(Butler, PA) The 125-year-old Italian Society of Butler County will perpetually support students pursuing criminology or registered nursing degrees at Butler County Community College.

The 400-member social club’s $15,500 gift to the BC3 Education Foundation establishes an endowment and brings the number of financial awards available to BC3 students in the 2026-2027 academic year to a record 166.

Students registered in associate degree, certificate or workplace certificate programs at BC3 this fall can view scholarships and complete one application at bc3.edu/scholarships until July 1, said Bobbi Jo Cornetti, the BC3 Education Foundation’s scholarship and development coordinator.

A record 328 students have applied for a scholarship as of June 23, Cornetti said, adding that recipients will be notified by Aug. 3.

Scholarships created at or that reach $15,000 become endowed, Cornetti said.

The Italian Society of Butler County’s financial award will debut this fall along with the Leanne Heaton Memorial Scholarship, the Richard P. and Linda L. Musko Scholarship; the Sharon A. Cooper Memorial Scholarship; and the American Legion Riders Lyndora Chapter 778 Veterans Scholarship – all endowed – and the annual BC3 Project Pink for Hope Scholarship.

 

“There are so many colleges and universities where the tuition leaves a lot of students in huge debt when they are starting out in their careers. … Graduating debt-free makes a huge difference in their lives.”

- Bobbi Jo Cornetti, scholarship and development coordinator, BC3 Education Foundation

 

Financial awards are available to students enrolled at BC3’s main campus in Butler Township, at BC3 @ Armstrong in Ford City, BC3 @ Brockway in Brockway, BC3 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township or BC3 @ Lawrence in Shenango Township; in online courses or in the college’s virtual programs, Cornetti said.

BC3 Education Foundation scholarships in 2026-2027 will range from $300 to $5,000 and average $500, Cornetti said. The foundation distributed to BC3 students from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Erie, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango counties a then-record 164 financial awards in 2025-2026 and totaling $295,210, Cornetti said.

BC3’s affordability, financial aid options and BC3 Education Foundation scholarships enabled 82 percent of the college’s Class of 2026 to graduate debt-free.

“That’s an incredible thing for these students,” Cornetti said. “There are so many colleges and universities where the tuition leaves a lot of students in huge debt when they are starting out in their careers. It’s wonderful that they can leave here with a two-year degree debt-free and be able to focus on preparing for their careers. Graduating debt-free makes a huge difference in their lives.”

 

“We felt it was appropriate it would go to BC3 where we could have some impact on those students matriculating into higher education.”

- Dan Palombo, trustee, Italian Society of Butler County

 

BC3 is the only institution of higher education for which the Italian Society of Butler County has created a scholarship, social club trustee Dan Palombo and president D.J. Trombatt said.

“We support a tremendous number of organizations in the Butler area,” Palombo said. “We felt it was appropriate it would go to BC3 where we could have some impact on those students matriculating into higher education.

“We know the importance of health care in particular and the need for people who are pursuing health care education,” Palombo said. “Obviously BC3 has a great nursing program. We were aware of that. Nursing is a critical need in the area, and, quite frankly, in the country. We need many, many more nurses.

“From a criminology standpoint, students who get that degree can pursue jobs at local police departments, state police departments. They can choose forensics. There are a number of things they can do with that degree that will support the greater community.”

Health care providers and government were among the Top 10 employers in Butler County as of October, according to the most recent report from the state Department of Labor & Industry’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

 

“A lot of the graduates do stay in the local area and provide their services for the people who helped with their education and who live in the community.”

- D.J. Trombatt, president, Italian Society of Butler County

 

The Italian Society of Butler County raises funds from the sale of rip tickets, Palombo and Trombatt said. Officers discuss which organizations will receive 60 percent of the revenue from sales.

“BC3,” Trombatt said, “provides for everybody in the county. Whenever we started talking about who we could give it to, it really hit with a lot of the guys with BC3’s nursing and criminology. Everyone said, ‘Those people are protecting us and saving our lives.’ So everybody said, ‘That’s what we want to do.’

“A lot of the graduates do stay in the local area and provide their services for the people who helped with their education and who live in the community.”

The BC3 Education Foundation was established in 1985 as a charitable organization that acquires and manages private funds for the benefit of BC3. The foundation administers scholarships created by businesses, college alumni and employees, fraternal and other nonprofit organizations, and private individuals.

Its number of scholarships has increased 12 percent in the past five years.

“We are the community’s college,” Cornetti said. “Scholarships give back to BC3 and to the community and invest in students. Organizations like the Italian Society of Butler County want to give back to the community. They want to help.”

Heaton scholarship, others to debut

The Leanne Heaton scholarship was established through a legacy gift from her estate. She and her father, the late Robert R. Heaton, were longtime supporters of BC3. 

Robert R. Heaton in 2014 became the first of seven individuals or organizations to contribute at least $1 million to the BC3 Education Foundation. His gift helped to fund the Heaton Family Learning Commons, an academic and community library that opened on the college’s main campus in August 2016.

The Musko scholarship is intended to support students in accounting or business programs; the Cooper award, for students in health care programs; the American Legion Riders scholarship, to an honorably discharged U.S. veteran; and the Project Pink award, to a student who survived cancer or who has cared for another battling the disease.

The Muskos said they established the scholarship in part to recognize former BC3 President Dr. Nick Neupauer for his friendship and outstanding contributions to the college and to the community.

Cooper created the financial award in honor of his wife, whom he said dedicated her life to a career in nursing. Cooper, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and graduated from BC3 in 1972, said he credits BC3’s veterans services for helping him to transition from military life into a successful college experience.

Members of the Legion Riders said they established their scholarship to recognize student-veterans for their dedication and patriotism to the United States.

Melissa Philson, a breast cancer survivor, Greenville resident and BC3 professor, created the Project Pink award because, she said, she is deeply committed to helping others who have been affected by cancer to continue their education. Philson matched contributions up to a total of $500 in October to launch the scholarship, which will be funded in part by the Project Pink campaign organized annually by BC3’s social awareness club.

Tuition and fees for Butler County residents pursuing 15 credits per semester in 2026-2027 for in-person courses at BC3 are expected to cost $3,165; and for residents of Pennsylvania counties other than Butler, $4,710.

Tuition and fees for Pennsylvanians pursuing 15 credits per semester in 2025-2026 at regional four-year state universities ranged from $5,453.04 to $6,037.50; and for state-related universities, from $6,784 to $11,368.

Butler County residents seeking 15 credits each semester in 2026-2027 can receive up to an estimated $10,453 in federal and state grants, according to Juli Louttit, BC3’s director of student financial services.

Residents of Pennsylvania counties other than Butler seeking 15 credits each semester in 2026-2027 can receive up to an estimated $12,289 in federal and state grants.