Fitzpatrick Drives La Salle-Bucks Partnership to Lower College Costs and Expand Career Pathways

New agreement follows Fitzpatrick-convened discussions to help combat rising tuition costs at Bucks County Community College, saves students nearly $114,000, and builds more pathways to high-demand careers

Bucks County, PA-Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick announced a major new partnership between La Salle University and Bucks County Community College that will dramatically reduce the cost of earning a four-year degree, create a seamless transfer pathway for Bucks students, and expand access to the credentials needed for good-paying careers in high-demand fields.

The agreement follows a November meeting convened by Fitzpatrick with La Salle University President Dan Allen and Bucks County Community College President Patrick Jones, where the three leaders focused on a shared challenge facing families across the region: making college more affordable, more attainable, and more directly connected to the workforce needs of tomorrow. The result is a lower-cost pathway from Bucks to La Salle that helps students save money, continue their education with confidence, and prepare for careers in high-demand fields.

"Rising tuition costs in our community are putting too much pressure on too many families, and that is not acceptable," said Fitzpatrick. "Higher education should be a ladder up, not a wall that keeps students from reaching their potential. Local families brought this concern to me, and I took it directly to President Allen and President Jones with a clear goal: lower costs, strengthen transfer pathways, and connect more Bucks students to the careers our region needs. This partnership delivers - helping students save money, reduce debt, and continue their education with confidence. It is a major win for our students, our families, our workforce, and the future of PA-1. I am grateful to Dan and Patrick for their outstanding leadership and continued partnership, and I look forward to building on this work together to expand affordable opportunity for even more students and families."

"La Salle University is proud to strengthen our partnership with Bucks County Community College and create new pathways of opportunity for students. President Jones and the entire BCCC community share a clear commitment to transforming lives through education, and that mission strongly aligns with who we are at La Salle. We are energized by what this partnership will make possible for our students, our institutions, and the communities we proudly serve," said La Salle University President Dan Allen. "I am grateful for the support of Congressman and proud Explorer alum Brian Fitzpatrick, for his support of an initiative that will expand higher education for generations of students in the region."

"We are honored to partner with La Salle University and are grateful for their effort to make quality education affordable and provide a pathway for Bucks' honors students to join the La Salle honors community upon transfer," said Patrick M. Jones, President & CEO of Bucks County Community College. "This is what a true partnership looks like."

At its core, the La Salle-Bucks partnership is about affordable opportunity - making sure students are not priced out of their potential, families are not forced to choose between education and financial security, and local employers have access to the skilled workforce they need to grow.

By helping students start closer to home, save nearly $114,000, and move seamlessly into bachelor's and graduate pathways tied to high-demand fields, this agreement reflects the kind of results-driven leadership Fitzpatrick has championed since entering Congress: lowering barriers, expanding opportunity, and ensuring PA-1 leads in preparing the next generation for the jobs and industries that will shape America's future.

Background:

Through the new BCCC x La Salle partnership, students who graduate from BCCC's Honors@Bucks program will be able to transfer seamlessly into La Salle University's honors program. Bucks students who earn an associate degree with at least a 3.0 GPA and sign a dual-admission agreement in advance will be eligible to enter select La Salle business or technology bachelor's degree programs with a guaranteed minimum merit scholarship of $20,000 per year for their junior and senior years.

For students pursuing an eligible combined bachelor's and master's degree in business or technology, the savings go even further: they will receive a 20 percent tuition discount toward the master's portion, and both degrees can be completed at La Salle within three years. Students who complete their associate degree at Bucks before transferring to La Salle under the dual-admission agreement can save nearly $114,000 compared to enrolling directly at a four-year institution.

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