The partnership is a prime opportunity for the workforce to gain additional education and certifications at a much lower cost. Commonwealth employees can choose from more than 150 fully online undergraduate and graduate degrees taught by faculty who have been trained in best practices for online education. What’s more is that 50 accrediting bodies have given our programs the stamp of approval – and so have our more than 186,000 alumni. It’s time you became one of them.
Discover what awaits you with PennWest behind you.
If you’ve ever wondered if a specific degree or certification could give you an edge
in your career, now is the time to stop wondering.
Starting in the spring of 2023, the PA Employee Partnership gives employees within
approved Commonwealth agencies a 20% tuition discount for Pennsylvania Western University’s Global Online graduate and undergraduate programs.
Doctoral programs are excluded.
The PA Employee Partnership is between the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and PennWest
and there are more than 70,000 commonwealth employees who could benefit from it.
PASSHE Foundation Grant
Beginning with the Spring 2023 term, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania employees and eligible
dependents will be able to apply to the PASSHE Foundation for a grant of up to $2,000 per academic year for full-time students and up to $1,000
for part-time students.
Request Info for Undergraduate Programs
Request Info for Graduate Programs
Approved Commonwealth Agencies
The 20 percent discount is for commonwealth permanent and nonpermanent full-time and part-time employees in the agencies listed below, excluding annuitants, who are in an active pay status at the point in time employment is verified by the Office of Administration.
Employees will be asked to self-identify their agency of employment within the PennWest online application for admission.
- Department of Aging
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of the Auditor General
- Department of Banking and Securities
- Department of Community and Economic Development
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- Department of Corrections
- Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
- Department of Education
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Department of General Services
- Department of Health
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Insurance
- Department of Labor & Industry
- Department of Military and Veteran Affairs
- Department of Revenue
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Governor’s Office
- Governor's Office of Administration
- Governor's Office of the Budget
- Governor's Office of General Counsel
- Lieutenant Governor’s Office
- Office of State Inspector General
- Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)
- Pennsylvania Council of the Arts
- Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
- Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB)
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
- Pennsylvania Game Commission
- Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission
- Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission
- Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority
- Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
- Pennsylvania Milk Board
- Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System
- Pennsylvania Parole Board
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Public School Employee's Retirement System
- State Civil Service Commission
- State Employees Retirement System
- State Ethics Commission
Contact Us
For more information, contact the:
Office of Graduate and Online Admissions
GradAdmissions@pennwest.edu (for Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs)
724-938-4187