In Pennsylvania, all individuals age eight and older must attend school with the exception of in philidelphia where all individuals ages six and older must attend school. Once a student has enrolled in first grade the student may not drop back out of school until they reach the required age for dropping out, even if that student has not reached the age of eight yet.

At the age of sixteen, a student may drop out of high school if they have obtained their work certificate and can prove that they are legally working the alloted number of hours, which is decided by their school district. At the age of seventeen, students may drop out without the need for a work permit or parental permission. 1

1 http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/child_labor_law/7508