Spokesperson Anthony Twyman said students who get off at the Downingtown train station have to find a way to campus. Its campuses in Delaware County and its Exton campus in Chester County have public transit access, while its Downingtown site and its Pennocks Bridge Center in West Grove do not. Many also operate college-based aid programs through which students can access subsidized bus passes or request emergency financial assistance in the form of gas cards and other transportation-related assistance.”Īt Montgomery County’s college, VanDyke said that transportation has not been raised as a barrier but that college officials are ready to help connect students with any needed support.ĭelaware County Community College also said transportation has not been raised by students as a problem.
SCHOOL SHUTTLE SERVICE NEAR ME FREE
“Community colleges continually seek to improve access, in this case by working with local transportation organizations to negotiate free and reduced rides for students. “Lack of reliable personal or public transportation is one of the many nonacademic barriers that impact community college student enrollment and completion,” said Elizabeth A. The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges acknowledged transportation as an issue and said its schools are working on it. » READ MORE: City-funded scholarships make community college free for Philly students: ‘Honestly, I don’t think I’d be in school’ without it “I’m going to keep pushing to get Republicans in the Senate to support this bill too so we can get it over the finish line.” “The PATH to College Act would make it easier for students at community colleges and minority-serving institutions to take public transportation to get to campus, removing a big barrier to higher education,” Casey said in a statement. The bill has passed the House twice but has not gained traction in the Senate, though advocates plan to push again next year. The bill would offer competitive grants to add transit stops close to campuses, increase frequency and provide financial support to students. Bob Casey, a Democrat, proposed legislation to ease transportation for students based on the Seldin group’s initial report, which didn’t include branch campuses and their satellites. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, and Sen.
Last year, a bipartisan group of federal legislators, including Rep. “And that in places where those services are not yet available, the availability of the data will galvanize action, and we are seeing that already.” “What we’re hoping is that through this work we are able to lift up examples in places where this is working,” she said.
She hopes it spurs conversation about accessibility, noting that community college students often come from lower-income homes, and 99% live off campus, with many of them working and/or parenting and strapped for time. The group’s work offers a starting point in looking at what its authors say is a critical issue: Making sure students can get to campus. “Everybody’s got some work to do,” said Seldin, a 2009 University of Pennsylvania graduate and Rhodes scholar who coauthored the report with Ellie Bruecker and Matthew Crespi.
» READ MORE: Penn scholar's road to a Rhodes scholarship Annual transportation for community college students on average is about $1,840, Seldin said. Her group’s analysis doesn’t take into account transit frequency or schedules, availability of transit stops in students’ neighborhoods, or the cost - all of which could create additional barriers for students. Bike lanes also are near both, she said.īut even the campuses with stops nearby may face challenges, Seldin said. The college also offers a free shuttle service between Pottstown and Blue Bell. SEPTA operates two bus routes to the Blue Bell campus, while its Pottstown campus is served by SEPTA and Pottstown Area Rapid Transit, she said. Montgomery County college spokesperson Diane VanDyke said the institute will be leaving Lansdale and moving to its Blue Bell campus within the next year where there is public transportation access. In the Philadelphia region, most campuses have a nearby stop, but there are exceptions, such as Montgomery County Community College’s Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale and Bucks County Community College’s Perkasie campus, the data show. In Delaware, all three of its campuses are within walking distance. Just 7% of its 46 community and technical college campuses are not within walking distance of a transit stop, which is defined as within a half-mile. New Jersey fares far better than Pennsylvania.
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