Community College of Allegheny County is trying to stimulate the local economy with a package of tuition and fee waivers for laid-off workers.
College and county officials will announce today that free tuition and fees will be granted to unemployed Allegheny County residents who present a letter from their employers verifying that their loss of work was due to company layoffs and not the employees' choice or fault.
"We want to remain responsive to the needs of the community," said CCAC President Alex Johnson in a prepared statement.
Five programs will take part in the tuition waivers this spring: emergency medical technician at the Allegheny campus, information technology support at the Boyce campus, basic electronics at the North campus, phlebotomy at the South campus and certified nurse aide training at the Downtown center.
Other courses may be added to the program between March and May.
To get the free tuition, residents must apply for financial aid. The waiver will cover tuition and fees beyond what is paid by other grants and loans. Tuition costs $85.25 a credit, and fees range from $4.25 a credit to $78 a semester, depending on the program.
The cost of the free tuition will be borne by the college, according to Tom Santone, chairman of CCAC's board of trustees.
"We'll be looking at different ways of getting funding for it," said college spokesman David Hoovler. He noted that CCAC offered free tuition for displaced workers in the late 1970s and early '80s when the steel mills were closing.
The downturn in the economy has given the college's credit enrollment a boost of nearly 5 percent over last year, Johnson announced Thursday at the board of trustees' meeting.
He said enrollment for the spring semester was 14,345 students, as of Dec. 23, compared to 13,690 students at the same time last year. Classes start Monday.
College officials announced two appointments.
Charlene Cole-Newkirk will be president of the South campus at a salary of $125,000, effective March 1. She was vice president and dean of the Prince Frederick Campus for the College of Southern Maryland.
Rick Adams, 57, of East Liberty was named special assistant to the president for diversity and inclusion, effective Dec. 9, at a salary of $90,483. He has worked at CCAC for 23 years.
Additional Information:On the Web
Community College of Allegheny County Web site
