Scott Township, Lackawanna County, PA -
These haven’t been glory years for college education, for sure.
Generations of Americans went the college route to not just advance their traditional high school educations, but to give themselves a leg up in the workforce by making themselves more learned, better prepared and more attractive candidates for open positions that pay better and provide more avenues for professional advancement. It was a tried-and-true system, simply the way it worked.
Then, things changed. The pandemic altered how people work and where they can work. The job market hasn’t been as welcoming post-Covid as it was before it for college grads, who incidentally are entering that workforce with unprecedented debt as a byproduct of attaining their degrees. According to numbers provided in March by the Education Data Initiative, which provides statistics about the United States Education System, student loan debt in the U.S. topped $1.7 trillion in 2024, not only an all-time high but a number that is $1 trillion higher than just 15 years ago.
The average federal student loan debt balance per student ranged between $38,375 and $41,618, when including private loan debt.
Debt is rising faster than salaries. It’s no wonder there is a more concerted push toward trade schools and a quicker, less-expensive entry into that challenging job market for many.
And yet, we look on impressed and with significant interest at one regional college that has shown, even in these most challenging times, impressive growth and ingenuity when it comes to expanding the reach of higher education to area students.
On June 30, Lackawanna College completed a long-awaited merger with Philadelphia-based Pierce College, creating Pennsylvania’s largest private, nonprofit, open-enrollment undergraduate college. Joining forces allows Lackawanna and Pierce greater visibility in areas neither had previously been in and enables Lackawanna to offer master’s degree programs Pierce provided. Pierce College will take Lackawanna’s name next summer, and Lackawanna’s online and e-learning programs will pay homage to Pierce’s name and 160-year history.
In addition to the new influx of potential students from Pierce, Lackawanna College is a truly regional educational option for Northeast Pennsylvania, with educational outposts in Covington Township, Hazleton, Hawley, Tunkhannock, Sunbury and Towanda.
Read the rest of the Times Tribune article at the link below:
