Policies

 Any covered individual is permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to Penn Commercial a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to education assistance under chapter 31 or 33. Penn Commercial will also accept the “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs website e-Benefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes and ending on the earlier of the following dates: - The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution - 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility  Penn Commercial will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33. "GI Bill®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Advanced Standing Advanced standing will be allowed to veterans who have completed work at other accredited institutions provided an official transcript of the work completed can be secured. If the veteran is incapable of handling work in said subjects, advanced standing will be withdrawn.

While Penn Commercial credits may be evaluated for transfer to other institutions, the final determination rests with the receiving institution. For more information on credit transfer, please refer to our Transfer of Credit to Other Schools Policy.

Penn Commercial utilized the following four-point grading system: LETTER GRADE NUMERICAL % / DESCRIPTION GPA A 90 - 100 4.00 B 80 – 89 3.00 C 70 – 79 2.00 D 60 – 69 1.00 F Below 60 0.00 P/F Pass/Fail; P also indicates Test Out Credits 0.00 I Incomplete N/E W Withdrawal N/E T Transfer of Credit N/E N/A Not Applicable N/E N/E = no effect on GPA In Pass/Fail courses, the grade “P” is given for “average attainment” or better (A, B, or C); the grade “F” is given for “attainment below average” (D or F). GRADUATES RETURNING FOR ANOTHER PROGRAM Graduates who wish to re-enroll in a Penn Commercial program will be subject to the following requirements: Within One Year of Graduation:  Audit Professional Development II.  No tuition charge for this course, however textbooks and supplies are required. More Than Five Years of Graduation:  Adhere to the "Transfer of Credit to Penn Commercial" policy.  Tuition and fee requirements will be determined based on the specific transfer credit policy. A maximum of three credits earned as a non-degree student may be transferred toward a degree program, provided the student is subsequently admitted.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT TO OTHER SCHOOLS Every institution has its own rules regarding transfer of credits and recognition of credits earned and degrees from another institution. TRANSFER OF CREDIT HOURS TO PENN COMMERCIAL Penn Commercial acknowledges the value of prior learning and permits the transfer of credit hours from accredited post- secondary institutions, subject to the following regulations:  Applicants seeking transfer credit must submit official transcripts and course descriptions from the originating institution. All transfer credit evaluations and determinations must be completed prior to the commencement of the applicant's program at Penn Commercial.  Coursework considered for transfer credit must have been completed within five years of the applicant's Penn Commercial program start date. Military Joint Service Transcripts are accepted and can be accessed at https://jst.doded.mil/jst/.  A minimum grade of "C" or its equivalent is required for transfer credit consideration. If the applicant's prior coursework does not encompass the complete content of a Penn Commercial course, transfer credit will not be granted. Grades of "P" or "S" will be evaluated for transfer credit only if accompanied by an official statement from the issuing institution confirming that these grades represent a performance level equivalent to a "C" or higher.  Transfer credits may constitute no more than 75% of the total credit hours required for a program of study at Penn Commercial. The final determination regarding the award of transfer credit resides with Penn Commercial.  A formal record of the transfer credit review will be maintained within the student's academic file.  Approved transfer credits will be documented on the student's permanent academic record with a "T" notation on the Penn Commercial transcript.

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Experiential Learning Penn Commercial does not accept the transfer of credit for experiential learning toward any program of study. Articulation Agreements Penn Commercial currently maintains articulation agreements with:  Butler County Area Vocational Training School  Connellsville Area Career and Technology Center  Fayette County Career and Technology Center  Greene County Career and Technology Center  Western Area Career and Technology Center TRANSFER OF CLOCK HOURS TO PENN COMMERCIAL Cosmetology Program Penn Commercial recognizes prior learning and may grant transfer of clock hours for coursework completed at other licensed cosmetology schools, subject to the following regulations:  Applicants seeking transfer of clock hours must submit official transcripts and course descriptions from the originating institution.  Penn Commercial reserves the right to transfer a maximum of 350 clock hours. The institution also retains the right to accept, deny, or partially accept transfer credit. Verification from the appropriate licensing authority that the other school is licensed in that state, in the case of a student transferring from an out-of-State school to a Pennsylvania school is required.  A minimum grade of "C" or its equivalent is required for transfer hours’ consideration. If the applicant's prior coursework does not encompass the complete content of a Penn Commercial course, transfer of clock hours will not be granted.  Student kits are not eligible for transfer.  Please note that transfer of clock hours is not permitted for the Esthetics and Nail Technician programs.  Transfer of clock hour consideration is limited to coursework in Anatomy and Physiology and Growth and Development only.  A minimum grade of "C" or its equivalent is required for transfer hours’ consideration. If the applicant's prior coursework does not encompass the complete content of a Penn Commercial course, transfer of clock hours will not be granted. Grades of "P" or "S" will be evaluated for transfer credit only if accompanied by an official statement from the issuing institution confirming that these grades represent a performance level equivalent to a "C" or higher.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) CHANGE OF PROGRAM If a student requests to transfer from one program to another, only courses that are accepted for transfer credit into his/her new program will be used in calculating Maximum Time Frame, Pace of Progression and CGPA. TRANSFER CREDITS/HOURS FROM AN EXTERNAL INSTITUTION All transfer credits/hours from an external institution will count toward Maximum Time Frame and Pace of Progression. For CGPA, transfer credits/hours are not included in the calculation. Transfer credits will be noted as a “T” on the student’s transcript.