Penn Foster

I went to this school for 2 months didn’t like it and it’s clearly pay as you go they hit my credit report saying I owe 1000 something odd dollars as if I got a loan from them couldn’t even file them on my taxes because of it being a pay as you you so no I don’t owe you guys !!!!!

Internship is dependent on the Vet hospital completing school requirements with the student. The hospitals are usually too busy The internship is Pass or Fail. You will not get partial credit.

I finished the pc repair career diploma and would say the material at the time was up to date the only problem I found was on my interview for system support or system administrator most employers dont recognize penn foster one manager actually advised me to get my comp tia A+ and then more companies will hire me. Penn foster doesnot guarantee Job placement once you are finished you are on your own. Nationally accredited schools are not recognized by most employers. Your best bet is to see what field you want to go into and look for the proper certifications to get either from local school or proctor exams. Also I checked my local colleges to transfer whatever credits I had and the colleges would not accept them.

I started a course in Billing and Coding in April. I have completed three modules or courses so far and haven't begun to get into the billing and coding part. It's been extremely tedious learning (by rote) about the legalities, ethics etc of not only billing and coding but other positions in a medical setting. I have never received any material in the mail as some have on here but I don't think they do that anymore. They have online texts and flash cards, which I haven't used since grade school. The tests that I have taken requires you to use wording exactly like that in the online texts instead of getting the right answer using your own words. I have medical experience as a medical lab technician assistant, hemodialysis technician, medical office and physician's assistant before you needed a degree in it. I took a medical transcription and medical billing course over 30 years ago and that was one night a week for three months. So, I do have some medical knowledge. I took this course because it was less expensive than other courses, but I am not sure I will be able to complete it, although I'll keep trying. I have been writing notes which consists of pretty much the whole of the texts to take the test otherwise you have to wait at least a month before you can take the tests again. So far, I have been very disappointed.

These people are thieves. They took my money (PAID IN FILL) and refuse to let me restart my program. I started in 2014 and got extremely sick and am just now well enough to continue. It’s supposed to bet work at your own pace, totally false advertising. I called to restart my program and was told that all I needed to do was get a new student ID number. They gave me a new number and when I tried to login, it said I owed them ANOTHER $1400. They refuse to give me full credit for what I have already paid. DO NOT give them your money...go to a REAL school.

I am going for my Associate's Degree in Retail Management and so far its very good. The lessons are informative and the exams are challenging. I like the support they give me and they let me change my program initially too with no problem. I was also able to transfer 15 credits, which is great, as its one less semester in total. I am happy with this school and I would recommend it to anyone. Don't read all the negative posts, those are probably just students who failed and gave up. Get your education here, and the price is right too. I am only paying 59 dollars per month, which is very affordable for me. Overall, good school and I have no complaints.

So my son is finishing PennFoster, he has 3 classes. We chose this school because he was playing JR Hockey so we needed the access since we were always on the road. If your kid needs much help not the program for them if they do well I checked with our State board of regions they accepted them no problem. They like to change rules mid program, now if they did or the accredited body did I don't know. My son did great on his college placement exams, better then most of the local colleges students did. I can't say weather PennFoster classes helped that or my son smart enough on his own I know he does well. Here's where the problem is: No support to help the student to go further. My son wants to enroll concurrent with college this allows him to take two courses 6 credits of college a semester for free. I had to have an official transcript to the college. They won't send one till the program is paid so no problem we paid it and I will say they gave us an 25% off offer at the time if we paid by the end of the month. So we paid the day we received on the phone by credit card. So I jump on to order the transcript and I'm still showing a balance so I can't. I call them back and now I'm informed it takes 3 business days to drop off. So now we are screwed till the next week. I get up and check on Monday since that would be the 3 or forth business day depending on when they start counting and guess what its not cleared. I call back and now the magic number is 7 to 10 days, Maybe when that comes it will be 30 days. So completely screwing my son that's worked his ass off and now may not get to go to these classes. The next thing is we scan and email the concurrent enrollment paperwork that the college needs to allow them to go concurrent and all they need to do is sign it stating the expected graduation date is 4/3/2018 and have a principles signature and counselors. They refuse to sign because the anticipated grad date is that but they cant say it is an expected date and cant sign because there isn't a principle or counselor, this letter is typed up by the Director of the program who couldn't just sign the form and put director next to his name. To be honest my son has done the entire program in under a year minus the 3 classes he has left but we can't sign because there is not expected grad date only an anticipated and his title is director not principle, oh and we are still waiting for the payment to drop off even though they have the money so I can order transcripts. So here's what i get from them and to be completely honest, the diploma is good it is official it will be taken, The employees at the school don't care about you or your kid, you are a 2nd class citizen. I hope someone from the company reads this and corrects all these problems because regardless if this school is a for profit then should care about their customer (the kids) to fix the everyday operations so they can support the students. I'm retired at a young age and if I had run my businesses like they would all have been bankrupt.

I enrolled into this program originally 15yrs ago. At that time this was Thomas Education. Then I had children and put it on hold. My bad, but I'm glad I did. The accreditation is far much better. My son was bored in traditional high school his begigining Junior year at age 16. He found Penn Foster and I agreed to let him use their services. He is now a Student at Portland Community College. He was except by two tech schools but chose PCC. Yes, he had to take entrance exams but who doesn't anymore? After he was enrolled for a month or so, I started recognizing the logo and was like, "wow this is my old school"! I called them up and they found my transcripts and was willing to transfer credit. I will say the meterial is harder now. The exams are short but if your aim is to learn then study the material. The tests are not easy by any means. You really have to dig to find the answers. Some of them are worded in such a way that you have to know the material to answer correctly . But anyone can cheat on any online program, even k12, another my children have been on. Talking about lack of knowledge and correspondence from teachers. Extremely poor!!! Free$$$ to let your child fall and reach for peers.com or photo.math to cheat in a heartbeat. Only career minded and little bookworms can really get through k12 without falling behind and having to carry Last years work over to the next. Unless you can sit 8 hrs by their side to do the work. YES 5-8 HOURS AND DONT FORGET THE RESTRAINT OF CLASS CONNECTS! IIn high school k12 online your student will have 7-9 teachers. All needing at least 2 class connection live a week! That's 14-18, 1hr live sessions a week. Sounds easy enough but not when the also have 8hrs of work to do and life! Keep in mind you're their learning coach. Do you have that time? On top of house work, taking care of the family, a job, or other children to tend too. They're teenagers, their going to cheat the minute they can or just not do the work if you stop paying attention. Cheating with homeschool or any online school is possible. Even in class today kids are using their cellphones to cheat through class and homework only to find a failing grade on their test. The material is designed to teach yourself but you have to follow it. My teachers have always been there for support and walk me through any issues I may have. If you put your children on it be a coach and make them go through the steps. So what if it goes by fast. It's that much faster they can start on a college career. If still young yet like 17 or 18 to enter college, do another online course that will earn more credit while waiting for maturity to enter a sit down college. I'd never set my 17 year old daughter next to a 20 year old young man anyway. This program is amazing. You get a real diploma, accepted into most community colleges and all tech schools. I have three hours a day to do my work. I have 3 hours a day to watch over a student. We work together. I chose being a mother of my own education. Get it while your young it's hard raising a family and earning a diploma at the same time. Some do it but I chose to give my whole self to five children while I had young ones in the home for 20 years. It's my turn and Penn Foster has been there for me and my family!

I am in my fourth semester of my Associates Degree in Accounting. The only good things I have experienced with PF is a couple of the instructors have recognized my exceptional grades. Both the Senior Instructor of Business Studies and his boss, a Chairman, accused me of plagiarizing in Intermediate Accounting I. They obviously do not comprehend the definition of plagiarism. When I spoke to them they both had different stories to tell me - one being I turned in the same answers as the solution manual and another being I turned in the same test answers as another student. ???? I tried to dispute this and the school would not allow me to. I ended up getting a B in the class but deserved the A I earned. A couple of my textbooks have fallen apart. I have been hung up on at least 10 times and disconnected for unknown reasons at least another 10. The representatives in Student Care are rude and uneducated. I am finishing my degree as my tuition has been paid in full and I believe in finishing what one starts, but am deeply sorry I chose to go here.

Received an accounting certificate in 2001. Was able to obtain a position in an accounting department as the accounts payable associate I. The material I received from Penn Foster helped me understand the accounting process and I was able to use the basic knowledge gained with the on the job training to complete my job. I am still in the accounting field doing payroll now for a government contractor in the DC area. Looking into getting in the Medical Coding & Billing field. Also, my best friend received her high school diploma from Penn Foster and graduated from University of Maryland. She is a RN for a large hospital in northern VA. She met this guy in hospital billing department at her job and asked him about how to get into Medical Billing because I was interested. It was interesting because he told her he took the online program at Penn Foster. Got his certificate and applied for several jobs less than 2 months he was hired for his current position. trained him on their system. He already had computer skills but the computer portion of the PF program was generic compared to what he use but was told by others he work with companies systems are different even though they maybe the same programs.

i read reviews on penn fosrter high school and was uneasy about if i should attend, so many bad reviews so if i was you reading this looking to know if i should pay for high school diploma which is not cheap i would do some research first. I looked in to two schools i was looking foward to going to two colleges here in texas, one Lone star college said they appected and two Houston Community College said they appected penn foster high scool diploma and that was a go a head for me seeing that the schools i wanted to attend appected it. So you do the same make calls see what colleges in your state appected the diploma and what colleges dont. As far as finihing the diploma I had tranfer credits from my high school 16 and only need 5 to graduate so that took me no time to finish I signed up in Jan 2017 and finished that feb 2017 and paid in full on 03/06/17 and will receive my dipolma my the end of this month they told me it tke 3 weeks to receive.(I have to write back to say if i recive diploma on time end this month or beginning of April.) As for getting in touch with them honest never had a bad experrience once,always easy to get intouch with i call they answer or call back in a timely matter email and got an answer never rude or had the rum around. I would tell any one to do their research before they invested into anything i have yet to see if this diploma will be receive by employees.

mysterious charges will be applied to your account with no explanation! if you have any issues you will not get assistance! very little materials provided! couldn't get any response from any instructor! ended up paying $2,175 for a sub par education that isn't as widely accredited as they claim! absolutely deplorable! WOULD NOT RECOMEND!!!

My granddaughter graduated from the High School Program in 2015. These other reviewers that say the High School program is not regionally accredited must be stupid. All you have to do is verify with the accrediting commission or agency. One reviewer said the community college told her the high school was not regionally accredited which is false, and they should know that. My granddaughter now has 15 college units with no problem getting into a local college!!! Do your homework, if a school says that Penn Foster High School is not regionally accredited, prove to them they are!!!

Very well rounded program that includes some very demanding skill set practicums. Amazing on line delivery and amazing staff that really desire you to do your best! To complete this degree program you must be able to manage your time well and be prepared to commit yourself to studying daily and keeping on tract. Lots of resources within the student community portals, lots of videos to understand material and lots of support and very responsive instructors. Highly recommend this program.

I was enrolled in PF's Dressmaking and Design program, I am a fashion designer with no formal fashion education and was looking for a program where I can continue my business, continue working and go to school at the same time. I had to stop taking the classes because of how Irrelevant the lessons were to present day fashion. The fashion terminology, techniques, methods were all very irrelevant to the present day fashion.

First very few of the books are hard copy. My student has problems looking at a computer screen so I had to print all the study guides, which is what they call the books. You are only graded on a poorly written test. Example:How many calories does a 150lb person burn? My daughter just spent an entire chapter studying how men bun more calories and how calories vary depending on activity level, etc. This question is missing the details. It is almost like they pick one sentence from somewhere inside the entire lesson and make it a question, without any supporting details. They are constantly changing policies. Some of the new policy changes, I never would have signed up if they were in place when I enrolled my student. It seems like bait and switch. Just please save you money. The payment plans are nice, but they will only send you so many books if you go that route. I finally paid for the entire course and signed the waiver to receive the books and still haven't received. That was 6 months ago. Not sure what we will use this diploma for, but will be enrolling in classes elsewhere in the Fall of 2017. Please be wary!! If you just want a diploma and not concerned about the quality of education, this is what you will get.

I went to the school to be a Veterinary Assistant, and will be going back for my Vet Tech. I thought the school was affordable, didn't have to take out any school loans and when i was done with the program, i didn't owe the school any money. On top of all that, its self paced. It took me a little longer to get the certificate and they extended me for only 75 dollars, even work with me when I miss a couple of payments. I didn't need help on the course work so i cant tell you anything about the teachers. I LOVED going to penn foster. AND THEY ARE out of the 8 schools that offer online Vet tech degree, they are now fully accredited through the AVMA. When i had graduated they had just became accredited. If any Veterinary program is not listed on AVMA, DO NOT ENROLL in that school.

I started the medical billing and coding courses and I must say I was disappointed with the overall outcome. Several of the initial courses have little to do with medical coding or billing. Toward the end they have you do a program for data entry in medical billing setting appointments, inputting payment data and other office functions. The trouble is that their system is not really one that is used in the real world. Some kind of generic mostly like system that providers never use. In addition with this system being a generic knockoff the grading process was HORRIBLE!! On several of these projects completed I had to nag the instructors repeatedly to grade the projects. Had to call the school 6 times to get the final project graded to get my diploma. The biggest insult on this is don't expect to find work anytime real soon. I completed the courses and my certification with AAPC in April, and in Oct I am still looking for a job. Employers only want somebody with 2 or 3 years of experience. Not a rookie. Even though I have processed medical claims for 14 years (essentially doing the back end of medical coding)it does not mean a thing to employers. Plan to spend A LOT of time trying to find any work once you are done.

I enrolled two children in the program ages 13 and 15. One was a 7th grader who moved to 9th grade in the Penn Foster program. The other daughter was in 10th grade. Both children ran through the courses (1 credit) at a rate of 2 per day. These classes were so simplified that they would never have laid a solid foundation for college. The younger of the two children who is college bound noted this herself and raised concerns. Please if you are not an adult learner completing your education for the purposes of job or promotion do not rely on this program to prepare you for college or life. This program is not suitable for children who have their whole life ahead of them. We switched to a K12 program it was free and better. Penn Foster is not for or about the child learner. Biggest parenting mistake that we will pay dearly for financially while our kids have to return to a more structured program feeling behind.

I was offered a discount if I paid my account off by a certain date. I paid it in full 40 days ago and I'm still waiting for my refund of overpayment. I can never get a straight answer other than wait a bit longer. Also, I'm enrolled in 2 programs and don't feel like the curriculum or support is worth the money. I can learn more from the books they sent me than I can with the exams. This college in my opinion is for people that want the degree or certificate but don't really care that they won't learn anything. It's all about the money not the education. I will never use PennFoster again and will never recommend them to anyone.

I chose Penn Foster's high school diploma program for my son. I have since found that Penn Foster's support, while reasonably quick to respond, does not do well in following up on school issues. For example, they requested that I had to submit a high school enrollment application before they would mail texts. My son and I completed the application and faxed it. We waited 2 days for confirmation but received no word. I emailed support again and asked if they had received the fax. Support replied" "please give us a few days to look through our faxes for your son's application." It was a true "what the heck"? moment. Rather than risk further delay, we faxed the application again. I emailed support and informed them. That was 3 days ago. Still no word. This issue has delayed my son's studies for a week and counting. I find it simply absurd that an institution has difficulty finding at least ONE fax. It reeks of stupidity. My advice? Do not use Penn Foster for high school education.

Penn Foster was a clear choice for me when I started looking at programs. It is so much more affordable, with books included in the quoted price, and they allow me to make monthly payments rather than taking out a loan. For me, the biggest factor was flexibility. I work full time and I cannot lose any hours. Because the program is self-paced, I'm able to set my own goal for turning in projects and taking exams. I can slow down on class work during an especially busy work week, and pick the pace back up when work is more under control. Due to its online nature, PF is very much a program of "you get out what you put in". Can you fail in this program? Absolutely. You must have your own motivation to keep going - no is going to make you study! The material is tough because the field is tough. I am already working in this field, and to me, for anyone working in the field seeking to get certification, there is no other choice. If you enroll in the program and fully dedicate to it, you will succeed. It will not be easy; you will have to study and research. You have to attend lectures (often taught by Veterinary Technician Specialists!), watch recordings, and read the suggested supplemental material. You will need to visit the veterinary websites suggested by instructors. It is a very difficult course, but Penn Foster does provide what you need to get there. It is AVMA accredited, so you will be able to sit for the VTNE and obtain registration.

This is my personal review-- Please read from start to finish if you really want to get a grasp on the pro's and con's from someone who has attended both regionally and nationally accredited schools. I heard of Penn Foster from a friend/ old co-worker in 2005. He was in his mid 30's and was in the process of graduating with his High School Diploma from PF- I will never forget his excitement! I guess for me this is what trigged my interest in this school. Although, I didn't have any plans on attending as I was naïve in thinking they only offered HS diplomas and was a student at a local community college. I still asked questions in conversations and he graduated and eventually became a master plumber-- as far as I am concerned this is not a career in which you need to have proof of a GED/ HS diploma ( training/ experience and passing the state exam is your real worry). Well, fast forward a couple years later... The year is 2008. I am working 60 hours x week in car sales, making great money within a declining economy. On top of my 60 hour work week, I was a full time college student and was wrapping up my freshman year in a Regionally accredited school. Life was hectic and to add to it, I found out I was pregnant with 3 years before getting a degree in a promising career. I knew that 60 hours a week wasn't going to cut it once my baby was born- I needed something with flexibility. Although I wasn't into medicine- I knew that the medical field was a field in which there would always be work. So I did my research and decided that I would take an online course in Medical Billing and Coding-- I picked Penn Foster. I was really excited at first as it was self-paced-- my plan was to do 2 hours of work each night and finish ASAP. The advisor I spoke to advised that I could finish as quickly as 3 months and my tuition payment was only $80.00. He told me all of my assignments would be completed online and that my books would be mailed to me. Everything sounded great even though I knew that they were Nationally accredited, it was ok. So far everything was all good. I received my first set of books which consisted of a hardcover Medical Terminology text book (with a CD-ROM) and 3 paper backed books that looked like they were printed from home and used legal sized glossy card stock as the cover. Yes. Plain old white books with green letters. I figured, Ok, next month I will probably get more REAL text books. Following month was the same. In my minds defense I thought- the program was inexpensive and as long as I was learning that is what mattered most- right?!?! Did I mention that this was a time when the economy was in the slums? You guessed it- the dealership I worked for was going out of business. I had completed 50% of my studies and had been on time with every single payment but still owed a hefty chunk of change. ****** UNTIL PAYMENT WAS MADE IN FULL I WOULD RECIEVE MY DEGREE************ Understood. I spoke to the advisor I had been working with all along, he was always eager to help in the beginning but then I soon realized when money became a factor he was then snooty. Money brings out the worst in people. ********* I never met, spoke, emailed and or received an instructor in the 2 months I studied with PF but still I obtained an 100% as all the exams were open book. My plan was to bring my cheat book to work and consider my self a professional! <--- Sarcasm. I stopped going and figured since I was already paying for it and was going to have a debt either way I might as well do some extra curricular reading should the time and money be available in the future. Now lets fast forward to the year 2016. I decide I want to go back to PF... I have 50% completion and over 50% paid. I called the school as I was still able to log onto my account. The advisor told me that I could not complete my Medical Billing and Coding course as it has been too long and that the medical field is always changing-- understood. Although, I am not a professional in the medical field nor an instructor, I would a assume an entry exam would be applicable in this situation... they don't offer that. All is owe is $264... they said pay that off and you can enroll in anything and pay full tuition. I completed over 10 courses for their general education pre req ( although admission rep said there would be none) Communications, customer service, patient interactions, etc. (NOTE: Medical Billing and Coding is a profession in which you are at the computer 100% .. software was not yet covered and neither was ergonomics......... No discounts- no transfer of internal credits- nada! The basics of customer service and/or communications are pretty transparent and include very subtle changes. I offered to pay the $264 towards my new course study but they refused and stated I would have to pay the $264 and there is also a down payment for the next course.... What this institution has at heart is finances not education. I have studied both regional and nationally courses and in each there is the ability to return and continue education. Penn Foster does not offer this. The material is low budget and even someone who can't read can pass. There is something for everyone and I don't knock any type of education as I believe our minds should always be stimulated. Please! Do your research on your field and ask several businesses across the nation if they would accept a diploma/degree from PF and/ or any other institution be it regionally or nationally. Time is more valuable than money- don't invest in hypocrisy. Your life, your future. GED Courses: Several states are now offering government GED courses in which you will walk away with a HS DIPLOMA!! Some facilities that host these classes are local High Schools, Libraries and churches. Some even offer an online option. If you have the courage to start something- do it right. I will start off using the rating system provided by onlinedegreereviews.org Technolo

AVOID!!!! I recently had a major issue with the school and up until that point I was really pleased with them. I wanted two switch majors and made a call to them two months ago, in those two months I followed every thing I was advised to do to the T, then I make a call to get the ball rolling only to find out almost everything he advised me was incorrect to the point where I am out $772. That's a lot of money for me.... A LOT>. After more then two and a half hours on the phone with numerous people at the school (including two hang up from them!) they refused to fix THEIR MISTAKE! I repeat a representative from there school made several mistakes while advising a student and they are unwilling to work with said student. A student with a 4.0 GPA, who was always at least a week early for all due dates, and who PAID IN FULL!!! I did exactly what I was told to do and they screwed me over.

I signed up for this program in 2014 wanted to further my education. I signed up for high school with early college classes. In order to get your diploma you have to take a total of 100 exams. You have to write essays the whole nine yards. They don't just hand you a diploma you have to work for it. At any rate, the school is regionally accredited for high school,(I checked). I have been accepted into community college with my diploma. Just because you have the diploma you still have to take a college entrance exam so study hard while attending.

I finished my diploma last year, this is my second time graduation high school. I finished my 4 years in my native country but right after I finished I moved back to the states. Now the school closed down and there was no way to get a copy of my transcripts as this is a 3rd world county and nothing is ever in order. I am now 35 yrs old and looking for a job has never been so demanding... I actually lost a really good job with a large institution where I could have moved forward in my education. Word of mouth was no suffice with no valid documents I was good as NADA!! This was back in 2012 which is when I saw the Penn Foster commercial and I was immediately hooked. I don't have time after work to go to a night class for a simple G.E.D... I feel like I was cheating myself. Well, thankfully I completed the program and I am very excited to even hang this sucker up, my only dilemma is would certain employers accept this diploma without any issues??!! This is my current situation at the moment. I moved to another state and literately everywhere I apply they want everything, Diploma certificate along with the original transcripts. I was able to do an income tax class with HR block and they did accept the diploma and I was able to become a tax agent. They said that in order for a person to qualify the IRS needs copies of the persons educational background. So lets see!! Im keeping my fingers crossed... So far the CC here does accept it which is a plus.

The worst educational decision I've ever made! Avoid avoid avoid penny foster!!!! Take online community college 2 credit medical language - it will be more beneficial. When I signed up I thought "self paced online course and I had a certain amount of time to complete the course" " cool right?" However, what they don't tell you is are going to write 250 words every week on a given topic such as lupus, opiate receptors, MS AND THEN REPLY 150 words to 3 different peers as long as you are in the class. So research takes time and then formatting your paper - so a lot of work for no credit hours or continuing education hours. Then you write s research paper. I had this class done within 4 weeks - I hated every minute - I wished I never enrolled - I tried dropping out but I already had two assignments done so it did not make money sense to drop out so I just kept on. Please do yourself a favor - RUN - do your research - and call your local community college! If I had known this I would have said no to penn foster. I took the medical terminology online class.

I would not recommend this program. The fact that the externship does not go along with the written portion to gel the learning experience together is a big problem with clinics that have to "train" you as they state it taking time from their busy day. I have not found one they were supposedly contracted with willing to take me on as a student with their reasons being "too much paperwork" did not want to allow me to complete all skills which would lead me to find a second clinic at the same time to do this, the training involved because you forget what you learned from 9 months ago and in general the biggie was "I'm not getting paid for this and you'll leave me when your trained!"

When I enrolled into Penn Foster one of the first things I asked was, will I be able to use this degree to get into collage? The lady I talked to had told me that shouldn't be a problem.I tried enrolling in a community collage and was devastated when they denied me entry due to not having a high school diploma from a regionally accredited school. I did not know until then that Penn Foster was not regionally accredited. In a nut shell I was told to go get my G.E.D first and then reapply. I think Penn Foster is a good school, but this school did not live up to my needs. Basically I paid way to much for high school refresher courses.

Don't bother with this school. It is for-profit and it seems that is all they care about, keeping people enrolled and keeping people paying. The online format is convenient for a lot of people but the use of technology is confusing. Tuition they said was $1500 for the entire curriculum. You could pay in installments, but if you changed your mind, you end up paying $500 just to buy your way out. To keep you in, they will offer you the chance to transfer to another program. Please be careful to read the agreement carefully before signing. Their only concern is making money, save yourself the aggravation. Don't fall for it. It's not as easy and convenient as it sounds. You're better off at a non-profit community college or technical school.

I have been in the Medical Billing and Coding program since Sept 2015. In January I decided to dedicate my time to the program on a full time basis. They claim this is a self paced program BUT you are at their mercy when it comes to receiving your materials. I have been waiting for two weeks to get my books which are on back order. They claim its because they are waiting on the new 2016 material but we are in February. I would almost understand if this was January but the fact that we are in mid February still waiting on books that should have been ordered in December is unacceptable! I wish I could give this school a negative rating! I have lost critical time waiting on these books. Penn Foster was the least expensive school I found so I guess you get what you pay for! The only advice I can give is DO YOUR RESEARCH!

It is hard to get good critical reviews on Penn Foster. Penn Foster is what you make of it. If you read most of the negative reviews you will find that most are from people who find studying at their own pace and staying self-motivated a foreign concept. Most of their complaints are basically of their own making for not doing due diligence on subjects such as transfer credits, etc... Because of Penn Foster's low tuition cost they have many more participants than other colleges whose programs costs considerably more. Because of this statistical fact you are going to get more people who complain on issues that are not really legitimate problems, for instance: 1. All colleges and universities require complete payment before graduation (ALL OF THEM). Ever heard of student loans? Go to any college and try not paying your tuition in full and see what happens. 2. Not all credits are transferable from institution to institution, even among regionally accredited schools. This is the way it is and always has been. Heck I had a local community college not accept transfer credits from Notre Dame for certain subjects. If you are thinking about using Penn Foster as transfer credits then check ahead of time on transferability. 3. Although this should be self-evident, they are not going to hold your hand. They provide the basic needs to get your degree and certification. No frills. Penn Foster is not perfect, but having attended several different colleges they are by far not the worst either. They fulfill a certain niche in our society for military, working adults, etc... and are poorly served by recent high school graduates who expect to have their hands held and or those who cannot honestly engage in self-guided and motivated study. One final note, I contacted the AVMA and found out that Penn Foster fully meets their requirement for distance accreditation and that there are more expensive schools in the US that do not. Interestingly enough Penn Foster is not the highest school on their complaint roster, hmmmm. Again, it is what you make of it. It is too bad that many of the negative reviews, not all, are knee jerk reactions to problems that, truth be known, are of the author's making.

I've doing Penn Foster Medical Billing/Coding classes since June. Half of the stuff has nothing to do with billing/coding. I've had to wait for my books to be shipped. More than half of them have been back ordered. When I had a question for my instructor, I would write and it would be weeks before they got back to me. Then I after I do a project I have to write to the instructor to get my grade. One time they had wrote to experience works (that is who paid for my class), they had sent them a final grade on my final test. Which I had never taken and I had to call them to get it straightened out. I wish I had never started the classes.

A heartfelt thank you, to all those who have made my dream a reality in achieving an Associate Degree in Human Resources, although I was faced with numerous challenges I was successful in the end. To the entire Penn Foster Team thank you without you I would not have made it. I am now ready to pursue further studies.

Beware of claims of accreditation. You will not be able to transfer credits to a real regionally accredited college (perhaps Excelsior in Albany). I called admissions as my daughter is interested in the vet tech program. Having a graduate degree in education and being familiar with accreditation standards and processes I am disappointed in the slick sales and poor standards this school represents. It does not take much to be honest to potential students. DEAC is worthless for post secondary (college), being ACE approved is not accreditation. If they are ripping off students as reviews indicate then a father's advice is to go elsewhere. If you want a real college degree go elsewhere. I applaud your motivation to improve your life and accomplish something important. If you are not interested in a college degree that is recognized or if you feel that this place has what you need then press on. But read everything (to include these reviews) and ask questions before you sign up. The bill collectors do not care if you did not do your homework prior to the debt. My daughter will go elsewhere and is already a vet assistant. Ciao.

I just want to say that I am glad I did not listen to all of the negative comments about this school. I am in my 5th semester of the Bs Business Management degree program. I have experienced nothing but great things. If your willing to put the time and effort in, you will reap the reward. I am in middle management for a well known company and in order to move up the corporate ladder, I must have a bachelors degree. By the way, they are reimbursing me my tuition and approved PF as an accredited program. My economics course I just finished was written by a Harvard professor, so I would say the content is very appropriate. Their credits are accepted by RA schools, I have already contacted a school and was assured my bachelors degree would be accepted and I would be able to complete my MBA afterwards. My communication skills have improved dramatically as a result of the courses I have completed. And by the way, my Senior VP has noticed a substantial difference in my contributions I make to the team as a result of this degree program. So go ahead and sign up and get the education you have always wanted. -Happy future executive

Don't waste your time. I'm at the end of semester 3 and I'm going to finish. But choice some place else, I wouldn't recommend this program. The instructors are horrible, the courses are ok.

is "school" is a joke. the site is always down and having technical difficultys. way too much reading material and no hands on experience. in my line of work hands on is the only way to learn. i was basically doing this just to get a degree. if you really want to learn go to your local Boces . do not use this "school" Waste of time and money

While the cost of this program is good, the quality of education and instructors is extremely poor. There are many technical errors in their curriculum. Many of the instructors are new to the field. The program director is basically a poster boy and has no real power in the program to help the students and defers to other faculty to make decisions. The skills that are required to be performed in the two practicums are AVMA required skills but the school requires pictures or videos. While videos actually show the skill being done. Still photography requires the technician student to stop and pose for each step which would not happen in a clinic scenario. The multiple amount of paperwork submissions required is ridiculous as well. If your supervising veterinarian signs you off on lab skills, it is redundant to have a PF faculty member sign off as well. In my opinion this is a poorly planned program. There is a reason they have 10,000 students register but only an 8% retention rate. While their VTNE pass rates are good, the only reason for this is the ones who actually finish the program are likely to take the VTNE seriously and pass it.

Did not get what I hoped I would from this course, I quit my job so I could put everything into this because I love animals and I actually thought I would go somewhere with this, I did the Pet Grooming course years ago when they were Harcourt Learning and I learned more then than I did with the Vet Assistant course. If you want to take care of animals you should not have to take bullshit courses like Math and English which is one of the first things they make you do. Then the Biology was stupid , it was human not animal. I wasted alot of time and money printing out everything and keeping it in notebooks. Very disappointed & I didn't even make it through the 1st semester and they are charging me close to $1500 for one semester, I told them I can't do this & all they care about is getting their $$$$. May have to get a lawyer.

First off I am a full time stay at home mom who recently got out the army after six years. One day I told my husband that I wanted to finish up my high school education. He asked me if I wanted my GED or my diploma? At first I said a GED would be ok I guess but then he said no you actually completed high school you just didn't pass the graduation exam. so you shouldn't cheat yourself by settling. I tell you what Im so glad he said that to me because I am now only 3 exams away from completing my diploma. although I only had to complete 5 courses it was still hard I was supposed to graduate in 2008 and its 2015 I haven't seen most of the work since then. I am here to say that with the dedication to stay up countless hours reading the course materials and making sure you complete at least two assignments a day you will be done sooner than you think. I know if I can do it anyone can after all I have the attention span of a child I'm so easily distracted. Once you turn your phones and the TVs off and staying off the deadly social media you will be surprised at what you can do. I have stayed up 4-5 hours after my family had gone to bed to get work done. You have to do what you have to be successful. your success is up to you!!!!

This "school" is a joke. the site is always down and having technical difficultys. way too much reading material and no hands on experience. in my line of work hands on is the only way to learn. i was basically doing this just to get a degree. if you really want to learn go to your local Boces . do not use this "school" Waste of time and money

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PROGRAM! SO FAR EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL! I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS!

GO FOR PENN FOSTER!!!!! IT TOOK ME A COUPLE YEARS AND FINALLY MADE IT. I GRADUATED THIS MONTH AND IM SO HAPPY TO KNOW I CAN FINALLY MOVE ON TO COLLEGE. :)

They claim to be VA Accredited Which is right but not as a Full time student. The Va will only pay for a one !/4 of the bill because its no different than any online school. The school say's that you go at your own pace but if you graduate from the 8th grade to the 12th grade in 3 years you have completed 4 years of school. This is not part-time but you are lead to believe that the VA will pay you full time as a student. How wrong can you get. I cancelled the program when I called the VA but the VA Rep told me a different story so I am stuck with a 3000$ a year bill. The CO by the name is Frank F. Britt is a rip off. ZENEIDA DAVILA

I absolutely love Penn Foster College. It's impossible to come up with even one negative comment. They do offer online programs, so if you aren't a self-starter, or able to motivate yourself to keep going, it's probably not for you. I have taken many online courses through community colleges, and have had some bad luck. I was hesitant to pursue another online degree, but really wanted to take an accredited Veterinary Technology program in order to become licensed as a technician. Penn Foster was my only real option, as many brick and mortar schools do not offer night classes. Boy, am I ever thankful for Penn Foster!! The Vet Tech program is tough, but fair. It definitely enables students to learn everything they need to be knowledgeable in the field, and also to pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam. The director of the program, Jim Hurrell, is amazing and inspiring! He is active on the student community, and the Vet Tech Facebook page. He makes himself very available to students, and it's clear he has such a passion for education in the veterinary field! The other major bonus with Penn Foster programs is their amazing affordability!! I have quite a lot of debt because of past student loans, and thanks to Penn Foster, I will earn this degree, and owe the school no money at the end of it all!! They offer a VERY affordable payment plan, and their prices are a fraction of what some of my friends have paid for other schooling in the same field!! I truly believe that if you are able to motivate yourself to stay on track, Penn Foster is the best online school there is! I would recommend it to anyone!

The school is good so far as being patient....although i do believe that you should get an e-mail. Stating that courses completed and graduation. Date plus anticipated date for diploma to arrive.I just graduated Yesterday!!!!I am so happy about it since it took me every bit of 3 years plus had to do 3 test retakes which costed $25 per course....nearlyv fainted when i saw how much money i had to pay to the school.I make waitress salary of $2.13 plus tips,i mean this school costs a lot......waiters need education too so i can progress to a better career but waitressing always comes in handy when customers actually show love for good service......I do pretty well,however doesn't. Hurt to change scenery.pennfoster is a lifesaver for me....,I finally graduated...at 34 years old !!!Don't. Goof off,come to pennfoster,you will be happy if you do.

I LOVE PENN FOSTER!! I have been enrolled since 2012. This school is amazing! I am currently enrolled in the Veterinary Technician program to earn my Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. This Program is nationally accredited by the AVMA and we have an amazing pass rate for the VTNE (veterinary technician national exam) When I decided to enroll with Penn Foster I was living in Oklahoma and the closet brick and motor school was 3 hours away from me. There was no way I would be able to work and go to school. So I found Penn Foster. Not only was it amazingly affordable but I knew it was nationally accredited which was another major plus when you are a Vet Tech Student. And the fact that I was able to move back home to Arizona and bring my school work with me and work full time was a huge blessing! I have never had a bad experience since enrolling. The staff is amazing and always extremely helpful! We have one of the most amazing Program Directors ever! He is always there on our vet tech facebook page and on the school community to help answer questions or serve as a mentor! We also have a amazing student ambassador program (I am one of the 2015 ambassador and was a 2014 ambassador as well!) The ambassador program has given me even more reasons to be proud of my school. It has made me a better person and a better student. I have also met some of the most amazing students who have become amazing friends from everywhere in the US and overseas! If you are looking to further your education whether it be in Veterinary medicine or one of the other amazing programs the school offers please go with Penn Foster! It has been one of the most amazing decisions i have made and i couldn't be prouder to call my self a Penn Foster Student! Amanda

I love Penn Foster School and would recommend it to anyone! This is my third program with Penn Foster, and I am in the Vet Tech Program now. The school is fully accredit, the program is wonderful, the Instructors are very helpful and the classes are fun and challenging. If you are looking for a program that is self-paced and payment plan friendly, then check out Penn Foster! Please note that if you are NOT a self-motivated person and need someone looking over everything you do you will not enjoy what you are learning! :)

Penn Foster is not for everyone, but fortunately...it's the school for me. I'm enrolled in the Vet Tech program and love it! It's an online school, an online program, but it's not easy; it's still college. My top advice I can give to any perspective students is to do your research BEFORE enrolling. Doesn't matter what program it is, always make sure you know Penn Foster's policies, program-related requirements, your state requirements, and any further information that applies to your career. I see several students drop out of their program because they didn't realize what was required of them. For example, Externships and Practicums...some programs have them, some do not. In the Vet Tech program, the Externship is mandatory or else you will not graduate. It's the responsibility of the student, not Penn Foster, to find their own site location where they will perform their externship. Students that did not research before enrolling are usually the ones angry and leaving negative reviews because they didn't know they had to complete an externship, find a proctor or site location on their own, unable to find an externship site that has all the necessary equipment (i.e. film-based radiographs), and etc. On the primary Penn Foster website where you view all the programs to enroll in, you can read an overview of your program of interest. I highly recommend requesting info by mail; I love looking through the brochure and forms. Most questions can be answered there. If one wants to hear from current students, join the Student Community and post to the corresponding program space to get more attention and responses. I love Penn Foster oh so very much. The school has helped me grow. I get all my emails, questions, and concerns answered in a fair amount of time. I have never had issues with Student CARE/Services. There are many frequently asked questions to read from that can resolve issues without having to contact Student CARE. One of my favorite features is the Live Chat. It can be found in the Student Portal's Help Center. If you have a question for Student CARE, besides calling and emailing, you can immediately get it answered through Chat. You just have to access it during business hours. Penn Foster is always in the works of creating something new for their students. They came out with a Study Planner which is available on your student account and can be downloaded as an app on mobile devices. You can create a plan for yourself to keep you on track throughout your studies, plan your graduation date or date to complete your semester. They created meet-ups so that students can get together and express their thoughts about the school and get to know the staff better. Penn Foster rules! Penn Foster Pride!

I started the Vet Tech program with Penn Foster a couple of years ago and didn't make it very far. Mostly because I was working and not motivated. When I decided it was time for me to go back to school, I came back to Penn Foster. I'm now enrolled in the bachelors business management degree. Why did I choose to come back to Penn Foster? It meets my personal needs. Penn Foster is nationally accredited, unlike your local community college or your state university which are most likely regionally accredited. It usually goes like this; regionally accredited school courses will transfer to nationally accredited schools but not all nationally accredited school courses will transfer to regionally accredited schools. Why? Because the regional accreditation requires a strict and rigorous course catalog, among other things. Schools like Penn Foster are usually career schools. The advantage is that they are able to change their courses as the real world changes and this keeps their students current. It would take a considerable amount of time and red tape to change the courses. If they had to go through all of the processes by the time they got approval for the change, there would be new information to add. So with that said, Penn Foster does have some courses that have been evaluated and are recommended for transfer by the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. So if you plan on trying to transfer to a regionally accredited institution, keep in mind that only certain classes and credits will transfer. Also, If you plan to continue your education like I do, plan carefully. I want to get my masters and maybe even my doctorate someday. Not all Institutions will take my Penn Foster degree. Two more things that I like about this program...The tuition and the delivery system. Oh, and the self pace... sorry, three. Tuition is affordable and all study materials are included. They also have an online tutoring center. They offer affordable payment plans. I pay 60 a month right now, I think the lowest you can go is 49. The delivery system, all courses you can complete online, except. Except except except you may have proctored exams. But honestly that's not too big a deal. Go to your local library, the librarians are usually more than happy to help out. I also hear that in the vet tech program you can now be proctored through your webcam. Online, Affordable, SELF PACED. That's really the thing that gets me. Sometimes I get lazy, I don't want to be bothered with reading 80 pages by friday so I can attend class. I work, like the rest of the real world. I need time to tune out, pretend I don't exist. Then there are weeks where all I want to do is sit down and knock out three lessons. Those are things I can do with self paced courses. So, if you are considering Penn Foster make sure it meets your needs. As for faculty and staff, I've had nothing but good experiences with them so far. My questions are answered in a timely manner and they are always kind. But remember, they people not machines. people make mistakes, people get frustrated, people have bad days. No matter if its an online school, on campus, nationally or regionally accredited. They are trying to take care of a lot of people and if you can express your problems in a polite way they are going to try and help you. In conclusion you need to find out if Penn Foster meets your educational needs... It is your education, your life. Make an informed choice.

I am in my 40s and decided it was time to finish my degree. Since our income is too high for financial aid as well as working full time, this was both financially appealing and works around my schedule. The "classroom" setting is easy to maneuver, and there are quite a few resources that have proven helpful. (I am in my 1st semester) The Community (school social site) is glitchy and not my cup of tea - but there is nothing forcing me to participate in it. We used K12 to educate our children from home - one clear through 12th grade, and one through 8th grade. One is starting college in the fall, the other is an honors student with AP credits in a traditional high school setting now. We love online learning. I learned more with my children in our home classroom than I ever did through high school and 2 years of college. It's not for everyone of course, but if you are disciplined enough to set a schedule and meet your goals its fantastic! The study material so far has been wonderful; I'm enjoying it quite a bit. For those that are saying a brick and mortar school is the way to go; talk to me in 5 years when you are paying back student loans. The qualify of education you receive is in your hands with this school. Those that need a babysitter hanging over your shoulder hounding you to get your paper written should look elsewhere; everyone else, it's definitely worth looking into!

This review is directed toward my youngest son's high school education. He always had difficulty in English with his spelling and reading. He did well throughout school, until mid high school. He left the local high school and attempted to attend the local "high school program" in a local college. This went off and on for about 1 1/2 yrs. The college was not aggressive with the consistency of their classes. I even asked them at one point, "Why is the classes, that he needs, not more consistent?"; "At this rate he will be 28 before he finishes". So I got mad and investigated another way for him to complete his studies, so he could obtain a high school diploma. After all no job today will look at you if you don't supply them one. And I wanted him to feel secure that all the difficult times the school systems gave him, would not leave a negative impact on him and his future. I found Penn Foster. We discussed the program to see if he would be interested in it. He choose to do it. We requested his transcripts to be sent to the school. All his previous class credits counted; so he only had to finish what he needed to, to obtain his diploma. He worked every day on his work, and 4 months later he graduated! What a happy time for both of us. They gave him a chance when all the others did not. And because of that he believed and believes in himself! So, I can not say it is a scam. You only get out of something, what you put in. The skies the limit, so fly!

I am a military wife with a toddler. Moving around so much and raising my daughter that I had no time to sit in a classroom and finish my high school diploma. Penn foster has been nothing but amazing! The staff is always so helpful and there when you need them. The Student Community site they have is great! It is so nice to be able to communicate with other students and the teachers/staff. If you are considering Penn Foster you should do it! I have no regrets getting my education with them! -Courtney M.

If you are intelligent at all and plan on going to university do not go here. It is one of the worst programs I have ever been in and I am constantly worrying if I will get into the university of my choice in a few years. I went from all honors and AP classes freshmen and part of sophomore year to kindergarten education and I am MISERABLE. Please do not enroll here. I am looking forward to finishing high school my junior and senior years. I hope doing this school doesn't ruin my chances to get into University out of state. I hope all my credits transfer. I did online school to help my stress and anxiety levels and they are through the roof worrying that my education isn't good enough- and here it isn't. I am 16 and I hope this didn't ruin my chances in uni. This place is horrible.

Bad customer service experience. I would not recommend to anyone. My son could not attend college this semester because of lack of information customer service gives you. Is a hassle to deal with them

When I started the class I later learn the books and material were already out dated. It takes forever to get threw or talk too someone. They also claim you can cancel a membership within a certain time, but as usual you miss the time frame by that much.

I'm almost done with my first semester in the PennFoster RVT program, so I know I can't say too much so far. UPSIDES: - I find the program extremely affordable. I don't have the time or money to go to a brick and mortar school. -I work full-time as a vet tech at a clinic that supports my goals and wants to help me with my practicums, etc. I think if I didn't work in the field I'd have a hard time with school. I can already apply things I learn at PennFoster to my job, and both my job and my education are benefitting each other. If you're not working as a tech or assistant, try to do some shadowing. -it's online, and I already do enough driving, I also study better alone at home - when I'm in class, I'm waiting for it to be over so I can go home and study. I'll generally read a chapter and make crap tons of flash cards on Quizlet, then I'll watch the lecture videos while I cook or take a bath, then instead of falling asleep playing solitaire, I fall asleep studying my Quizlet App on my iPhone. I've found a way to make it part of everything I do, and I'm actually motivated to do the studying, I crave the knowledge. That's how you know you want to be in this field I guess. I can listen to the lectures when my eyes need a break, I can play loud music while I'm reading the books, I can rotate the laundry on my day off while I study, etc., I can study when I'm stuck in traffic or on a break at work or can't fall asleep. This is ideal for me. -You can take most of the exams twice - even if I passed the first time, I always retake it and try to get 100%. -The website is easy enough to use. DOWNSIDES: -I AGREE with some of the reviewers that the tests are ridiculously easy. Like, stupid easy, like I can't believe they're giving degrees to the people who are just searching for the answers in their book. Literally they are 20 to 25 questions. If you wanted, you could finish this degree in minimal time. Since I don't want to cheat myself and I want this to be a lifelong passion and career (not to mention I get paid more at most places just having the RVT after my name) I want to understand everything I'm reading, otherwise I'd have been done with the first semester 2 months ago. So, it's your education. I recommend taking advantage of the resources while you have them -GOOD LUCK getting a human being on the phone to talk to. Enough said. -It's annoying waiting for the textbooks to ship, they're not overnighted - that can get old when you just finished a class and are feeling really motivated, but can't do anything until you get your book in the mail. -THE COMMUNITY - I'm always getting emails saying I haven't "updated my status" on the PennFoster community site. I didn't get into this program to be with classmates though, I've got a Bachelor's and never made any friends in classes; I've been in my fair share of them. That's annoying that they want you to be..."social"... which is not my thing. I don't even have a Facebook, so that part is really annoying, but I understand the participation part of your grade. Just suck it up and get it over with. If you have no money, no time, a full-time job, give this program a try. People can complain about the service and the online aspects, but in 10 years nobody will care where you got your degree or how you got it. They will see you've been an RVT for 10 years. I've already got the experience under my belt of being an assistant for so long, now I will have the knowledge and the degree. Besides, who said this program will teach us everything we'll ever need to know? This is a field where we will be learning until we leave it; new ways of doing treatments, new medications, new technologies, continuing education seminars, etc. If that doesn't excite you, maybe this isn't the field for you. In 2 years I could be an RVT, or I could still be trying to pay for a brick and mortar school. The choice is yours.

Wow... i was so excited when I found this site. I have been wanting to write about pennfoster's online vet program since I left! Where to begin! Let's start with the people that work in the office. If you want a school where it takes FOREVER to get a human being on the phone, then choose this school. And then when you actually get someone, their phone lines are so awful that you can barely hear them! I finally had someone own up to it being the school's problem because she said, yeah we are working on FINALLY getting new phone lines. Seriously?! It was 2013 at that time, and I just thought and told her actually... I can't believe with all the money we shell out, they couldn't already have a better phone system. Oh and don't even TRY to call the administrative office. Throughout the span of 4 hours, in the morning I might add, I called about once or twice per hour. You would think SOMEONE would answer the phone right? Nope. Oh and my favorite part, is after having quit this school, I still have payments that I have to make, which was the ONLY good thing about this school, and it's funny how on the coupon books it gives you ways to make a payment. You wouldn't believe it, but one of those ways is to pay on the WEBSITE, that was SHUT DOWN, because you're no longer a student. Although, still keep your id, cause that's the ONLY way you'll get to speak to anyone or to make a payment. Next: the actual classes. Now I know it's a huge convenience having online classes, but that still shouldn't mean that no one should be introduced to each other or at least the teacher even. The online school I'm attending now actually has nicely set up discussion boards, where the teacher themselves are actually fostering an environment where they want their students to connect with one another. Wouldn't you believe it, that the students are showing signs they're thankful for that? So basically if you want a school where you have absolutely NO communication from the teacher, only when you have questions, and no communication from your fellow students... then this might be a good fit for you. Also, I gotta say, the tests they have set up are RIDICULOUS! I know it's online, but COME ON! Their exams would be 10-20 questions, when you've 4 chapters worth of reading! To be honest, I hate studying, but I'd at least want to be more challenged then that. How do they expect someone to pass a major vet exam, that would ultimately fully certify me, and they only ask me 10-20 questions! Here again, for the amount of money you're paying, you should expect more. At least more communication. The only good thing I'll say is that the books were definitely HARD CORE reading. One last thing. I know for some people online school for vet tech is a great fit. But to me, I honestly think that the best way to fully be immersed in this type of program is to physically be in a school. My learning style is hands on, so I learned real fast this wasn't the type of study for me, and at least in this field. (I just wished I would've found out sooner instead of now being stuck with a huge bill.) To be honest, for you pet lovers, would you really want someone working on your beloved pet, that only went to online school and then a few months of required shadowing with a professional? Just saying. You can't do in 2 years what it took those professionals YEARS to do.

I am doing billing for OBGYN doctor for more then a year, but i need the certificate, that's why i enrolled in billing and coding classes online.The total program has 51 lessons, almost half of it is not about billing and coding! Its a lot of unnecessary material, which is good for managers, or somebody else only not for billing and coding. I didn' even get to coding classes yet, and i passed already 25 classes. It was about laws and ethics, maths, basic pharmacology, words and excell, stupid projects, english writing, punctuation and a lot more bullshit. I'm not saying that its not good to know, but you sign up to get classes for medical billing and coding!!! The only usefull lessons were body systems and terminology , which actually you'll have to know when you get to do billing. In general the program could be much shorter and not give you all this unnecessary study material. You'll waste a lot of time before getting to what you need to know, so if you find another school with a program which doesn't have all this extra material which you dont need, go with that one, dont go with penn foster

I took the pet grooming certificare course.. Went and applied at PetSmart go figure they don't accept my pet grooming certificate no one does in sask... such waste of money.. I took my hardest and practised everything for no reason!!!

I Really like pennfoster,it gave me another chance At something that i always knew was important. Something that i gave up on which was high school. My honest review is that I never had a major problém With the school.when i first started i was excited and Couldnt wait to finish.i did test after test while i worked A 12 hour shift with all the free time i had.so its really Is what you put in it..it seems the test that i really took The time to study for and read,i did excellent on them. But the ones i tried to scan through i didnt do so hot So i went back over it and did better.I think if you read And take notes right the first time,it can advoid alot Of time...i am almost done got one more assignment That is only because i tried to cheat and had to do it over But thats my mistakes not the school.Im done paying And havent had any issues.as far as instructors they always Was helpful and always email me back. I tecently called Because i was so excited to get my essay grade back So i can hurry up and complete the test i cheated on And the instructor said that they had alot of essays to grade So they havent got to it yet,but will get to it soon. I got Irrated and told the instructor im a just quit. The instructor Imform me that i have came to far and will be foolish To quit and she found somebody to grade my paper Within 24 hours,that meant alot to me at the time because It showed me that she understood my feelings and It wasent all about money.she wanted me to finish As bad as i wanted to finish...but its my 8th month only Because i took some time off to invest in my niece a sweet16 After that i came straight back to it...Because i need This for me and my future. I read millions of reviews But this is mines i enjoyed every moment and cant wait To attend COLLEGE!!!!this is my story try it for yourself :-)

I graduated from Pennfoster high school in September 2011. Obviously it has been a while, but now that I have gone out in the real world I believe I'm better prepared to leave a review based on getting into college, and the like. First, I will say this program isn't for everyone. The reason I enrolled was because I was having personal issues in public school, and also believed that most of the work was not necessary for what I planned to do. At the time, my plan was to graduate, then attend beauty school to become a stylist. The requirements for beauty school were a high school diploma (or GED) and to be at least 16 years of age. I knew I could graduate faster with Pennfoster, therefore starting my career earlier. I enrolled in beauty school right after turning 17, graduated a year later, and have since then worked in retail and am now planning on going to college to pursue a career in education. Pennfoster is a great program for those who do not need all the "extra" stuff. If I hadn't realized that cosmetology was not for me and ended up continuing that path, the education from there would definitely be sufficient. One huge disadvantage is how basic it is. My math is horrible, and am going to need tutoring to pass the compass test to get into college. I wish I had stuck it out in public school looking back, because I really didn't learn more than I already knew. But on the other end, it is great because they are accredited. I've never had problems on that end. Also, my brother is currently enrolled in this program and I've been told there have been changes made. I'm not sure of any specifics, though, this is solely based on my personal experiences.

I felt the program was , for me, a complete waste of time and money. Locksmithing is a hands on trade which, I feel, requires hands on training. I wondered how this might be accomplished through an online course and figured for the price it was worth a shot to find out. It turned out about how I thought it might. Minimal hands on and lots of reading. As far as I'm concerned the certificate I receive will be worthless because I have received very little experience with what I might work with in the real world. The instructors are available to you if you need help, but if you're like me and have trouble understanding from reading without the benefit of visual aids or the actual materials being discussed in front of you to practice on, this course is not for you. They do give you a few things in the beginning, but not as you advance. You get to work with a padlock, and learn to rekey door locks, but you get no practical experience in anything beyond that. No car locks, no electronic locks, nothing you would need to be familiar with if you were going to enter the trade. I would not recommend this class or any other hands on type class to anyone who is a visual learner. Save your money.

Penn Foster will randomly add on charges to your balance and there is nothing you can about it. Because if you decide to withdraw from the school, you will still have to pay and your balance will go to collections and be reported. I left Penn Foster for mistreatment from the Math department, they were very unprofessional and rude. I came back 9 months later after being promised they had a new tutoring system online. I was told my previous balance would be combined with my new balance and I could pay it off with extended payments. Not True!! The amounts were never combined. Penn Foster added on extra fees for the previous balance and I found out later that if I had paid the collection company, I would have saved $350. Penn Foster charged the full amount and the fees they paid the Collection company and added on 'other fees'. I came back to better my life and was willing to take responsibility for my debt, in doing so, Penn Foster continues to increase my old debt and refuses to work with me. I regret coming back to Penn Foster and if you can afford to go anywhere else, I would. You get what you pay for. Penn Foster is a cheap school, in more ways than one.

i did graduate from Penn Foster.Real name is Rosyln Drake,see i do not have to hide who i am. I graduate 2x from here,and sad so many haters here who are indolent,and or just did not at all attempt to apply one's self,and now want to publicly blame penn foster.Shame on you.This criminal justice course and high school accelerated at that>is WELL WORTH IT. This is my story... Below,will be long because i am so very happy a LAW FIRM accept BOTH my degrees. ... From: Pennsylvania/NJ tri-state,graduate from penn foster. On facebook with BOTH my REAL degrees,from penn foster with my law firm,i work at,with the boss smiling by my degree, NOW THAT PROVE ALOT,for the haters who say otherwise,because PF is not a scam. I am so blessed for them. . High School Diploma regionally/nationally accredited,mid 2000's. NO COMPLAINTS,at all.Then i waited for years until i procure the bachelor in criminal justice program.I wish i did not let time go by,life is way too short.But i did later enroll,premise on field of work i am in now i did not require a AAS,A.S.in criminal justice etc. but rather at the firm i work at said,'get your B.S. and or B.A. online or at the local college(s).I chose again Bachelor Degree Criminal J program at Penn.i have no complaints.I was able to implement it with 1/2 of the time it take brick and mortar "students"four long yrs. and or five,even i hear.Not me.I procure it accelerated-studies,was finish pretty quickly premise on working in a law firm already,with my high school diploma since 2005! . The firm is teaching me already tons of things and now?Bachelor degree from PF has me entering,LAW SCHOOL.So happy i can burst!literally.I think about how much time i've waited.Personal family reasons,however i always work in law field,so this is perfect for me and the best part,i did it! . Within a fraction of the four years,'way under that"and i have ZERO-DEBT owed to this great college. . So all the hating,outlandish comments online about penn foster is a scam,i can verify it is not,and i am also on FB,twitter,showing off my 2 degrees from here,after leaving high school from pregnancy as a teen parent,1993,then to go back like this,in time to be hired by a TOP law firm,making 2 to 3x more now with mi BACHELOR DEGREE FROM PENN FOSTER. . Your going to have to remember everyone: 1.)College off line or on is NOT for everyone. . 2.)Whether brick and mortar or online university/career school,your DEGREE(s)are what YOUR putting into it so for me it works,premise on i m commencing,after 2 short years of law school,(cali is only 2 yrs online law)and or on campus.(also nj,ny,pa going for law bar exam there too)i am opening OWN sole law office,and I tell everyone,"our degree no matter from where we work HARD FOR IT,is what we make it,period... Did not matter at all to the firm i am with on is it"nationally/regionally"it was how much i APPLIED mi self i was told by lead-partner,who love also i had as a high school drop out since 90s,15 yrs LAW expertise studies,just had to procure quick within 2 yrs or less,Bachelor Degree. Could have went to brick and mortar,but my busy schedule,legal studies,daughter i raise at the time whose 18 this year,i had no time really,and i do not regret enrolling prior at PENN. . There are no "short cuts."I am proud to graduate "born in 1970s" to finally have my degree and now? I am officially going for Juris Doctor,(i love how this sounds!My law degree in 2 short years less lil under as of august 2014,thanks to PF.This might be long but i have to share with all who are still on her bad mouthing immaturely PF. I am with now a great firm who accepted gladly mi penn foster bachelor degree,even my PF H.S.Diploma when i was early 30 ish, in 2004-2005...(I WAS 30)GRADUATING P.F.High School,while $$$ making TOP PAY at incredible firm,who accepted,and fully-RESPECT my Bachelor Degree on my desk-wall area and at mi casa(at home)my daughters SEE WHAT MOM DID,after being out of school for decades,then high school mid 05,diploma,now Bachelor Degree in Crim.Justce.So very PROUD of WHAT PF has done for me,not a scam at all,and haters who say this,are clearly immature and or just obtuse,and hater-types,as i am proud how far P.F. has gotten me in life,and i will never forget penn foster.Life is way too short,to hate on a great school like here.But if your not into applying yourself,to do the hard work,and take time out of your busy life to procure a degree from penn foster,than do NOT blame the college premise on YOUR own shortcomings.This is a great school and i will keep on posting all over when i can about how much clearly penn foster bachelor degree and high school accelerated course,diploma and CJ bachelor's has advance my entire life,soon to be a lawyer after 24 or less short months to go.thank you PENN. Email for nay sayers,or those curious about more on PF criminal justice,reach me anytime i hope you do as well as i did,and NOT just listen to fake haters here,who have not even attempted to follow through.i am glad i did,and god speed to you all. Rosyln Rivera-Drake

I am a student in the vet tech program and I would never recommend Penn Foster College for anything. First off they are not regionally accredited so if you want to transfer Penn Foster College (PFC) credits to a real college/university you can not. PFC does not care that its credits are worthless, I have asked. They will hardly ever answer your questions and when they do its always a round about answer so your question about accreditation, credits, or any other important info will not be answered. If you are a person who smiles when fed crap, doesn't ask questions, and has no ambition to ever go to a real college than PFC is for you, for the rest of you.....GO TO A REAL COLLEGE.

I am happy with this school overall. I just started and its going pretty good, however be warned that any certificate program or career diploma program you do, you will not receive credits for it. So lets say you do the Private Investigation diploma program like I am, know that if you decide to do the Associates of Criminal Justice with Pennfoster afterwards that there are no credits that will transfer because you simply do not earn any credits while doing certificates or career diploma programs. Unlike with regular community colleges for example most certificate programs are about 8-10 credits and diploma programs are anywhere from 19-23 credits , Pennfosters certificates and diplomas are although recognized (which causes them to say accredited) but do not gain you any actual credits.

i took the high school problem with no problems. But in my English College course, problems began. First of all, the graders has little or no education. I rebutted all the graders comments. I had asked about the header when putting the essay in rtf format. They said Ok, that's how it is. Then, they took off points. The header was done according to format. They made unfounded comments. I asked for an explanation of the point reduction and they never answered my questions. I then asked for another grader to grade the paper. The English Department Head agreed to do this. I had asked for a grader that would be unbiased in their grading. The next grader used the same already graded paper, and did nothing but agree with the first grader. Some comments were different.Yet, when I also proved their comments wrong as stated within the essay, they act as if they cannot understand English. The original essay, as I found out had been graded twice by the grader. i guess someone found a problem with how the grader graded my essay. But, the English Dept head wants to resolve this issue while stating their would be no more reviews. Obviously the graders were he same person, or just agreed. None of my rebuttals about all their comments that were unjustified for the point reduction. The English head never once answered my questions. My essay was just fine for the high school English, but since it was only about 2 months difference, both essays were on he same level. I had to write essays in my private Christian school, too many. I have to wonder if they are against Christian students since that is about all the information they know about me. Insults were actually made, but the so called 2nd grader removed them. The first grader had removed my headings from pages 2-4 which was one of my complaints as they deducted points from the grade. The next grader added them back in proving they had knowledge of my complaints. The second grader also made some ludicrous statements.Obviously, they do blackball smarter students, as others have complained. Now I am concerned that if I contact the school if they will intentionally flunk me. This transcript will go with me as I have to now decide upon a different college. I will write again when I have more information.

penn foster college is a great place to study....be prepared to study and work hard,its not a walk in the park...past your exams and earn your degree and you all will not have write any bad review about any school..if you are not serious about educating your self...you will be writing reviews about every school you attend.

The graders are less than 4 ear degree students. The assignments are vague which helps the grader be more opinionated. Help is not at hand. Most questions they reply with something other than asked. They take 2 weeks to grade a paper, guess it takes them that long to read it. They actually have to search the internet for answers because they haven't enough knowledge. They do blackball smarter students as they are ignorant and jealous. Only some colleges accept their credits. These classes are made up of test out exams like dante's, excelsior and clep that cost under $100 each. So why pay $250 and still have to do a ton of work. It is designed to be hard so you feel like a real colleg. come on. I've been to real colleges, prestige, state, computer vocational, and even a religious college. All were regionally accredited except for the computer and penn foster. It is ridiculous at all the assignments they want a person to do. Testing out is a much easier and cheaper options.

First off, I will state that even though people may have some issues with Penn Foster, it is not a scam. Furthermore, while is was not in the distant past, the Veterinary Technician program is now one of the only few online program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) - they are fully accredited and was initially accredited in 2006. Here is the list of accredited online programs on the AVMA website: https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Accreditation/Programs/Pages/vettech_distance_learning.aspx. Since I have previously earned a diploma from Penn Foster in Dog Obedience and instruction and found them adequate and affordable, I am going to go through the Veterinary Technician program as well. Where I live, there are no brick and mortars VT programs, so this is a more viable option than moving to a city that has one (plus, there is the cost factor - most brick and mortar programs are at least $32,000, while Penn Foster, is a little over $5,000 for the whole program). As for issues with finding a vet to complete the practicums with, Penn Foster partners with both Banfield and VCA hospitals - the first hospital that I sent a request to, which is a Banfield hospital, agreed to let me complete my practicum there. It is helpful to let the office managers know that the Penn Foster program is AVMA accredited and to copy/paste the curriculum, as well as some of the practicum expectations and requirements. You must also carry your own medical insurance to complete the practicums. Most of the other online accredited programs follow a similar setup as Penn Foster - except they are on some type of semester system so it will take you a lot longer, especially for someone who can work at a faster pace. Also, most of the other programs will make you complete a practicum that forces you to care for laboratory animals - no thanks!

I was very excited about going back to school to get my high school diploma. The classes were fairly easy and materials came on time. I ran into some financial hardship and i was unable to pay for a couple of months, mind you when i enrolled in Penn Foster I never had any forms to fill out and had NO documents that required a signature.A couple months passed(3) and now I have received something in the mail stating I owe them 1,042.00. As far as I'm concerned I never finished,or signed my life away at any point for me to owe them. will be contacting attorney general's office to resolve this matter.

This school is great! Please use your own judgment. I drop out of high school in the 12grade peen foster help me obtain my high school diploma at 34. It was quick and easy you get what you put in to it. Several colleges I would like to attend accept this diploma. So please do your own research despite what others think. I look at all the negatives comments I was a afraid of wasting money and time. I was prove otherwise if your wanting to go back to school or have your child home school I think it's a excellent choice.

I have been on a break from school and will soon be returning to complete a bachelor's degree. I spoke to the school I will be taking a masters at after graduation and was told they will accept transfer credits/degrees from nationally or regionally accredited schools. I decided to check into Penn Foster at this point and was very excited when the school I will attend was listed on their website for articulation agreements! I called customer service to ask a few questions and verify. They lady "wasn't aware" of the articulation agreement and didn't even know what one was!! She supposedly even asked her supervisor about this but he/she wasn't aware of it either? Seriously! They don't know what they are doing and I'd be very suspicious of attending a "college" that doesn't even know what an articulation agreement is... especially when they list it on their website.

I am enrolled in Penn Foster right now and I am working up to get my Associate Degree as a Veterinary Technician. Right now im already a full time Vet Tech at a local clinic and im just trying to finish my college education. When I first enrolled I really enjoyed the program but shortly after I realized how hard it was to keep up. I wish Penn Foster made it easier to understand what exactly we as students need to be learning. Its more like they throw a bunch of jumbled information at you and its your responsibility to know what to do with it. They need a more organized way of actually helping their students and giving them some real answers. I feel like i need more of an instructor to help me know what information I should be taking in exactly. They take weeks to ship your materials and you have to watch Webinars which no one shows you how or what to do. Im almost done with my first semester and I am overwhelmed. I learned more on the job experience than I have here. I recommend to spend your money elsewhere. When I first signed up i signed up for the veterinary certificate instead of the degree program so i called and it cost me $200 to switch over. All they are doing is stealing your money. Ive met people that have enrolled in Penn Foster but non actually ended up finishing it.

I already completed most of public high school here so the courses needed to graduate were minimum. But apparently if you bust your butt to get it done your in trouble. They make you take more exams that are not required by the bored to graduate. If you have all the time in the world to do a little bit of work them this is for you! They refuse to take the flag off and won't let me continue to college but expect me to pay them $700. I can never get in touch with an instructor and all they care about is money.

I attended Penn Foster's vet tech associate's program for two semesters before leaving. I do not want to come off completely bashing this institution; it may lead to employment for some people. It just was not for me. There is really no classroom interaction and very little interaction with instructors. They basically just send you their proprietary textbooks, which are really more like cheap paperback pamphlets, then have you take multiple choice quizzes online to move forward in the course. The answers can be found (word for word actually) easily with a Google or Yahoo Answers search, making it obvious that many students cheat their way through the school's prefabricated lesson plans (or lack thereof). To be fair, I did receive a couple of decent "real" textbooks that I decided to keep, like a very complete medical dictionary and a great anatomy and physiology reference book. That was about it, though. Towards the end of my time at Penn Foster I started interning at a local animal rescue. It did not take me long to realize that the education I received during this course did not come close to preparing me to work an actual vet tech job. Some of the basics were covered at the school, but I was taught everything I learned at Penn Foster, plus some, in about two weeks of interning. The bottom line is if you are looking for a respected vet tech degree along with training that will prepare you for your state's exam, you may want to keep looking. Chances are you will learn WAY more during your required practicums for the course than you will during the actual course, but it may be a challenge finding a vet that will take you in.

It is terrible to note that after all this time spending attending school and paying your tuition on time because if you're late you will be charged a $7. late fee. I was misled into this course though I learned a lot especially the medical terminology. But I have to get to the bottom of this. Please people! please check thing out thoroughly before making a final decision. I did check and asked a friend to double and everything seemed perfect, but SURPRISE! SURPRISE! I was very skeptical about online courses, but this one fooled me big time.

I started this program in Feb of 2007. Due to them taking their time sending materials, not crediting me with time spent in online groups, not giving me info about my first practicum, I had to start the program all over at the end of my 3rd semester. Here it is 2013 and I'm still trying to graduate, never mind that I'm already licensed by my state and don't actually need to finish this program, but have to for me GI Bill. Getting straight answers from anyone there is next to impossible, and they certainly aren't service oriented. You'd be better off going somewhere else. I would never recommend this school to anyone.

I am currently taking a Penn Foster certificate course in Legal Research. I had questions at the beginning and it took them over a month to answer me. The materials are ok but not great. You basically have to do a lot of work on your own and yes the material is somewhat outdated. Overall, if you are a self-learner I would recommend taking a Penn Foster class. When I emailed my counselor who signed me up he never answered my questions. I had to call him and get him directly on the phone and everytime I asked him why he did not email me he told me he was either on vacation or too busy. Also I had to download a lot of the material and since I did not want to read a lot of material online I went to Staples to print it out which was an extra expense for me. I may, however, take another class with them depending on how I do well I do with this class.

I have been trying for 2 months to find a clinic that will sign my agreement form to perform Practiums. I am active duty miltary, and work swing shifts, so it is very difficult to find a clinic that will work with my hours. I finally found an animal shelter that is open every day from 9am-6pm which is perfect! But they were having complications accepting me because of Penn Foster. I contacted the education office, specifically Diane Placidi, to see if she could work something out with the shelter, and oh boy. Was this lady DAMN rude. She was in the middle of "moving here desk," so she was really irritated and specifically told me that. I am active duty miltary. I work 12 hours shifts, I am trying to go to school, she had no sympathy for my issue at all. I am also about to deploy for possibly 6 months, and told her that I needed to get this practium done before I deployed, and agian she didn't care. I also stated I was very confused on how to submit the paper work. There is a video that shows a checklist, which we don't even recieve. It also just states that you can fax it or mail it, it doesn't exactly state the number or the address, or if we could even e-mail it or who to talk to. All I am saying is if you are able to go to a different school, do it. This school is EXTREMLY outdated. I will google search some homework assignments for better understanding of what the questions mean, and I find the questions on yahoo answers from as early as 2004. I am still giving hope to this school, praying that everything will work out.

PennFoster's Small Engine Repair Course has a lot of good material, but some of it is outdated (outboard boat engines), and some of it doesn't go into the subject very far. The course itself was above average, but I enrolled under the GI Bill, and once PennFoster has your credit card number, it seems like they could care less about submitting any paperwork to the VA for your benefit. I'm currently paying out of my own pocket because PennFoster has yet to submit documents to the VA for payment. All I'm saying is, expect to pay for the course yourself, because it appears that they have no support staff.

I enrolled in the Medical coding and Billing Program with Harcum College. Approximately one month later I was surprised when I was getting my coursework from Penn Foster. That was a big deception. I paid my tuition in full and was told that I could work at my own pace. The introduction to the course was very long and repetitive. I must admit that I was working slower than I should because of pain in my hands. However, nine months later I was told to pay a extension of seventy five dollars to continue the program. I did pay the amount. I did not get my books upfront even though I paid my full tuition. The books were shipped to me when I was locked out of the program which are of no use. I was not aware that all those materials were included in the course and they withheld the books and shipped them when Iwas locked out of the program. They just left me without even saying a word. This school is a scam, waste of time and money. People beware, I have learned my lesson. Do your research before getting scammed like I did. Penn Foster do not care about us. They are just there for the money. It is a shame. I should take my money and attend a reputable institution.

Not what I hoped it would be. Graduated from Penn Foster. The diploma looks better in my scrapbook then it does on my wall. Does not push me through the employment doors. I have been unemployed for seven months after earning a piece of paper in medical coding and billing. Penn Foster does not tell you that you need to pay an extra 300.00 to sit for an exam and pay for extra books. Plus if you don't obtain a certification after test taking, your more than likely NOT to find a job!!!!!

let me just start by saying I AM SO GLAD I herd about Penn Foster! They are affordable, helpful, and a life saver! Without this school, I would still be a high school drop out at 22! I see a lot of customers / students complaining about how their diploma / criedts were not accepted by the school of their choice. It is probably because they didn't do their homework first and asked the school's Admissions office if they recognize diplomas/ credits from this school before enrolling. And people, believe me when I tell you, this is NOT an uncommon problem. It is actually more common than you think. I completed PF Earlier this year after being forced to leave my old school the year before due to the fact I owed tuition. So, I basically had to begin a new with these guys. I was so surpriised at how well paced and simple the course were. And, I don't get the complaints with the shipments and stuff. You DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT have to wait for your books to get to your house in order to start your next course. Most of the material you need is already there [in PDF fouls] . All you need to do is pass all your unit exams to move on to the next course. Once you complete all your courses , you get final exams [just like you would in a normal accredited schools.] After you pass your exams, you recieve the credit for that course. I honestly had the best experience with this school. I got nothing less that a 90 on all my quizes and exams and graduated with a 4.0 ! The thing I love the most is, they REDUCE your tuition for students that graduate with an A average! You Honestly CAN NOT find a better deal with this school! Thank you Penn Foster! Hats Up to You Guys! Because of you guys, I will be starting Pensacola Christian College in the Fall on FULL SCHOLARSHIP! I owe EVERYTHING TO THIS SCHOOL.

I love this school. The study materials are intense and compact and requires a lot of discipline to get good grades. I just wish the school offer the Business Management at the Master's Level. I also a student of another university and the work is quite similar; in fact, i find Pennfoster quite more difficult and challenging. The only problem, there should be funding available automatically to international students.

Penn Foster school is awesome, I would recommend it to anyone! This is a fully accredit school! I am in the Vet Tech program and it is wonderful, the Instuctors are very helpful and the classes are fun and challenging. If you are looking for a program that is self-paced and payment plan friendly, then check out Penn Foster! Please note that if you are NOT a self-motivated person and need someone looking over everything you do you will not enjoy this program or what you are learning! :)

I graduated from Penn Foster High School and went on to earn an Associate's Degree at a Catholic Liberal Arts College back in the mid-1990's. With the economic down turn and me no longer being able to work on my feet anymore and becoming disabled I know I needed an updating of my job skills in order to get an office job that I could eventually earn decent pay doing and that was in demand. Remembering my experience at Penn Foster I looked into their current line of programs and settled on an A.S. in accounting since I am good with numbers and had a lot of credits that would transfer in. The customer service at Penn Foster has been excellent and I have called several times about my account. They even ran a special I got in that was originally only offered to new students that said when you pay off your third semester the last one is free. I didn't even have to ask. They just extended it to the current students, even combining it with the special offers we came in under. The teachers have always answered my email questions within 24 hours and have always been helpful. The only problems I have had is when I have called in the late afternoon hours and my instructor wasn't there, but to be honest that was me being too lazy to write an email. Still though it would be nice if the instructors had late evening and Sat. hours. If they did that I think that would put them into an elite group of schools. The program is complete with everything you would need to know for a job, including studies in accounting software like Peachtree, Quickbooks, and Excel. Many times at brick and mortar schools this isn't included in an accounting program and you have to pay extra to take the classes separately and in today's world not knowing those three programs is not an option in the accounting field. My only caution about Penn Foster is to research your program and make sure it is what you want and need. For instance the Gunsmith program is too shallow to take and then open up shop as a gunsmith which is what you usually must do for a job since gunsmiths are one man operations usually. I know that because I looked into it since I know a lot about guns. The pharmacy technician program may be unnecessary because all the chain pharmacies around here send you to their own training program when you get hired and I was told they prefer to train their own people to their own system. That being said do your research; talk to workers in your chosen field and employers and you should be fine.

I attended Penn Foster High School back when it was International Correspondence Schools and my diploma reads ICS/Newport Pacific High School, Scranton Pennsylvania. I had a 4.0 GPA and much to my surprise the diploma was received well enough to get me into one of the Mid-West's top Catholic Liberal Arts Colleges where I earned an Associates' of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. I graduated Penn Foster (then ICS) in 1996 before the advent of the internet and even then support and instruction was excellent. I liked it so well that since I need new marketable skills in the new economy I have returned to Penn Foster to get an Associates' of Science in Accounting. After I complete that I will transfer those credits to Thomas Edison State College in NJ for a Bachelor's so I can become a CPA, while working in the field of accounting as an accounting clerk. Some people are complaining that they don't get their diploma until their account is paid off. I honestly can't believe someone would be as stupid as to believe any school will issue a degree/diploma with a balance outstanding. If you think any will just go to any private high school or college and complete your program and leave owing money and see if you get a diploma/degree. At least with Penn Foster you can get a job if you owe a balance with your skills by paying the sum of $10.00 for a transcript to take job hunting. No other school I know will issue a transcript if you owe any money. Please get real.

This school has NOT done anything to help me get an internship or a job. I COULD NOT even get a volunteering position at the hospital with their useless career diploma. Their booklets weren't even that helpful in preparing for the PTCB exam. I ended up buying other study guides off of amazon, passed the exam, and became certified. None of the pharmacies wanted to hire me because I attended an online program, with NO hands on training in a pharmacy! Hiring managers told me they considered my pharmacy technician education to be INCOMPLETE because my school provided no hands on training! I hope I get lucky and find a job soon. My advice: talk to a pharmacy technician recruiting agency FIRST before you choose a school! Get in contact with a recruiter, they know what employers want and will be able to advise you. Do your research!

I'm really surprised at what I'm reading. I've been doing my homework with PF, calling in and clarifying the enrollment agreement/etc, and I already knew of all of your complaints and I'm not officially enrolled yet! PF has a list of colleges that accept their degree credits (it's located on their main website), but the colleges are mainly online institutes (what'd you expect from an ONLINE COLLEGE like PF?!) I'm excited to grab a low-cost associate's from PF, then transfer to a low-cost good college like APU Online (another college online that accepts PF credits). Yes, you can't receive your degree until you pay it off completely, but I don't see that being unreasonable. If they're practically going to hand you a degree for a fraction of the cost of your average degree these days, I don't mind! Good luck to everyone else, and keep it in mind for the future: RESEARCH before diving into life's opportunities! Don't give PF a chance if you aren't self-motivated, because online colleges are designed for people who can teach themselves the material and become their own teacher!

Hmmm I'm a little confused to on the negative reviews. I do agree shipments of the books is kind of slow but I guess it doesn't bother me as much because I do work full time. I haven't had to contact the school at all so not sure about customer service and I undeestand not shipping the diploma until its paid . I don't think it's a scam at all it's on you to read the books and complete the courses