Please help me decide

I don't know who told you Penn Foster College is not accredited to offer degree programs, but that is false. PFC is accredited by the DETC. They are nationally, but not regionally, accredited. That means a degree may not transfer to some regionally accredited universities, but there are many universities that will accept an associate degree from Penn Foster. We have already identified two of them: Bellevue and Peru State College. I know for a fact that the University of Wisconsin-Madison also accepts credits earned at nationally accredited institutions.

I'm kind of confused by your comment about AACSB, particularly since you were talking about attending the University of Phoenix at the beginning of this thread. Also, I'm not sure why you would need an associate degree from an AACSB accredited institution. In my opinion, AACSB isn't really necessary until you get the bachelor or master degree level, and even then I'm not convinced it's absolutely necessary unless it's required by the state licensing agency in the state where you want to work as an accountant.

 

Ashworth College also has a 100% self-paced online and afforable Associate Degree program in Accounting ($3,800 total if you pay each semester in full). It works out to about $63.33 per credit hour: Associate Degree in Accounting

Here is something you might consider post-graduation; You'll need a Bachelor's to sit for the CPA exam in most states, but you can sit for the ABA (Accredited Business Accountant) exam with an Associate degree. Here is the full scoop on what you need to get your ABA:

In order to be considered for this designation, a professional must first have at least three years of work-related experience. Two of these years can come from college credit. Work experience entails experience with taxation, accounting, financial services or other fields that will be covered on the designations final examination. If a professional is already registered as a CPA, Registered Public Accountant (RPA) or accounting practitioner, he or she will not be required to take the final examination. If the professional does not have one of the aforementioned credentials, then he or she must take the final exam. The exam lasts eight hours and tests proficiency levels in accounting, financial statement preparation, taxes, business law and ethics. All professionals obtaining this designation must agree to a code of ethics.

Source: ACAT's Accountancy and Taxation certifications show the strength of your accounting and tax preparation abilities as a professional.

And more here at the certifying site: Achieving and maintaining your ACAT Accountancy and Taxation accreditation is a statement of your commitment to maintaining your professional growth.

 

While Univ. of Phoenix is a reputable online school, you should really consider an actual school instead of one on the web. My friend went to a Boston business school and really enjoyed her time there. She was an accounting major as well!

 

"Online" schools are actual schools, as long as they are accredited. I'd also point out that University of Phoenix has physical campus locations all over the country.

 

There are community colleges that have fully online AA programs. You can get the Pell grant to cover the costs, no loans or out of pocket expenses, and you can do it fully online. I would say call your local community colleges and see if they have fully online AA programs. Thats the best route to go. Cheaper, regionally accredited, and the same education that you would get if you want and did your classes physically at the college.

 

Learned well have you young padawan. Yesterday was Star Wars Day!

 

LOL!!! Yes I have, oh great one.