Butler County Community College received $150,000 through the Parent Pathways Grant, which has a goal of making higher education more accessible and affordable for Pennsylvanians.

The allocation was announced on Friday, March 28, according to a release by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. BC3 was one of 11 colleges and universities to receive funds totaling $1.5 million via the grant.

According to Joshua Novak, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, BC3’s portion will be utilized specifically to support students who also serve as parents.

“We felt we could do more to support success and retention for that specific group of students,” Novak said.

Plans include retention-based scholarships, the expansion of the BC3 Pioneer Pantry to include child care supplies, specific programming for student parents, and the creation of a “parent navigator” position to offer student parents more guidance and resources.

Parent Pathways grants supports parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding and wraparound services.