I talked to my apartment mate about it. He said that when he showed the article to his advisor, she had the reaction of "they're pay to publish". I can't speak to the reputability of the journal, just providing his response.
Here's [0] a link to the rankings of nature journals. Nature Communications is 3rd in general science, and Nature is 1st.
Tim Gowers and the freedom of knowledge group are pushing hard on journal fees.
[0]http://www.nature.com/npg_/company_info/impact_factors.html
Old post :
I can speak to the reputability of your friend's program. The statement is jaw dropping. It is so wrong as to make it hard for me to believe he goes to an accredited university.