About Penn Foster College
Penn Foster College is a private school that specializes in online and distance education. Their unique approach to distance education allows all students to complete their work at their own pace. This distinguishes Penn Foster from many other schools that offer distance learning.
The college not only offers many options for college degrees and certification, but it also operates Penn Foster High School. This is a special high school that allows students to finish their high school diplomas online. Students can also enroll in Penn Foster Career School to complete a vocational training program. The college only offers online classes and has both bachelor and associate programs available. They also offer many options for career diplomas, which are a great way for someone to get a jump start on their career. A number of certificate programs are also available. In total, Penn Foster offers more than 100 online programs. PFC has online resources that allow students to talk with other students and get tips on studying and completing their assignments. Across all its programs, the college has an enrollment of more than 50,000 students. Penn Foster is a great option for anyone who wants to either begin or advance their career without a great amount of disruption to their everyday life. They can study and complete all necessary work from the comfort of their own home. Not only that, but they can work at their own pace. Many online schools don’t allow their students to work at their own pace, requiring students to meet set deadlines, as well as attend classes at certain times. Students will not find these demands at Penn Foster. Along with their flexible learning options, Penn Foster College also offers many exciting program choices.
Career Diploma Programs at Penn Foster College
The most popular program options at Penn Foster are Career Diploma programs. The school currently offers 52 different career diploma options. There are many popular career diploma programs that are in high demand at Penn Foster. These include Medical Billing and Coding, HVACR Technician, IT Support Specialist, Dental Assistant, and Veterinary Technician.
The dental assistant program, for example, will prepare you to sit for the necessary exams required by the DANB, as well as teach foundational skills in dental procedures and dental medications. This program is one of their quickest programs and one of the most popular, as well.
The medical billing and coding program not only covers the cost of the your certification exams after graduation, but it also covers the cost of a comprehensive test study prep package. There are many other options available, as well.
These career diploma programs are a great option for someone who wants to enter the workplace quickly. Most of the career diplomas are great options, as workers are in high demand. Additionally. many of the career diploma options work for someone who wants to work from home. The medical billing and coding program is a great example of a work-from-home program. More and more companies are offering work-from-home job opportunities. Most of the career diplomas can be completed in 10 months or less, and many of them can be completed in as little as 3 or 4 months! These programs are very affordable, some of them start at only $50 a month. Visit their website to see a complete list of career diploma options, as well as completion time and tuition costs for each one.
Certificates at Penn Foster College
Penn Foster also offers certificate programs. There are currently 21 different certificates that can be earned through distance education at Penn Foster. These certificate programs can benefit the student in various ways, depending on the program.
Some programs, such as Human Resources Management Essentials or Anatomy and Physiology serve to refresh skills and knowledge base to help to either boost or jump start a career. Other programs, such as Fitness and Nutrition or Property Management provide the necessary training to successfully start a career in a new field.
These certificate programs range in completion time from as little as 1 to 2 months for programs such as Medical Terminology or Pet Grooming to as long as 16 months for E-Business Management. Many of these certificates can help boost a current career to a new level of both expertise and pay scale. The tuition for these certificate programs are very affordable, and you can pay as little as $50 a month.
Associate Degree Programs at Penn Foster College
Penn Foster College appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Cheapest Associate’s in Graphic Design Degrees Online.
Penn Foster College also offers a great alternative for students who want to go to college but don’t think they have the time or the money to do so. All of the degree programs offered at Penn Foster are available online and allow students to pay their total costs when they first enroll or to sign up for a payment plan. These plans divide the total cost of the program into equal payments that students can make over time. The college now offers 22 associate degree programs that can prepare students for working in some demanding fields.
One associate degree option for students is the college’s retail management program. Designed for those who want to work in both online and offline retail positions, it features four semesters of courses. Students learn how to manage and maintain retail operations, the basics of working with a sales team and the best ways of deciding what customers need. Retail management majors will take courses such as Merchandising, Planning and Buying, Internet Marketing and E-Commerce and Business and Technical Writing. The human resource management and business management programs include similar courses but focus more on labor relations, business ethics, and other issues. The Graphic Design Associate’s Degree prepares artistic-minded graduates for careers in corporate communications, advertising, publishing, and more.
Early childhood education majors can develop the skills needed to work with children in preschools and similar settings. The college works with both the Learning Care Group and Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Students have the chance to work in one of the learning centers operated by either company while they’re in school, but they can also find full-time work for those companies after they graduate. Penn Foster College allows students to create a list of goals when they first award and track the progress they make towards those goals later. Students take Orientation to Early Childhood Education, Play in the Lives of Young Children and Working with Children with Special Needs among other classes.
Also available is a paralegal studies associate degree program. This program prepares students to work as assistants to attorneys working in all areas of the law. It features courses such as Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Legal Terminology, and Legal Research and Writing. Students learn how to assist practicing lawyers and how to manage the operations of a legal firm. Penn Foster College offers 17 other programs for those who want to earn an associate degree. Students can study fields that range from health care management and fashion merchandising to veterinary tech and graphic design.
Bachelor Degree Programs at Penn Foster
Penn Foster currently offers 3 bachelor degree programs. These 3 programs are Business Management, Criminal Justice, and Veterinary Technology. Just like all other Penn Foster programs, these bachelor degree programs allow you to work at your own pace and complete the coursework as you are able. The Business Management program requires the completion of 120 credits and lists 8 semesters of coursework. The Criminal Justice program requires the completion of 121 credits and 8 semesters of coursework. When studying criminal justice or business management, the student working on a fast track can complete a semester in as little as 2 months. The Veterinary Technology program requires students to complete 23 courses in 4 semesters. Each one of this program’s semesters take longer to complete than the other two bachelor degree programs, but fewer semesters are required.
Penn Foster Online Study Method
Although online or distance learning is becoming more and more common, schools differ in the way that they offer their online courses. Penn Foster is unique as it allows students to work at their own pace, without a set schedule or deadlines. Penn Foster offers open enrollment, and you can always begin your courses as soon as you enroll. There are no virtual classrooms, allowing students more freedom to always study at the pace of their choice. Instructors are very accessible, as they are available to call from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm every weekday. You can also contact them by email or join one of the many online discussion groups available at Penn Foster. As with any online program, you are responsible for finding a dependable computer, laptop, or tablet to use as you complete your studies online.
Penn Foster College Accreditation Details
All three branches of Penn Foster have accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Its business and vet tech programs have accreditation from accrediting agencies in those fields too. Both the career school and high school have the approval to offer programs for students also. The school is both regionally and nationally accredited, as well. Different programs have different requirements for certificates and licenses. It is important to check the governing body of your field of study in your state in order to find out your state’s requirements for certification.
Penn Foster College Application Requirements
Penn Foster does not have any application requirements because it allows students to enroll and start whenever they want. The only rule that applicants should be aware of is that those enrolling in the high school program must have at least an eighth-grade education and that those enrolling in a college program must have either a high school diploma or a GED. Penn Foster does recommend that prospective students contact the admissions board. Through speaking with an admissions specialist, they can ensure that they have fulfilled all the necessary requirements. This specialist can also help students to understand their payment options as they enroll.
The college gives students three ways in which they can enroll: over the phone, online or via mail. Those who choose the phone option can talk to an admissions specialist, discuss the programs that interest them, sign up for classes and make their first payments. Students who pick the online option can create an account with the Penn Foster website. The college will send them their account IDs and let them choose their own usernames and passwords. They will then use the site to enroll in courses and make their payment arrangements.
Tuition and Financial Aid
PFC does not offer pricing information online for prospective students, but it does let them know how much they will pay each month while in school. Students can either pay in full or choose a payment plan. When choosing to pay in full up front, students will not be asked to pay a finance charge. Students typically make payments of between $49 and $59 a month, though some programs may charge a little more. The college occasionally runs specials that allow students to put down a $1 deposit when they first enroll and get a reduced tuition rate. A similar program requires a small down payment and monthly payments of $39. As stated on their website, the average cost for Penn Foster tuition is just $2 a day. That rate is hard to beat.
Financial aid is not available from the college. As it has national and not regional accreditation, it cannot use federal student aid such as loans or grants. The college gives students the chance to pay in full. Even without the offering of financial aid, the low cost of tuition still makes the school one of the cheapest options available. Those who pay the entire cost of the program at the beginning of the year receive a 20% discount on the total cost. Students can also sign up for payment plans and make payments via money orders, credit cards, PayPal or checks. The college can also automatically withdraw funds from a student’s bank account. Penn Foster College allows students enrolled in any of its associate degree programs to sign up for a payment plan that does not charge any interest.
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