THIEL COLLEGE TO OFFER REDUCED DUAL ENROLLMENT TUITION RATE IN LIGHT OF STATE BUDGET UNCERTAINTIES

Aug. 26, 2009

GREENVILLE, Pa.—In an effort to ensure the availability and affordability of a dual enrollment program for area high school students, Thiel College announced today that it will offer a contingent tuition rate for students enrolled in its concurrent enrollment program.

For several years, Thiel has offered programs that allow area high school students to get a head start on their college credits; the most recent example is the state-funded Dual Enrollment Program, which is supported by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In the past few weeks, the Dual Enrollment Program—along with dozens of other educational programs funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education—has been under review as a possible budget cut, as the impasse in Harrisburg continues.  

“This has placed a great deal of uncertainty on the shoulders of some area families,” noted John Rindy, Thiel’s dean of educational outreach, who oversees Thiel’s high school concurrent enrollment programs.

In an effort to secure the dual enrollment option for this year’s students, the college has offered to cut the discounted tuition rate in half should the state legislature eliminate all funding for the concurrent enrollment program.

“If we find out in the coming weeks that the program has been completely cut, our dual enrollment tuition rate would drop from $199 per credit, to $100 per credit,” says Rindy. He added that parents of enrolled students will be updated once a final budget decision has been reached in Harrisburg.  Parents who have already remitted payment to Thiel for their student’s fall tuition would receive a partial refund should the contingency rate take effect. 

This year, Rindy became concerned when several high school students contacted his office asking to be withdrawn from the program, citing uncertainty over how much of their tuition might be covered by the shrinking appropriations for 2009–2010.

Typically, Thiel offers a special discounted tuition rate to qualified high school students, and the participating high schools agree to accept Thiel’s academic credits as credit toward high school graduation.

In past years, state funding has been available to the school districts to further reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of families whose children participated in the program, but this year, as belts tighten in Harrisburg, it is still unclear how much, if any funding will be available. In 2008–09, the program was funded at $10 million.

Thiel has concurrent enrollment agreements with Greenville, Commodore Perry, Reynolds and Jamestown School Districts and districts of Intermediate Unit 5 to the north of Greenville.

For more information about the concurrent enrollment program, contact Rindy at 724-589-2181 or jrindy@thiel.edu.

About Thiel College

Founded in 1866, Thiel College is a liberal arts, sciences and professional studies institution located in Greenville, Pa., that provides a great balance of academic challenge, personal and social involvement, and exceptional value to its 1,100 students. For more information about Thiel College, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, visit www.thiel.edu or call 800-24-THIEL.

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