The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) supports career and technical education students aligning their high school courses to a college program in order to complete a degree, diploma or certificate.
If you are a career and technical education student, use the resources below to learn about the credentials needed to qualify for SOAR program credit.
What Is SOAR?
SOAR stands for Students Occupationally and Academically Ready. SOAR programs articulate skills and tasks gained at the secondary school (high school) level to course credit earned in a postsecondary (college) degree, diploma or certificate program.
SOAR programs can help students:
- Prepare for entering the job market with college and career ready skills
- Choose the best career pathway
- Save money on college tuition
- Save time by not duplicating coursework in college
PA SOAR Bulletin (English) (Spanish)
How Do I Qualify for SOAR Credits?
Qualified SOAR program students are eligible to apply for credits up to 16 months after their high school graduation date.
In order to qualify for SOAR program postsecondary credits a student must:
- Earn a high school diploma, with a minimum 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the technical core courses
- Complete the secondary school component of the approved PDE Program of Study
- Achieve proficiency on all tasks of the approved PDE Program of Study Competency Task List
- Achieve competent or advanced level on the secondary school end-of-program assessment that is appropriate for the approved PDE Program of Study
How Do I Find a College that Offers Articulated Credit with SOAR Program(s)?
The PA Bureau of CTE SOAR Programs Search on CollegeTransfer.net shows how SOAR programs taken at the high school level may transfer into participating colleges, universities and technical centers.
Learn how to conduct a SOAR program search
When conducting a search, a student will select a desired Program of Study and Graduation Year. Once the search is completed, the results displayed will indicate the institutions offering credit for the specific Program of Study. Comparable courses and credits awarded by each institution are also displayed. Select View Detail to see more information about the specific articulation.
How Do I Apply for SOAR Credits?
The student will apply through the normal admissions process at the postsecondary institution found in the SOAR program search.
In addition, the student will need to submit the following required documentation designating that he or she is a SOAR participant seeking advanced credit:
Students should contact their high school guidance counselor for assistance with submitting these additional documents.
Qualified SOAR program students are eligible to apply for credits up to sixteen months after their high school graduation date.