Reviews
64 Customer Reviews
Review from KELLIE F
1 star11/26/2024
At this point, if I could give a 0 stars I would. I was initially enrolled with ******** and had no problems. **************** was good. There was correspondence and resolutions were made in a timely manner. I was rolled over/merged into the system with Penn Foster due to a merge and from day one it has been a total nightmare. My dashboard shows I'm in the 4th semester instead of the 7th. I can get to the 7th semester and I've just finished my first class of the 7th semester. I've been requesting the next class to be opened up since 10/23/24 and to date it is still not open. I was told I had a final exam to take next on the 7th semester and I tried to explain to them, I've only taken one class in this semester and I'm not due another final just yet. I've opened case tickets. They've been closed with no answers, response or solutions. I've made several requests for a supervisor to call so that maybe I could explain where I am in my studies and hopefully convince them to take a look at where I was prior to this merge. To date, I'm still locked out of my classes and they're wanting me to enroll in the next semester and pay again when I had just paid for this (7th) semester at the end of August. I don't know what options I have. I feel like I'm being held hostage by a college I didn't even choose to enroll in. I'm beyond frustrated. They have my money and they have me locked out of my classes and all this time I've been trying to get all of it straightened out, I have until 08/25/25 to finish these classes and they've literally STOLE a month of my time.
Penn Foster Response
12/04/2024
Dear ******,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I sincerely apologize for the issues you've experienced, and I truly appreciate your patience as we work through the challenges with our new system.
Ive reached out to you directly to ensure we maintain an open line of communication as we address your IT-related concerns. Please know that the IT request submitted on your behalf has been added to a high-priority list, and we are treating it with urgency. I expect a resolution within 72 business hours.
Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience, and Im committed to resolving this for you as quickly as possible.
Best,
*******
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Ashlyn S
1 star11/25/2024
**************** is terrible, you can voice your questions or concerns and they never have a response that makes sense. Supposedly if you cancel before completing a lesson, they will refund you everything besides the non-refundable fees and registration fees. However, when I attempted to cancel without completing any lessons or turning in any quizzes or tests, they still charged me nearly $500 to cancel. They also do not let you remove any payment methods from your account through the student portal, so they will take your money either way. I was cancelling because I could not afford the program anymore due to big life changes, but I still had to pay all of that money just to cancel. They seem to be pretty greedy and only really care about the money.Penn Foster Response
12/04/2024
To whom it may concern:
I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ******* concerns. Ms. ****** officially enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program on July 29, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.Ms. ****** requested program cancellation well beyond the 5-day cancellation window and therefore had an outstanding cancellation balance as per the signed enrollment agreement. Despite this, as an act of good faith we have refunded all amounts that were previously paid by Ms. ****** as of November 27, 2024.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. ******* Our Learner Success Team wishes her continued success in all of her future endeavors. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.
Sincerely,
******* E
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Kim R
1 star11/18/2024
Im not entirely sure what transpired in my situation, but Ill attempt to provide a concise overview. I was progressing well in my studies and was performing exceptionally well on my tests. However, I encountered an issue when a specific section of the course required a particular textbook that I never received. I promptly contacted their customer service department, and they informed me that they would rectify the situation within three months.Three months later, I received five textbooks, all of which were incorrect. The textbooks contained the same incorrect material. I was frustrated and unable to continue my studies, so I requested a refund. After receiving the refund, I was sent the incorrect textbook once again. Now, I possess five copies of the same incorrect textbook. This situation has been extremely inconvenient and frustrating.I strongly advise against using Penn Fosters customer service, as they need significant improvement in their customer service department.Penn Foster Response
11/20/2024
To Whom It May Concern:
I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ********* concerns. Ms. ******** officially enrolled in the Home Remodeling Program with Penn Foster Career School on March 15, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.I was extremely saddened to learn of the confusion that occurred surrounding textbook(s) for Ms. ********* program. Since this complaint has been brought to our attention, we have worked quickly to resolve and have honored Ms. ********* request to cancel her program and issue the refund due.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. ********* At Penn Foster Career School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students. We wish Ms. ******** the best in all her future endeavors.
Sincerely,
******* E
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Mark K
1 star11/12/2024
No stars, this company 4th year in a row will not send educational supplies to progress the pharmacy technician course or complete it. They intentionally are dodging emails and placing you on hold so they can force the next month's payment. I'm also been taking a similar program in another website that does the same thing, but with better customer service. I think they all run a ponzi scheme to spy on you if you make your payments to sell you more loans or something. Never heard of anyone graduating this program, or honesty from the **** over the phone. Neither of the programs are committed to the student at all. I will not give them entitlement to my life for $1500 so they could make business partners in the debt collection agencies. Report this scam to local law enforcement.Penn Foster Response
11/14/2024
Dear **** ****,
Thank you for taking the time to provide a review about Penn Foster. We welcome all feedback and use each and every suggestion to improve our students experience. We would like to add that each and every student situation is different, and we would like to treat them independently as Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. Reviewing your account, we reflect numerous communications regarding the eligibility of receiving the Practice Lab Kit. You have not yet met the requirements for the kit to be released. We have emailed you directly to discuss further.
Thank You
****** ********Review from larietha w
1 star11/06/2024
This was the worst mistake i have ever made enrolling in this school and i wish i had checked the reviews 1st. I had my card on file for automatic payments and in October they took 2 payments and i sent them proof from my bank and it caused me to have overdraft fees and basically, they told me they don't care they only see 1 payment posted to my Penn foster account and take it up with my bank. So, this means my card information is possibly compromised in this school system because the payment clearly went to someone's account in the organization, and they clearly don't care because the email said they were closing my case as if i was lying and no further investigation would be taken to track this payment down and see where it was applied to. This school should be shut down and i will be looking into getting a class action lawsuit against them. I am a hardworking taxpayer who lives on a budget and this unexpected charge caused me an unnecessary hardship and they aren't doing anything about it and i no longer want to be associated with the school even though I'm not done with my course. and there need to be a rating of zero they don't deserve any stars.Penn Foster Response
11/12/2024
To Whom It May Concern:
I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ************** Ms. ***** officially enrolled in the Tax Preparation Program with Penn Foster College on September 25, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.Ms. ***** brought it to our attention that there was a double payment processed on her bank account last month. Upon investigation we found only one payment both processed and applied on our end. As an act of good faith, we have applied the discrepancy amount as a credit to Ms. ***** account balance.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. ****** Our Learner Success Team is fully committed to assisting Ms. ***** on her academic journey, and we wish her continued success as she progresses. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.
Sincerely,
******* E
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Whitney M
1 star10/26/2024
They are FRAUDS. My son spent the entire summer, so 6 weeks getting through their math course. Come to find out our entire state doesn't even accept credits from them. They say nowhere in their High School program that some states may not accept credits. Then when I wrote and said I want to cancel my plan, they said because he has finished his course already, we have to pay for everything. It had been actually less than 6 weeks and he had finished about 70 percent and they wanted me to pay over a thousand dollars. I reached out and they wouldn't budge. They said that I signed a contract agreeing to this. It's a way for frauds to get their money, even though they know some people may stop, or in this case demand to stop paying because they're not accepted. It's so ridiculous. I would suggest you stay away from this company.Penn Foster Response
10/28/2024
To whom it may concern:
I am grateful for the opportunity to address Mr. ****** concerns. Mr. ***** officially enrolled in the Penn Foster High School program on May 23, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.
On November 1, 2002, Penn Foster High School was granted accreditation by the ************************ on Secondary Schools. Penn Foster High School is accredited by the Distance Education ********************** (DEAC) in ***************, and our school is licensed by the ************************ of Private Licensed Schools. Penn Foster is also accredited by Cognia. Students wishing to transfer coursework from Penn Foster High School to another Institution should check with the receiving institution to understand their policy on transfer credits.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Mr. ****** Our Learner Success Team is fully committed to assisting Mr. ***** on his academic journey, and we wish him continued success as he progresses. At Penn Foster High School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.
Sincerely,
******* E
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Fa P
1 star10/26/2024
Please stand and stay clear from Penn Foster. High School. The School- staff and Administrators are very unprofessional. It appears everyone works from home and they all are not on the same page. It also appears that its about money and no accountability when they s**** up.They constantly debiting your bank account without your authorization, two and three times a month for monthly tuition. That is unacceptable and unheard of. When you attempt to call someone to try to get situation rectified, you never can get anyone to answer the phones or reply to emails. If I could give a -0 star I would.Their curriculum is subpar. This is all I have to say, anything else your thoughts may be lead you- it is what it is.Penn Foster Response
10/28/2024
To whom it may concern:
I am saddened to learn of Fas concern(s) but could not locate an account with the information provided. We have reached out to the email provided to the BBB to try to locate the account and resolve their concerns.We are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.
Sincerely,
******* E
Learner Success SpecialistReview from Heather M
1 star09/30/2024
If i could leave less than one star i would do so. I work at a community college in ********, and we keep getting Penn Foster graduates younger and younger. They can't even complete their student profile by themselves at our college. You want to tell me that a 14 year old has completed 4 years of high school in 6 months because they are "smart" and yet are unwilling to take any 'in-person' classes? That's because they cheated their way thru Penn Foster's ridiculous academics! How is the US government allowing this school to be accredited? What a scam and sham! This is our future - full of losers that lie, cheat and can't read or do basic math and yet, have a high school degree and are now qualified to have college paid for with financial aid from our tax dollars!!! Shame on the **!!Penn Foster Response
10/18/2024
We appreciate you taking the time to submit a review for Penn Foster High School. Your feedback is invaluable, and we use each review to continuously improve the experience for all Penn Foster High School was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools. Penn Foster High School is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) in Washington D.C., and our school is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools. Penn Foster is also accredited by Cognia.
Completion of our high school program represents a major commitment to self-improvement and career growth. The programs offered by our school are conducted entirely by independent study and require dedicated effort and self-motivation considerably above the average.
We recognize that each situation is unique, and we are dedicated to addressing each one with individual attention.Review from Gloria S
1 star09/24/2024
This is a terrible school pertaining to the amount they charged. I went to this school a few years ago and completed 1 semester. I attempted to re-enroll into the curriculum that I first attempted. They confirmed that everything was good. I talked to several people trying to get my credits (from the first program I started at this school) transferred and told I had to wait for 5-7 business days. The person I talked to had me to enroll and wait for the credits to be transferred. In the meantime, if I cancelled and waited I was told I had to start all over from the beginning. The person I talked to that had me to sign a contract did not tell me that I had to pay the difference between the price of the old and now the new even though I did not have to take any of the classes over again in the 1st semester because they all transferred. I found out 2 weeks later when the classes finally got transferred, now they are holding me responsible for the price difference because I signed the contract. A bunch of liars and scammers. Do not bother to do any programs under them.Penn Foster Response
09/25/2024
Dear ******,
We appreciate you taking the time to submit a review for Penn Foster College. We recognize that each student's situation is unique, and we are dedicated to addressing each one with individual attention, ensuring the progress and satisfaction of all our students.
According to our records, you were enrolled in our ******************* Program at Penn Foster College. Your request to withdraw from our program was received and processed on September 19, 2024.We apologize for any inconvenience and misunderstanding you have faced during your time in the program. We extend our sympathy for your situation. Given the circumstances you have faced, we updated the account balance for Term 1 to reflect zero liability.
We regret that your experience has not met your expectations. Our Learner Success Team has sent out a communication email detailing your options if you choose to continue your studies in your course with us.Our Learner Success Team is fully committed to supporting you in your journey, regardless of if it is continued with us at Penn Foster College or with another institution of your choosing. Your feedback is invaluable, and we use each review to continuously improve the experience for all our students.
Best regards,
******* EReview from samantha t
1 star09/23/2024
Total scam do not go to this school. Had to drop out due to medical issues paid my early drop out fee yet kept getting charged. Called multiple times and was told I was all set and did not owe them anything. They then sent my info to a collection agency claiming I owed them money. I called them only to be put on hold for 2 hours because they were hoping I would hang up and they would not have to deal with me. I cant believe they are allowed to still be in business stay far away from this school.Penn Foster Response
09/25/2024
Dear ********,
We appreciate you taking the time to submit a review for Penn Foster College. We recognize that each student's situation is unique, and we are dedicated to addressing each one with individual attention, ensuring the progress and satisfaction of all our students.
According to our records, you were enrolled in our Veterinary Assistant Program at Penn Foster College for just over 30 days. Your request to withdraw from our program was submitted on April 3, 2024, and processed within 4 business days on April 9, 2024.We apologize for any inconvenience and misunderstanding you have faced during your time in the program. We extend our sympathy for your situation. Given the circumstances you have faced, we have removed your account from collections and updated the account balance to reflect zero liability.
We regret that your experience has not met your expectations.Should you decide to continue your studies with us in the future, we would be delighted to support you throughout your educational journey.
Your feedback is invaluable, and we use each review to continuously improve the experience for all our students.
Best regards,
******** S
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