'Changing lives': Carlow, WCCC agreement aims to widen pathway to a college degree

The presidents of Carlow University and Westmoreland County Community College are both from the Show Me State, and perhaps that Missourian attitude is reflected in the higher education institutions’ palpable efforts to support students.

The institutions recently entered into a dual agreement that will allow students to enroll at Carlow and WCCC simultaneously. The agreement aims to increase accessibility and promote affordability.

“It’s not just about a partnership; this is about changing lives,” said Carlow President Kathy Humphrey during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week at WCCC’s Hempfield campus. “And when we change lives, we change generations. And when we change generations, we change the world we live in.”

Students who choose this path will be both Carlow and WCCC students, according to WCCC President Tuesday Stanley. As they earn their associate degrees at WCCC, students can enroll in up to four Carlow classes while paying WCCC tuition.

Students can then easily transfer to Carlow for their bachelor’s degrees. Many Carlow classes will be available on WCCC’s campus.

This agreement comes as more students struggle to afford higher education. Between 2011 and 2021, average tuition costs climbed 10%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. And the University of Chicago found that Americans see cost as the biggest barrier to a college degree.

Those facts make this partnership a “difference maker” in Stanley’s mind.

“So many of our students … have a hard time getting the funds together (to afford higher education),” she said.

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Carlow and WCCC have worked together to support students since 2005. Before the 2022 agreement was announced, four of Carlow’s programs — family nurse practitioner, women’s health nurse practitioner, early childhood education and early development and learning — could be fully or partially earned at WCCC.

WCCC and Carlow roots run deep in Charlene Frock’s family. Charlene, who has operated Frock Childcare Learning Center in Mt. Pleasant for nearly 24 years, earned her associate degree at WCCC in 2010. Two years later, she received her bachelor’s degree after taking Carlow classes at the university’s Greensburg satellite campus, which later moved to WCCC.

Less than a decade later, Charlene’s daughter, Chelseylynn Frock, followed the same path. The mother and daughter were both valedictorians of their Carlow classes.

“If it wasn’t for the convenience and support system through WCCC and Carlow, I wouldn’t be able to finish school,” Charlene Frock said.

The agreement announced last week was entered in partnership with the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Dan DeBone compared the excitement for the agreement with the enthusiasm that Steelers fans displayed when rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett made his NFL debut.

DeBone anticipates this agreement will spur economic growth, workforce development and community engagement in the county.

“Most importantly, this partnership is a perfect example of reinvesting within our most important asset, which is our people and the communities they live in,” he said.

Sister Sheila Carney, special assistant to the Carlow president, prayed a blessing over the agreement. Carney pointed out that the Sisters of Mercy, who founded Carlow University, have Westmoreland ties that date to 1847.

She believes this agreement furthers both institutions’ task to “enrich the educational landscape” of the area.

“It is a worthy task, and we ask our God to watch over all involved,” Carney said.