Higher education

Luzerne County employees can now take classes or earn a degree from Luzerne County Community College at 50% the normal cost of tuition. The partnership will help with recruiting, retaining and strengthening the skills of county employees, officials said Monday.

Almost 700 international students studied at colleges in Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania last year. They bring an economic boost and a global perspective to campus — benefits that the schools hope won’t wane under policy changes from the Trump administration.

The challenges faced by higher education are only expected to grow larger in coming years. The new State Board of Higher Education must prepare a plan by September.

The school in Lackawanna and Wyoming counties can remain open and recruit students again.

More than 2,300 students attend one of four Northeast Pennsylvania campuses of Penn State University. After the 2026-27 academic year, some of those campuses may close.

A university closed. Teachers learned a new language. A school district expanded to meet growing enrollment. In Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, education included both addition and subtraction in 2024.

A final decision on accreditation is expected in March or April. Without accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Keystone would close.

Despite the challenges faced by higher education, Bucknell University, Johnson College and Lackawanna College have more students than ever before.

The merger with Philadelphia-based Peirce College, a provider of adult online education, will make the school the largest private, nonprofit open enrollment college in the state, according to college leaders.