuits were eventually settled by Trump for a total of $25 million after he was elected president in 2016.

Three lawsuits were filed against Trump University for deceptive practices

Three lawsuits were filed against Trump University, alleging that the organisation engaged in a variety of illegal business practices, including false claims and racketeering. Two of these were federal class actions: one against Trump University and its managers, including Trump, and one against Trump himself. The third case was filed in a New York State court.

The first of these lawsuits was New York v. Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC. In 2005, the New York State Department of Education informed Trump University that they were violating state law by using the word "university" when they were not chartered as one and did not have the required license to offer live instruction or training. Despite a promise from co-founder Michael Sexton that the organisation would stop instructing students in New York, the New York Attorney General alleged that they had continued to do so.

In March 2010, Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education Joseph Frey sent a letter to Trump stating that the use of the word "university" was "misleading and violates New York Education Law and the Rules of the Board of Regents." In June 2010, Trump University changed its name to "The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative".

On August 24, 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging illegal business practices and false claims. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman described Trump University as a bait-and-switch scheme, accusing Trump of misleading over 5,000 people to pay up to $35,000 to learn his real estate investment techniques. Trump denied these allegations, claiming that the school had a 98% approval rating.

The second lawsuit, Low v. Trump University, LLC, was brought by Tarla Makaeff, who paid nearly $60,000 to Trump University in 2008. Makaeff sought refunds for herself and other former clients, as well as punitive damages for breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and bad faith. The suit was recognised as a class-action on the part of Trump University clients in California, Florida and New York.

The third lawsuit, Art Cohen v. Donald J. Trump, was filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern California as a class action on behalf of consumers throughout the U.S. who purchased "Live Events" services from Trump University after January 1, 2007. The suit accused Trump of misrepresenting Trump University "to make tens of millions of dollars" while delivering "neither Donald Trump nor a university". It accused Trump of violating the RICO statute and sought restitution and damages, including punitive and treble damages.

Frequently asked questions