(Butler, PA) Prospective students can explore the 56 associate degree and 22 certificate programs Butler County Community College offers at its main campus in Butler Township, or the 10 associate degree programs available at BC3 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township during virtual visits or in-person tours as part BC3 Bound beginning March 30.
Prospective students can schedule a virtual visit or an in-person tour for select BC3 Bound dates and apply free by entering the code BC3Bound2021 at bc3.edu/bc3bound.
Prospective students attending BC3 Bound on the college’s main campus, 107 College Drive, can also meet with faculty to discuss business and management programs March 30-31; computer technology April 6-7; health care April 13-14; education and social sciences April 20-21; science, technology, engineering and mathematics April 27-28; and public safety and security programs May 4-5.
Those attending BC3 Bound at BC3 @ Cranberry can learn about BC3 @ Cranberry’s selection of six transfer and four career programs. BC3 Bound at BC3 @ Cranberry, 250 Executive Drive, will be held April 6-7, April 13-14, April 20-21 and April 27-28.
Prospective students can learn about the transferability of BC3’s credits and BC3’s savings compared to Pennsylvania’s public four-year and state-related institutions.
During a virtual visit or an in-person tour, prospective students can ask BC3 representatives about financial aid, BC3’s five start dates each semester, BC3’s 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, support services and BC3’s programs of study.
BC3 has been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania five times since 2015, most recently for 2020 by BestColleges.com. The BC3 Education Foundation annually awards more than $200,000 in named scholarships which, with financial aid and BC3’s affordable tuition, allowed 80 percent of BC3’s Class of 2020 to graduate debt-free.
BC3’s main campus offers associate degrees in 35 career programs and in 21 transfer programs. Its menu also includes 22 certificate or workplace certificate programs that take one year or less to complete.
Credits transfer to four-year institutions
Students can apply credits earned toward a bachelor’s degree at public, private and online four-year colleges and universities. Students in BC3’s career programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.
Approximately 70 percent of BC3 students this spring are enrolled in transfer programs.
Students who complete an associate degree at BC3 in one of 12 select programs can transfer all credits to a parallel program and with junior standing to any Pennsylvania public four-year institution.
Students who complete an associate degree at BC3 in one of eight select programs can transfer all credits to a parallel program to any Penn State University commonwealth campus.
BC3 savings range from $6K to $30K per year
Full-time BC3 students from Butler County can save $6,115 annually in tuition and fees compared to the average charged by Pennsylvania’s public four-year universities or $8,785 compared to the average charged by Pennsylvania’s state-related institutions’ branch campuses.
Tuition and fees average $11,215 for students pursuing 15 credits per semester for one year in 2020-2021 at a Pennsylvania public four-year university; $13,885 at a state-related institution’s branch campus; $16,926 at a state-related institution’s main campus; and $35,087 at a private institution.
Tuition and fees for BC3 students from Butler County pursuing 15 credits per semester for one year in the 2020-2021 academic year are $5,100.
The average student-loan debt for the Class of 2019 was $38,521 in Pennsylvania, according to an Aug. 19 report in LendEDU, a website that provides comparisons for loans, credit cards and other financial products. Only student borrowers in New Hampshire and Connecticut were reported to have higher student-loan debt.
“I feel like my future is going to be great”
“BC3 is more affordable,” said Mikalyn Jackson, 23, of New Castle, who expects to graduate from BC3 in May with an associate degree in physical therapist assistant, then pursue a position in a skilled nursing facility. “In the future, you will have less debt to pay back. I chose BC3 because I wouldn’t have that much debt. I’ll have only a small amount.”`
In addition to BC3’s affordability, the 2015 graduate of New Castle Junior-Senior High School said she also chose BC3 because it was “closer to home and an easier commute. Because the classes aren’t as large, the instructors could attend to students better. They interact with you. They talk with you. … They always make sure you understand everything before moving on to the next subject.
“I feel like my future is going to be great through the experiences I had at BC3.”
BC3 @ Cranberry offers pre-nursing courses
BC3 @ Cranberry’s menu of two-year transfer programs features business administration, criminology, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies, psychology and social work.
BC3 @ Cranberry’s selection of two-year career programs includes business management, digital audio and video production, graphic design and photography.
Students can also take pre-nursing courses at BC3 @ Cranberry and finish their degree in Nursing, R.N., on BC3’s main campus.
