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:01/30/2025

  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 Paid my ****** tuition in full at the start of enrollment, i passed the class in its entirety. I requested my state exam voucher on OCT 8-15TH 2024 and never received it. I even had them blame an incompetent instructor who communicated poorly and never replied timely, didn't show up the scheduled zoom meeting then emailed me. I've been calling for 3 weeks straight to get a run around and stalled for a month straight while being told even though i did everything required i can't get the voucher for the test completely halting my livelihood and stagnating my life. I'm requesting a refund for my tuition based upon lack of service, no communication, no accountability or any sense of resolution. I've been lied to by supervisors about when the issue would be solved just to never get called back after being promised such i called and the person i spoke to extended the wait to 2 more days every time i call. I've wasted months of my life seeking a certification they obviously don't care or want me to be certified I've already paid for the test myself out my own funds which i was guaranteed i wouldn't have to which was broken as well.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Mr. ********** concerns. Mr. ********* officially enrolled in the Sterile Processing Program with Penn Foster College on June 28, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Mr. ********* has successfully progressed and completed the program entirely with unfortunately, the only roadblock being the voucher code.Despite being given step by step instructions, it was brought to our attention that Mr. ********* was still unable to access the voucher code. Due to this access error, Mr. ********* decided to pay for the exam out of pocket. For this we sincerely apologize and have reimbursed Mr. ********* for the amount equivalent to the exam voucher via check as requested.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Mr. ********** Our Learner Success Team wishes him the best in all future endeavors. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Accommodations Specialist 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2025

  [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: 22879196
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  That whole response is disingenuous Ive completed those steps towards being eligible for a voucher code. And Penn Foster never contacted me even to this day. Every time I talk to them they tell me to do the same steps Ive done at least 5 times already theyve halted my livelihood and have cost me multiple job offers I request my full tuition back. They offered me a $100 credit I never seen sent back to my account I requested a check they were hesitant to agree just to get me to wait longer theyve not kept their word in regards to me at all. The proof is all there no need to say more
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,

  We fully understand Mr. *********** concerns and extend our sincerest apologies for the frustration and inconvenience this situation has caused him personally.
  We have reached out to Mr. ********* directly to address his outstanding concerns and are working toward a resolution that is satisfactory for all parties involved. We are committed to the overall satisfaction of our students. 

  Best regards,

  *******

  Learner Success Accommodations Specialist

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/28/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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 my son (student M230516JKT) up for the Penn Foster high school program. Initial conversations with Penn Foster were pleasant, and course dashboards were easy to use. My son progressed through the program completing most of his coursework with no issues. However, along the way, Penn Foster updated their student dashboard, and my son got locked out of his English 3 course. He is done with all of his other coursework, and unable to complete his program due to being unable to access this course. We have submitted multiple help requests through the portal to no avail. We have called in twice and waited on hold for over an hour each time just to be told that a ticket will be submitted to the tech team, but the course is still not unlocked. At this point, my son is literally unable to get his HS diploma because he cannot complete this course, and no-one at ****-Foster seems to want to take the matter seriously.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/29/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Mr. ************** and his sons concerns. Mr. ******* officially enrolled in the Penn Foster High School Program on May 16, 2023, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Upon receiving this request last week, our IT team has taken a look and found that the error Mr. ******* was experiencing was due to hitting the max number of attempts. I have received confirmation that this issue has been resolved by our education team in adding additional attempts to Mr. *************** Please allow up to 24 hours for this change to take effect within the system.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused both Mr. ***** and his son. Our Learner Success Team is committed to supporting him throughout his academic journey. At Penn Foster High School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/28/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Penn Foster is falsely advertising their Private Investigator Diploma program as being a valid credential for the profession of private investigation. I started this program and completed approximately 20 percent of the coursework and exams. I consistently found that the materials used for the course were written in approximately 2003. The references to case law, legal issues, technology, tools, databases, search methodology, techniques and skills, and website links were extremely outdated and mostly unusable. This course would have been fine in the late 90s and early 2000s, but that was more than 20 years ago, and much has changed in this industry. The dangerously outdated legal references and technological references are very concerning and place students at risk of making career ending mistakes in the field. This program needs to be significantly updated and revamped. I reached out to the learner success contacts and the contacts listed on the BBB website. I provided my concerns and requested a refund, and was sent a generic response that they were looking into it. I have attempted further communication and had no response. I am asking for a full refund for the course, as it has absolutely no value in the profession and was falsely advertised as being a relevant and respected course.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,

  I welcome the opportunity to address Mr. ******* concerns. We have reached out to Mr. ***** directly to discuss and address their concerns in order to reach a resolution that is satisfactory for all parties involved. We are committed to the overall satisfaction of our students. 

  Thank you,

  ******* E

  Learner Success Accommodations Specialist

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2025

  
  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. Penn Foster refunded the full amount of the tuition and fees at my request. They stated that they would continue to look into the complaints I had with their program. I am not aware if changes have been or will be made to update the course. Thank you!
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/21/2025

  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.

  My name is ******** Ekiogwe i was a online student with Penn Foster high school my student id is ********IK. i enrolled with the school October 2024 on sterile Processing Technician, for a period of 12months, with a total amount of $1,099 and a monthly installment of $59. during the enrollment i asked if this program can be cancel in case i can no longer afford the payment and the Lady said yes i will only be charged if there is any month i take a class with no payment before the cancelation. November ending 2024 i loss my job with the company i was driving for named ****************************** (***). December 2024 after making payment for the month i called them to cancel the program due to my financial situation i don't think i can continue because i don't want to owe and incure late payment fee, and the program was cancelled. on January 9th i received a message that my card declined due to insufficient funds to make payment to Penn Foster, so, i called Penn foster to ask why are they still billing me for a cancelled program? after checking i was asked to file a complain through my student portal which i did, unfortunately i was replied that there is nothing they can do to help me that i have to pay all the outstanding balance on the account, this is a program i suppose to earn a Diploma after completion the program is canceled and they are asking me to pay off the balance after lying to me at the beginning just to lieu me to the program. please i need help from you, kindly help me to resolve this issue Penn foster is trying to take advantage on me, they lied to me at the beginning that i can only pay for the month i took the class is an online program now they want me to pay all the money even when i told them my situation. please help me, this people are just out there taking advantage on innocent people like me because we cannot speak for our self in case like this. thank God we have your service in cases like this, please i need your help thanks God bless.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ******* concerns. Ms. ******* officially enrolled in the Sterile Processing Program with Penn Foster College on October 9, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  We offer our students a five-day cancellation window for a full refund. Ms. ******* requested to cancel her program well beyond the cancellation window. Upon review, as an act of good faith, we have dropped the remaining balance on Ms. *******s account.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. *******. Our Learner Success Team wishes her the best in all of her future endeavors. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2025

  I want to express my profound gratitude for helping me resolved my issue with Penn Foster High School, i really appreciate your job well done.
  God bless you all and your organization. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/21/2025

  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 have continously contacted support to help me with an issue on taking practice quizzes. They keep saying it is fixed and it is not. I cannot proceed in the program if I cannot take quizzes properly. I have asked for this to be expedited with no success, I have asked for full refund or to even switch my classes to another feild that could possibly work and NO ONE has ************ this time I want my money back! They are non responsive to the issues at hand!

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ******** concerns. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused Ms. ******** I have reached out to Ms. ******* directly to discuss options for a resolution moving forward. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2025

  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 registered in 2021, taking my time to do the course. I am on Chapter 12 of 13. A Change was made on the format of the courses late last year and with the change my course was locked, stating it is inactive and cannot access anything to continue with it. Sent two messages and I have been ignored. I paid the full fare to begin with.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Mr. ************** Mr. ***** officially enrolled in the Electronics Technician Diploma Program with Penn Foster Career School on July 18, 2021, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Per Mr. ***** signed enrollment agreement, You will have 18 months to complete the Program but may request up to two six-month extensions. Unfortunately, Mr. ***** is well beyond the agreed upon study time and has exhausted both study time extensions. Mr. ***** account has reached a hard stop of maximum allowable time within our system. We welcome Mr. ***** to re-enroll if he so chooses to continue his education with us.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Mr. ****** Our Learner Success Team wishes him the best in all future endeavors. At Penn Foster Career School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2025

  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 had enrolled in Veterinary Technician Program with Penn Foster in May of 2023. When life changed and I found out I was going to be moving to ***** from *******, I reached out to the student portal to request cancellation/withdrawl of the program November 8th, 2023. I was told to email student services requesting cancellation of the program I was in. Email to ********************************** on November 8th 2023 at 2:34 pm Mountain Standard Time. They continued to charge me the monthly fee until May 2024 when I changed banks, they now sent me to collections for $1253.20 for tuition which I did not need and had followed instructions to cancel months prior. I need it removed from collections and to be honest, a refund of the money taken from my account past my written request to cancel. December 2023 to when I changed banks May 5th 2024. So the amount refunded would be $414. I added a copy of the collections bill as well as a screen shot of my written email to Penn Foster *****************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ******* concerns. Ms. ****** officially enrolled in the Veterinary Technician Program with Penn Foster College in May of 2023, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Ms. ****** emailed a cancellation request to Penn Foster College from an email not associated with her account. Upon receiving the said email, it was requested that she respond with more information to help us locate the correct account. No further response was received from Ms. ********* have successfully canceled Ms. ******* account as requested. Ms. ****** has a remaining balance of $391.20 that will remain in collections.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. ******* Our Learner Success Team wishes Ms. ****** success on all of her future endeavors. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/27/2025

  [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: 22824739
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In all of my emails - I do not have any whatsoever from Penn Foster other than requests for more money. Not to clarify the cancellation.

  If they can prove that they indeed did send a request and can send a copy of the original, IF I had missed it, I will accept their decision.

  IF they cannot prove that they had sent the request explaining that they needed more information to cancel, then I do not accept that I owe them more money past the date of requested cancellation. 

  I used my student identification number, my name, address and my email. I am not sure what else they needed.

  IF I was adding or charging more to the account I could understand the need for further identification. I also NEVER received any phone calls to clarify.

   

  I feel this is predatory and very wrong. I will however, accept a total amount owed to zero, instead of a refund as well. Just remove the full amount requested in collections. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  To whom it may concern:
  
  Please see the attached PDF outlining the email communications between Ms. ****** and our staff. 

   

  Thank you,

  *******

  Learner Success Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/03/2025

  [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: 22824739
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  While this does prove that you replied, the request was for the student ID that was previously given in the first email. If someone had read the email, all information was in it. I feel like this is just an attempt to keep tuition that is not owed. I would like to have all funds removed from collections so we can be done with this matter. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  We have reached out to Ms. ****** directly via the email associated with her account to discuss these matters further and to come to a satisfactory resolution for all parties involved.
  
  Thank you,
  *******
  Learner Success Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2025

  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.

  started class here on 12/18/24 they stated the class would take 5 months to finish i finished in less that a month (not worth the 1000 i spent)one of my class module says not completed preventing me from graduating, so i completed the module again. says same thing, i tried calling, emailing and public chat to contact them, no response. i need this fixed in order to graduate.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ****** concerns. Ms. ***** officially enrolled in the Dog Obedience Program with Penn Foster College on December 18, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Ms. ***** has completed all necessary academic requirements with the only outstanding requirement prior to graduation being the remaining balance on the account. Once the account has been paid in full, the account status will reflect as Graduated. After the account status has updated, our third-party company would start processing the digital and physical copies of the diploma.

  We regret the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused Ms. ****** Our Learner Success Team congratulates Ms. ***** on her academic achievements, and we wish her continued success moving forward. At Penn Foster College, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/15/2025

  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 am not reliable for this For this debt with Penn Foster career. I do not have a contract with that collection agency trying to collect I did not sign any kind of paperwork with these people stating that I would pay or owe any kind of money. I have no information on them whatsoever. They have not provided me with any paperwork that I have requested to see.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Ms. ****** concerns. Ms. ***** officially enrolled in the Catering Program with Penn Foster Career School on March 13, 2024, by completing and submitting a signed enrollment agreement and fulfilling the necessary down payment requirements.  

  Upon review, no coursework has been completed within her account. As an act of good faith, we have canceled Ms. ****** enrollment and have dropped the outstanding balance on Ms. ****** account.

  We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Ms. ****** Our Learner Success Team wishes her the best in all of her future endeavors. At Penn Foster Career School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/13/2025

  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 was enrolled in penn foster high school diploma in2020 with 6 years of Max completion time but my account is inactive and now they are saying i have to re enrolled because my time is expired which wrong.i paid in full for the program

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  To Whom It May Concern:? 
   
  I am grateful for the opportunity to address Mr. ******** concerns. We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration this has caused Mr. ******** I have reached out to Mr. ******* directly to discuss options for a resolution moving forward. At Penn Foster High School, we are dedicated to the educational advancement and overall satisfaction of all our students.? 
  
  Sincerely, 
  ******* E 
  Learner Success Specialist