HACC Helps Former ITT Students

The College will provide guidance, assistance to all who ask, says HACC president HARRISBURG, Pa. – Area students affected by the closing of ITT Technical Institute (ITT) schools are encouraged to contact HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, for solutions to completing their education.

ITT abruptly closed its doors nationwide earlier this week, leaving more than 40,000 of its currently enrolled students unable to complete their programs. Hundreds of those students were enrolled at ITT’s campus in Swatara Township in Pennsylvania.

“We’re here to help,” said HACC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski, Ed.D. “The HACC team is prepared to provide guidance and assistance to these former ITT students.”

“These students are left with the responsibility of repaying student loan debt and unfinished training for the programs they chose at ITT. We at HACC will do whatever we can to help them overcome this obstacle to their career path,” Sygielski said.
 

HACC Provides Resources to Help Students

HACC has many resources available to help students achieve a successful HACC experience, including:

• Affordable tuition
• Scholarships
• Tuition give-aways
• An admissions counselor, Allen Norton, dedicated as the point of contact for former ITT students
• More than 120 programs in a variety of fields, including a robust selection of trade and technology programs and 39 programs that are fully online
• Services designed for student success
• Options that allow students to articulate eligible life experience into college credit

 

Tuition is Affordable

“HACC offers a quality education at an affordable cost,” Sygielski said.
 
Current tuition and fees for in-state students range from $217.50 to $259.50 per credit for the spring and summer 2017 terms.
 
HACC students who live in one of HACC’s 22 sponsoring school districts pay $217.50 per credit for tuition and fees. For example, a sponsoring school district resident who takes 12 credit hours pays $2,610 in tuition and fees. (Sponsoring school districts in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties pay a portion of the tuition for residents who attend HACC.)
 
HACC students who live in a non-sponsoring school district pay $259.50 per credit for tuition and fees. For example, a non-sponsoring school district resident who takes 12 credit hours pays $3,114 in tuition and fees.
 

Scholarships Are Available

“HACC strives to keep tuition as affordable as possible,” Sygielski said. “To help former ITT students with the cost of tuition and books, we encourage them to apply for Pell grants and scholarships provided by generous donors to the HACC Foundation.”

HACC scholarships provide free money to eligible students, including former ITT students who enroll at HACC.

With more than 200 scholarships available, students have an opportunity to apply for scholarships that do not have to be repaid. Also, they help to reduce the amount of loans that HACC students have to repay.

Thanks to the support of the HACC Foundation, the College is able to offer this free money to support students in reaching their educational goals,” Sygielski said.
 

Tuition Give-aways Announced

“HACC is offering former ITT students an opportunity to receive $2,000 for their tuition and books. This opportunity will provide significant financial assistance to students who have been impacted by the recent closure of ITT, allowing them to pursue their educational and professional goals,” Sygielski said.

The $2,000 can be used for tuition, fees and books for the spring 2017 and/or summer 2017 terms. Former ITT students can take advantage of this opportunity through Sept. 30, 2016, by completing an online form. Three recipients of this free funding will be selected from those who complete the online form.
 

Designated Point of Contact Named for Former ITT Students

In order to help former ITT students with questions unique to their experience, HACC has named Allen Norton, an admissions counselor at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus, as the designated point of contact.

Norton, who has 10 years of experience as an admissions counselor, will walk former ITT students through the process of furthering their education. 

Former ITT students are encouraged to contact Norton to enroll in HACC.
 

More than 120 Programs Offered

HACC offers a variety of associate degrees, certificates and diplomas, including a robust selection of trade and technical programs designed to provide the necessary hands-on skills to meet the demands of today’s workforce.

With more than 120 programs from which to choose, former ITT students have the option to pursue a career, transfer to a four-year institution or add skills to advance in an existing career.

Students can choose from in-class, online and blended (a combination of in-class and online) classes.
 

Services Designed for Student Success

“Former ITT students will find variety of services offered at HACC to ensure student success,” Sygielski said.

Peer tutoring, mentoring, library services, counseling and advising are among the services tailored to help students achieve their educational goals.

Open houses, new student orientation, campus tours and career discovery days are offered at the five area campuses in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York and online.

Former ITT students will find that HACC’s career coach is a good resource to research careers, learn what jobs are demand in the region and find out how occupations tie into specific majors at HACC.
 

Options for Getting Credit for Previous Experience

ITT was not an accredited school in Central Pennsylvania, which means former ITT students cannot transfer credits earned at ITT to HACC.

“HACC will help former ITT students overcome this obstacle,” Sygielski said. “The College will work with them to find options for getting credit for knowledge they have already gained in the ITT classroom or through other life experience.”

College Credit FastTrack, for example, is an online resource funded by the U.S. Department of Labor in order to help meet the educational requirements of the future workforce. The website has an e-portfolio platform which provides a single point of entry for adult learners in Pennsylvania to access prior learning credits at HACC and the 13 other community colleges in the state.

College Credit FastTrack can assist former ITT students through the process required to seek credit for prior life or college experience that can be applied toward a degree or certificate program.

“We are dedicated to helping former ITT students through their difficult times,” Sygielski said.

For more information, please email newsroom@hacc.edu.
 
About HACC
 
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, offers more than 120 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 19,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on Twitter (@HACC_info), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews.