LCCC sees surge in ‘fake applications’

NANTICOKE — At Tuesday’s regular meeting the Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees learned the annual audit found no significant problems, and that revenue was up about $600,000 from the previous year.

The board got more good news in the enrollment report from Graceann Platukus, vice president of enrollment management/student affairs — though data shows that, like many institutions of higher education, LCCC has been experiencing a huge surge of “fake applications.”

Platukus said enrollment numbers clearly showed the college has recovered from a decline prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with overall enrollment going up two years in a row. But applications have soared, rising by more than 30% in 2023. This reflects a national trend, as many people are apparently applying to colleges and universities with no intention of attending.

Platukus said the reasons are unclear, though it may be scammers trying to get money intended as financial aid. Still, enrollment is up across the board at LCCC: full-time, part-time, early college (high school students) readmission and transfers.

The college is also seeing growth in “under-represented” demographics, minority students that have long been a smaller percentage of a college’s student body than they are in the general population. Hispanics now make up 24% of total enrollment, and much of that comes from the Hazleton center where Hispanics are 64%.

The numbers are important because if LCCC hits 25% or more it can apply for Hispanic Serving Institution status, which could unlock more federal money.

Vice President of Finance Cheryl Baur also had mostly good news in the treasurer’s report. Better-than-expected enrollment growth has meant better-than-budgeted revenue. Salaries and benefits are lower than budgeted because of several long-term faculty retirements, and health care insurance claims have been under budget the first three months of the fiscal year.

The bookstore did run about $57,000 in the red, and food service — which took a big hit during the pandemic — lost about $281,000. But both can be covered by transfers from other funds without impacting the overall budget.

Regarding books, Bauer said LCCC is working toward an “all access” system that would reduce overall price of books and supplies for students substantially while assuring they have everything they need on the first day off classes — students who don’t have text books right away often fall behind quickly, she said.

The college is working out the deal with Follett to set a fee of $30 to $35 per credit that would cover all course materials. LCCC hopes to have the all access program in place by July 1.

The meeting opened with Pennsylvania State Education Association Regional Field Director John Holland giving a first-of-its-kind award to LCCC’s outgoing president Thomas Leary for “excellence in education and community and labor relations.”

During the voting session, the board:

• Approved the replacement of a handrail at Building 5 by Minichi, Inc. at a total cost of $30,291, which includes architect and engineering fees for hemmler + camayd architects.

• Awarded a contract to Fortis Institute to complete the training and testing for 18 students whose CDL instruction was interrupted by the college’s discontinuation of the contract with its prior CDL instructional provider. Cost is $2,500 per student for weekend CDL students and $3,000 per student for weekday class students. The difference reflects the estimated training time remaining. Leary said LCCC has been contracting an outside company to teach the courses for several years, and that problems developed with the contractor which was ultimately de-certified and thus unable to test students.