In 1890, newspaper owner Thomas J. Foster realized that working adults needed a convenient way of continuing with education while staying in a job. He was particularly keen to educate men in the mining industry so that they had a chance of promotion into supervisory and management jobs. His solution was distance learning. The concept was so successful that 250,000 students enrolled in the first 10 years. As of 2011, the Penn Foster has 13 million students enrolled on a wide range of courses.
The Penn Foster organization's main aim is to provide courses that enable adults to advance or change career. As a result, many of the courses are vocational and practical. The school tries to ensure that the curriculum taught for each subject reflects the most current work practices in that type of work, particularly in the use of technology. It offers a range of career-specific diplomas and certificates, as well as degree programs. It is accredited by state and international educational bodies, and is used by some of the biggest corporations in the U.S., such as General Motors and Kraft Foods, to provide staff training courses.
Penn Foster offers around 80 career diplomas in a diverse choice of occupations ranging from auto repair technician to wedding planner. The auto technician repair diploma, for example, takes up to a year to complete, but students have the option of taking longer, as is the case with all Penn Foster courses. Some courses offer membership of a professional association as part of the course fees. Certificate courses are less demanding than the diploma courses, but are recommended as a way of improving specific skills, such as legal research, that don't require as much training.
Penn Foster now offers online bachelor's and associate degrees plus undergraduate certificates. Bachelor's degrees are available in two subjects as of 2011: business management and criminal justice. The school offers a range of payment plans for degree courses. Also, financing is available direct from Penn Foster, so students do not need to approach a bank for a loan. Military personnel qualify for tuition reimbursement.