Bucks County Community College (BCCC) will receive a $150,000 state grant to support students who are parents in the upcoming academic year, officials announced Monday at a news conference on the Newtown Campus.
Dr Lynette Kuhn, Pennsylvania Department of Education Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Postsecondary and Higher Education, announced BCCC would receive the grant, marking the first time the college has been recognized as a recipient. This funding is part of $1.6 million in Parent Pathways grants awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This third-year program provides tuition assistance, emergency funding, and other support services to parenting students, said BCCC officials.
Dr. Lynette Kuhn visited the Newtown Campus to announce that BCCC is among 11 colleges and universities to receive a total of more than $1.6 million in state funding for the Parent Pathways program, providing grants to help students who are parents receive credentials. CREDIT: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College
“We are grateful that the Pennsylvania Department of Education named Bucks County Community College as a recipient of the Parent Pathways grant,” said the College’s President and CEO Patrick M. Jones. “This funding will provide support to many parenting students — who are highly motivated but often face additional challenges when it comes to earning their degrees — by allowing us to offer last-dollar scholarships and emergency financial assistance that directly address barriers to parenting student success and completion.”
Dr. Samantha Gross, dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said parenting students benefit significantly by earning post-secondary credentials, but complete degrees at lower rates than their non-parenting peers.
“By helping parenting students at Bucks County Community College, we are supporting stronger economic outcomes — higher household incomes and increased rates of home ownership – while we lessen the likelihood of unemployment and strengthen critical workforce pipelines in high-demand fields like nursing and education,” Gross said. “Supporting parenting students means strengthening families, communities, and our regional economy.”
Also lending her voice in support of the program was student Siam Rodriguez, a mother of three young children, whose husband is a full-time Bucks student as well. “My goal is to go to medical school and receive an M.D.,” said Rodriguez. “This grant will help us continue to show our children that with perseverance, resilience, and determination, our dreams are within reach.”
Bucks County Community College Student Siam Rodriguez says the new Parent Pathways grant will help her attain her goals while raising three children. CREDIT: Eric Parker, Bucks County Community College
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