Penn Foster High School
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Penn Foster High School Reviews
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I signed up for Penn Foster in April at the beginning of the pandemic due to my job temporarily closing I was out of work for months. I didn't realize they were charging me regardless even though I never officially started any of their courses due to the stress the pandemic brought on my family. I called today to find out they were charging me even though I never had started any of their programs and informing me I owe them 200.00 for nothing. It was a nightmare. I would advise anyone to research other options just go get a GED study guide from your local bookstore. Go that route. It is widely accepted and you know you can't go wrong. Are do the smart thing. Do your research. If there was a zero they would have achieved that rating. BEWARE please.
This issue is regarding a nsf fee that I was charged for a CLOSED checking account. This account was not a saved payment method on my student portal. The last payment I had made with it was on October 28th, 2019. Since then, I have been using a different account. I have spoken to a supervisor on 7/14 and he said there is nothing he can do about it and that it was probably my fault this happened. How in the world could this closed account be charged When it isn't even a payment method on my student portal? Yes, the fee may only be 35 dollars. But I shouldn't have to pay for something that wasn't even my fault to begin with!
Hello, Nicole. We are sorry to hear this happened. Unless a student contacts us to change their payment information we would not have the ability to know the account had been closed. If you feel there was an error with the payment method we'd be happy to investigate. Please reach out to us at student.reviews@pennfoster.edu We will be sure to follow up with you. Thank you!
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After middle school and beginning high school, I began to suffer from a severe lack of confidence. My grades were bad and I would dread going to school. For a long time I had just given up on life and had counseling and took medication for depression. I was well passed the typical high school age bracket and worried that I would never really make anything of myself. This changed when I was told about Penn Foster High School and learned of its program. After I signed up I was relieved to see how easy it was to understand the curriculum and that I could go at my own pace. With a GPA of 3.58 I became a high school graduate on 5/27/2020. I was so happy that I cried and now I finally feel that I made my parents proud. Now I'm ready to get out there and take on the next challenge. Penn Foster High School gave me my confidence back. My only regret is that I didn't know about it after I finished middle school.

My boyfriend has been submitting his exams. Not helpful/or exams what to do not worded right and not properly explained either comes to exams especially towards the end of the program. Won't get a refund if fully paid but failed when under academic review that doesn't understand at all. He has submitted all of the work. Has an excellent GPA of 3.34. It's only one exam that we have left. We tried to talk to the professors but no luck. It's very annoying the whole process with them.

Thank you!
I canceled on March 23, 2020 because Penn Foster did not accept my official transcript. Another former online school I went to did accept my official transcript. My mother paid $75.00 for enrollment and $49.00 for the monthly payments. They have taken money out of her account and will not give it back. Penn Foster's cancellation policy states “if you cancel more than six days after enrolling but before submitting a completed Program assignment, you will receive a refund of all the monies paid to Penn Foster less the registration fee (the “Non-Refundable Registration Fee”);”.
I did not submit a completed program assignment. I enrolled on March 1, 2020. The cancellation fee also states that “All refunds will be issued within 30 days of Penn Foster's receipt of your notice cancellation.”. My mother has been sending emails to student support, they are holding the money until they get an official transcript mailed from the high school which is closed because we are in a pandemic. There is no possible way I can get a transcript it is dangerous. I should have listened to the reviews on this site.


Dear Student: We are sorry to hear our program was not the right fit for your needs. Here is a link to our refund policy: https://bit.ly/3cFVznJ If a student cancels within the first 6 days they will receive a refund if they cancel; after this time thee are fees charged according to when you withdraw and any work/exams completed. We would like to review your records to see how we can help. Pls email us at student.reviews@pennfoster.edu Thank you!

I signed up for the HSD program because we are in a pandemic and I thought I could do something useful with my time. I ran through 2 programs in less than 2 days and realized it is more of a cheat program, not really educational. The registration said $1 registration fee and $50 towards my class, then whatever you could afford per month. After starting the program I realized it was going to be almost $2000 for an education that is free so I decided to cancel. It took me a few days to actually get through to a person and once I did they told me I had a balance of $250 that I had to pay. So $301 for absolutely nothing. Please use your local education programs. Don’t fall for their price gouging.
Hello, Kristine:
We are disappointed to hear that you felt our accredited program https://bit.ly/3eaidGy did not meet your needs. The enrollment terms are explained clearly in our enrollment form including the student's right to cancel which states students can either call or email the school to withdraw. Please email us at student.reviews@pennfoster.edu We will happy to review your account to be sure your cancellation is processed. Thank you!

I am 98% done with my schooling. I am so close to graduating. But Penn Foster put my account under academic review. 1. What does academic review mean? 2. Am I still going to be able to graduate? 3. How do I get rid of the academic review?
Thank You!

Penn Foster is a great program. I actually graduated with my HSD in June 2009 and I went ahead to get a academic scholarship at Middle Georgia College and I played basketball also. I now have 4 degrees and 2 teacher certifications and I am the head national team coach in Hong Kong. I also have about 24 student athletes taking classes through Penn Foster. Everything has been going well so far. Penn Foster is what you make out of it. You have to really lock in and fully commit to a full year. Penn foster is also NCAA Cleared. I highly recommend Penn Foster to someone who needs one on one or someone who are just behind with credits and need a new start.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, K! We are proud to be a part of your educational journey, and we thank you for your review!

I received my Diploma in 2014, now it is 2019 and no community college will acigcept the diploma. Do you understand how frustrating that is? I went through the whole process of signing up for college and when I finally get to the financial aid part; they cannot find the high school. I spoke to at least 6 representatives, they all told me the same thing, "we are an accredited high school". Sorry to tell you, but that is not true. Why would a company offer a high school diploma if you can't use it? So now I have to take the GED all over again. What a waste of time.
Hello, Lisa:
Thank you for your feedback. Penn Foster holds both national & regional accreditation that has been recognized and accepted by many colleges: https://bit.ly/2O3qUY8 Colleges set a variety of entrance requirements, and not all colleges will accept all diplomas. Please contact us at student.reviews@pennfoster.edu We will be happy to discuss your college enrollment, and can provide supporting accreditation documentation that may help with your college acceptance. Thank you!
Penn Foster was what I thought I wanted to do at first and it was good for a while, but I wanted to get back into public school so I would be able to be around my friends, play sports and get a diploma from an actual high school. So, as I would do in a normal high school, I tried to request my transcript, but they REFUSE to give it to me until I pay my balance in full which I do not have the money for. I need to get my transcript so I will be able to attend my old high school but Penn Foster refuses to allow me to do that. This is absolutely a scam and I would not and I definitely DO NOT recommend this to anyone!!
Hello, Ryleigh:
While we are sad to see you leave us, we are happy to hear that you will be continuing your education to complete your diploma with your local High School. Our transcript policy is a standard requirement by many schools. We will gladly release your documents upon satisfying any remaining tuition balance due on your account in full. If you feel there are errors in your account balance, please reach out to us at: student.reviews@pennfoster.edu Thank You!
Penn Foster High School author review by ConsumerAffairs
Accredited in 1972, Penn Foster High School is located in Pennsylvania and licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools. The school has a focus on lifelong learning as well as traditional high school education.
Early college program: Students of Penn Foster can receive college credits with the Early College electives program. Though guarantees of credit transfer cannot be made, courses are ACE evaluated and recommended.
Concentration diplomas: Penn Foster offers high school diplomas with a concentration in more specific areas of study, including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, tech and healthcare.
Flexible payment plans: Families can pay the full cost of tuition up front or set up monthly automatic withdrawals or manual payments. Payment plans are interest-free.
Career cruising: Penn Foster partners with Career Cruising to provide career guidance services for all students and alumni.
Accreditation: Penn Foster High School is accredited nationally by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and regionally by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

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Penn Foster High School Company Information
- Company Name:
- Penn Foster High School
- Year Founded:
- 1890
- Address:
- 14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 120
- City:
- Scottsdale
- State/Province:
- AZ
- Postal Code:
- 85260
- Country:
- United States
- Phone:
- (188) 8427-6200
- Website:
- www.pennfoster.edu
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