With a growing city and a school district with record enrollment, supporters of Penn State Hazleton don’t understand why the campus may close.
In a student-organized rally on campus, and then at a legislative discussion in downtown Hazleton, speakers on Thursday shared passionate stories about how the school changed their lives.
And with Hazleton growing, the campus could change many more, speakers said.
“We are not just numbers on a spreadsheet here, and we like it that way,” Emily Babula, a first-year student from Hazleton, said during the rally. “We will fight for the future of our gorgeous campus, as well as the Commonwealth campuses in the same boat as us. After all, we are all Penn State.”
The university announced in February that due to financial struggles and declining enrollment, some of its Commonwealth campuses may close after the 2026-27 academic year.
The seven largest campuses — Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Harrisburg and Lehigh Valley — will remain open. The future of the 12 remaining campuses, including Hazleton, Schuylkill, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, will be decided by a university committee. The university plans to announce a final plan before the spring semester ends next month.
Sen. Dave Argall held a legislative roundtable discussion at the Schuylkill campus last week. Students at the Wilkes-Barre campus, located in Lehman Twp., plan to call legislators and reach out to members of the Penn State Board of Trustees during an event Friday.
Enrollment across Commonwealth campuses has declined by about 24% over the last decade. During the last five years in Hazleton, enrollment has decreased 4.5%. The campus had 515 students as of the fall semester.
Despite the decrease — and the declining number of future college-aged students — there is great potential for growth on campus, speakers at the legislative event said.
Growth in southern Luzerne County
Population in the city of Hazleton jumped nearly 20% since 2010, according to U.S. Census estimates from 2023.
Enrollment in the Hazleton Area School District has increased 8% annually in the eight years Brian Uplinger has served as superintendent. Now with 13,700 students, partnerships with Penn State Hazleton continue to grow. High school students earn college credits through dual enrollment courses, Uplinger said. About 70% of students in the district are Hispanic, up from 56% eight years ago.
Of Penn State campuses, students in Hazleton have the greatest financial needs, said Elizabeth Wright, regional chancellor. The campus has the highest percentage of "underrepresented" students, and nearly 50% of students are first-generation students, she said.
Without the campus in Sugarloaf Twp., students may not have the means to pursue higher education at all, speakers said.
The Hazleton campus opened 90 years ago, at first in the Markle Bank building, across West Broad Street from Thursday's event. During the Depression era, founders sought a way to meet the needs of the immigrant community.
"It's still serving that mission," said Joseph Clifford, chair of the campus' advisory council. "We are going to do our best to keep the campus here."
Funding concerns
Todd Eachus, a former Democratic state representative who represented southern Luzerne County, urged the Republican panel to find bipartisan funding solutions for Penn State.
The 2024-25 state budget provided flat funding for general support of Penn State. Starting in 2025-26, Pennsylvania will debut a new performance-based funding model for Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University. The model will reward institutions for achieving outcomes-based metrics.
Argall, joined by Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver, Rep. Dane Watro and Rep. Jamie Walsh sat under the words “Don’t Quit Your Daydream” at the campus’ Launchbox, which helps aspiring entrepreneurs. A 2019 study found the campus had a $35 million economic impact. An updated study would show the impact is much greater, experts said.
“The numbers don't lie. You have the infrastructure here. You have the growing community. You have a school district bursting at the seams,” Walsh said. “I just feel that the potential closure of Penn State Hazleton, it represents more than just a loss of an educational facility, it also threatens the future of this region.”
Rally on campus
Penn State Hazleton is within 45 miles of three other regional campuses: Schuylkill, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.
Before boarding a van to head to the Launchbox, students held signs and advocated for the campus — and each other. Students said the uncertainty makes it feel that campuses are pitted against one another.
“It feels as if we stand divided,” Babula said. “These campuses are no longer equal in value, but rather separated by how valuable or invaluable we may be to some unforeseen higher power.”
The size of Penn State Hazleton's campus is its strength, not its weakness, students said.
“None of us deserve being told that they are weighing the options keeping us open or shutting us down,” said Conon Pacini, student government president. “But if they are, then we should do everything we can to add to that scale, to show them our worth.”
Nora Jones, from Effort, is a second-year student. She’ll reluctantly head to University Park in the fall to finish her degree.
“It breaks my heart even more that future Penn State students may not get the same opportunities and experiences that I did here,” she said. “I'm always told that I could come back whenever I need. I lie awake at night due to the possibility that I may not be able to come back to this community and campus, whenever I need it.”
