As a university devoted to transforming and developing students to meet today’s workforce needs, Carlow University President Dr. Kathy Humphrey and a coalition of students from different academic programs at the university recently visited the Pennsylvania State Capitol. They were there to discuss making higher education more accessible and affordable for all students.
“We met with state senators and representatives to discuss opportunities to expand access and affordability to degree programs for Pennsylvania students and young people,” said Dr. Humphrey.
The message delivered by the Carlow contingent is that the university’s leadership and educators recognize the far-reaching positive impact of higher education at the individual and community levels, and that there is an opportunity to provide that positive impact to more students than ever.
Specifically, the idea being proposed is that by reducing the elective credits and concentrating the curriculum, students could complete a bachelor’s degree in as few as 90 credits. Current Pennsylvania law requires 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree. This is not a narrowly-focused initiative either. Programs that such a change could apply to include in-demand fields such as education, public health, health care management, health care data analytics, creative writing, and English.
The Carlow community understands the importance that a bachelor’s degree can have on an individual’s life. According to the most recent survey results, 76 percent of Carlow students are first generation college students, 44 percent are Pell-eligible, and 40 percent are economically challenged. Once the student earns their bachelor’s degree, 98 percent have a job within six months of graduation. The evidence is clear: education improves lives.
“We are devoted to creating a brighter future for the youth of Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Humphrey.