Penn Foster College is a private online college. This college is headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1890, this school was founded as International Correspondence Schools. And then, it was known as the Center For Degree Studies. This college offers bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs and also certificates. However, is a Penn Foster Degree worth anything?
One of the Factors That Make Penn Foster Degree Worth
If you wonder whether a Penn Foster degree is worth or not, it may depend on what major that you want to take, your goals, and any other reasons. However, if you doubt because you do not know whether this college is accredited or not, then you should not doubt. Penn Foster has been accredited and accreditation is one of the important things from a college which states that the college meets quality standards. Accreditation itself can be defined as a public notification which an institution and a program meet the quality standards set forth by the accreditor.
Penn Foster Career School and High School have got regional and national accreditation. It means that the schools and programs of Penn Foster have been evaluated through a predetermined set of criteria set forth by the accrediting body.
Some Penn Foster Accreditations
Penn Foster has been accredited by some organizations as you are able to read from the explanation below.
- Penn Foster is accredited by DEAC
Penn Foster is accredited by DEAC which stands for Distance Education Accrediting Commission. It is listed by the US Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency.
- Penn Foster Career School is accredited by MSA CESS
Regionally, Penn Foster Career School gets accreditation for non-degree granting postsecondary programs. In addition, regionally, Penn Foster High School gets accreditation for grades 9 through adult by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.
- Penn Foster High School Accreditation by Cognia
Penn Foster High School also gets accreditation from Cognia. Cognia is a non-profit, non-governmental organizations which accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the United States and internationally.
- Penn Foster Career School is accredited by IACET
Penn Foster Career School is accredited as an Authorised Provider by the IACET. IACET stands for International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training. To get this accreditation, Penn Foster Career School has shown that it meets the ANSI/ IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice.
- Penn Foster College’s Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program Accreditation by CVTEA
The Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program of Penn Foster College is full accredited with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through their Committee on Veterinary Technician Education Activities (CVTEA). It represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States.
- Penn Foster College Approval by Arizona SARA Council (AZ SARA)
Penn Foster College has also been approved by Arizona SARA Council to take part in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.
- Penn Foster Career School License by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools
By the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools, Penn Foster Career School is licensed. Penn Foster College also gets license from the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education and has authorization to award Associate of Science Degrees, Bachelor of Science Degrees, Undergraduate Certificates and Career Diplomas.
If a school or program does not have the right licenses, accreditation and recognition, it will not be worth or legitimate or even it cannot help you take the next step toward your goals like you need.
The Meaning of Having Accreditation and License
If a school has accreditation and licensing through proper boards and institutions, it will make a school have the ability to award diplomas and degrees when you complete all the requirements successfully. So, since Penn Foster is accredited and licensed, then the work you do with this college is worth and legitimate.
When you are working to graduation, the credits and classes that you earned are often able to transfer to other schools and prepare you to take your next step to be able to reach your career and academic goals. However, it is important for you to know that other schools and businesses ultimately decide what they accept, regardless of credentials. So, it is recommended for you to do your homework with companies and universities that you think you could be interested in after graduation.
Even though Penn Foster relies on the internet for almost everything these days, it is normal that some people are worried about the education that they will receive. There is still an idea that any education which is outside of a traditional setting is not able to be as good as traditional ones. However, the thing that you need to note is that accreditation and licensing holds online schools to the same standards as traditional schools as far as curriculum, the quality of instructors and new technological developments. So, as technology grows, online education is better than ever and it permits you to be able to reach your dreams without having to drop every other responsibility in your life.
So, wherever you study, you have to make sure that you have researched your options and ensure that the school has the important accreditation and licensing to make it legitimate.
Are you still not confident that Penn Foster is the real deal? If so, you are able to check more information in detail on its official website and also you can access the information on accredited schools on the US Department of Education website. You will see that Penn Foster is on their list.
Decision to be A Student of Penn Foster
Generally, there are a lot of students and graduate reviews which state positive things about this college. They reported about challenging and useful course material, easy transactions in terms of billing and their satisfaction with the whole experience. Besides, this college can help professionals get ahead and you can work at your own pace.
However, there are also some negative things such as getting refunds is hard, it is hard to connect with professors, not all employers recognize the degree and it is hard to get into competitive fields even with a degree or diploma.
