The Education Consortium of the Upper Allegheny (ECUA) has partnered with Gannon University to offer two affordable Associate Degrees – Liberal Arts and Business Management – to the residents of North Central and Northwestern PA. While there are a number of high quality educational providers in this region, the costs of Associate Degree Programs at these schools range from $16,485 to $27,000 or more including tuition and fees. The costs for these same Associate Degrees at Community Colleges elsewhere in PA would typically be $10,000 –
$15,000 including tuition and fees for out of county students. It is simply not fair that residents of Northwest and North Central PA have to pay so much more for an Associate Degree than residents from other parts of the state.
Through this innovative partnership with Gannon University, ECUA is proud to announce the availability of these associate degrees for only$12,000 including tuition, application fee, and student fees. This is a significant reduction in what a Gannon Degree typically costs and is comparable to the cost for similar programming at community colleges.
To qualify for the reduced tuition rate, students must be residents of PA and cannot be currently enrolled at Gannon University.
These associate degree programs will be offered through a combination of face-to-face instruction and interactive TV (ITV) at 4 primary sites including the Coudersport/Port Allegany area, Meadville area, Kane/Warren area, and St. Marys/Brockway area. ECUA is also looking for additional locations interested in serving as interactive TV sites. The goal is to have approximately 25% of each program offered live at each of the primary sites, and to have ITV locations available to reduce travel time for participants in other portions of the ECUA Service region.  The course schedule is guaranteed, allowing students to know that if they register for coursework and follow the set schedule, they will earn their Associates Degree in two years.  ECUA also has a limited amount of funding to provide scholarships for students who demonstrate financial need.
The need for affordable associate degree programming has been a serious issue facing Northern Pennsylvania for decades.  One major factor contributing to our region’s high cost of education is that there are no community colleges North of Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. Community Colleges offer a tremendous opportunity for residents to advance their educations at a reduced cost, allowing them to enter the workforce, pursue career advancement opportunities, or continue on at another college or university to earn their bachelors and/or masters degree by transferring the credits, upon graduation.
Through this partnership, ECUA and Gannon are proud to help fill this need in the region. To learn more about these programs, request a course schedule, start the registration process, inquire about scholarships, or express interest in being an interactive TV site, call ECUA at (814) 757-5731, email dvicini@ecuapa.org, or visit our website at www.ecuapa.org.