There's an old Dear Abby column that's become one of the advice maven's classics. A woman writes a letter and bemoans the length of time it will take her to become a nurse, because she can only go to school part-time while she works.

"But Dear Abby, I'm 24," she writes. "In six years, by the time I finish my classes, I'll be 30."And Dear Abby responds."And how old will you be in six years if you don't go back to school?"Community colleges are expanding courses and options for taking them to help people go back to school and further their educations. At Lehigh Carbon Community College, distance education includes online courses and also "hybrid" courses, where 80 percent of the course is taken online, with the remainder on campus or in the field.Don't waitThinking of enrolling? Don't hesitate the deadline for spring enrollment at LCCC and area community colleges is Jan. 22.Who is the typical student? There's no standard answer to that question."We have students who need more training in their chosen career, and students who need to be retrained because of changes in their existing position," said Linda Baker, executive director, Department of Public Relations. "We have students who have lost their jobs because of layoffs and need to further their education, students who want to stay on top of changes in their chosen field. Students come to us from many different backgrounds, and we work with them to design a course of study that best suits them."LCCC may also work with employers to design training programs for employees. Baker said that the college can and has developed training partnerships with a number of employers, helping them keep pace with changes in industry needs.Health careers are some of the fastest growing fields in the country, she said. Education and business administration jobs are also on the rise. Those trends are reflected in the online offerings at LCCC.A number of associate degree programs are fully online, such as early childhood education, special education and business administration. Hybrid courses include health information technology, medical billing specialist and education.Online courses are offered in fall, spring and summer semesters. In fall and spring, courses are offered in 10-week and 15-week formats; in the summer, the courses are 10 weeks.Degrees that applyTwo comprehensive plans are shaping the future of our community colleges. At LCCC, the college launched a three-year (2014-17) rolling strategic plan called Many Voices, One Vision. One of the plan's goals is to strengthen partnerships with the military, businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions.In 2014, LCCC, along with Luzerne and Northampton community colleges, was awarded a $10 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant monies are also shared by 34 industry partners from 13 counties.Educators and employers are joining forces for curriculum development, apprenticeships and internships, mentoring programs, donating and loaning equipment, sending existing employees for additional training and extending hiring priority to students."Many Voices, One Vision is reflective of who we are as a college," said LCCC President Dr. Ann Bieber. "Our vision is for student success, and our students are many different individuals who run the gamut from high school students to those seeking retraining to adults returning to school.""We know that 90 percent of our students stay local, and are the key to economic development in our area," she said. "So we have to make sure that we are training for what the industry needs."The grant will help the manufacturers, businesses and community colleges achieve those goals."We knew that was where we wanted to focus (training for business needs) and it's a comprehensive and strong partnership," Bieber said. "Some of the fields where employees need trained employees are advanced manufacturing and technology specialists, and allied health fields, at all levels."What about money?LCCC awards $250,000 yearly in scholarship monies, and the LCCC Foundation is ranked in the top 100 of community college foundations nationwide in assets and annual income.LCCC administers various federal and state financial aid funds. Grants, which do not require repayment, as well as loans and student employment programs are available through the Office of Financial Aid. Financial aid may only be used for educational purposes and to pay the cost of attending Lehigh Carbon Community College.Can you do it?About 30 years ago, a woman working as a secretary at LCCC began taking college courses at night. Today, that woman is the president of LCCC."I have a great understanding of what it takes every step of the way; any doubts or questions a returning student may have, I may have said the same thing," Bieber said. "You can do it. I love our mission, and I believe in it."