MANSFIELD, PA (WENY) -- Three colleges joined together to make one – Commonwealth University is aiming to guarantee student admission, scholarship eligibility and on-campus housing.  

Commonwealth University is comprised of three schools – Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield, in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). President of Commonwealth University, Dr. Bashar Hanna talked about the purpose and importance of Commonwealth for graduating high school seniors. 

“What we’re trying to do is create a buzz around the transformational role education plays in the lives of our students. Especially low- and middle-income families – this is critical for them, it’s an economic uplifting for them so they don’t have to be strapped with loans well into their 40s,” said Hanna. 

There were 14 school districts included in the agreement and they are: Athens Area, Canton Area, Coudersport Area, Galeton Area, Northeast Bradford, Northern Potter, Northern Tioga, Sayre Area, Southern Tioga; Sullivan County, Towanda Area, Troy Area, Wellsboro Area, Wyalusing Area. 

Hanna also said a goal of Commonwealth University was to be the first choice for prospective students, that way they stay local. 

“If they graduate from our universities, many of our students from the local area who graduate from one of our three campuses, remain in the region. Which means that they’re going to be parents, they’re going to be voters, they’re going to be community leaders and they’re going to buy homes – improving the overall economy of the region. Which is something we looked at very carefully when we were planning these scholarships,” said Hanna.  

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson talked about what students can expect academically if they attend one of the campuses of Commonwealth University. 

“I think for a student who’s thinking about coming to Commonwealth they need to also know that our programs are all very applied, our students get to do undergraduate research, we have an Honors College. There are a lot of opportunities to do applied work with faculty, and so those opportunities really help them be prepared for their future career,” said Rogers-Adkinson. 

Commonwealth University is updating 100% of its curriculum, “to meet the work-force needs and really help provide a highly skilled and highly educated student for their local regions,” said Rogers-Adkinson. 

High school seniors that plan to apply to Commonwealth University should do so by December 15th and must graduate to be considered.  

The agreement guarantees admission for graduates who enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. 

Those that are eligible would qualify for one of four tiers, depending on their cumulative GPA. 

  • Tier 1 – 95% or above or 3.8 to 4.0 cumulative GPA - $28,000; $7,000 annually
  • Tier 2 – 90-94% or above or 3.5 to 3.79 cumulative GPA - $24,000; $6,000 annually
  • Tier 3 – 85-89% or above or 3.0 to 3.49 cumulative GPA - $16,000; $4,000 annually
  • Tier 4 – 80-84% or above or 2.5 to 2.99 cumulative GPA - $12,000; $3,000 annually

All merit-based scholarship recipients must have 12 or more credit hours a semester and be enrolled full-time.  A minimum GPA of 2.5 must be maintained and the student must remain in good academic standing. 

On-campus housing is guaranteed for four years at any of the three colleges (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, or Mansfield.) 

“The opportunities that’re here, they need to know that the sky's the limit, and we really hope to see them thrive at Commonwealth,” said Rogers-Adkinson.