Question 1

How does the PERMS upload work?

Accepted Answer

You finish the course, email us your PPID and course completion confirmation, and we upload your Act 48 hours directly to PERMS — the same day, 7 days a week. No third-party submission. No waiting weeks for credit to post. You can verify our PDE approval in the official PERMS provider search by entering “For Teachers By Teachers” in the Provider Name box.

Question 2

How long does it take to appear in PERMS?

Accepted Answer

Most teachers see their Act 48 hours appear in PERMS within 24 hours after sending us their PPID. Our team is available 7 days a week and uploads your hours the same day you complete your course.

Question 3

Is the $190 graduate credit transcript fee required?

Accepted Answer

No — the $190 fee is completely optional. You only pay it if you want the optional 3 graduate credits on a university transcript (for salary lane movement or to convert your 45 Act 48 Hours to 90 Act 48 Hours). Your Act 48 hours are uploaded to PERMS automatically when you finish the course, with no extra fee. If you do want the graduate credit upgrade, you can pay the $190 transcript fee anytime — including after you finish the course. The payment link sits inside your online classroom, ready when you need it.

Question 4

Can I use these credits toward my Pennsylvania Level II certificate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. To convert an Instructional I to a Level II (Instructional II) certificate, PDE requires 24 semester credits earned after your bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited, degree-granting college or university, documented on an official transcript — online courses included. Each course you take with the optional UMass Global upgrade adds 3 graduate credits on an official letter-grade transcript from University of Massachusetts Global, which is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). PDE also requires at least 6 of your 24 credits to be in your certification area or designed to improve professional practice — exactly what our courses are built for. Bonus: those same 3 credits count as 90 Act 48 hours, so each course works toward both requirements at once. One heads-up: Act 48 hours by themselves do not count toward the 24 credits — only college credits do. Once you have your 24 credits, three years of satisfactory service, and your completed induction program, you apply for Level II through PDE's TIMS system. Want the complete step-by-step? Our Pennsylvania Level II certification guide walks through the entire Instructional I to Instructional II conversion.

Question 5

If I use my credits for Level II, can they also count toward Act 48 and salary advancement?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the same 3 credits can do triple duty, and that's exactly why Pennsylvania teachers love the graduate credit upgrade. PDE confirms that collegiate credits earned for Level II certification can also be applied toward your Act 48 requirement, as long as they were earned during your current five-year Act 48 compliance period. Each semester credit is worth 30 Act 48 hours, so one 3-credit UMass Global course gives you 90 Act 48 hours and 3 of your 24 Level II credits at the same time. Helpful tip straight from PDE: if your transcript went to their Certification Division for your Level II application, email RA-EDACT48@PA.GOV and ask for those same credits to be applied to your Act 48 record. Salary lane movement is the third use — salary schedules are set district-by-district through collective bargaining agreements, and many Pennsylvania districts award lane movement for graduate credits, so a quick check with your HR or payroll office confirms how your district counts them.

Question 6

How many courses do I need for Act 48 or Level II?

Accepted Answer

Here's the quick math. Your Act 48 requirement is 180 hours every five years, so a full cycle is 4 courses at 45 Act 48 hours each — the 4-Course Bundle covers it exactly — or just 2 courses if you add the graduate credit upgrade, since each upgraded course is worth 90 hours. For Level II certification, PDE requires 24 post-baccalaureate credits, and each upgraded course adds 3 — so 8 upgraded courses covers the full requirement on your timeline, alongside any post-bacc credits you've already earned. Mixing and matching works too: many teachers combine credits they already have with a few courses to close the gap.

Question 7

Will my Pennsylvania district accept these credits for salary lane movement?

Accepted Answer

Salary schedules in Pennsylvania are set district-by-district through collective bargaining agreements, and many PA districts award lane or column movement for graduate credits on an official transcript. Your UMass Global transcript is an official letter-grade transcript from a regionally accredited university — exactly the documentation HR offices ask for. Because every CBA is different, a quick check with your HR or payroll office before enrolling is always a good move. And if your district needs anything from us — syllabi, receipts, or an itemized invoice — just email info@forteachersbyteachers.org and we'll get it to you.

Question 8

Are these real graduate-level university credits?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The optional credits are graduate-level, non-degree semester credits issued by University of Massachusetts Global, regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), on an official letter-grade transcript. They're the same type of credit Pennsylvania teachers commonly use for Act 48, Level II certification, and district salary lane movement. One honest note: these are professional development credits, not degree-program credits — they're built for certification and salary advancement, not for transferring into a master's program.

Question 9

How long do I have to finish the course?

Accepted Answer

All courses are 100% self-paced, so you can start and finish on your timeline. There are no live meetings, no assignment due dates from us, and no busywork.

Question 10

What if I enroll and it's not the right fit?

Accepted Answer

We offer a 7-day refund window. Enroll, log in, preview the course materials, and if it's not what you expected, email us within 7 days for a refund.

Question 11

New to Act 48? Where should I start?

Accepted Answer

Start with our complete plain-English guide — it walks through how many hours you need, how PERMS reporting works, and your five-year renewal deadline, step by step. Read the full Pennsylvania Act 48 guide.

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