(Butler, PA) Registration is now open for summer courses at Butler County Community College that a year ago drew 930 students – including guest students who transferred nearly 900 of the college’s affordable credits to colleges and universities in at least four states.
Butler County residents taking face-to-face courses at BC3 this summer can save at least $723 in tuition and fees for each three-credit course compared to summer face-to-face course costs published by regional public four-year universities, and at least $516 for each three-credit online course.
Students from other Pennsylvania counties taking face-to-face courses at BC3 this summer can save at least $414 in tuition and fees for each three-credit course compared to summer face-to-face costs published by regional public four-year universities, and at least $207 for each three-credit online course.
BC3 will offer 158 courses this summer. Students can choose from course lengths of four, five, eight or 12 weeks and from online or face-to-face formats.
“The general education course from a community college was financially a better option for me."
Face-to-face classes will be held on BC3’s main campus, and at its additional locations of BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City, Armstrong County; BC3 @ Brockway in Brockway, Jefferson County; BC3 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township, Butler County; BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing, New Castle, Lawrence County; and BC3 @ LindenPointe, Hermitage, Mercer County.
Students can learn more at bc3.edu/summer
BC3 will offer three sessions and two Fast Tracks. Most Fast Track courses are online.
Sessions 1 and 2, and Fast Track 1, begin May 15. Session 1 lasts four weeks. Session 2 lasts 12 weeks. Fast Tracks last five weeks.
Session 3 starts June 12 and lasts eight weeks. Fast Track 2 begins June 26.
Guest students earned 896 credits and BC3 students 3,900 during BC3’s summer 2022 sessions and Fast Tracks, according to Becky Smith, college’s director of records and registration.
Guest students in summer 2022 transferred BC3 credits to Kent and Youngstown state universities in Ohio, to the University of South Carolina and to West Virginia University. Other guest students transferred BC3 credits to Duquesne, Penn State and Slippery Rock universities and to Geneva, Thiel and Washington & Jefferson colleges.
BC3’s tuition and fees were less expensive than those of their home institutions, said Andrew Maser, of Cranberry Township, who attends Penn State Behrend; and Katie Glenn, of Grove City, who attends Kent State University.
“Much more affordable,” Maser said. “Affordability is the most important thing to me right now.”
“The general education course from a community college was financially a better option for me,” Glenn said.
Fast Track “a lot quicker”
Maser is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in nursing and Glenn, a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising.
BC3’s summer 2023 selections include chemistry I, college writing, ethics, general microbiology, human anatomy and physiology I, introduction to painting, preparatory algebra, recent U.S. history and speech.
Summer tuition and fees for face-to-face courses cost $177 per credit at BC3 for Butler County residents and $280 per credit for residents of other Pennsylvania counties. Tuition and fees start at $418.20 per credit at regional public four-year universities and at $552 at regional state-related universities’ branch campuses for Pennsylvania residents attending face-to-face courses.
Summer tuition and fees for online courses cost $202 per credit at BC3 for Butler County residents and $305 per credit for residents of other Pennsylvania counties. Tuition and fees start at $374.20 per credit at regional public four-year universities and at $552 at regional state-related universities’ branch campuses for Pennsylvania residents taking online courses.
Summer tuition and fees for out-of-state residents cost $380 per credit at BC3 for a face-to-face course and $405 per credit for an online course.
Glenn and Maser said they also benefited from BC3’s five-week Fast Tracks and online formats.
“I could be anywhere I wanted to be,” Glenn said. “I did it a lot quicker than a full-length class, which was nice, because I wanted to enjoy my summer. It was nice to get it done in five weeks and then I could do whatever I wanted.”
“The classes were recorded. I could find the videos whenever I needed to. I could look over them as many times as I needed to.”
Maser worked up to 50 hours a week at a Cranberry Township restaurant and volunteered at a church and with another organization that distributed food to the needy, he said.
His BC3 studies were “from the comfort of my own home, and I was working full time,” Maser said. “The classes were recorded. I could find the videos whenever I needed to. I could look over them as many times as I needed to.”
BC3 will offer face-to-face courses during Session 1 on its main campus, and at BC3 @ Cranberry, BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing and BC3 @ LindenPointe.
Face-to-face courses will be offered during BC3’s Session 2 on the college’s main campus, and at BC3 @ Brockway, BC3 @ Cranberry, BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing and BC3 @ LindenPointe. The college will also offer 48 online courses during Session 2.
BC3 will offer face-to-face courses during Session 3 on its main campus, at BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City and at its other additional locations.
