Penn Foster College is a U.S. for-profit, nationally-accredited distance education private college. The school was founded in 1890, and was known as International Correspondence Schools, or ICS, and also formerly known as Center For Degree Studies. It is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Penn Foster College offers Bachelor's and Associate degree programs as well as Undergraduate Certificates.
Accreditation
Penn Foster College is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC Accrediting Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Penn Foster College’s Veterinary Technician Associate Degree is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through their Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).
Penn Foster College's Medical Assistant Associate Degree is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Services (ABHES).
Licensing
Penn Foster College is licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, authorizing Penn Foster College to award Associate of Science Degrees, Bachelor of Science Degrees, and Undergraduate Certificates.
College Credit Recommendations
The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and recommended college credit for many Penn Foster College courses.
Better Business Bureau
Penn Foster College is an accredited business by the Better Business Bureau.
History
In 1890, a newspaper editor named Thomas J. Foster founded the school to provide coal miners with the education they needed to advance in their careers and increase worker safety. At the turn of the century, the school was officially known as the International Correspondence Schools (ICS), and one out of every 27 adults in the US had taken an ICS course. In December 2009, Penn Foster college was purchased by test preparation and educational support company The Princeton Review from its previous owner, the Wicks Group, a private equity firm that had bought the school from Thomson Corporation in 2007. On May 18, 2012, the Princeton Review brand name and operations were bought for $33 million by Charlesbank Capital Partners, a private-equity firm. The parent company was renamed Education Holdings 1, Inc. In 2013, Education Holdings 1 filed for bankruptcy; it exited two months later.
Academics
Penn Foster College provides students with the opportunity to earn bachelor's degrees, Associate degrees, and undergraduate certificates through online courses and instruction. All Penn Foster programs are asynchronous, meaning they can be started at any time. Students can choose from programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Graphic Design, Early Childhood Education, Engineering, Health Services, Paralegal Studies, Technology, and Veterinary Technician areas. Students can also enroll in individual courses.
Penn Foster College is considered as a leading online distance education institution in the United States and Worldwide, on the basis of its instructional support services and diversified academics. The college also grants students access to Career Cruising career services, as well as a Student Community for students to interact with faculty, staff, and other students.
See also
- Penn Foster High School
- Penn Foster Career School
References
External links
- Official Site
- Penn Foster Student Community