Penn Foster College


Penn Foster College is a private, for-profit online college headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1890, as International Correspondence Schools and was later known as the Center For Degree Studies. Penn Foster College offers bachelor's and associate degree programs as well as certificates.

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, 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.
The college does not participate in any federal or state aid programs, claiming that its education is affordable.

Accreditation

Penn Foster College is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. The DEAC Accrediting Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Penn Foster College's Veterinary Technician Associate Degree and Veterinary Technology Bachelor of Applied Science Degree are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association through their Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities.

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.