Wow! Talk about instant gratification!
Signing up for
Penn Foster's online bridal consultant course was very easy and really
fast, two things I really value when I am shopping, browsing, or, well,
doing anything, online.
Less than five minutes after
clicking the "Enroll" button, I was in business and ready to start my
first lesson! Honestly, the longest part of enrolling was digging
through my purse to find my wallet and credit card.
My total cost is $798.00, which includes:
- tuition: $620.00
- registration fee: $93.00
- credit
application fee: $25.00
- technology fee: $35.00
- shipping
and handling: $25.00
I
wasn't too thrilled about the credit application fee, but it turns out
that since I paid up front (the "Full Payment Plan"), the credit
application fee, technology fee, and shipping and handling charges were
waived, saving me $75.00 and bringing the final cost down to $713. Yay!
I was considering going with the Automatic Payment Plan, which
is a nice option. Basically you make a down payment and establish
monthly payments (interest-free!!) that you can have automatically
charged to a credit card, debit card, or bank account. They give you
this little calculator and you can play around with the amount of your
down payment and then the subsequent monthly payments. I couldn't
believe it, but you can put down as little as $10.00 to get started and
then pay only $36 a month! The total price if you go with the Automatic
Payment Plan is $738.00. (With the Automatic Payment Plan, the
technology fee and shipping and handling charge gets waived, but you
may have to pay the feed later if you don't keep up with your account.)
The
last option they offer is what they call a Standard Payment Plan. Here,
you also choose a down payment and a monthly payment, and then Penn
Foster sends you a handy coupon book so you can make your monthly
paymentsfo. I was terrible about using those little thingies for our
mortgage, so this wasn't the best choice for me, but it may make sense
for other folks. The total price is $798.00 -- still a bargain in my
opinion.
After entering in my credit card information, I received
a friendly email right away (that unfortunately went to my Junk Mail
folder, so be on the lookout!) that said:
"Welcome to Penn Foster Schools! Your first shipment of learning materials is on
its way.
If you would like to begin with your studies right away, you
can use your Student ID# 99999999. You can do this by going to http://www.PennFoster.edu and clicking on
"Student Login" and then clicking "Create a Login" under "First Time User". Fill
in the information requested to create your own personal username and password.
This will allow you to study online, take exams, and check your student records.
Please keep your username and password private."
Cool! I wonder how long that first shipment will take ... but I'm excited to login!
Stand by ...