College to expand dual enrollment via Innovation Grant award

The Shapiro Administration recently announced $14 million in Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program funding to 15 public institutions across Pennsylvania. Included is a $1 million grant to Pennsylvania College of Technology to expand course offerings to new partners, increase offerings for current secondary partners, and enhance instructor professional development and career-awareness engagement events and activities for students.

Penn College Dual Enrollment enables academically qualified high school and career and technology education center students to take college-credit courses tuition-free during their regular school day. Most recently, through an EITC gift, Coterra covered the participation fees for all of the more than 70 Pennsylvania high schools and career and technology center partners in the dual enrollment program for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years.

Over 2,000 students earned more than 7,000 Penn College credits in 2023-24. Many of the courses are technical in nature, providing a career pipeline for skilled technicians and technologists needed by business and industry throughout Pennsylvania.

The Office of Secondary Partnerships at Penn College will work with the newly committed partners to offer and implement dual enrollment, expand current partners' offerings for in-person dual enrollment courses to broaden access for new students, innovate and enhance educator professional development, and increase students’ postsecondary pathways awareness utilizing dual credit.

“These goals for expansion will focus on technical coursework, aligned to regional workforce and industry needs,” said Anthony J. Pace, vice president for enrollment & academic operations. “A Penn College education features hands-on curriculum – career and technical education – in high-demand industry pathways and serves to meet workforce skills gaps across the commonwealth.”

“Dual credit programs open doors for students to get a head start on college and career success,” said Carrie Rowe, Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of education. “By investing in these opportunities, we’re helping more young people – especially those historically underrepresented in higher education – access in-demand courses that lead to credentials and careers our workforce needs. It’s about expanding opportunity and creating pathways to a future they choose.”

In its announcement, the Pennsylvania Department of Education emphasizes that dual credit programs improve student outcomes by enabling them to take college courses and earn credits for both high school and college – while still in high school. Dual credit offerings improve academic achievement, high school graduation rates, college enrollment and college completion rates.

In an effort to enable more underrepresented student access to dual credit programs, in July 2024, the School Code established the Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to provide funding for public colleges and universities to increase capacity to provide dual credit courses.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget includes continued support for public higher education, calling for a $13 million increase for community colleges, a $40 million increase for Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education universities, and $60 million to be distributed via performance-based funding for Pitt, Penn State and Temple.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and a special mission affiliate of Penn State, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.