Pennsylvania Enhanced Background Certification (PEBC)
The Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requires institutions of higher education to obtain background checks for any individuals having direct contact or direct volunteer contact with minors. PEBC includes the following clearances: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check.
Who Needs the Pennsylvania Enhanced Background Certification?
Depending on the individual's role with minors, the PEBC may be obtained for either "employment" or "volunteer" purposes, processed through Department of Education or Department of Human Services for FBI, and will either be paid by Drexel or the individual. The HR Compliance Team will reach out to individuals needing the PEBC via an email from clearances@drexel.edu. The email will contain unique payment codes and should not be forwarded to anyone else.
If you believe you need the PEBC but do not have an instruction email to reference, please contact clearances@drexel.edu with an explanation of your affiliation to Drexel University and your upcoming interaction(s) with minors. HR Compliance serves the following population:
- Finalist Candidates: Finalist candidates whose positions are marked as having interaction with minors in PageUp should receive an instruction email from clearances@drexel.edu.
- Current Employees Needing Renewal: Depending on their job duties, current employees may need renewal after a period of five years from the oldest clearance. They will receive an instruction email from clearances@drexel.edu or can reach out to start the process.
- Non-employee Associates: If you are a Non-Employee Associate, or representing a department hosting a Non-Employee Associate, who will interact with minors, please contact clearances@drexel.edu with an explanation of your interaction with minors.
- Independent Contractors: The Office of Tax Compliance forwards all Independent Contractor agreements marked as interacting with minors to HR Compliance for a determination of whether the PEBC is needed. If the PEBC is needed, the Independent Contractor will receive an instruction email from clearances@drexel.edu.
- Volunteers/Interns: All volunteers and interns are routed through HR Compliance for a determination of whether the PEBC is needed. If the PEBC is needed, the volunteer or intern will receive an instruction email from clearances@drexel.edu.
- Minors Programs: Under the Protection of Minors policy, all members of the University must complete and submit the Minors Program Registration survey before the start of any program, activity, service or event involving minors, on or off campus or in a virtual setting. For questions, please contact protectionofminors@drexel.edu. A minors program must be registered before the PEBC process can begin. Members of the university who are planning a future minors program and want to get started on the PEBC ahead of registration may contact protectionofminors@drexel.edu to inquire about starting the process.
- Self-Pay Volunteer through Lindy Center for Civic Engagement: Students and employees who need to pay for the PEBC on their own to engage with a Lindy Center for Civic Engagement volunteer opportunity with minors should contact clearances@drexel.edu.
- School of Education Field Placement: School of Education students completing the PEBC for field placement purposes should visit the School of Education's Required Clearances for Field Experience page and contact SOEclearances@drexel.edu with any questions.
Pennsylvania Enhanced Background Certification at a Glance
Human Resources would like to highlight that these are state forms and may not be inclusive of all genders, races or ethnicities. When you receive your specific instructions from Human Resources, you will also receive a link to a consent form; this must be on file before results can be processed.
| Purpose of PEBC | Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance | Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check | Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Purposes | $13 Paid by Drexel / Instructions |
$22 Paid by Drexel / Human Resources Will Obtain | $27.20 (Includes a $1 Fee for Payment Code) Paid by Drexel / Instructions |
| Volunteer Purposes | $0 / Instructions |
$0 / Instructions |
If Drexel Sponsored: $27.20* (Includes a $1 Fee for Payment Code) Paid by Drexel / Instructions If Self Pay: $24.20* Paid by Individual / Instructions / Fingerprinting Available on Campus
*If you have lived for the entirety of the previous 10 years exclusively in PA, you must complete and submit a Volunteer Disclosure Form to be considered for an exemption.
|
Contact Information
HR Compliance Team:
Katie Regetta (she/her), Director, HR Compliance
Jenna Paiano (she/her), Senior HR Compliance Specialist
Frequently Asked Questions
Please contact us at clearances@drexel.edu to review options.
The PEBC process can be completed in as little as 1-2 days depending on how quickly the individual goes through the instruction email, but departments should plan for up to two weeks.
The PEBC is typically sponsored by the individual’s home department or the department hosting the minors program. In certain situations, individuals are asked to complete it as “self-pay."
The PEBC is valid for a period of five years from the date of the oldest clearance.
It depends! Clearances obtained for “employment” purposes can be “ported” for employment or volunteer opportunities. Clearances obtained for “volunteer” purposes may only be used for volunteer opportunities.
Occasionally, fingerprint images will result in a rejection for quality. After rejection, the person will need to have a second set of images taken. If those are also rejected, the Department of Education or Department of Human Services will complete a name-based search.
HR Compliance does not have access to the back-end of all state systems and cannot look up child abuse or criminal clearances. If a former FBI clearance was obtained through the Department of Education, we may be able to access your results if you have a UEID code staring with UZSV.
The PEBC process is mandatory for all members of the university who have interaction with minors in accordance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) and Drexel’s Background Checks policy (view in Policy Directory).
The clearances@drexel.edu team is happy to help!
Contact Us
3201 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
In-Person Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Remote Hours
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.