Penn State students at closing campuses juggle staying the course or jumping ship

Penn State New Kensington fit the bill for 19-year-old Angelina Da Vila.

“Originally, I wanted to go to Penn State,” she said. “I wanted to be in the city, but not go to such a big school. I still wanted that small-school atmosphere, and New Kensington sounded like one of the better options.”

So Da Vila uprooted herself from her friends and family in Snellville, Ga., and made her way to the Alle-Kiski Valley to study corporate communications, integrating herself into college life and working at the Target in Harmar to help pay rent and utilities.

But after next spring, she’ll be heading right back to the Peach State.

“I was very proud of how far I’ve gotten, and I had plans to stay at Penn State New Kensington for all four years,” she said. “To be told you can’t do that, I feel screwed over.”

Penn State cited demographic shifts, financial realities and declining enrollment as part of the reason for closing seven of its 19 Commonwealth Campuses after spring 2027: New Kensington, Fayette, DuBois, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York. All of those campuses have seen their enrollments decline drastically over the years and lost money last year.

The students at those seven campuses make up 3.6% of Penn State’s overall enrollment. They are now looking at whether they can finish their degrees at their current campus, stay within the Penn State system or transfer elsewhere.

“My only idea is to go back home to Georgia,” Da Vila said. “I don’t want to sit here and do my college online. I wanted to be in a city; Altoona is too far from an airport to go home, and Philly is more expensive than Pittsburgh. New Kensington was an affordable option, rentwise and tuitionwise.

“I think I’ll do my sophomore year at New Kensington, and do my junior and senior year at a different school.”

Transfer elsewhere?

Area colleges say they’re hearing from those students interested in transferring, promoting their offerings and rearranging transfer requirements, adding to the already hyper-competitive higher education landscape in Pennsylvania experts say contribute to the Commonwealth Campuses’ plight in the first place.

La Roche University announced Friday it will streamline transfers for students at the Penn State campuses slated for closure. That means students who’ve completed Penn State’s general education requirements will automatically fulfill La Roche’s core curriculum requirements. It will also match the net tuition of Penn State’s branch campuses.

From New Kensington, there are 15 colleges within 30 miles and 27 colleges within 50 miles.

The University of Pittsburgh’s branch campus in Greensburg has heard from five students from Penn State New Kensington and Fayette expressing interest in transferring there, said Mike Husenits, Pitt-Greensburg’s director of admissions.

“We’re not anticipating we’re going to get an overflow of students,” he said. “We know our competitors are trying to attract them as well.”

Pitt-Greensburg operates a similar transfer plan setup to La Roche. Pitt-Greensburg recognizes most associate’s degrees to meet their general education requirements, Husenits said. Students with associate’s degrees are not required to take general education courses at Pitt-Greensburg and may instead take courses related to their major.

And in a competitive higher education landscape, with the college-going pool in Pennsylvania shrinking, attracting non-traditional students like transfer or adult students is important, Husenits said.

“We have to look at different buckets of students,” Husenits said. “We can’t just rely on freshmen.”

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education spokesman Kevin Hensil said the state system continuously works to improve the transfer system for students.

Between fall 2022 and fall 2024, more than 16,000 students transferred to a state system university. In fall 2024 alone, more than 4,300 students transferred to a state system university, with nearly 1,300 of them enrolling at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, PennWest or Slippery Rock University.

Since fall 2022, nearly 600 Penn State students have transferred to a state system university, Hensil said. IUP, Penn West and Slippery Rock accept nearly all credits from students transferring from Penn State and other state-related schools, he said.

Penn State’s path

Megan Nagel is regional chancellor for Penn State’s New Kensington, Fayette and Greater Allegheny campuses. She said students impacted by a campus closure will receive personalized guidance and advising so they clearly understand degree completion options, timelines and pathways to other Penn State campuses, including online options through Penn State World Campus.

According to a Student FAQ on Penn State’s website, every student who begins a degree at a closing campus will have the opportunity to complete their degree at Penn State. The university is making efforts to expand course offerings at other campuses to provide students with access to courses.

Prospective students should not be worried about enrolling at a Commonwealth Campus this fall, Penn State said.

“Penn State remains dedicated to its mission of serving students across Pennsylvania. Many of our campuses are poised for long-term success with the right strategic investments. Students will continue to receive a high-quality education and access to the full benefits of a Penn State degree, no matter which campus they attend,” it said.

Tough decisions

While many colleges surround Penn State New Kensington, other areas aren’t as fortunate.

Although Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the country for the most colleges and universities in the state, Penn State Fayette closing would mean there are no baccalaureate-granting institutions in Fayette County.

“In my experience, we don’t have a large number of students that attend Penn State Fayette but for the ones that do, it is an amazing asset right here in our backyard,” said Janet Toth, a counselor at Charleroi Area High School.

She, along with other high school counselors in the Fayette County area, wrote to Penn State trustees about the importance of the Fayette campus.

“Fayette County is a rural area with significant economic challenges,” Toth wrote. “Many of our students are from low-income families and simply cannot afford the cost of relocating or paying for room and board at a distant campus.

“For these students, Penn State Fayette provides a path to a prestigious education that is both accessible and affordable. It serves as a bridge to opportunity — one that would not be as readily available without the nearby Penn State presence.”

In the past two years, three Charleroi graduates said they planned to attend Penn State Fayette, Toth told TribLive. One of the students graduates from high school this year.

“His intent (is) to attend Penn State Fayette for two years, so the timing will work out fine for him,” Toth said.

“As for next year, I would be sure that the student knows that he or she only had one year at Fayette and encourage them to speak to representatives in the admissions office to discuss options for their second year.”

Limited pool

While area colleges anticipate small enrollment increases due to the Penn State closures, there’s not too many students there to pull from.

Together, the three Western Pennsylvania campuses closing — Penn State New Kensington, Fayette and Shenango — have a current enrollment of about 1,100 students, many of whom will graduate before their college closes.

With Penn State giving remaining students the option to transfer to main campus, it’s likely that, by May 2027, few students may remain to seek a transfer.

On top of that, birth rates have been declining since 2008. Fayette’s campus, for example, draws 60% of its enrollment from Fayette County, which has largely reached the limit of potential students, given a local degree attainment rate of 31%, according to Penn State.

Waynesburg University anticipates a slight increase in enrollment over the next couple of years due to Penn State closures, said Adam Jack, vice president for enrollment management, athletics, public safety and strategic initiatives.

“Our close proximity to the Fayette campus may offer added value to students pursuing studies in business, nursing, criminal justice or forensic science, particularly as we’ve recently completed significant facility upgrades in these areas,” Jack said.

The Community College of Allegheny County will also promote its programming to students impacted by the Penn State closures, said President Quintin Bullock.

“While we have no way of calculating how many students will choose to take classes at CCAC, we are planning to offer some special open houses, tours and information sessions for Penn State students and parents to learn more about CCAC and its myriad of programs and services,” he said.

Pitt-Greensburg’s Husenits — who worked at Fayette from 2003 to ‘07 as its director of student and enrollment services — acknowledged the current challenging climate for higher education.

“Even though they are a competitor, we do have friends and colleagues at (the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses),” he said. “It’s a sign of the times — it’s getting harder for colleges to keep their doors open.”