(Brockway, PA) Her students will share with guests why they chose BC3 @ Brockway and discuss their education at Butler County Community College’s most-populated additional location while leading Pioneer Night tours of its classrooms and laboratories, Dr. Jill Martin Rend said.

“Our students have been there, done that, lived that and can talk about their experiences,” said Rend, BC3 @ Brockway director. “Prospective students will get another perspective. 

“We can tell them how great it is, but when someone who is taking classes here talks about BC3 @ Brockway, it probably has a bit more weight.”

Prospective students can also meet faculty members, attend short presentations about two-year career and transfer programs and apply free during Pioneer Night at BC3 @ Brockway, set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 21 at 1200 Wood St., Suite D, Brockway.

Guests can RSVP at bc3.edu/pioneer-night

 

Prospective students “will learn that we have smaller class sizes and that our faculty is excellent, that they go the extra mile to help students and to make sure students do well.” 

-- Dr. Jill Martin Rend, BC3 @ Brockway director

 

“Pioneer Night provides a great opportunity for prospective students and their families to learn about BC3 @ Brockway, explore programs and academic opportunities, and connect with faculty and staff, all in one evening,” said Dr. Josh Novak, BC3’s vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

Students pursuing associate degrees in registered nursing, business and early childhood education (Pre K-4) programs “will speak with prospective students as they show them around the facility and all the wonderful features that we have,” Rend said.

BC3 @ Brockway is Butler County Community College’s only additional location to offer registered nursing. 

Several of what is expected to be a record 31 graduates in the program’s Class of 2026 will give Pioneer Night demonstrations to guests in BC3 @ Brockway’s skills and simulation laboratories and discuss their education in the 70-credit program, Rend said.

Prospective students can also learn at Pioneer Night who their faculty member will be “and learn about the faculty member’s background and knowledge,” Rend said. 

“They will learn that we have smaller class sizes and that our faculty is excellent, that they go the extra mile to help students and to make sure students do well.” 

 

“Many of our students graduate debt-free”

Prospective students can also discover how the college’s affordability, financial aid options and scholarship opportunities enabled 93 percent of BC3’s Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.

Tuition and fees for students pursuing 30 credits through in-person courses in the 2025-2026 academic year cost $9,300 at BC3 @ Brockway, at least $10,906 at regional public four-year institutions and $22,772 at area state-related universities.

Those students can receive up to $12,289 in federal and state grants, according to Juli Louttit, BC3’s director of student financial services.

The BC3 Education Foundation in 2025-2026 distributed to BC3 students a record 164 named scholarships totaling $295,210, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, scholarship and development coordinator with the foundation. 

Among recipients were students from Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson counties, Cornetti said.

Guests at Pioneer Night can learn about a tuition assistance program for registered nursing students sponsored by Penn Highlands Healthcare in BC3 @ Brockway’s service area, and about BC3’s Keystone Education Yields Success program.

KEYS is funded by the state Department of Human Services and is designed to help students who receive cash assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to pursue post-secondary education at a Pennsylvania’s community college.

“Many of our students graduate debt-free,” Rend said.

 

Career programs enroll nearly 84%

Students in BC3 @ Brockway’s career programs such as registered nursing and business management can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

BC3 @ Brockway’s transfer programs include business administration, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies and psychology. BC3 @ Brockway’s credits transfer to four-year public, private and online institutions.

Nearly 84 percent of BC3 @ Brockway’s 184 students this spring are enrolled in career programs.

“Our students do well here,” Rend said, “and are prepared to go into the workforce or to transfer on and finish a four-year degree.”

BC3 @ Brockway will also hold a Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshop from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 21.

BC3 @ Brockway was established in Jefferson County in 2013 to serve Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson — Pennsylvania counties underrepresented by higher education. BC3 has also been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania 11 times since 2015, most recently for 2026 by Niche.com. 

Prospective students can also email questions to jill.martin-rend@bc3.edu or call 814-265-1813.