Pennsylvania Department of Education Visits Lehigh Carbon Community College, Highlights Bold New Blueprint for Higher Education

Schencksville, PA - Today, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin joined both college and high school students at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) to learn about the hands-on programs offered to students to prepare them for further postsecondary education and careers and highlight how the Shapiro Administration's bold blueprint for higher education will help create more affordable pathways to success for Pennsylvania students.

"When students have the opportunity to explore career options beyond their desk, the workforce and Commonwealth are strengthened and better positioned to succeed. Extending these opportunities to high school students is a game-changer and sets them on a path to success before even walking across the stage to accept their high school diploma," said Secretary Khalid N. Mumin. "At a time when southeastern Pennsylvania has a skill gap of 25,700 jobs that need a degree or credential and not enough workers to fill those jobs, it's essential that take action to help give more students access to affordable higher education opportunities. That's why Governor Shapiro is proposing historic investments in education - from K-12 to college. Taken together, these investments will create more pathways to success for our young people and give every Pennsylvanian the freedom to chart their own course through life."

Earlier this year, Governor Shapiro released a blueprint to restructure higher education and make Pennsylvania a leader in postsecondary education. This bold plan creates more pathways to opportunity for students and a comprehensive vision for higher education in Pennsylvania by uniting PASSHE institutions and community colleges under a new system, investing in our higher education institutions and driving that funding through a formula tied to outcomes that benefit Pennsylvania, and ensuring a higher education is affordable to all - especially students with fewer means.

The Governor's blueprint represents a commitment to rethink Pennsylvania's higher education system after decades of disinvestment that has put postsecondary education out of reach for many Pennsylvanians. The 2024-25 budget invests $975 million to create and support this new system, a 15 percent increase over the amount of funding PASSHE universities and community colleges received last year. In addition, next year, the Governor will call for an investment to make higher education more affordable for students by ensuring Pennsylvanians making up to the median income will pay no more than $1,000 in tuition and fees per semester at state-owned universities and community colleges. Furthermore, to help students attending state-related universities and independent colleges, Governor Shapiro's plan will increase PHEAA grants for students from families making up to the median income by $1,000.

These significant investments ensure higher education is both affordable and accessible for all, giving Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. In addition to increasing resources available to community colleges, the new blueprint help reverse declining enrollment trends - on average, Pennsylvania community college enrollment has decreased by 37 percent over the past decade - simplify credit transfer for students and increase collaboration and cooperation between public universities so that community colleges and PASSHE institutions can focus on their unique missions and successes rather than competing with one another.

LCCC is not only preparing students to be successful, productive members of their communities by teaching them the skills and knowledge they need to graduate or progress on to four-year institutions, but it is also giving them the opportunity to explore high-demand careers in a hands-on manner.

Students at LCCC can explore manufacturing careers with LCCC's Amazon Training Center, nursing and medical assisting careers with the Health Care Simulation Lab, the J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Center, Manufacturing Technology Mobile Training Labs, and more. In addition to these hands-on programs, LCCC offers an Early College program for 11th and 12th grade students. Students enrolled in the Early College program earn their General Studies A.A. degree while simultaneously earning their high school diploma - graduating high school a step ahead of their peers, prepared for careers or a four-year college or university.

"Lehigh Carbon Community College serves the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas with a high quality, affordable and accessible college education," said Dr. Ann D. Bieber, president of Lehigh Carbon Community College. "We work with college and university partners to streamline our transfer process, offering more than 600 articulation agreements with 63 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and nationally. In addition, we partner with workforce and area employers to ensure that we support the area's strong economy with prepared employees. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, LCCC creates an environment where all students can succeed."

Governor Shapiro's 2024-25 budget also includes a $7 million investment in dual enrollment programs that give high school students an opportunity to take college courses, and a $2.4 million increase for career and technical education that builds on the $23.5 million increase in workforce training and vo-tech programs he secured last year. Both of these investments will help expand access to successful programs like those at LCCC.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website or follow PDE on FacebookOpens In A New Window, TwitterOpens In A New Window, YouTubeOpens In A New Window, or PinterestOpens In A New Window.

MEDIA CONTACT: Taj Magruder, [email protected]

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