Penn Foster Non-ACE class - Did I get screwed?

[jam123]

I took the Visual C# course from Penn Foster. Before I enrolled I asked if it was ACE approved. The woman on the phone said yes. I should have verified myself. I took the class and have now found out it is not ACE approved. The ACE approval expired back on 2/28/11. Penn Foster has been giving me the run around on the phone for two days. What are my options? Will TESC or Excelsior take the credits from Penn Foster that are not ACE approved?

I am contemplating whether or not to dispute the charge on my credit card or see if Penn Foster will give me the money back as credit towards another course.

[BrandeX]

EC takes PFC courses directly from their transcript I have read somewhere here, as they also assign letter grades, not p/f like ACE credits.

[Ace_King]

Hmm. On my ACE transcript, Reading and World civilization was expired on 2/28/11 and I finished it on 4/20/11 and ACE took it with no problems. I believe that if you we're already enrolled in the course before it was expired ACE will still accept it. Than you can use that ACE transcript to EC or TESC. I emailed TESC and they said as long as the course is on the ACE transcript we will accept it no matter what. Because when I signed up for Reading and World Civilization on like 11/10/10 it was still ACE approved and I didn't know they we're going to take the ACE approval away otherwise I wouldn't have signed up. So I believe if you we're in the progress of completing it while it is under going the ACE expiration your fine.

[jam123]

The Visual C# expired 2/28/11. I enrolled 10/1/11 and finished 11/28/11. So I am way outside the date range.

[ShotoJuku]

IMO....I think you may be OK.....at EC!!!

Stay Positive!!

[cookderosa]

The Visual C# expired 2/28/11. I enrolled 10/1/11 and finished 11/28/11. So I am way outside the date range.

You could ask PF if they were seeking renewal, or are anticipating renewal. Perhaps if so, you might be able to get this in a grace period. **potential loophole** back when I earned my NA degree, the school applied for RA about 2 years after I graduated, I was told by the RA for that region that there is an application and grace period - but it turned out to be ~6 months~ that my degree could have been considered RA due to being in the process of getting accredited. But, the amount of time was too long and I couldn't use it....but interesting though huh? So, there are potential grace period loop holes . Maybe a similar loophole exists for ACE evaluated courses. IF the course WAS evaluated and is going to be again, without changes, you might be able to get ACE to put it on your transcript.

From a purely logical standpoint, letting an ACE evaluation expire is silly. It's very expensive to seek initial evaluation and cheap to renew, which makes me wonder if they are in renewal.

That said, I think you're likely not going to get credit. BUT, if you have some free time you could try and look for a loophole. You could burn a dozen hours looking into this, you'll have to decide if it's worth trying.

[mrs.b]

The Visual C# expired 2/28/11. I enrolled 10/1/11 and finished 11/28/11. So I am way outside the date range.

Did you try to add it to an ACE transcript and have it rejected? I ask because a course was added to my transcript a few weeks ago, and its renewal date was off but it was approved anyway. Penn Foster is in the renewal process right now (or were as of a few weeks ago when I asked ACE about it), with some courses getting closed for approval, others being re-upped, and others being added as new. ACE had not updated their website with dates as of then, and my course was added and they even helped me prompt Penn Foster for approval since PF ignored their initial approval request email. (It was the FIN301 equivalent.) The ACE database has been down the last few times I've tried to check it last night and today, so I cannot see if it's since been updated.

If you haven't tried to just add it yet, I'd give it a try to just toss it on the transcript and see what they say. You may get lucky. If you have tried and it was rejected by ACE, cookderosa is probably right...you could waste weeks fighting it, and are not likely to get anywhere.

[ronaldemail1]

Does anybody now if by any chance Penn Foster will renew any of their courses.
I have been looking at the list on the ACE website and several courses end on 2011.

[mrs.b]

Does anybody now if by any chance Penn Foster will renew any of their courses.
I have been looking at the list on the ACE website and several courses end on 2011.

I think many of us are waiting on that answer as well. The ACE website has been down for days, but Penn Foster is undergoing a review for reapproval this year and there is always a risk that a course will not make the cut for whatever reason. Of course, speaking to Penn Foster, there is nothing to worry about so go ahead and get the course. A few of them have been reapproved in the ACE database, like the Business and Technical Writing course (TESC equivalent for ENG216), but the rest appeared to be in limbo or were no longer available for ACE credit when I looked the last time.

[ryoder]

Just try to get it on the ACE transcript. Click the buttons to request that it be added and see what happens.