The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and community college leaders from across the commonwealth gathered recently at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville to sign a pledge to better collaborate and provide pathways for students to transfer between colleges.

One of the keynote speakers at the event was Emma Hope, who graduated from Tamaqua High School in 2021. She enrolled at LCCC after high school, where she served as president of the Student Government Association, a member of the National Honors Society, and was named the 2023 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar.

“Community colleges provide the necessary opportunity for students, like myself, to affordably and accessibly attain a higher degree of education and pursue their academic dreams,” Hope said. “My goal was to graduate from college debt free, and attending community college was the best first step to achieve that goal.”

She will attend Kutztown University to continue her education and spoke about how easy the transfer process has been thanks to established pathways between the two schools.

Thanks to this new pledge, more students will have the chance to follow in Emma’s footsteps, according to state Sen. David Argall, who was on hand for the event.

Also there were Dr. Ann Bieber, president of LCCC; Dr. David Ruth, president of Northampton Community College; Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, president of Kutztown University, and Kenneth Long, president of East Stroudsburg University.

The pledge was drafted to demonstrate the commitment to provide high quality education programs and to contribute to the development of a highly skilled competitive workforce in the commonwealth.

The pledge ensures that students are aware of higher education opportunities; smooths the path for students hoping to transfer from a community college to a PASSHE institution, and allocating financial aid at universities for community college graduates“The impact of this pledge will be significant, demonstrating to students in our communities that the path to a higher education is attainable and affordable,” Bieber said. “LCCC is proud to be a partner in this pledge of working together to benefit our students.”

“East Stroudsburg University and the other state universities are aligned in our passion and dedication to make transitioning from a community college to a four-year institution a seamless process for students,” Long added. “This pledge is an opportunity for students attending Pennsylvania’s community colleges to have affordable access to continue their education at all of the four-year public institutions in the commonwealth.”