PASSHE universities accept 95% of Pa. Community College transfer credits
PASSHE universities are the top destination for community college transfer students

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is proud to announce that 29 exceptional community college students will receive free tuition at state-owned universities, continuing the system’s dedication to student success and affordability.

The outstanding students were selected by their community colleges and named to the prestigious All-Pennsylvania Academic Team for 2025. PASSHE’s 10 public universities and the 15 community colleges in Pennsylvania partner to offer the program, helping more than 800 students over two decades.

“Each of these students exemplifies the dedication and excellence we strive for at PASSHE,” said PASSHE Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino. “PASSHE universities work closely with community colleges to ensure students can smoothly transfer to our universities. This partnership highlights our commitment to providing high-quality, affordable education that gives students the foundation they need to succeed in their future careers.”

Top destination for community college transfer students PASSHE universities continue to be the top destination for community college transfer students in Pennsylvania, with more than 55,000 students transferring to a State System university since 2010. Community college students who earn their associate degrees are guaranteed admission as juniors at PASSHE universities, with 95% of their transfer credits accepted.

“Through intentional efforts to streamline the transfer process, we’re not only helping students earn their degrees at a tremendous value, but also supporting the workforce in essential industries,” said Chancellor Fiorentino. “These students are getting a comprehensive education and specialized skills to step into critical roles that will drive the state's economy forward for years to come.”

Supporting student success and affordability:
More than 62% of community college students transferring to a PASSHE university choose majors with in-demand fields such as business, healthcare, education, psychology, biology, and computer science. This positions students for career success and plays a vital role in addressing workforce shortages across the commonwealth.

In 2023, the presidents of all State System universities and community colleges in Pennsylvania strengthened their collaboration to help students achieve their educational goals, reduce student costs and bolster the workforce.

2025 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team
Many of the students who will receive their free tuition for two years at PASSHE universities are pursuing careers in high demand. For example:

• Sofia Francia will attend PennWest University to pursue a degree in early childhood education.
• Sierra Hauer will attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in environmental science.
• Colin Hogan is a psychology major with a sociology minor at Kutztown University.
• Sennett Purcell will attend Slippery Rock University to prepare for a career as a child psychologist.
• Emma Thomas will attend Commonwealth University–Bloomsburg to pursue a degree in media and journalism.
• Brooke Weiss, who works full-time during the day and took night classes, will pursue a management degree at West Chester University.

Below are the PASSHE universities where students will attend.

PASSHE University	Student	Community College
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg	Emma Thomas	Luzerne County Community College
Indiana	Maya Marshall	Community College of Beaver County
Indiana	Olivia Cavallo	Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Indiana	Hannah Detterline	Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Indiana	Sierra Hauer	Westmoreland County Community College
Kutztown	Colin Hogan	Montgomery County Community College
Kutztown	Angela Caldero-Perez	Reading Area Community College
Kutztown	Noemi Gonzalez	Reading Area Community College
PennWest	Jayla Thompson	Community College of Allegheny County
PennWest	Ashley Lex	Community College of Allegheny County
PennWest	Sofia Francia	Westmoreland County Community College
PennWest	Holly Best	Harrisburg Area Community College
Slippery Rock	Alexandru Afloarei	Community College of Allegheny County
Slippery Rock	Mae Alley	Community College of Allegheny County
Slippery Rock	Austyne Mann	Community College of Beaver County
Slippery Rock	Molly Milich	Butler County Community College
Slippery Rock	Sennett Purcell	Butler County Community College
West Chester	Elizabeth Mercadante	Delaware County Community College
West Chester	Brooke Weiss	Delaware County Community College
West Chester	Marie Hawa Camara	Delaware County Community College
West Chester	Issa Kabeer	Community College of Philadelphia
West Chester	Fatoumata Sacko	Community College of Philadelphia
Undecided	Destiny King	Community College of Allegheny County
Undecided	Jessica Waterstradt	Bucks County Community College
Undecided	Umniyah Al-Haneef	Delaware County Community College
Undecided	Donnyce Younger	Harrisburg Area Community College
Undecided	Julie Kerwood	Montgomery County Community College
Undecided	Amanda Alfaro	Northampton Community College
Undecided	Healley Saltz	Lehigh Carbon Community College

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.