Is penn foster college degree accepted by employers?
Penn-Foster College is not "regionally" accredited.Penn-Foster College's accreditor is the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), which is approved by the US Department of Education (USDE), and the USDE-sanctioned Council for Higher Education accreditation (CHEA).
"National" accreditation of the type that Penn-Foster College has is just as legit as regional accreditation.The regional accreditors have done a good job of convincing employers that only "regionally" accredited degrees are worth anything.Nothing could be further from the truth.
How do you start your relationship with a new employer?Do you want to educate him about accreditation and convince him that he got it wrong?
Employers who understand accreditation will most likely accept the Penn-Foster College degree.Employers who only accept regionally accredited college degrees might be willing to make an exception if they don't know any better.Employers may not accept a Penn-Foster College degree if they think that only regionally accredited college degrees are good degrees.
I would have no problem getting a Penn-Foster College degree, and defending it, if I had to, because I'm an expert in accreditation and so could easily disabuse any potential employer of his wrongheadedness.Penn-Foster College is "nationally" accredited, but I'm not sure I can recommend it to someone who doesn't have that kind of knowledge or skill.
It's a shame, because while Penn-Foster may be a little bit too commercialized and a bit like an assembly line, the fact is that you can get a degree from either college.A person graduating with such credentials will have been more-than-adequately educated at either the associates or bachelor's degree levels.A person with a degree from either place may find himself/herself having to defend the degree at some point in his/her life, or even being eliminated from consideration for a job or other position on account of that degree.
The Higher Education Transfer Alliance is a thing that CHEA is trying to create.Just type "chea heta" in the search box and then click on the first link that shows up, which will take you to the website where you can learn more.It may be a long time before "nationally" accredited schools and degrees get the respect they deserve until everyone agrees with what that web page teaches.
Penn Foster college does not have the more important regional accreditation.The work you do at this school may not be recognized by other institutions or employers.It would be in your best interests to stay away from this school.Regional accreditation is important when choosing a college or university.The work and degree you complete will be recognized as valid by other colleges and universities, as well as employers.