Penn Foster College

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Penn Foster College
Penn Foster College (Logo).png
TypeFor-profit college
Established1890
PresidentFrank Britt
Location
Scranton
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
ColorsBlue, white
Websitewww.pennfoster.edu Edit this at Wikidata

Penn Foster College is a private, for-profit online college headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1890,[1] as International Correspondence Schools and was later known as the Center For Degree Studies.[2] Penn Foster College offers bachelor's and associate’s degree programs as well as certificates.[3] The school is regionally and nationally accredited, but it is not licensed or accredited by the State of Pennsylvania.

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.

  • (2007) Wicks Group, a private equity firm bought the school from Thomson Corporation in 2007.
  • (2009) The Princeton Review bought Penn Foster.
  • (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.[4]
  • (2013) Education Holdings 1 filed for bankruptcy; it exited two months later.[5][6]
  • (2014) Vistria Group, led by Martin Nesbitt, purchased and recapitalized Penn Foster.[7]
  • (2018) Bain Capital purchased Penn Foster from Vistria Group in 2018.[8]

Academics[]

Penn Foster College provides students with the opportunity to earn associate’s degrees, bachelor's 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.[9]

Accreditation[]

Penn Foster College is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).[10] 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 and Veterinary Technology Bachelor of Applied Science Degree are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through their Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

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.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Penn Foster Mission and History". Penn Foster. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "About Penn Foster". Penn Foster. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Associate & Bachelor's College Programs & Certificates | Penn Foster College". Penn Foster Career School.
  4. ^ "Princeton Review to sell test prep business name". Associated Press. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  5. ^ Writer), By David Falchek (Staff. "Penn Foster parent seeks bankruptcy protection". www.thetimes-tribune.com.
  6. ^ "Ex-Princeton Review Owner Wins OK For Ch. 11 Exit Plan - Law360". www.law360.com.
  7. ^ Jaschik, Scott. "BREAKING: Apollo Sold to Investors With Obama Ties". www.insidehighered.com. Inside Higher Education. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Bain Capital to Buy Penn Foster, a Workforce-Skills Provider That Dates Back to Late 1800s"
  9. ^ "Financial Assistance for Penn Foster students | Penn Foster". Penn Foster Career School.
  10. ^ "Penn Foster College | Council for Higher Education Accreditation". www.chea.org.

External links[]

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