Apprentices Can Earn Degree Credits in PA Pilot

Workers in advanced manufacturing apprenticeships at IUP and PennWest can have that experience counted toward a bachelor's degree.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Financial Aid

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a welding helmet and a rolled diploma tube linked by drifting amber sparks on a cream field. — Indiana University of Pennsylvania and PennWest University are running Path Forward PA, a pilot letting advanced manufacturing apprentices earn college credits toward a bachelor's degree. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you consider an apprenticeship that earns college credit instead of a traditional degree?

The State System of Higher Education Foundation announced Path Forward PA, a pilot that lets workers in advanced manufacturing apprenticeships earn college credits toward a bachelor's degree. Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and PennWest University are running the pilot, which was announced at an event at the KCAC.

Why it matters

For Pennsylvania students and workers, the pilot targets the cost of a four-year degree by counting real-world apprenticeship experience toward coursework. Its stated goal is to let learners pursue an apprenticeship and college classes at the same time rather than choosing between them.

The pilot is funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, and it currently operates at IUP and PennWest University. The source does not list specific credit amounts, eligibility criteria, or enrollment caps.

The players

State System of Higher Education Foundation

The fundraising arm of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, which announced the program and supports the public universities in the system.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)

A public university in Indiana, Pennsylvania, that is piloting the apprenticeship-to-degree credit program.

PennWest University

A public university in Pennsylvania that is piloting the apprenticeship-to-degree credit program alongside IUP.

The details

IUP and PennWest calculated college credits for experiences workers gain during an advanced manufacturing apprenticeship. Those credits were then applied to related bachelor's degree programs, so apprentices can work toward a degree while completing their apprenticeship. The approach is designed to let participants pursue both tracks together instead of choosing one.

Path Forward PA was announced on November 12, 2026, at an event at the KCAC.

Education Landscape

Pennsylvania's public universities are testing ways to lower the cost of a bachelor's degree by recognizing learning that happens outside the classroom. Path Forward PA applies that approach to advanced manufacturing apprenticeships at two State System schools.

If you work in advanced manufacturing in Pennsylvania, ask IUP or PennWest about how apprenticeship experience could be counted toward a related degree. Students weighing apprenticeship against college coursework can ask the school's admissions or financial-aid office how credit transfers and what costs apply.

The takeaway

Path Forward PA is a pilot, so details such as credit amounts and eligibility may change as it develops. Anyone considering an apprenticeship-to-degree route should ask IUP or PennWest's financial-aid office which credits apply and how they affect total cost.