April 22, 2026 - Kutztown, PA
Through historic investments in education from the Shapiro Administration, more Pennsylvania students are charting their own course to success through dual-credit programs that offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credits before graduation - at no cost to the students or their families. Today at Kutztown University, Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe announced $7 million in grants to 10 institutions of higher education to build and expand programs that offer hundreds of Pennsylvania students a headstart on their college career - bringing the Shapiro Administration's total investment in the Dual Credit Innovation Grant Program to $21 million.Secretary Rowe joined hundreds of students, parents, and educators today to celebrate 68 students from 19 school districts who will graduate from high school this spring with college credits earned through Kutztown University's Early College Academy, a dual-credit program that is building capacity to offer tuition-free college courses to even more high school students over the next few years thanks to more than $1.7 million in grant funding from the Shapiro Administration.Speakers Include:Dr. Rebecca West Burns - Dean, College of EducationDr. Lorin Basden Arnold - Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affiars, Kutztown UniversityDr. Carrie Rowe - Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of EducationChristian Temchatin - Superintendent, Kutztown Area School DistrictJulianne Donato - Education Student, Oley Valley High SchoolSheiranna Bueno - Exploratory Studies Student, Reading High School