BC3’s 5-week online session offers savings for county students
Butler County Community College’s winter session will allow in-house and guest students to complete prerequisites for upcoming semesters, stay on track for graduation and save up to $516 in tuition and fees per each three-credit course when compared with costs of December to January online classes at regional public four-year institutions.
BC3’s five-week online winter session offers 18 courses and takes place from Dec. 12 to Jan. 17. Students attending BC3 or other colleges and universities can register now at bc3.edu/winter.
BC3’s credits transfer to public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.
The winter session has attracted at least 165 students for three consecutive years, according to Becky Smith, the college’s director of records and registration. Guest students last year transferred winter session credits to at least 10 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, Smith said.
Tuition and fees for a three-credit BC3 2022-2023 Winter Session course cost $606 for BC3 and guest students who live in Butler County and $915 for BC3 and guest students who live in other Pennsylvania counties.
Tuition and fees for a three-credit December to January online class at regional public four-year institutions for students from Pennsylvania range from $1,122 to $1,383.
BC3 and guest students living in Butler County can save at least $516 for each winter session course compared with tuition and fees for comparable courses at regional four-year institutions. Students living in other Pennsylvania counties can save $207.
“Why wouldn’t you want to have those cost savings while finishing a course that will work toward your degree or certificate at BC3 or transfer it to your home institution?” said Amy Pignatore, BC3’s dean of admissions and registrar. “It just makes economic sense.”
Winter session offerings include courses in elementary statistics, general psychology, human growth and development, intermediate algebra, introduction to art and principles of management. Calculus and analytic geometry I and research writing will be offered for a second time.
Last year, winter session guest students transferred BC3 credits to Shippensburg; Slippery Rock and Indiana universities of Pennsylvania; Penn State; Duquesne and Gannon universities; Westminster and Geneva colleges; the Pennsylvania College of Technology; and the University of Pittsburgh, Smith said.
The courses have the same requirements and expectations as a full-term course.
Registration closes Dec. 13.
BC3’s spring semester begins Jan. 17.
Bill Foley is coordinator of news and media content at Butler County Community College.
