Summary

The CTA 2025-2026 University Credit Program is a benefit to members during the 2025-2026 school year. CTA Members, through attending CTA Conferences or watching CTA Virtual Pass to Online Learning sessions, will be given the opportunity to accumulate the professional growth hours needed to qualify for university credit units issued by our partner, CSU Chico. As a benefit to CTA members, CTA will cover the cost for up to SIX university units available during the Academic year period (September 2025 -May 2026).

If members have completed units in a previous period, they are still able to earn additional units during the 2025-2026 University Credit Program. Additional university units may help you advance on your salary schedule.

Process

1. Check with your district HR office or local chapter president to ensure that university credit units through this program can help you advance on your salary schedule.
2. Register for and attend in-person CTA conferences or stream recordings on the CTA Virtual Pass to Online Learning.
3. For your records, download your CTA Professional Growth Hours certificates issued to you at the conclusion of each conference or session streamed on the Virtual Pass to Online Learning Platform.
4. A new and improved CTA University Credit Platform is now live. This improved user experience will allow you to easily track your professional development hours, earned university credits and give you real-time updates on your credit application. Click here to get a preview of your new My Education Credit Profile. Once you have accumulated 15 hours or more, apply for the university credit by visiting My Education Credit Profile. You must submit a separate application for each unit you are claiming. Please allow CSU Chico 15-20 business days to approve your hours/units.
5. Once you receive your email confirmation from CSU Chico that your submitted application has been approved and your eligibility has been verified, you will be able to order your transcripts through CSU Chico, allow 3-4 weeks processing after the end of the semester (December 10th, 2025 for the 2025 Fall Semester) to order your official transcript. After you receive your transcript in the mail, submit it to your district.

Click here to download a digital version of our CTA University Credit Program Flyer that you can share with your colleagues!

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this program be offered in the future?

How many credit units can I obtain in the current period (September – May)? Will they all be covered by CTA?

There are NINE university credit units available as part of the 2025-2026 CTA University Credit Program in the current period. SIX will be paid for by CTA. You may purchase three additional units for $85 each payable directly to CSU Chico. 

The 2025-2026 University Credit Program will span for three semesters in the current period (Sept ’25 – May ’26): 2025 Fall Semester, 2025-2026 Winter Semester, and the 2026 Spring Semester.

You can choose to claim all nine available credits in one semester or spread them out throughout the three semesters in the current period. Only Professional Growth hours earned from September 2, 2025 – May 8, 2026 are qualified for University Credit for the current period. 

Semester Start and End Dates:

Fall 2025: September 2 – December 10

Winter 2025 – 2026: December 11- Jan 14, 2026

Spring 2026: Jan 15, 2026 – May 8, 2026

When is the deadline to apply?

To obtain units in the Fall 2025 semester (September 2 – December 10), you must accumulate the necessary hours and enroll on the CSU, Chico website before December 10, 2025. The approximate date transcripts will become available is December 31, 2025.

To obtain units for the Winter 2025-2026 semester (December 11, 2025 – January 14, 2026), you must accumulate the necessary hours and submit your applications before midnight January 14, 2026. The approximate date transcripts will become available is January 31, 2026.

To obtain units for the Spring 2026 semester (January 15, 2026 – May 8, 2026), you must accumulate the necessary hours and submit your applications before midnight May 8, 2026. The approximate date transcripts will become available is May 31, 2026.

You must submit a separate application for each unit you are claiming. For example, if you are claiming six units, you will need to submit six applications through your Education Credit Profile page.

There will be no late submissions accepted.

Can I re-watch courses I have already completed for credit?

You cannot watch the same course multiple times for university credit. Those hours from re-watching the course will not show up in your hour balance for the current period. You can rewatch courses for your own learning, but they will not be counted for university credit.   

As you are browsing the catalog for courses to watch, there will be a green check mark next to the title of the course after clicking on “Register Now” or “Add to Basket”. This green check mark indicates that you have already completed and submitted the course previously. You will need to complete courses that you have not yet completed previously for the hours to be counted towards 2024-2025 credit. 

Do I need university credits to advance on my salary scale?

Each district has different rules. Some of them accept the certificates of Professional Growth Hours provided by CTA, while others require University Credits. For more information about your specific case, please contact your district’s human resource department, or reach out to your local chapter’s leadership.

Which in-person conferences qualify for the CTA 2024-2025 University Credit Program?

Below are the in-person CTA conferences that qualify for the CTA University Credit Program in the current period:

• 2025 Region I Leadership Conference | September 5-7 – Hyatt Regency SFO
• 2025 Orange SCC Leadership Conference (Worth 7 PD Hours) | September 6 – Hilton OC
• 2025 Special Education Conference | September 12-14 – Hyatt Regency SFO
• 2025 Region 3 Leadership Conference | September 26-28 – Warner Center Marriott
• 2025 Region 2 Leadership Conference | October 3-5 – Grand Sierra Resort Reno, NV
• 2025 CCA Fall Conference | October 10-12 – Westin SFO Airport
• 2025 San Gorgonio SCC Fall Leadership Conference | October 10-12 – The Westin Rancho Mirage
• 2025 LGBTQ+ Issues Conference | October 24-26 – Hyatt Regency OC
• 2025 Solidarity Conference | October 31 – November 2 – SFO Marriott
• 2025 High Desert SCC Fall Leadership Conference | November 21-23 – Renaissance Palm Springs
• 2025 New Educator Weekend North | December 5-7 – Hyatt Regency SFO
• 2025 San Diego & Imperial SCC Fall Leadership Conference | December 12-14 – Renaissance Palm Springs
• 2026 Issues Conference | January 16-18, 2026 – Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas
• 2026 Good Teaching Conference North | January 30 – February 1, 2026 – Hyatt Regency SFO
• 2026 New Educator Weekend South | February 20-22, 2026 – Hilton OC/Costa Mesa
• 2026 Region 4 Leadership Conference | March 6-8, 2026 – Hyatt Regency La Jolla
• 2026 Equity & Human Rights Conference | March 13-15, 2026 – Hilton OC/Costa Mesa
• 2026 Good Teaching Conference South | March 20-22, 2026 – Hyatt Regency OC

Do my accumulated professional development hours roll over?

Any hours over 15 will apply to the next university credit unit, as long as those hours were accumulated from qualifying content for the current period. You must submit a separate application for each unit.

Hours earned during the 2025-2026 Program that are not used towards university credit after May 8, 2026 will not carry over to the next period.

Hours earned during previous periods of the program cannot be carried over to the current Program. 

Where can I access the Conferences and Virtual Pass to Online Learning content?

You can learn more and register for conferences on our main conference page. Attending in-person conferences will grant you the maximum number of professional development hours available at the conference. One to two weeks after the end of a conference, selected session recordings will be made available on the CTA Virtual Pass, allowing you to stream on-demand sessions. The full catalog of qualified recorded sessions for the 2024-2025 Program can be viewed on CTA Virtual Pass.

How do I check my Virtual Pass Hour Balance?

Your Credit Hour Summary can be viewed by clicking on the link at the top left of your Virtual Pass classroom labeled “My Education Credit Profile”. You can also view your Education Credit Profile by clicking on the link in Step 4 above. Only hours labeled “2025-2026 University Credit Program” in your hour balance and completed between September 2, 2025 – May 8, 2026 are qualified for the 2025-2026 term.

Click here for help with Applying for University Credit.

Click here for help with reading My Education Credit Profile.

I am having trouble submitting the credit application on My Education Credit Profile. What should I do?

How do I gather my Professional Growth Hours certificates?

The certificates are not needed to enroll on the CSU, Chico website but are useful to keep track of how many hours you have accumulated. Some districts accept these certificates instead of the University Credit from CSU Chico. For more information about your specific case, please contact your district’s human resource department, or reach out to your local chapter leadership.

For in-person conferences, participants will receive an email when the conference ends which will contain the link to download the CTA Professional Growth Hours certificate.  Eligible participants will be awarded the maximum number of hours available at the conference.

After two weeks, session recordings will become available on the CTA Virtual Pass. The certificate of attendance for each session you complete is downloadable from the “Course History” tab in the CTA Virtual Pass classroom. The certificate button only becomes active once you complete the full session.

I need the course details for pre-approval, what are they?

The course title and number for the 2025 Fall University Credit Program are as follows:

• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (1st Unit), Course number: EDTE 848A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (2nd Unit), Course number: EDTE 849A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (3rd Unit), Course number: EDTE 850A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (4th Unit), Course number: EDTE 851A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (5th Unit), Course number: EDTE 852A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (6th Unit), Course number: EDTE 853A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (7th Unit), Course number: EDTE 854A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (8th Unit), Course number: EDTE 855A
• Title: CTA Fall 2025 In-Person and Virtual Pass – (9th Unit), Course number: EDTE 856A

The course title and number for the 2025-2026 Winter University Credit Program are as follows:

Course Codes for the Winter and Spring Semesters Coming Soon!

The course title and number for the 2026 Spring University Credit Program are as follows:

Course Codes for the Winter and Spring Semesters Coming Soon!

You can obtain a maximum of NINE units total for the 2025-2026 Program. CTA will cover the cost for the first six units. Each additional unit will be $85 each.

EDTE stands for: Education – Teacher Education

CSU Chico Official Course Description: This course recognizes 15 hours of professional development offered by the California Teachers Association and approved by CSU Chico School of Education. Programming covers a range of topics such as leadership, LGBTQ+ issues, entering the teaching profession, special education, human rights issues, and techniques and tools for in-person and remote teaching. These sessions are at in-person conferences, and recorded from in-person conferences over the past several years, reviewed and updated regularly for currency and accuracy.

The deadline to request units for these courses is May 8, 2026. No late submissions will be accepted.

I am a member of LAUSD. Can I take advantage of this program for salary advancement?

Yes, download this flyer for more information.

Can I submit a late request?

No, there will be no catch-up or late submissions possible for the 2025-2026 University Credit Program after the program deadline of May 8, 2026. Deadlines must be met before the end of each semester in order to receive credit for the specific semester.

How do I request a transcript?

Once your application has been processed and you are enrolled with CSU Chico, you will receive an email confirmation. The enrollment information in that email allows you to log into the CSU Chico student portal, where you can request an official transcript for $8, price is subject to change and is set by CSU Chico. No official digital transcripts will be available to download.

Please note: You will need to wait 3-4 weeks after each semester deadline to order your official transcripts from CSU Chico.

More information on all the ways to request a transcript is available online on the CSU, Chico website. For questions regarding other services offered by Student Records and Registration please visit www.csuchico.edu/sro or call (530) 898-6105.

When will my credit unit(s) be posted to my transcript?

Credit unit(s) will be posted to transcripts 3-4 weeks after the conclusion of each CSU Chico semester.

Why do my units show as attempted but not earned on my transcript?

CSU Chico EDTE courses numbered 800-899 are designated as part of a Professional Advancement program and cannot be used towards a degree. Successful completion of an 800-level course will appear on the transcript with a “CR” grade and a value in the attempted field that may not be reflected in the earned field or the summary totals. Any student satisfactorily completing an 800-level course will receive a “CR” as a grade and this will appear on the transcript to indicate that the units and credit have been earned.

Upon ordering your transcript, you will receive a letter from the CSU, Chico Registrar’s office explaining how to read the transcript. Participants can forward that letter to their district as needed.

Where do I find my CTA Member ID?

You will need your CTA membership ID number to complete the application with CSU Chico. Your membership number is on your CTA member card that you received via email and annually in the mail. Your CTA number is also on your educator magazine address label and will be included on the Professional Growth Hours certificates you will download after attending a conference.

I’m looking for information on past programs, where can I find it?

For the Season Pass which took place over Winter and Spring 2020-2021, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2021 Summer Pass, which took place over Summer 2021, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2021-2022 Spring Session, which took place from September 2021 – May 2022, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2022 Summer Pass, which took place over Summer 2022, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2022-2023 University Credit Program, which took place from Fall 2022 – Spring 2023, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2023 Summer Pass, which took place over Summer 2023, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2023-2024 University Credit Program, which took place from Fall 2023 – Spring 2024, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2024 Summer Pass, which took place over Summer 2024, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2024-2025 University Credit Program, which took place from Fall 2024 – Spring 2025, please visit our archived information page.

For the 2025 Summer Pass, which took place over Summer 2025, please visit our archived information page.

For more information and to register for University Credit, visit the CSU, Chico continuing education website. For additional questions, contact us at VirtualPass@CTA.org