DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It’s an unsure future for Penn State students in Northeastern Pennsylvania as the university considers closing some of its satellite campuses.
Rumors about Penn State closing some campuses began to circulate earlier this year, but until now, the university has not directly addressed them, leaving many with questions about the future.
Penn State University has a total of 19 satellite, or commonwealth campuses, across Pennsylvania.
In a statement issued by University President, Neeli Bendapudi, the following 12 campuses have been listed for potential closure:
- Beaver
- DuBois
- Fayette
- Greater Allegheny
- Hazleton
- Mont Alto
- New Kensington
- Schuylkill
- Scranton
- Shenango
- Wilkes-Barre
- York
The statement read, in part:
“While it is clear that not all 12 campuses can continue, it is equally clear that a number of them will.”
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi
University officials say that many of these campuses are located in areas where populations are declining, and projected to decline for the next three decades.
This, combined with stagnant funding for the last five state budgets has put the university in a tough spot.
For those affected, Bendapudi went on to say in part:
“For our:
– Faculty and staff, we will explore both opportunities for reassignment within penn state and provide career transition support, as possible.
– Students, we will provide a clear and well-supported academic pathway so every single student can complete their degrees at Penn State, either at another campus or online.”Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi
These closures are not expected to go into effect until the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
Students 28/22 News spoke with feel the potential closures will definitely have an impact on some students.
“By then I’ll be at main campus because of the two and two program, so I’m not too worried. My little brother, who will be a freshman when I’m a senior. By that time, this campus will probably end up being closed if they end up going through with it,” said Penn State Wilkes Barre Freshman student Michael Dubaskas.
“For some students, it’s easier to go to a small school, so them losing out on a smaller school experience at a good cost is definitely concerning,” said Jerry Miller, a Senior at Penn State Wilkes Barre.
It’s still unclear which campuses will be closing, but the university says their team will issue a final recommendation by the end of the semester.
Then, a final decision will be made by the president before spring commencement, which starts on May 9.
