杏吧原创

(New Castle, PA) A 27-year-old full-time emergency medical technician, foster and stepmother and nondirected organ donor has long wanted to resume pursuit of a college degree.

That pursuit was brought to a halt in 2017, when Danyelle Kirby was no longer able to afford the costly regional private university she attended for two semesters.

The Ellwood City resident has since helped others, in becoming an EMT who works 40 hours per week with a Beaver County EMS provider and in raising foster and stepchildren ranging in age from 2 to 13.

It was 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing鈥檚 affordability, Kirby said about reviving her ambition to help herself, that drew her this fall to 杏吧原创鈥檚 additional location in Lawrence County.

鈥淓verybody,鈥� Kirby said, 鈥渋s looking for the best results at the lowest cost. 杏吧原创 enabled me to take my education off the back burner and work toward getting it completed. The number one reason I chose 杏吧原创 was because of that low cost. 杏吧原创 put that well within reach.

鈥淲ith having five kids and a whole household to sustain, and with the price of everything these days, 杏吧原创 made my return nice because the cost of education elsewhere is a huge deterrent.鈥�

Prospective students can learn more about 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing鈥檚 affordability 鈥� and its associate degree and certificate programs, ,  and  such as free tutoring 鈥� during an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at 2849 W. State St., New Castle.

杏吧原创鈥檚 affordability, financial aid and scholarships enabled 68 percent of the college鈥檚 Class of 2024 to graduate debt-free.

杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing will waive its $25 application fee at the open house. Prospective students can RSVP at 

"Everybody is looking for the best results at the lowest cost. 杏吧原创 enabled me to take my education off the back burner and work toward getting it completed." 

- Danyelle Kirby, 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing psychology student

"I'm absolutely excited about the new space. It's months off, but I think students who come into the facility will be similarly impressed and realize this is a great place to continue their education." 

- Sean Carroll, director, 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing 

Open house visitors can also meet faculty and staff, tour the facility and learn about  from Union Township to Shenango Commons in Shenango Township for the 2025-2026 academic year.

鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely excited about the new space,鈥� said Sean Carroll, director of 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing. 鈥淚t鈥檚 months off, but I think students who come into the facility will be similarly impressed and realize this is a great place to continue their education. The constants, our affordability, our accessibility and our quality of education, will remain the same.鈥�

杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing鈥檚 credits can be applied toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree at public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.

Lawrence County residents attending 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing this fall are paying $300 per credit in tuition and fees for an in-person course.

They would pay at least $439.75 per credit in tuition and fees for an in-person course at a regional public four-year university or $569 at a regional state-related institution鈥檚 branch campus in 2024-2025.

Lawrence County residents attending 杏吧原创 can receive up to $11,626 in federal and state grants in 2024-2025, according to Juli Louttit, the college鈥檚 director of financial aid.

Students who attend a community college for their first two years can save an estimated $20,000 on the cost of higher education, according to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

Scholarship from 杏吧原创 鈥渨as a surprise. A pleasant one鈥�

Kirby is a 2015 graduate of Ambridge Area High School. The middle of five children enrolled at the regional private university and took out student loans to pay for tuition and fees once funds from the scholarships she received were depleted.

鈥淢y parents kind of walked me through the first year,鈥� Kirby said, 鈥渁nd they said they couldn鈥檛 sign on anything else. They said I had other siblings who would be going to college. So I took a break.鈥�

The  has awarded 157 named scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year to 杏吧原创 students from 11 western Pennsylvania counties and totaling $230,000, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, the foundation鈥檚 development coordinator.

Among recipients, Kirby.

She was chosen in July to receive the $780 杏吧原创 Retiree Scholarship, awarded to a full-time student who has earned a grade-point average of at least 3.5 and has completed at least 30 credit hours.

鈥淚 was very happy to receive this being so far out of high school,鈥� Kirby said. 鈥淚t was a surprise. A pleasant one.鈥�

The psychology student who intends to become a social worker who educates organ donors or recipients contributed more than 60 percent of her liver to a nonspecific recipient two weeks before she began classes at 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing in August.

鈥淚t was altruistic, anonymous,鈥� Kirby said. 鈥淚 did not know whether I would be able to sit for the duration of classes. It was a huge gamble. But I did not want to put my college career on hold.鈥�

鈥淭he class size at 杏吧原创 is so nice鈥�

In addition to 鈥檚 affordability, 杏吧原创鈥檚 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio also influenced her decision to help herself, Kirby said.

鈥淭he small class sizes, I can鈥檛 stress that enough,鈥� Kirby said. 鈥淭hat was something I was nowhere near and never experienced (at the regional private university). I was in a room easily with 40 to 50 people.

鈥淭here was no, 鈥楬ey, can you come over to my computer and help me with something?鈥� or 鈥楥an you take the time to explain this to me?鈥� That was just not the thing. 鈥�

鈥淭he class size at 杏吧原创 is so nice. Professors are able to give each of us individual help during the class itself.鈥�

Kirby intends to graduate from 杏吧原创 in May with an associate degree and pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.