ComplaintsforPenn Foster

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Recieved a notice from penn foster stating that they have sent me to collections for a supposed amount of 1600.I have not attended penn foster in over 2 years due to having kids and frequent Er and hospital visits becuaze i have a child with disabilities.The 1 time i did attend i fully paid off my tuition. They have also locked me out of my penn foster dashboard that i had before. So i cannot even access my account information.This is messing up my credit.

  Business response

  03/17/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *********************************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. *******'s concerns.****************** enrolled into the Veterinary Technician Associate Degree program on July 16, 2020, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment. I will include a copy of the enrollment agreement.

  On March 16, 2022, ****************** sent an email acknowledging ownership of account ********. ****************** stated she fell on hard times and would like to get back on track with her program.  I will include a copy of the communication.

  On March 17, 2022, I reached out to ****************** directly to propose a resolution to her concerns. I am awaiting a response from ******************.

  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  
  Sincerely.
  Laura C*******
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I enrolled in Penn Foster the summer of 2020 I completed less than a handful of assignments and then realized the course was not for me, I inquired about canceling the program but was told that I would have to pay the full amount of the semester even though I had not completed it, and also had not even access the rest of the courses for that semester. It is now affecting my credit score which I was told that Penn foster would not appear on a credit report. it has affected my credit score by almost 100 points. I had paid for multiple months of the course, and now Penn foster is telling me that I owe more than the price stated at the beginning.

  Business response

  03/03/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name:  ***************************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I  welcome the opportunity to address **. *****’s concerns. ******************* enrolled into the first semester of the Veterinary Technician Associate Degree on August 26, 2020, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
   ************ completed 37.1%of the first semester. If ************ withdrew from the program, she would be liable for the cancellation terms outlined in the signed enrollment agreement. Those terms are also available on our Website.  ************ would be responsible for the Registration fee + administrative fee + shipping and handling fees (if applicable) + 50% of refundable tuition
  ************ inquired on withdrawing from the program on February 11, 2021 via email. ************ was provided a response via email on February 16, 2021. ************ was explained her cancellation terms and was asked to confirm the request. A response was not provided by ************.
  Due to defaulted payments, the account was sent to a third party collection agency. On March 3, 2022 I closed **. ***** account out according to the terms of the agreed upon enrollment agreement. The collection agency will be advised of **. ***** cancellation terms and update their records. ************ is responsible for her Cancellation Liability.
     Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K**********
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  While applying to pen foster i chose to do their 1$ upfront and 100$ a month payment plan. Instead, they charged my account for the full amount and now i am currently in debt of 1300 dollars. After not being able to reach anyone or simply discuss how to fix this problem i am now here filing a complaint. This is very disappointing and i expect to have a full refund. Ridiculous that there is no one to contact in a situation like this. Due to this issue i have no access to any money until this issue is resolved and now im in a tough spot for food and living arrangements until i get the money back.

  Business response

  03/03/2022

  ----BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************************
  Student Number: ********
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I  welcome the opportunity to address *******************'s concerns. ********************** enrolled online in the Veterinary Technician Associate Degree on February 27, 2022. During the online enrollment, ********************** selected pay in full for the semester.
  The account was closed on February 28, 2022 by ********************** during a phone call with our Student Solutions team. As ********************** was within the grace period, a refund request was put in. Refund time can vary depending on the form of payment.
  ********************** was emailed on February 28, 2022 and advised of the recent cancellation and that a refund can take up to 5 business days to process. Penn Foster has refunded all monies paid by **********************.
   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  
  Sincerely,
  Andrew K************
  Sr Escalation Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I previously went to penn foster for a short period of time and I was making payments i later went to my account to see that I was locked out and they told me to call a number, that didnt work, and now its showing up on my credit report, Which is illegal as they cant report on my credit.

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name:  ***********************
  Student Number: ********

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address ************'s concerns.**************** enrolled into the Medical Assistant Associate Degree on January 4,2021, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.

  **************** completed 21.1% of the semester with the last exam submitted on May 10, 2021. Due to defaulted payments, **************** account was placed with an outside collection agency. Numerous notifications were sent to *************** in order to prevent the placement. The signed enrollment agreement states that **************** would be responsible for any collection cost incurred by Penn Foster when attempting to collect a debt.

  **************** agreed to make monthly installments and submitted her last payment on March 14, 2021. **************** account was placed with collections on August 5, 2021. **************** will need to speak with the collection agency directly in order to resolve her financial obligations.
  

    Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  

  Sincerely.
  Andrew K************
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  01/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I requested to discontinue classes via telephone. They did not discontinue per my request, continued to try to charge me, and have now sent me to collections. This school is a sham and they do not keep their promise to help you. There are no instructors to talk to. They give you books and basically good luck.

  Business response

  02/16/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ****** ******
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ****** concerns. **.**** enrolled into the Veterinary Assistant Associate Degree on September 28,2021 by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  Reviewing **. ***** account, I could not locate any requests to withdraw from the program. Per the enrollment agreement, **. **** would need to submit her request in writing. That request could be done by email. On February 15, 2022, **. **** logged into her student portal to chat with an Advocate of our Student Services Department. **. **** states that she is currently enrolled into the Veterinary Technician degree and was looking for a ****-* form. This chat session is proof that **. **** did not submit a written request to withdraw from the program.
  If **. **** would still like to withdraw from the program, she will need to submit her written request. **. **** would be responsible for her cancellation liability according to the signed enrollment agreement.
  
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  

  Sincerely.
  Andrew K*********
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

  Customer response

  02/25/2022

  I am rejecting this request due to:
  1. They are speaking on a **. ***** not myself, ************.
  2. As per original complaint,I called on the telephone to withdraw.
  3. I never requested nor needed any tax forms from them.

  Business response

  03/15/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ****** ****
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ****** concerns. On March 15, 2022, I reached out to ************ to apologize for the confusion with the previous response and to offer a resolution. I am awaiting a response.
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  

  Sincerely.
  Andrew K***********

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for the high school diploma program through Penn Foster and missed payment due to losing my job. They wouldn't let me continue my program, which is fine, but they expected me to pay the full amount despite my not being able to finish. I payed them for the time I used their service and I should not owe them any more money unless I am allowed to continue getting my diploma.I want the collections off my credit report.

  Business response

  02/21/2022

  Tell us why here...BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *****************************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *****************'s concerns.******************** enrolled into the High School Diploma program on April 23, 2016,by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  ******************** completed 61% of the program with the last exam dated July 18, 2016.The date of the last payment made by ******************** was July 17, 2016. Due to defaulted payments, ******************** account was sent to a third party collection agency numerous times.
   On July 28, 2017 ******************* called to inquire on his balance. ******************** was advised that he agreed to all terms including the cancellation terms. ******************** was advised that he owed the entire programs liability once he completed over 50% of the program. ******************** became verbally abusive at this time. An email was sent to ******************** that included his signed enrollment agreement and the collection agencies information.
  ******************** will remain responsible for the programs full liability and can call us to setup a payment plan.
  
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K**************
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I began the penn foster veterinary technician degree program in may of 2020. I completed and paid for the first 2 semesters. Due to COVID I was unable to start or complete the required clinicals/externship for the program. There is currently no plan of action for this currently or then. I decided due to this to withdrawl from the program. I followed their procedure and emailed them with the request. I have emailed them a total of 4 times now with no disenrollment or acknowledgement of even receiving the emails. I am now being shown as having a past due balance of $274.10. Even though both semesters were already paid in full. I have received no contact from this school at all and only discovered that I had a past due balance when attempting to retrieve a transcript.

  Business response

  02/21/2022

  Tell us why here...BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***************************
  Student Number: ********
  

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **************'s concerns.****************** enrolled online into the Veterinary Technician Associate degree on May 14, 2020 by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  ****************** completed the entire first semester and 97% of her second semester. ****************** had until October 29, 2021 to complete the second semester. The last date ****************** submitted an exam was October 26,2020. ****************** submitted her externship paperwork on January 11, 2021. On January 13, 2021, ****************** received feedback on her paperwork and was advised of corrections needed. We have not received the corrected paperwork from ******************.
  ****************** account is not paid in full. ****************** attempted to take advantage of a discount on July 24, 2020 prior to enrolling into her second semester. That payment was returned on August 6, 2020. ****************** did lose out on the discount that was originally provided due to defaulted payment. On February 21, 2022, I emailed ****************** directly in order to discuss her concerns.
  
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K**********
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I spent 2400$ through an employer to sign up for a school program online. I confirmed with Penn Foster that they are accredited and approved by the state of WA. They are not, I was ignorant at the time, they are not recognized by L&I who issues states trade licenses. And any hours attended at Penn Foster are not recognized for any trade, yet the course I paid for is called Trade Electrician. In addition, I was able to get my school hours after attending a state approved school satisfied for 2 years for less than 800$. So, a fraction of the price, approved. Penn forster has a public policy for refund of 2 years if the program is not used. I did not use my program. But, no where in writing, they claim on the phone, ***** the accountant says, they can't refund past a 7 DAY GRACE period, I asked if I could see that in writing anywhere but she said no, that was a custom course offered to my previous employer. Which is trivial to the refund. So now, they have canceled the course, I can't and don't want to use it, and they said they can't refund me. It's been 11 months, for about 9 of those I've tried asking for a refund.

  Business response

  01/21/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address ****************'s concerns.****************** was enrolled by ****** ******** into the ****** Journey License program on February 5, 2021. ****************** paid ***** for the program, not Penn Foster. ****************** acknowledges this in his initial concerns. ****************** has been advised numerous times that he must contact ************** directly. My Hoffmans agreement was with **************.
  ****************** was asked to refrain from contacting Penn Foster and all brands due to verbal conduct while speaking to our Advocates. ***************** is still asked to cease all communication with Penn Foster and all brands.
  ****************** will need to speak to ************** regarding his concerns.
   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K***************
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  Tell us why here...BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I  welcome the opportunity to address ****************'s concerns. As stated previously, ****************** had an agreement with ************** and not Penn Foster. ****************** would need to speak ************** directly. ***************** was advised to no contact Penn Foster anymore due to code of conduct violations.
  Our refund policy can be found at https://www.pennfoster.edu/admissions/policies/refund-policy.Penn Foster does not have a public two year refund policy. *****************'s program initially had a 2 year study time limit. We still ask ****************** to refrain from contacting Penn Foster and any of our brands.
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K***********
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

  Customer response

  02/24/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  1. I have verified, recorded in various forms, by various individuals, Penn Foster DOES have a formal refund policy, which is contingent on the percentage used of the class, Penn Foster has stated it must be under a certain percentage of use to be eligible for a refund, I had several agents in admissions review my profile and conclud that I am ELIGIBLE for a refund considering I met the two criteria. So that is a reasonable policy, that every school ought to have in one form or another, even a fraudulent one such as Penn Foster. In this finding, one may conclude that ****** is a liar, as he states otherwise than the school states, and higher ups like him self practice disregarding policies so they can keep students funds, who haven't used the school's resources. In addition ****** is not available, I've called and left a few voicemails over the past few months with no call back or email. This is only a facade, to keep appearances in contrast to the lack of regard for integrity consistent with the staff. What is surprising, is that Penn Foster has admission agents who are pleasant and professional and willing to proving all the info necessary to potential students, it's unfortunate that still, Penn Foster is not upholding its own statements.2. ************** is an employer, they do not have any funds made by any students, Penn Foster has my funds, I've written this down before, perhaps reading it again may be the variable necessary to comprehending it. Best Regards, **** Regards,
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made a few payments. Barely did any work due to having to work overnight shifts, never cancelled it but now they want me to pay a cancellation fee just to re-enroll although, they lied to me in the beginning. When I first called, I was told that I'd have to set up a payment plan and they would re-enroll me. Here's the kicker, even if I do pay the cancellation fee, something I've never asked for, I'd still have to pay to take classes. Their cancellation fee is almost 500 dollars. Do not enroll here! They don't care about being helpful either, they are all clueless about the rules.

  Business response

  01/27/2022

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *******************************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address ****************** concerns. ***************** enrolled online into the High School Diploma program on November 23, 2018 by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.

  ****************** withdrew from the program on July 9, 2019 by submitting an email request to cancel. Per the agreed upon enrollment agreement, ****************** would be responsible for the registration fee, non-refundable fees, late/agency fees, and 25% of the tuition. Cancellation terms can be found in the enrollment agreement and on our Marketing site. https://www.pennfoster.edu/admissions/policies/refund-policy.

  Due to defaulted payments, the cancel liability was turned over to an outside collection agency. ****************** was advised that the current liability due would need to be settled before attempting to re-enroll. A member of our Student Solutions team will be reaching out to ****************** directly in order to review the account and future education.

  
     ******** College is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely.
  Andrew K*************
  Sr. Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  12/24/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  •59.00 was taken from my account on 12/24/2021 from pennfoster. • PennFoster forcefully took money from an account I never used for a Autopay option. •PennFoster advertise on their website that autopay will be taken on the 8th of each month. But took money from my account on 12-24-2021 through website/admin manipulation. Putting my account in the negative. •I canceled my course with PennFoster 12-24-2021

  Business response

  12/28/2021

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***** *****        
  Student Number: ********
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address ********'s concerns. ************** enrolled into the Career Diploma for HVACR Technician on September 10, 2021 by submitting a signed Enrollment Agreement and down payment.
  
  On December 8, 2021, ********'s account was debited for the monthly tuition payment of $59.00 per the enrollment agreement.Since the payment declined the system started the automatic retry process which is what made the payment pull on December 24, 2021. On December 27, 2021 ************* contacted Student services regarding this payment and was issued a refund. We also deactivated autopay from the account at this time.  As of today, December 28, 2021 *******'s account was still active. I have processed the cancellation and ************** may contact student services to discuss the remaining balance on the account.
  
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  
  Sincerely,
  Lacie Z***********
  Escalation Specialist
  

  Customer response

  01/07/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

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