Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Penn Foster's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Penn Foster

  200 Hickory St Scranton, PA 18505-1135

  
• 

  Penn Foster College

  14300 N Northsight Blvd Ste 125 Scottsdale, AZ 85260-3674

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have never even heard of Penn Foster until someone called me attempting to collect a debt they claimed I owed. They called me in June 2022 claiming the debt was from June 2021 and I told them then that I never went to or heard of Penn Foster. I finished high school through ******** in 2006 and have never attended or enrolled at this school. I would like a correction to my credit report and for all debt collection attempts to cease with the most recent being December 2023.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2024

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************************
  Student Number: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *** *****’s concerns. *** *****s enrolled into the High School Diploma program on May 19, 2021, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  If *** *****s is advising that this account was made fraudulently by someone stealing his identity, I will reach out to *** *****s directly to start the dispute process immediately.
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ***********@pennfoster.edu.
  Sincerely.
  ***** *****
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In February, 2017, I enrolled in the Penn Foster bachelor's degree and paid in full. I was not provided with any options nor informed any to consider when the school closed my account due to inactivity (care for family with two autistic children). Upon my recent attempt to log in, I sent an email with my student ID to inquire about my account - no response. I called with an option to have a manager contact me to discuss my account options - no response. Finally I get an email stating unfortunately there is no refund due to their 6 year policy with an option to pay AGAIN to reinstate my account in addition to paying for uncompleted courses. Any type of notice sooner - before any changes to my account was applied - would have properly assisted with resolving this issue so that I could decide to continue or withdrawal and request a billing adjustment/refund. Just applying changes makes the company appear frivolous - FOR THEIR PROFIT only.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *****************************
  Student Numbers: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ******** concerns. **. ******* enrolled into Business Management Bachelors degree on February 13. 2017 but submitting a signed enrollment agreement. I will include the signed enrollment agreement with my response.

  
  In the student handbook it states, Learners may request an extension for a fee, but the entire Associate Degree program must be completed within six years, and the entire Bachelors Degree program must be completed in eight years. Learners who do not complete a degree program within the required time limit must be re-enrolled and evaluated against the current program for internal transfer credit. This information can also be found within **. ******** enrollment agreement. If **. ******* wishes to continue her program, **. ******* will have to re-enroll as part of policy.
  
   Penn Foster College is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at *******************@pennfoster.edu.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/17/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was enrolled to Penn Foster highschool. The school work I was working on was psychology and, the answers they said I got wrong was illogical, so I looked at reviews online and their are so many people online complaining about how the school was a scam. Before I finished one course I chose to unenroll in the program expecting to have a very small fee or none at all.I began to receive letters in the mail saying I owed $1400 which is ludicrous. Then I got on the phone with them and, they told that the amount must have been a mistake and that I would only need to pay them two hundred for twenty dollar increments, no i have been receiving more mail since that conversation that says i still owe them $1400. This school is bad for business and I want the world to know

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************
  Student Numbers: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ******** concerns.On April  21, 2023, ****************** enrolled into the high school Diploma program by submitting a down payment and signing an enrollment agreement. I will include a copy of the agreement.
  On September 25, 2023, ****************** cancelled his program. As per the enrollment agreement, If you withdraw more than six days after enrolling but before submitting a completed Program assignment, you will receive a refund of all monies paid to Penn Foster less the registration fee (the ?Non-Refundable Registration Fee)
  You can contact our financial department directly to pay the owed cancellation liability of $194.00. However, it is subject to change as each month it goes past due, a late fee will be applied.
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************@pennfoster.edu.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My son completed all of his remaining course work for Penn Foster High School. One of his assignments was graded harshly, giving him an 85% on the Personal Narrative assignment. The teacher cited that examples should have been provided in the essay, when in fact my son did provide examples in the essay. The teacher also noted that the essay was wordy. I do not agree that this should have resulted in a 15% point penalty, so I called Penn Foster and spoke with the teacher. After the call, the teacher (****************) sent me an email requesting that my son submit a form to dispute the grade, which he did. However, because of a technicality that he did not fully understand (my son clicked on the acceptance of graduation which triggered the acceptance of his high school grades), Penn Foster is now disallowing the appeal process. As a result he now has a 89.17% in the Written Communications class which caused his GPA to drop from a 3.88 to a 3.76. This is grossly unfair and penalizing a young 16 year old boy for not fully comprehending the implications of a technicality. I want Penn Foster to reopen this appeal and re-grade his essay before all his grades are finalized.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/06/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *********************
  Guarantor Name: *********************
  Student Numbers: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *** ****’s concerns. *** **** enrolled Hamzah Khan into the High School Degree program on June 5, 2023, by signing and enrollment agreement and paying a down payment.
  On October 20, 2023, our Academic Manager, ***** *. reached out to *** **** to go over his concerns for ******’s Personal Narrative Assignment. Additional in-depth feedback was provided and scored for a second time.  ***** also advised ******’s GPA will show as a 3.8 on the transcript and provided a letter of recommendation to the student which listed the GPA. If *** **** has any additional concerns, he can reach out to be directly via email.
   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ***********@pennfoster.edu.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up over the phone and was told I could cancel the school online and not be charged. I didn’t even make it one month and was not happy with the services so I canceled my account. For the past month Penn Foster has been sending me bills that I’m not obligated to pay. I also called and explained to what was explained to me while I signed up the woman did not want to hear anything I said, so I turned around and I said all calls are recorded and monitored, correct? She said yes, so I said then try to get that phone conversation that I had with your colleague that told me I would not be charged. She still didn’t want to hear anything so I told her not to send me anything else in the mail, and I am not paying for this because that is not what I was told from the person that signed me up for school.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *************************
  Student Numbers: ********
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ******* concerns.**************** enrolled into the High School diploma program on June 13, 2023, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.  I will include a copy of the enrollment agreement.
  As stated in the agreement under the Cancellation Policy, "You can cancel your enrollment via telephone, email or first-class mail to the address or number listed in the ?contact us? section of Penn Foster?s student portal. Cancellation by telephone within the first 6 days after enrollment must be confirmed by email or first-class mail. If you cancel or withdraw from the Program, you will receive a tuition refund, as follows:

  If you cancel within six days after midnight of the day you enroll, you will receive a refund of all monies paid to Penn Foster;
  2) If you cancel more than six days after enrolling but before submitting a completed Program assignment, you will receive a refund of all monies paid to Penn Foster less the registration fee (the ?Non-Refundable Registration Fee)
  On July 11, 2023 **************** requested to cancel her program. As per the enrollment agreement, ********************* the agreed upon liability as per the agreement she willingly signed.  *************** can contact our financial department to pay the owed liability.
   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at *************************************.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2023

  This issue has not been resolved. I never received your message. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2023

  That information is inaccurate. The gentleman I spoke to told me I could cancel anytime and not be charged. I was not getting anything out of it so I took his advice who is an employee at Penn Foster and cancelled my membership. I also noticed how they have all call monitored and recorded so I asked them to play the recording of what he told me and they told me they can’t do that in not paying for this. This is wrong on so many levels. I’m going to get a lawyer if necessary 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/02/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had signed up for Penn Foster but had some health issues. As such I requested to withdraw from the program when they called my work phone to collect the past due fee. I notified the representative and when they called back to see if I was able to pay the missed fee I requested that they take me out of the program all together. I had been deactivated and unable to access the program they were attempting to charge me for. Fast forward to today I happened to check my credit history and penn foster has sent this account to collections when it should have been closed out. They are charging for what appears to be a full semester when I cant recall completing much more than the introduction for the program. I need assistance with resolving this debt. I am still in treatment and would like the opportunity to enroll when my health and finances are back to normal, however, with them sending my account to collections versus cancelation I don't know how to proceed.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***************************
  Student Number ********
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  I welcome the opportunity to address **. ****** concerns. ************** enrolled in the BAS Degree for Veterinary Tech on July 9, 2023, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  Per **. ****** enrollment agreement, a written request must be submitted to withdraw from the program. This request could be in the form of Mail or email. To date, we have not received a request from ************** to withdraw from the program.
  Due to defaulted payments, the account was turned over to an outside collection agency. As ************* has not withdrawn from the program, the full price of the program would have been reported. If ************** would like to withdraw from the program a request can be emailed to *************************************** the cancellation request is received, we will close out the account according to the terms outlined in the enrollment agreement.
  . Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely, 
  *****************************
  Sr. Escalations Specialist  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/26/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Signed up for this and was told I could cancel at any time with no obligation, no cost. I never really did any of the classes or anything then requested they cancel my classes without any obligation as described and then I end up seeing this on my credit report. Never even really received any information about anything. I do NOT feel as if I owe them anything hence the fact they said no obligation.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***************************
  Student Number: ********
  

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *** ********’s concerns. *** ******** enrolled into the High School  diploma program on June 05, 2020, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  

  As per the enrollment agreement that *** ******** signed, it states “You can cancel your enrollment via telephone, email or first-class mail to the address or number listed in the ?contact us? section of Penn Foster’s student portal. Cancellation by telephone within the first 6 days after enrollment must be confirmed by email or first-class mail. If you cancel or withdraw from the Program, you will receive a tuition refund, as follows: 1) If you cancel within six days after midnight of the day you enroll, you will receive a refund of all monies paid to Penn Foster; 2) If you cancel more than six days after enrolling but before submitting a completed Program assignment, you will receive a refund of all monies paid to Penn Foster less the registration fee (the ?Non-Refundable Registration Fee?) 3) If you cancel after completing at least one Program assignment but less than 50% of the Program assignments, then Penn Foster will retain the Non-Refundable Registration Fee and you will remain responsible for paying Penn Foster for the following: 10% of the tuition if you cancel after having completed up to and including 10% of the Program assignments.”
  

  If *** ******** chooses to move forward with the cancellation process, she will owe a liability for any completed lessons within her program. *** ******** can reach out to our retention team regarding cancellation terms and fees that she willingly signed and agreed to.
  

  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ***********@pennfoster.edu.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  To Whom It May Concern; I enrolled at Penn Foster College 5 months ago to take a Legal Secretary Certification Course to further my career and assist my partner in his law practice. Within the first 4 orientation modules, I realized that the course had been written 20-30 years ago and contained references to obsolete technology and business practices. There is no way that the curriculum they are using would prepare someone for a legal secretary job in 2023. I contacted the school to cancel and they honored my request to cancel, but they are only giving me a partial refund because I completed part of the course. I completed one module before I realized that the course would never prepare me to perform Legal Secretary tasks in 2023. I am requesting that they refund the full amount paid. I acknowledge that there was a non-refundable enrollment fee that I agreed to, but that was in good faith that the education from an "accredited" college would be valuable in today's workplace. Their practices are deceptive and predatory. They target people at lower income levels, promise them job skills, take their money, then don't deliver. Please help me recover the remaining $205 I feel they still owe me. Thank you for your consideration. ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  More InformBBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************
  Student Number ********
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  I welcome the opportunity to address **************** concerns. ************** enrolled in the Legal Secretary program on May 16, 2023, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  Per **************** request, the account was closed on September 20, 2023. The account was closed out according to the terms ************** voluntarily agreed to. All cancellation terms can be located on the enrollment agreement and at the following link ************************************************************************.
  ************** is not entitled any additional refund.
  Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at **************.
  Sincerely, 
  *****************************
  Sr. Escalations Specialist  ation...

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  To Whom It May Concern; I enrolled at Penn Foster College 5 months ago to take a Legal Secretary Certification Course to further my career and assist my partner in his law practice. Within the first 4 orientation modules, I realized that the course had been written 20-30 years ago and contained references to obsolete technology and business practices. There is no way that the curriculum they are using would prepare someone for a legal secretary job in 2023. I contacted the school to cancel and they honored my request to cancel, but they are only giving me a partial refund because I completed part of the course. I completed one module before I realized that the course would never prepare me to perform Legal Secretary tasks in 2023. I am requesting that they refund the full amount paid. I acknowledge that there was a non-refundable enrollment fee that I agreed to, but that was in good faith that the education from an "accredited" college would be valuable in today's workplace. Their practices are deceptive and predatory. They target people at lower income levels, promise them job skills, take their money, then don't deliver. Please help me recover the remaining $205 I feel they still owe me. Thank you for your consideration. ****** *****formation...

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I accepted the enrollment agreement in good faith that the program was relevant in today's workplace and would educate me on current practices and technology.  I feel that Penn-Foster is in breach of contract, which is why I feel that a FULL refund is appropriate here.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The transactio dollarsn happened Aprill 2022. I enrolled in the course for a high school dip;oma. The entire course was $900.00. I was suppose to receive a discount of $30.00 for transcripts of high school credits. My final balance was suppose to be $870.00. I spoke to Clerk ***** who signed me up. I was sent the contract to sign via email. I was to pay $50.00 a month. I paid the first payment of 50.00. after I signed the contract which was suppose to be the aggrement we agreed upon I was than told the tutition was 1499.99. I was told the 900.00 was only if I paid in full. These were never discussed with me. I probably paid around 700.00 dollars. I have tried to get this settled with the school for several months. They refuse to honor their aggreement.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/28/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: ***********************
  Student Numbers: ********
  

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *** ******’s concerns. *** ****** enrolled into the High School  diploma program on April 12, 2022, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  After reviewing *** ******’s account, I was able to verify that she enrolled into the payment plan option of our program versus paying in full and receiving the pay in full discount. I will reach out to *** ****** personally to go over her enrollment agreement which she willingly signed and agreed to.
   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ***********@pennfoster.edu.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up for Penn Foster around October of 2022. I was under the impression if I did not pay my bill I would not be able to complete my course work or receive my diploma. I later read the contract I signed which states that you have 12 months to un-enroll without being responsible for the full tuition. When my family fell on hard times and I was unable to pay my bill I was sent to collections for the full tuition, even though it had only been 7 months since I signed up. I quickly un-enrolled and was told I was only responsible for $550, since I completed less than 25% of the course work. I called the collection agency and they confirmed this information. It has been 3 months and my credit report still states I owe over $1300. I have tried disputing twice for incorrect information and was denied both times.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2023

  BBB Case Number: ********
  Student Name: *****************************
  Student Numbers: ********
  

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I welcome the opportunity to address *** ******’s concerns. *** ****** enrolled into the High School diploma program on October 26, 2022, by submitting a signed enrollment agreement and down payment.
  

   Due to defaulted payments, *** ******’s account was sent to outside collection agency. As stated in the enrollment agreement, “If you do not pay the overdue amount and late fee within 40 days, Penn Foster reserves the right to suspend your enrollment in the Program immediately and require you to pay the outstanding balance of the program price associated with the payment plan you chose. In addition, you will be responsible for any collection costs, including legal fees, incurred by Penn Foster to collect amounts owed.”  

  On July 10, 2023 *** ****** requested to cancel her program. As per the enrollment agreement, *** ****** is at a 25% cancellation liability. I will have the terms of cancellation updated accordingly with the collection agency. As Penn Foster does not directly report on student’s credit, *** ****** will need to reach out to the agency to inquire about her how long it takes for her credit to be amended. *** ****** owes a liability for the coursework she has completed in her programs.
  

   Penn Foster is devoted to the educational advancement and satisfaction of all our students. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ###-###-####.
  
  Sincerely.
  *********************
  Escalation Specialist