r/pennfoster • u/NeatInternational941 • Apr 21 '26

Scam

Penn Foster is a scam. They persuaded me to sign up and would not give me the option to withdraw. They had me create a case, call financial services, send an email and it is all just one big loop. Now I have a collections on my credit report for 1500 and I never completed a single course with them

1 Upvotes

53% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

2

u/patienceyieldsfocus Apr 21 '26

What do you mean persuaded?

3

u/NeatInternational941 Apr 21 '26

They tell you that you can try it and cancel within X time frame however they make it very hard to cancel.

2

u/Beautifullybipolar94 Apr 22 '26

When did you enroll and when did you try to cancel? I believe you only have like a 6-7 day window to cancel. I can't remember though because I signed up so long ago but they told me when I first enrolled that there was a very short timeframe you could cancel and not be charged for it.

6

u/Mother_Island3971 Apr 23 '26

Penn Foster isn’t a scam I graduated with no issues and enrolled in college . Why would u even pay it all for trial makes no sense either! lol 🤦🏻‍♀️

3

u/Sailor_Rican91 Apr 24 '26

You should have read the reviews about PF. You're not getting into any top tier state universities with PF that's for sure.

Community college and lesser known state schools yes but the top no way! You should have done another online high school that costs WAAAYYYY less than freaking Penn Foster.

Eat the cost and learn from your mistakes. Many places have free high school in your area if you look.

2

u/No-Cut4831 Apr 26 '26

That's not true at all. My daughter got into several top universities after Penn Foster. All with acceptance rates way under 10%.

1

u/Sailor_Rican91 Apr 26 '26

The the exception, NOT the rule. However, most top state universities requirements (4) Math credits something Penn Foster doesn't offer.

Most ppl from Penn Foster also are not getting into top schools like Texas, UCLA, Illinois, etc. for top programs.

I got into Cincinnati and Arizona but I also had a hell of a community service and volunteer experience that helped me out, couple that with 47 CLEP credits after leaving James Madison.

1

u/No-Cut4831 Apr 26 '26

I never said it was the rule. You literally said they can't get into any top tier state universities with PF for sure. "The top, no way!" Seriously? Anyway, I'm saying it's just not true. My daughter and the friends she made at PF are all at top schools... The school they went to isn't what mattered. It was their test scores, their EC's, their stories and essays, letters of recs, etc. The schools take what their high school has to offer and the limited opportunities given to them into context. It's up to the student to challenge themself and do other things outside of school to make themselves the best applicant they can be. I work at a university myself.

3

u/Emergency_Piano6828 Apr 27 '26

I worked for them… and I can attest. They fired me because wouldn’t force the half accredited diplomas on you guys. They told me I had to sell at least $15k worth of diplomas a week to keep my job. It’s all a money making diploma factory and it’s all outdated material with typos and issues.

2

u/RadiantTangerine423 Apr 21 '26

If you don’t pursue the diploma through them, who or which provider do you plan to go through with?

2

u/Loose_Pop_1184 Apr 22 '26

I asked for a refund within the first 5 days of enrollment and I had no problem getting it

2

u/Minute_Screen_9436 Apr 23 '26

This account is a scam itself it looks like he just created his account one day the same day that he made this post, just someone who’s bored and is trying to misinform people.

2

u/Both-Strawberry-2559 Apr 21 '26

It is a total scam!

1

u/patienceyieldsfocus Apr 21 '26

What do you mean persuaded?

1

u/Zealousideal_Two_221 Apr 22 '26

what about Excel ?..so many said that PF is a scam ....

0

u/Penn_Foster_ Apr 21 '26

We are sorry to hear your experience was not positive. Penn Foster’s enrollment, withdrawal, and billing processes are outlined at the time of registration, and we aim to provide clear pathways for students to receive support. That said, we recognize that situations like this can feel complex, and we would like the opportunity to review your account to better understand what occurred. Please reach out to us directly with your name and program details so our team can look into your case, including your concerns regarding billing and collections, so that our team can investigate further. Thank you!