WCCC, Penn State expand transfer options for students

Westmoreland County Community College students pursuing two-year degrees in 11 high-demand fields could have an easier path to a bachelor’s degree under an agreement inked with Penn State University.

Specifically, the pact outlined this week by Penn State and WCCC covers 14 of the university’s 19 Commonwealth campuses statewide, a subset collectively called University College.

Among them are Penn State New Kensington in Upper Burrell, Penn State Greater Allegheny, on the border of McKeesport and White Oak, Penn State Beaver and Penn State Fayette, the Eberly campus, as well as Penn State Shenango in Western Pennsylvania.

Students can transfer up to 60 associate degree credits to a parallel baccalaureate program within areas including health, science, business, criminal justice, liberal arts and nursing, officials said.

Branch tuition prices are thousands of dollars less than at Penn State’s University Park main campus and can be further reduced through a transfer scholarship.

It is the latest articulation agreement between a public two- and four-year institution in Pennsylvania and is being touted as a way to enhance educational opportunity and increase undergraduate degree attainment rates across the state.

For Penn State, it also comes amid an ongoing effort to cut expenses universitywide, focus on growth areas and rebuild slumping enrollment at many of its branches.

Officials said the agreement expands a long-standing relationship between both institutions and will impact not only students, but also employers and communities.

“Westmoreland County Community College is always exploring ways to open up opportunities for our students,” said Kristy Bishop, interim president of WCCC, in a news release. “We have had transfer agreements in place with Penn State for years, and we are excited to further the relationship for the benefit of all the communities we serve.”

“The agreement benefits the businesses and communities in which students work and live by allowing students to continue to contribute to the well-being of their communities,” said Cynthia Proctor, interim vice president of WCCC academic affairs. “The region’s workforce needs are being met through this partnership on many levels.’’

There are opportunities for dual enrollment, and students can apply for a Raise Me transfer scholarship, which offers awards of up to $7,000 over two years to Pennsylvania community college students who enroll at a Penn State Commonwealth campus.

The 11 transfer pathways include:

• Associate of Health Science (AS): Transfers to Penn State Biobehavioral Health (BS).

• Associate of Science in Biology (AS): Transfers to Penn State Biology (BS).

• Business Administration (AA): Transfers to Penn State Business Administration (BS).

• Associate in Liberal Arts (AA): Transfers to Penn State Communications (BA).

• Criminal Justice (AA): Transfers to Penn State Criminal Justice (BA or BS).

• Associate in Arts (AA): Transfers to Penn State Human Development and Family Studies (BS), Humanities (BA), Information Technology (BS), or Multidisciplinary Studies (BA).

• Associate in Nursing (AAS): Transfers to Penn State Nursing (BSN).

• Associates of Arts in Business Administration (AA): Transfers to Penn State Project and Supply Chain Management (BS).

• Psychology (AA): Transfers to Penn State Psychology (BA or BS).

• Associates of Arts (AA): Transfers to Penn State Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management (BS).

• Applied Associate of Science in Social Work: Transfers to Penn State Bachelor of Social Work in Social Work.

“I am grateful for the effort from both Penn State and Westmoreland County Community College that was dedicated to realizing this expanded agreement,” said Megan Nagel, regional chancellor of Penn State New Kensington, Penn State Fayette, and Penn State Greater Allegheny. “It underscores our shared commitment to access and affordability to higher education, reducing barriers for those in the region to achieve their academic goals.”

Penn State’s main campus is undergoing an expansion of 800 incoming students over the next several years to accommodate high demand, possibly pushing University Park enrollment above 50,000 for the first time ever. But in the last decade, Commonwealth campus enrollment is down by about 24%.