BETHLEHEM, PA -Pennsylvania Community Colleges and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) are advancing transfer partnership reforms that will make college more accessible and more affordable for Pennsylvania college students. With the support of Governor Josh Shapiro and a bipartisan coalition of state legislators, Act 69 of 2024 guarantees junior status for community college graduates at PASSHE institutions. The new transfer partnership was signed by presidents representing a strong regional effort in eastern Pennsylvania that encompasses Northampton Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Luzerne County Community College, in partnership with Kutztown University, East Stroudsburg University and Commonwealth University.
Each community college is working with their PASSHE regional transfer partner to determine initiatives that help students access the most efficient, most affordable pathway to a college degree. The innovative transfer partnership will guarantee junior status to all community college graduates attending a PASSHE school and make more scholarship opportunities for students to help reduce the cost of earning a college degree in Pennsylvania.
Looking to their geographic strengths, the partnership pathways focus will be Northampton County Community College to East Stroudsburg University, Lehigh Carbon Community College to Kutztown University, and Luzerne County Community College to Commonwealth University.
In addition to making a college degree more accessible and more affordable, the new transfer partnership will foster greater collaboration among the colleges through marketing campaigns and other administrative efficiencies.
The following presidents have made a commitment to working together and have met over several months with their staff members representing enrollment and marketing:
Dr. David A. Ruth, president, Northampton Community College
Dr. Ann D. Bieber, president, Lehigh Carbon Community College
Dr. Bashar W. Hanna, president, Commonwealth University (formerly Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities)
Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, president, Kutztown University
Kenneth Long, president, East Stroudsburg University
John Yudichak, president, Luzerne County Community College
For information on these partnership initiatives and how students can benefit, contact
Northampton Community College, Office of Admissions, adminfo@northampton.edu, 610-861-5500.
About Northampton Community College
With an enduring commitment to the regional communities it serves and a focus on student success, Northampton Community College is an educational institution of extraordinary distinction, earning accolades at the state and national levels for innovative programs, outstanding faculty, and impressive student achievements. It counts among its successful alumni a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner and an Academy Award winning director, as well as a host of CEOs, presidents, and leaders of business and industry. Today, Northampton Community College has locations in Bethlehem, Southside Bethlehem, and Monroe County, serving 30,000 students annually from 53 counties, 42 countries, and 25 states. For more information or to apply, please visit northampton.edu. Follow NCC’s President on X @NCCPresDaveRuth, and the college on LinkedIn, Instagram @NorthamptonCommCollege, TikTok @NorthamptonCC, and Facebook.
