WARREN – Northern Pennsylvania Regional College is thrilled to announce a strategic move in the delivery of education. Beginning in January 2025, the institution is building remote attendance options with live instruction into all their academic courses. This effort is in direct alignment and support of the College’s mission to provide affordable and accessible post-secondary education to the residents of northern Pennsylvania.

By allowing students the option to attend courses remotely, this will help bring even greater flexibility into the lives of students enrolled at NPRC. Students will be able to customize their schedules to meet their needs by choosing to attend all classes remotely, to attend all classes at an NPRC instructional location, or to customize their schedule by engaging in both remote and at an existing NPRC location.

In the 2022-23 academic year in higher education across the United States, it is estimated that over 50 percent of college students had at least one course they were enrolled in online. By offering remote options with live instruction in all academic courses, NPRC hopes that a larger population of students can and will be served. Vice President of Academic, Dr. Ben Malczyk, shared, “NPRC is committed to its mission of providing affordable and accessible college offerings. Providing more remote options increases accessibility, especially for working adults by reducing unnecessary travel time. Freeing up time can mean more time with family, more time for studying, or more time for personal interests and needs. Students have asked for it, and the college has listened.”

NPRC has been piloting remote programming since January of this year with the beginning of the Paraeducator Pathways Program. This program is one that is investing in current paraeducators across the Seneca Highlands IU9 area by offering low-cost education to paraeducators across 14 public school districts on a remote basis. The results have showcased that providing remote options for courses could be a step in growing enrollment and offering additional programs in the future. These professionals will complete their associate degrees in December 2025 and will be eligible to transfer to a partnering four-year institution to complete their bachelor’s degree in special education.

The College will continue to allow students to attend their courses at one of over 25 locations across 10 counties if they choose to do so. This will ensure that learners have a secure location with internet connectivity if this best serves them in their educational journey. Laptops will still be issued as a part of the laptop loaner program to ensure students have firm access to their coursework.

NPRC has experienced notable growth in recent years, including a total student population of 756 students served in 997 learning opportunities. The trend of serving an increasing number of learners has continued so far in the 2024-25 academic year as the institution has served nearly 500 students since July 1, 2024.

For more information about becoming a student at NPRC or completing your two-year degree online at the College, contact the institution by email at info@rrcnpa.org.

About NPRC: Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC) is authorized by the PA Department of Education to award associate degrees and certificates in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. NPRC is an open-admission, two-year institution of higher education. The College’s mission is to provide affordable and accessible post-secondary education to the residents of northern Pennsylvania. NPRC brings affordable education to a 10-county region (Cameron, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Venango, and Warren). With flexible scheduling options at numerous instructional locations as well as remote attendance options, attending Northern Pennsylvania Regional College is an excellent option for individuals interested in furthering their education close to home or who need flexibility in their educational journey. With a growing team of high-quality industry-leading instructors directing our classrooms, students are empowered by a welcoming community to change their lives and brighten their futures. NPRC is a candidate for accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). https://regionalcollegepa.org.