Board OKs 2025-26 budget, hears Workforce Development presentation

The Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors on Thursday approved the college’s 2025-26 budget and heard a presentation on the activities of the college’s Workforce Development department.

The $188.4 million total budget includes a 2.91% increase in tuition to compensate for rising commodity, utility and health care costs. When tuition is combined with fees, which are not rising, the increase is limited to 2.47%.

The college has not raised tuition in three of the past four years. The increase for 2025-26 is mitigated for many by student scholarship assistance from the Penn College Foundation that has risen by 132% in the past five years. The average award amount has also increased (by nearly 40%) during that time period.

Tuition costs may be offset for many students by the college’s Momentum Incentive Program – which enables a full-time bachelor’s degree student with a fall semester start to lock in tuition rates for the remaining prescribed time of their program if they continue to meet eligibility requirements – and the state’s Grow PA Scholarship Grant Program, which makes awards of up to $5,000 annually to students who commit to remain and work in Pennsylvania after graduation.

Residence Life’s student housing rates and Dining Services’ meal plan rates both will increase by 2% in 2025-26 in order to keep pace with inflation costs.

Alison Diehl, vice president for workforce development, updated the board on activities associated with Workforce Development at Penn College. She noted that Workforce Development extends the college’s mission by providing nondegree and incumbent worker training, certification and upskilling, as well as technical assistance consulting.

Through pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, custom training and microcredentials, Workforce Development in the past year logged 4,425 enrollments in 43 states and 27 countries, representing 600-plus unique companies.

Focus areas include manufacturing, the Plastics Innovation & Resource Center, building performance (the Clean Energy Center), health sciences and emergency services, transportation (Lycoming Engines Service School and a bus mechanic apprenticeship), business and leadership training, computer skills, and the WEDnetPA partnership, which provides a wide range of skills training across Pennsylvania. Penn College administrates the initiative.

Workforce Development operates micro lab sites in other areas including Wellsboro, for hybrid practical nursing programming; and several sites where building science training is offered through funding from the Pennsylvania Weatherization Assistance Program: Harrisburg, Latrobe and Pittsburgh.

Diehl said Workforce Development prides itself on its agility to respond to employers’ needs, focusing on industry-aligned microcredentials with flexible, hybrid delivery models, while also working with Academic Affairs to create pathways to credit programming.

In his comments to the board, Reed noted it was the last board meeting for Joseph S. Yoder, associate vice president for public relations and marketing, who is retiring June 30 after 25 years with the college. He again welcomed Katie C. Bell, vice president for communications and marketing, who will lead Public Relations & Marketing going forward.

The president recapped an exceptional year for student recruitment and retention, fundraising by College Relations, training provided by Workforce Development, the best performance by Wildcat athletic teams in the NCAA Division III era, and stellar results for the college in U.S. News’ Best Colleges rankings.

Reed related a story about a student who capitalized on a group of scholarship offerings to enroll at Penn College, including $2,000 by completing career and technical coursework in high school, $1,000 each for his two summer camps, $1,000 for participating in a PFEW conference at the college, and up to $5,000 from the state’s Grow PA Scholarship Grant Program.

“He may be walking in here with $10,000 in scholarships per year, to help navigate his high- demand program,” the president said.

Board Chair Sen. Gene Yaw spoke of the new ballfield complex going up near Interstate 180 – a Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce project – which will be used by the Penn College baseball and softball teams. He said the project is expected to attract 250,000 visitors to the area annually.

He also referenced the recent development on Maynard Street at the college’s main entrance, which now features a new Wawa, the existing Sheetz store, and a Chick-fil-A being constructed nearby. Also mentioning the Bass Pro Shops store that is due to be constructed at the former Lycoming Mall property, Yaw said, “It’s an exciting time for the college to be located where it is.”

The next regularly scheduled Penn College Board of Directors meeting is Aug. 21.