LCCC Receives $1 Million Grant to Expand Dual Enrollment Programming

Schnecksville, Pa., May 14, 2025 – Lehigh Carbon Community College has received a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to expand its dual enrollment program to enable more high school students to enroll in dual credit programs, giving them additional opportunities to chart their own course and prepare for successful careers.

LCCC’s grant is part of $14 million awarded statewide to 15 public institutions of higher education.

Dual credit programs improve student outcomes by enabling students to take college courses and earn credits for both high school and college – while still in high school.

LCCC is a leader in dual enrollment programming, offering courses in 21 different high schools in 16 school districts, charter schools, private schools and career and technical institutes across Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill counties. In the 2023-24 academic year, Dual Enrollment courses were offered at high schools and at the college campus or online with a total enrollment of nearly 2,400 students.

With this funding, LCCC will establish a “Dual Credit-to-Workforce Pipeline” program that prioritizes in-demand and high-growth careers in our region of Pennsylvania. The five industry clusters are: Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Education, Healthcare and Technology. Under this pipeline program, dual credit students will complete a sequence of general education and industry-specific courses. The college will partner with secondary schools and districts to identify specific courses, course modalities and experiential learning opportunities.

Students may complete general education courses, selecting from classes the college already offers at high schools, online, or a campus location. LCCC will expand its dual credit courses to introductory classes that align with each industry cluster such as Medical Terminology (Healthcare), Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (Criminal Justice) and Manufacturing (Technology). These courses will allow students to explore different career pathways in high-priority occupations and gain knowledge and skills so they are better prepared for their transition to LCCC or the workforce upon high school graduation.

LCCC will also embed experiential learning activities into the proposed industry-specific dual credit courses, including demonstrations, simulations, presentations, job site visits, field trips and employer roundtables.

For information on high school programs at LCCC, contact Admissions at 610-799-1575 or Admissions@ lccc.edu.