New systemwide initiative will bring students to university campuses and university staff into high schools across Pennsylvania.

HARRISBURG, PA – Hundreds of Pennsylvania high school students will get more ways to explore college this fall through a new outreach initiative. Universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) will hold nearly 20 events in eastern and western Pennsylvania in the coming weeks. Buses will bring students to campuses, including students who might otherwise have difficulty making the trip, while university staff will connect with students at high schools and college fairs.

The initiative is the first outreach effort coordinated among all 10 PASSHE universities.

The events begin Sept. 28 in western Pennsylvania and continue Nov. 2-10 in the east. Students will learn about academic programs and financial aid, meet with admissions teams and tour campuses. The PASSHE Foundation is funding the buses.

“Students should be able to consider college in ways that work for them, whether by visiting a campus or connecting with our universities closer to home,” said PASSHE Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino. “The more students can learn about their college options, the better prepared they will be to make a choice that best fits their lives.”

Campus visits are often important in the college decision-making process. A 2025 national study by Ipsos found that 70% of students and families visited a campus before deciding where to enroll.

Western Pennsylvania
The events in western Pennsylvania will take place Sept. 28-Oct. 2. Each day, groups of students from participating high schools will travel to a PASSHE university, including Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), PennWest University’s California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses and Slippery Rock University.

Eastern Pennsylvania
The events in eastern Pennsylvania will take place Nov. 2-10 and involve Cheyney, Commonwealth, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Millersville, Shippensburg and West Chester universities. University staff will visit students at participating high schools and at college fairs. Students from participating high schools will also travel by bus to East Stroudsburg University and Commonwealth University-Lock Haven for campus visits.

Date	Location
Western Pennsylvania
Monday, Sept. 28	PennWest Edinboro
Tuesday, Sept. 29	Slippery Rock University
Wednesday, Sept. 30	PennWest Clarion
Thursday, Oct. 1	Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Friday, Oct. 2	PennWest California
Eastern Pennsylvania
Monday, Nov. 2	Lehigh Valley (participating high schools)
Tuesday, Nov. 3	Lehigh Valley (participating high schools)
Wednesday, Nov. 4	Philadelphia School District College Fair
Wednesday, Nov. 4	PASSHE Citywide College Fair (Philadelphia)
Thursday, Nov. 5	Sen. Haywood College Fair (Philadelphia)
Friday, Nov. 6	East Stroudsburg University
Tuesday, Nov. 10	Commonwealth University-Lock Haven

“A campus visit can turn college from an idea into something students can picture for themselves,” said Shelley Scherer, president and CEO of the PASSHE Foundation. “The PASSHE Foundation is proud to help make these visits possible and give more Pennsylvania students an opportunity to experience college firsthand.”

Dr. Debora Carrera, chief education officer for the city of Philadelphia, said, “For many students, stepping onto a college campus is the moment when higher education begins to feel real – and possible. This initiative removes a practical barrier and gives students the chance to explore their options, ask questions and imagine themselves succeeding in college. Philadelphia is proud that last year’s pilot helped inspire a statewide effort, and we thank PASSHE and the PASSHE Foundation for bringing this opportunity to more students.”

The state universities of Pennsylvania serve about 80,000 students and graduate approximately 20,000 each year, making the State System an important source of college-educated talent for Pennsylvania. Nearly 90% of PASSHE university students are Pennsylvania residents. PASSHE universities are the most affordable four-year college option in Pennsylvania. Expanding access to campus visits helps more students make decisions and could strengthen the workforce that Pennsylvania employers and communities depend on.

Additional events are being planned for the spring semester.

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania.

The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.

About PASSHE Foundation
PASSHE Foundation drives innovations in talent strategy, delivers labor market insights to inform academic decisions, and invests in opportunities that help students complete their education and launch careers. Through these efforts, PASSHE Foundation benefits PASSHE’s 10 universities, its students and Pennsylvania’s employers by forging partnerships and raising funds that deliver a stronger workforce and a more competitive commonwealth.