Pennsylvania Community Colleges and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are advancing transfer partnership reforms that will make college more accessible and more affordable for Pennsylvania college students. With the support of Gov. 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 Lehigh Carbon Community College, Northampton Community College and Luzerne County Community College, in partnership with Kutztown University, East Stroudsburg University and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.

Each community college is working with their PASSHE regional transfer partner to determine initiatives that help students access the most efficient, 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 available to help reduce the cost of earning a college degree in Pennsylvania.

Looking to their geographic strengths, the partnership pathways focus will be LCC to Kutztown University, NCC to East Stroudsburg University, and LCCC to Commonwealth University.

In addition to making a college degree more accessible and 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. Ann D. Bieber, president, LCC; 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; Dr. David A. Ruth, president, NCC, and John Yudichak, president, LCCC.