Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Pennsylvania paraprofessional requirements, set out in PDE's CSPG 101, ask instructional paras in Title I or special education roles for a high school diploma plus one of three routes: an associate degree or higher, at least two years of postsecondary study (48 credits), or a state or locally developed assessment. Your hiring district decides how it checks each route.
Under CSPG 101 and 22 Pa. Code 14.105, an instructional paraprofessional in a Title I programme or special education in Pennsylvania needs a high school diploma plus an associate degree or higher, at least two years of postsecondary study (48 credits), or a passed state or locally developed assessment; special education paras also complete 20 hours of staff development each school year.
The rule asks for 48 credits (two years of postsecondary study), or an associate degree, or an assessment. The legal source is 22 Pa. Code 14.105.
| Route | What CSPG 101 says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base requirement | High school diploma or recognised equivalent | [1] |
| Route 1 | Associate degree or higher | [1] |
| Route 2 | At least two years of postsecondary study (48 credits) | [1] |
| Route 3 | State or locally developed assessment in reading, writing and mathematics | [1] |
| Special education paras | Also 20 hours of staff development each school year | [1] |
| Limits | Para service does not count for substitute service, tenure, professional status or permanent certification | [1] |
Pennsylvania Department of Education (CSPG 101); your hiring school district or intermediate unit decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Pennsylvania Department of Education (CSPG 101); your hiring school district or intermediate unit.
Writing is one of the three skills the assessment route tests, and a core first-year course.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Builds the maths skills paras support in class.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Directly relevant to classroom support work.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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A standard first-year course toward 48 credits.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Relevant to supporting diverse learners.
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Another standard first-year course.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Thomas Edison State University (TESU), University of the People and Newlane University are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Your district decides whether that transcript meets the 48-credit route.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Westmoreland County Community College, county resident | $149 per credit plus $75 per credit general fee | 48 credits: about $10,752 | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | 16 courses in 6-8 months: about $594-$792 | 15 Nov 2026 |
Prices checked 15 Nov 2026. The assessment route may cost the least if your district offers it; ask HR first.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Before you enrol, ask the district's HR office in writing which of the three routes it uses and whether it will count credit for a named course posted via a college transcript.
PDE's Certification and Staffing Policy Guideline 101, updated 21 March 2025, covers instructional paraprofessionals: those working in a Title I school-wide building or a Title I-funded programme, and those in special education. It rests on 22 Pa. Code 14.105 and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Non-instructional aides, such as lunch or bus aides, are outside these qualification routes, though a district can set its own rules for them.
Each route starts with a high school diploma or its recognised equivalent. On top of that you need one of three: a degree, 48 credits, or an assessment. Special education paras also complete at least 20 hours of staff development tied to their assignment every school year.
Which route is best depends on what you already have. Someone with an old associate degree is done. Someone with a year of college may be halfway to 48 credits. Someone with no college may pass the assessment fastest, if the district offers it.
Ask the hiring district or intermediate unit which assessment it uses and how often it runs it. Some intermediate units offer their own paraprofessional assessment with Title I and special education versions, and many districts use the ETS ParaPro test.
CSPG 101 counts two years of postsecondary study as 48 credits and does not name required subjects. Districts usually look for credit on a college transcript. An ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended course becomes such credit only when a college reviews it and posts it, so ask the district in writing before you start whether that transcript will meet the route.
If the district agrees, first-year courses are the simplest fit: English Composition, College Algebra, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology and Educational Psychology. They also build skills you use with students. CSPG 101 also notes para service does not count toward teacher certification, so if teaching is your long-term goal, choose courses a bachelor's degree can use later.
PDE's CSPG 101 puts two years of postsecondary study at 48 credits. That is one of three routes; an associate degree or a passed state or locally developed assessment in reading, writing and mathematics also meets the requirement.
Not if you have an associate degree or 48 credits. The assessment is one route of three. Ask your district which assessment it uses, since CSPG 101 allows a state or locally developed one.
CSPG 101 says special education paraprofessionals must complete at least 20 hours of staff development related to their assignment each school year, in addition to meeting one of the three qualification routes.
No. CSPG 101 says paraprofessional service does not qualify for substitute service, tenure, professional status or permanent certification. If you plan to teach, choose courses a bachelor's degree can use later.
Online credit on a college transcript is reviewed like any other. A course with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation counts only if a college posts it and your district agrees. Ask the district in writing first.
Your hiring school district or intermediate unit checks your transcript, degree or assessment result against CSPG 101. Ask HR which proof it wants, such as an official transcript or a score report, before you apply, so the paperwork does not slow your start date.
Ask your district in writing first which route it uses and whether it will count the credit.