a The major difference between regional and national accrediting agencies lies in the type of institutions that they evaluate and accredit. Regional agencies are responsible for accrediting public colleges and universities and major private, nonprofit institutions. National agencies accredit private, proprietary schools and specialty institutions such as correspondence schools.
a Penn Foster’s programs can be up to 70% less expensive than traditional brick and mortar schools, and each program has its own tuition with several payment options. Students can pay in full and receive a discount on their tuition or pay with monthly payments. An automatic payment plan is available, which also includes a discount on tuition. You can enroll in many of our programs for an average cost of $2 a day. Only a limited number of programs have one or two payment options.
a Study times vary by program, depending on the number of hours you can commit to studying each week. All of Penn Foster's programs are self-paced and flexible, to best fit your schedule.
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Penn Foster has a unique history deeply rooted in helping students train for their careers. In 1890, a newspaper editor named Thomas J. Foster founded the school in Scranton, PA, to provide coal miners with the education they needed to advance in their careers and increase worker safety.
PENN FOSTER THROUGH THE YEARS View our timeline, including key milestones throughout our rich 100+ year history
By the turn of the century, one out of every 27 adults in the United States had taken a Penn Foster course. Today, over 150,000 students enroll each year in Penn Foster’s 200+ career-focused high school, career, and college programs. Proven, experienced, accredited, and respected, our mission remains the same: help open doors for anyone looking to build a better future with affordable, quality, debt-free education.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
“Penn Foster is just one of the distance learning schools that offers certificate programs that align with open jobs in the workforce today. ” BOSTON.COM
“Penn Foster is just one of the distance learning schools that offers certificate programs that align with open jobs in the workforce today. ”