Penn State Human Resources

What Penn State Human Resources does

Penn State Human Resources is the centralized Human Resources department of The Pennsylvania State University, a public state-related university founded in 1855 and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The department administers the full employee lifecycle for current and former personnel across the flagship University Park campus, 20 Commonwealth Campuses, and the World Campus, serving faculty, staff, technical service employees, postdoctoral appointees, retirees, and their dependents. Its functional mandate spans benefits administration, talent acquisition, compensation, labor and employee relations, absence management, occupational medicine, and workers' compensation, supported by functional sub-teams (Benefits, Compensation, Talent Acquisition, Labor & Employee Relations, Absence Management, Compliance, Occupational Medicine, Data & Onboarding, Administrative Support, Administration, HR Services, and Talent Management).

Name

Penn State Human Resources

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University

Website

https://hr.psu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Penn State Human Resources is the centralized HR department of The Pennsylvania State University, administering benefits, payroll, talent acquisition, and employee services via the Workday HRIS platform for faculty, staff, postdocs, and retirees across all Penn State campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Human Resources and Benefits Administration

NAICS

Administration of Human Resource Programs (923)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAKAG

Human Resources & Faculty/Staff Administration

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Institutional Governance & Administration (School/College/University Admin)

SECONDARYBPACAIAF

Workforce Benefits Administration (Enrollment & Deductions)

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Payroll Services & Workforce Administration

SECONDARYHLAEALAK

Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Third-Party Administration (TPA) & Administrative Services Only (ASO)

Keywords

• Employee benefits administration
• Human resources services
• Health insurance plans
• Retirement plan administration
• Tuition discount programs

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penn State Human Resources is the centralized internal HR department of The Pennsylvania State University, administering comprehensive employee benefits and HR services to faculty, staff, technical service employees, postdoctoral appointees, and retirees across all Penn State campuses. Core offerings include health, dental, and vision insurance; life and disability coverage; retirement plans through SERS and TIAA; a 75% tuition discount; time-off programs; wellness resources; and absence/workers' compensation administration, delivered through the Workday HRIS and WorkLion self-service portal.

Product overview

Penn State Human Resources provides a comprehensive employee benefits administration platform serving faculty, staff, technical service employees, postdoctoral appointees, and retirees. The portfolio includes three health insurance plan options (Lion Traditional, Lion Advantage HSA, and Lion Advantage Flex administered by Highmark), dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, supplemental retirement plans, tuition discounts, and wellness programs. The system integrates with multiple third-party administrators including Workday for core HR functions, Unum for life/disability coverage, MetLife for legal and pet insurance, ID Watchdog for identity protection, TIAA for retirement planning, and United Concordia/EyeMed for dental/vision coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Benefits Administration Comprehensive HR benefits administration platform providing health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, tuition discount, time-off, and wellness programs for Penn State faculty, staff, technical service employees, postdoctoral appointees, and retirees.
• Lion Traditional Plan Traditional health insurance plan administered by Highmark Blue Shield with comprehensive coverage including preventive care, prescription drugs, and specialist services for Penn State employees.
• Lion Advantage HSA Plan High-deductible health plan paired with a Health Savings Account, offering lower premiums and tax-advantaged savings for medical expenses for Penn State employees.
• Lion Advantage Flex Plan HMO-style health plan offering flexible coverage options with in-network benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs for Penn State employees.
• Dental Plan Dental insurance plan administered by United Concordia offering preventive care at 100%, basic services at 80%, and major services at 60% coverage when using in-network providers, with a $1,500 annual maximum per person.
• Vision Plan Vision insurance administered by EyeMed providing coverage for eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses through the INSIGHT network with a $130 allowance for frames or contacts.
• Life Insurance University-paid basic term life insurance through Unum ($50,000 for faculty/staff, $25,000 for technical service employees) plus optional age-graded employee and spousal life insurance up to $1.5 million.
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Optional coverage from $10,000 to $300,000 providing benefits for accidental death or dismemberment, with spouse coverage at 60% and children at 20% of the principal amount.
• Short-Term Disability Income replacement through Unum for illnesses and injuries lasting more than 14 or 30 days, up to 22-24 weeks, providing 60% of salary up to a $1,500/week maximum.
• Long-Term Disability Income protection plan through Unum providing 60% of salary up to $10,000/month for disabilities preventing work, with an optional Retirement Income Protection (RIP) component for LTD beneficiaries.
• MetLife Legal Plan Legal insurance through MetLegal providing access to network attorneys for personal legal matters including estate planning, home purchases, family law, and debt matters, at $14.33/month.
• MetLife Pet Insurance Flexible pet insurance covering accidents, illnesses, and preventive care for dogs, cats, and exotic pets, reimbursing up to 90% of veterinary costs.
• ID Watchdog Identity Protection Identity theft protection providing dark web monitoring, credit monitoring, social media monitoring, device security, VPN, and identity theft insurance at $6.75/month (employee only) or $12.10/month (family).
• Long-Term Care Insurance Grandfathered John Hancock group long-term care plan for current enrollees; payroll deductions discontinued, with direct billing or automatic bank withdrawal options available.
• SERS Retirement Plan State Employees Retirement System hybrid pension/investment plan with Class A-5 and A-6 options, offering defined benefit and defined contribution components for eligible Penn State employees.
• Penn State Alternate Retirement Plan (ARP) Defined contribution retirement plan administered by TIAA with 5% employee and 9.29% employer contributions, including 403(b) and 457(b) supplemental options.
• Supplemental Retirement Plans 403(b) Voluntary Employee Retirement Savings and 457(b) Deferred Compensation plans administered by TIAA for additional tax-deferred retirement savings.
• Tuition Discount Program 75% tuition discount for employees, retirees, and dependents (spouse and children up to age 26) for undergraduate and graduate courses at Penn State campuses.
• Time Off Benefits Comprehensive time-off package including vacation, sick time, holidays, funeral/bereavement leave, and other paid time off based on position and years of service.
• COBRA Continuation Continuation coverage administered by Lifetime Benefit Solutions allowing former employees and dependents to maintain health benefits temporarily following qualifying events such as termination or divorce.
• Health & Wellbeing Programs Comprehensive wellbeing initiatives covering mental/emotional, physical, social, professional, and financial wellness, with resources, webinars, SupportLinc EAP, and Hinge Health MSK care.
• Employee Discounts Program Discount program with over 100 participating local and national businesses offering savings on automotive, retail, entertainment, travel, and more.
• Absence Management Administration of FMLA, leaves of absence, and other employee leave programs including guidance on eligibility and the claims process.
• Workers Compensation Program for reporting and managing work-related illnesses or injuries, including occupational medicine services and medical treatment coordination.
• Child Care Resources Resources and support for finding quality child care, including Penn State-managed child care centers and referral services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% tuition discount on in-state tuition for employees and dependents
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and standard.

• Highmark Blue ShieldcoreTechnology or IntegrationHealth insurance plan administrator for Penn State medical plans including Lion Traditional, Lion Advantage HSA, and Lion Advantage Flex. Provides comprehensive healthcare coverage administration, prescription benefits, and member services through Highmark concierge team.
• United Concordia (UCCI)coreTechnology or IntegrationDental plan administrator offering dental insurance through the Elite Prime network. Provides preventive, basic, and major dental services coverage.
• EyeMedcoreTechnology or IntegrationVision plan administrator providing vision coverage through INSIGHT network providers including LensCrafters and Pearle Vision. Offers discounts on glasses, contact lenses, and hearing exams.
• UnumcoreTechnology or IntegrationLife insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance provider. Administers basic term life insurance ($50,000 for faculty/staff, $25,000 for technical service), optional employee and spousal life insurance, and disability benefits.
• MetLifecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides legal insurance plan (MetLife Legal Plan) and pet insurance (MetLife Pet Insurance) for Penn State employees. Legal plan offers network attorney services with no copays or deductibles for covered matters.
• ID WatchdogstandardTechnology or IntegrationIdentity theft protection provider offering comprehensive monitoring services including credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, and identity restoration. Named Best in Class in 2024 by Javelin Strategy & Research.
• TIAAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdministers the Penn State Alternate Retirement Plan (ARP), a defined contribution 401(k)-style plan, as well as supplemental retirement plans (403(b) and 457(b)). Also provides Retirement Income Protection (RIP) for LTD beneficiaries.
• State Employees Retirement System (SERS)coreTechnology or IntegrationPennsylvania state retirement system providing hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution pension plans for eligible Penn State employees. Offers Class A-5 and A-6 hybrid plans, as well as straight defined contribution options.
• Lifetime Benefit SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationCOBRA administration and premium billing services provider. Handles continuation of health coverage for employees and dependents following qualifying events such as termination or divorce.
• WorkdaycoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud-based HRIS platform serving as the primary system for benefits enrollment, payroll processing, and employee self-service through the WorkLion portal.
• Hinge HealthstandardTechnology or IntegrationDigital musculoskeletal (MSK) care platform offered as part of Penn State's health benefits, providing virtual physical therapy and wellness programs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana University Human Resources: IU HR is a Big Ten peer administering comparable benefits portfolios across multiple IU campuses for an R1 public university workforce with similar service segments.
• Purdue University Human Resources: Purdue HR is a Big Ten peer performing the same internal HR administration function — benefits, retirement, tuition, leave — for an R1 public university employee base of comparable scale.
• University of Maryland Division of Human Resources: UMD HR is a Big Ten peer with analogous medical, retirement (state pension), and educational benefit structures serving faculty and staff at a large R1 public research university.
• Ohio State University Office of Human Resources: Ohio State is a fellow Big Ten, R1 public research university whose Office of Human Resources performs essentially the same internal benefits, retirement, and tuition-program administration for a similarly sized faculty/staff population across multiple Ohio campuses.
• Rutgers University Human Resources: Rutgers HR is a Big Ten peer performing equivalent HR administration for a large R1 public university system across multiple New Jersey campuses with similar benefits complexity.
• University of Illinois Human Resources: UI HR is a Big Ten peer delivering comparable benefits administration, retirement programs (SURS), and tuition benefits to a large Illinois R1 public university workforce.
• University of Minnesota Human Resources: U of M HR is a Big Ten peer providing benefits and retirement administration for an R1 public university employee base with parallel state retirement plan structures (MSRS).
• University of Michigan Human Resources: U-M is a Big Ten R1 public research university peer whose HR department administers analogous medical, retirement, tuition, and leave programs for a comparably scaled faculty and staff workforce.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Human Resources: UW-Madison HR is a Big Ten peer providing benefits, retirement, and leave administration to a similar R1 public university workforce, including coordination with the Wisconsin Retirement System.
• Michigan State University Human Resources: MSU HR is a direct Big Ten peer operating with comparable scale and structure, delivering benefits administration, retirement programs, and tuition assistance to a large MSU faculty/staff population across Michigan campuses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-state-human-resources

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penn State Human Resources