Pennsylvania College of Technology has received a $150,000 Parent Pathways grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to expand support for students who are parents.
The funding is part of more than $1.6 million recently awarded by the Shapiro administration to help Pennsylvania parents pursue their goal of attending college and earning a credential. Since 2024, the Parent Pathways grant program has invested over $3.2 million in funding to 23 colleges and universities.
Pennsylvania College of Technology is the recipient of a $150,000 Parent Pathways grant to expand support for students who are parents. The grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education will be used for scholarships and programming aimed to eliminate potential barriers for parenting students.
“We are proud to support these colleges and universities in the critical work they do to make sure all students are taken care of and have the resources they need to earn their credentials and build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Lynette Kuhn, deputy secretary and commissioner for postsecondary and higher education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The grant for Penn College provides funds for scholarships and programming aimed to eliminate potential barriers for parenting students. It also will facilitate the implementation of sustainable data collection and information sharing systems to build awareness among student-parents of institutional and state resources available to them.
“I am incredibly grateful for this grant, as it allows us to continue transforming our campus community,” said Tanya Berfield, director of student advocacy & Title IX, and the grant’s project director. “The grant gives us the opportunity to strengthen the support we offer student-parents, remove barriers that can interrupt their academic progress and create a more inclusive learning environment where families can thrive.”
Students who complete a Penn College education are set up for long-term success, as evidenced by the college’s 98% graduate placement rate.
About 83% of the grant funds are earmarked for scholarships to help parenting students overcome financial challenges during the 2026-27 academic year. The awards will be distributed with priority preference given to Pennsylvania residents in the last year of their degree. The scholarships will be available to support all education expenses as determined by a student’s cost of attendance.
More than $20,000 will be allocated to a basic-needs voucher initiative administered by the Michael J. Hudock Sr. Center for Academic Excellence. Parenting students may request assistance for essential expenses not covered by state or federal aid or scholarships, including child care, transportation, housing, meals and hygiene products.
The remaining dollars will be added to the college’s Emergency Scholarship Fund – managed by the Penn College Foundation – and will be distributed to support student-parents when significant and unexpected challenges arise.
Berfield envisions the grant’s impact extending well beyond the next academic year.
“Most importantly, this investment helps us break systemic patterns that have limited opportunities, allowing us to change the trajectory of entire families. Parent Pathways will help us build the kind of holistic infrastructure our students deserve,” she said.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.