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Lackawanna College continues to lead the way in making higher education more accessible and affordable for students through groundbreaking corporate partnerships and a robust Dual Enrollment program.

Corporate Partnerships: A Pathway to Affordable Education

Lackawanna College has created strategic partnerships with several prominent local employers, including McDonald’s, Sheetz and Allied Services Integrated Health System. These partnerships offer scholarships to employees, helping to lower tuition costs and provide educational opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.

The partnership with Mueller Family McDonald’s is open to all its employees and has enabled approximately 70 students to attend Lackawanna College for free. Similarly, Sheetz and Allied Services employees benefit from scholarship opportunities that assist with tuition expenses.

“Our partnership with Lackawanna College has been incredibly successful. We’ve seen firsthand how these scholarships can change lives by making college education accessible to our employees,” owner of several McDonald’s franchises and a Lackawanna College Board member, Christina Curran said.

Dual Enrollment: Expanding Opportunities for High School Students

Since its inception in 2006, Lackawanna College’s Dual Enrollment (DE) program has grown exponentially, both in participation and impact. The program allows high school students to take college-level courses, earning credits that can be applied toward a college degree while still fulfilling high school requirements. From 2022 to 2024, the number of students participating in the DE program increased from 1,832 to 2,110, and the number of credits earned grew from 11,071 to 13,194.

Over the past 12 years, the DE program has saved local students over $30 million in tuition costs. Students pay only $100 per credit, a rate that has remained unchanged for over a decade. The program is available to students in 62 schools across 27 school districts and 14 counties, with more schools joining each year.

“The amount of people this impacts is amazing. For example, my daughter did Dual Enrollment for a year and took a year off her time in college. She’s getting her bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four. The one thing you can’t save is time,” Director of College Partnerships, Phil Campbell said.

The DE program supports a wide range of educational pathways, allowing students to take general education courses and earn up to $6,200 in scholarships towards an associate degree. Additionally, the “Level Up” program provides one-on-one support to guide students to their degrees and is available across all Lackawanna College campuses.

Lackawanna College also offers targeted programs to help students gain a competitive edge in the job market. The SOAR program is designed for students who are occupationally and academically ready, aligning high school courses with postsecondary programs, allowing students to earn up to 15 college credits. The PNG 105 program, an introductory course to the Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) program, available since 2013, helps students earn their degrees faster and fills a critical educational gap in Career and Technical Centers.

“I’m going to say 95% of my students had no intentions of going to college. When I meet with them, introduce them to the program and start teaching college credits they realize, number one I can do this and number two I can afford this,” Associate Program Director of the School of PNG, Jeremy Yadlosky, said. “We’ve built a great relationship with the students and schools thanks to the program.”

In light of rising tuition costs, Lackawanna College offers practical solutions to help make higher education more affordable. To learn more about Lackawanna College’s corporate sponsorships and Dual Enrollment, visit Lackawanna.edu or call the college’s Admissions Department at 570-961-7898.