(Ford City, PA) Taylor Pivetta entered the state-of-the-art BC3 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City when it opened to students in mid-March.
“Just after spring break,” Pivetta said. “I remember turning my head left, right, up and down. There were all sorts of lights and fancy features. And I thought to myself, ‘This is the start of something new.’”
As is Pivetta’s pursuit of an associate degree at BC3 @ Armstrong.
The 30-year-old Lenape Technical School graduate worked in manufacturing in Shreveport, La., and in a grain mill in Dallas before returning to western Pennsylvania in 2022 and enrolling at BC3 @ Armstrong in Manor Township in January.
“It was a new chapter,” Pivetta said. “Starting a new book. And it was exciting to be in a new environment.”
Prospective students can tour BC3 @ Armstrong’s new environment, and learn about its affordability and associate degree programs during an open house Nov. 8.
The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1100 Fourth Ave., Ford City.
BC3 @ Armstrong will waive its $25 application fee for prospective students who apply for admission at the open house. Prospective students can RSVP to attend the open house at BC3.edu/open-house
“I remember turning my head left, right, up and down. There were all sorts of lights and fancy features. And I thought to myself, ‘This is the start of something new.’”
“A very unique design”
BC3 @ Armstrong in Manor Township was established in fall 2015. BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City opened March 13, and encompasses 15,000 square feet – 13,000 more than the dedicated space available at its former location at the NexTier Adult Learning Center.
The $6.5 million facility includes, among other areas, up to six classroom spaces, a natural science laboratory and student meeting areas, and will greet prospective students at the open house with architectural features such as a tan slatted wall, white geometric-shaped panels and asymmetrical blue chairs with USB ports.
“A very unique design,” Pivetta said. “A nice, aesthetic look.”
Prospective students visiting BC3 @ Armstrong’s open house can also learn about support services, student activities, financial aid, scholarship opportunities and tuition.
Enrollment, credits pursued increase
Enrollment and credits pursued at BC3 @ Armstrong have increased since the end of the spring 2023 semester, according to Sharla Anke, the college’s assistant dean of institutional research and planning. Enrollment this fall has risen 34 percent and credits pursued, 58 percent, according to Anke.
“A lot of the credit can go to the beautiful new building, which is close to home for many Armstrong County students,” said Karen Zapp, BC3 @ Armstrong’s director. “Students are having such a great experience coming here to the new building that they are telling their friends and family.
“We are getting new students who may not have thought about attending BC3 @ Armstrong, but they are hearing about the great experience their friends are having and they decided to come here too.”
BC3’s affordability, and financial aid and scholarships, allowed 75 percent of its Class of 2023 to graduate debt-free.
The average student-loan debt per borrower in Pennsylvania is $38,521, according to a June 14 report by LendEDU, a website that provides comparisons for loans, credit cards and other financial products.
Armstrong County residents attending BC3 this fall are paying $290 per credit in tuition and fees for an in-person course. They would pay at least $437.23 per credit in tuition and fees at a regional public four-year university or $582 at a regional state-related institution’s branch campus this fall.
Armstrong County residents attending BC3 this fall are paying $315 per credit in tuition and fees for an online course. They would pay at least $374.20 per credit in tuition and fees for an online course at a regional public four-year university or $620 at a regional state-related institution’s branch campus this fall.
“Students are having such a great experience coming here to the new building that they are telling their friends and family."
"I was a little worried about acquiring student debt being 30 years old, so it was an easy decision to go to BC3 @ Armstrong.”
“Build a connection” at BC3 @ Armstrong
Students can apply BC3 @ Armstrong’s credits toward a bachelor’s degree at public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.
It was BC3 @ Armstrong’s affordability and accessibility that appealed to Pivetta.
“I came home, decided I wanted to do something different, and enrolled,” Pivetta said. “BC3 @ Armstrong was definitely a far more affordable option compared to other schools. I was a little worried about acquiring student debt being 30 years old, so it was an easy decision to go to BC3 @ Armstrong.”
The BC3 Education Foundation in 2023-2024 had a record 155 named scholarships available to BC3 students.
Students enrolled in a BC3 associate degree, certificate or workplace certificate program and who meet scholarship criteria are eligible to receive a financial award, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, development coordinator of the BC3 Education Foundation.
Students attending any of the college’s six locations, enrolled in online courses or in BC3’s new virtual programs can apply for a 2024-2025 financial award by completing an online application between April 15 and July 1, Cornetti said.
BC3 students approved for federal and state grants will receive an average of $5,046 in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to Juli Louttit, the college’s director of financial aid.
Pivetta, of Kittanning, is pursuing an associate degree in health care science through classes at BC3 @ Armstrong and online. His education has benefited, he said, “because I have had excellent teachers both academically and because of their personalities. I feel like the two definitely correlate and make for a better class.
“It allows you to build a connection.”
Guests at BC3 @ Armstrong’s open house can also learn about BC3 having been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania nine times since 2015, most recently by BestColleges.com.
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BC3 @ Armstrong ribbon-cutting ceremony and community grand opening
Construction and groundbreaking of BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City
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Construction of state-of-the-art BC3 @ Armstrong progressing
Community grand opening to showcase new BC3 @ Armstrong facility in Ford City
