(Butler, PA) A 1972 graduate of Butler County Community College who founded an oil and gas exploration company has contributed $100,000 to the BC3 Education Foundation with an unprecedented request that it be disbursed in one academic year through his creation of 125 scholarships ranging in amount from $500 to $2,000.
“That’s the way I wanted it to work, and I am happy with that,” said Gary Griwatz, of Cranberry Township and of Tampa, Fla.
Griwatz earned an associate degree in business from BC3, where he was active with what was the Sigma Lambda Chi service fraternity that raised money to support a United Fund chapter, and cancer and muscular dystrophy research by sponsoring car washes, rock concerts and a smash-a-car event.
Shortly after his graduation from BC3, Griwatz began to work as an assistant buyer for a department store in Scranton, then as a landman in the oil and gas sector in 1973. In 1981 he established Crown Energy Corp., which has employed as many as 90 and where he continues to serve as chief executive officer.
His 125 scholarships will be awarded in 2026-2027 and will follow the record 164 distributed to BC3 students in 2025-2026 by the BC3 Education Foundation.
“Mr. Griwatz’s gift has such potential to impact so many of our students next fall. It really creates an opportunity for them to graduate debt-free.”
-- Mikayla Moretti, executive director of the BC3 Education Foundation and external relations
Gary Griwatz, fourth from left in front row, is shown in 1971 on Butler County Community College’s main campus in Butler Township with other students who were pledges to what was BC3’s Sigma Lambda Chi service fraternity. Griwatz, of Cranberry Township and of Tampa, Fla., and a 1972 BC3 graduate, has contributed $100,000 to the BC3 Education Foundation to create 125 scholarships, including 100 for current high school seniors who enroll next fall at BC3 with credits earned through BC3’s College Within the High School or College Now programs.
“BC3 … has always
been more affordable”
The college’s affordability, financial aid options and BC3 Education Foundation scholarships enabled 93 percent of BC3’s Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.
“BC3 is great institution,” Griwatz said. “It has always been more affordable than a four-year college. BC3 gives you a chance not only to learn something, but to grow. You can develop ideas and make contact with people who can change your life.
“BC3 also gives students a chance to stretch their legs and learn what they might want to do for the rest of their life,” he said.
Griwatz is a Mars Area High School graduate who said he attributes his success to his faith, family and to those he has met.
The BC3 Education Foundation will have available in 2026-2027 for BC3 students 100 Gary G. Griwatz Pathway to Pioneer Scholarships of $500 each; and administer 25 Gary G. Griwatz Scholarships of $2,000 each.
“We’ve never had a gift like this in which the donor gave this amount and wanted it to be awarded through scholarships in a single year,” said Mikayla Moretti, executive director of the BC3 Education Foundation and external relations.
“Mr. Griwatz’s gift has such potential to impact so many of our students next fall. It really creates an opportunity for them to graduate debt-free.”
“When we receive a gift from an alum, it tells me they had a meaningful and positive experience at BC3, one that stayed with them long after they left. That is especially true in the case of Mr. Griwatz …”
-- Megan M. Coval, BC3 president
Gary G. Griwatz Pathway to Pioneer Scholarships will be available to current high school seniors upon enrollment next fall at any BC3 location or online and in any program who earned credits through BC3’s College Within the High School or College Now programs.
Separate Gary G. Griwatz Scholarships will be allocated next fall to Pennsylvania students attending any BC3 location or online and in any program who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 at the college.
“When we receive a gift from an alum, it tells me they had a meaningful and positive experience at BC3, one that stayed with them long after they left,” said Megan M. Coval, BC3’s president. “That is especially true in the case of Mr. Griwatz, whose generosity reflects a desire to ensure others have the same opportunity. That is incredibly meaningful to us.
“His gift will likely allow even more students to graduate debt-free. While affordability is critically important to us, we are equally committed to providing a high-quality education supported by outstanding faculty and strong student services.”
BC3’s College Within the High School and College Now programs enable students to take courses and earn transferable credits. Dual enrollment can help students accelerate their degree completion, reduce higher education costs and gain valuable experience in a college-classroom environment, according to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
Dual-enrollment students are also more likely to attend college and complete degrees following high school graduation, according to the commission.
“The choice for a high school student to jump in and pursue college-level credits certainly shows a lot of dedication and commitment to a longer-term goal. This sort of scholarship opportunity will hopefully incentivize them to consider BC3 as they start their academic journey after high school.”
Dr. Josh Novak, BC3 vice president for student affairs and enrollment management
Jonathan Bagamery, a Butler County Community College faculty member, teaches speech Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, on BC3’s main campus in Butler Township to Butler Senior High School seniors enrolled as Early College Pioneers in BC3’s College Within the High School program. Gary Griwatz, of Cranberry Township and of Tampa, Fla., and a 1972 BC3 graduate, has contributed $100,000 to the BC3 Education Foundation to create 125 scholarships, including 100 for current high school seniors who enroll next fall at BC3 with credits earned through BC3’s College Within the High School or College Now programs.
Griwatz scholarships may incentivize potential students
Butler Senior High seniors enrolled as Early College Pioneers in Butler County Community College’s College Within the High School program are shown in a speech class Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, on BC3’s main campus in Butler Township. Gary Griwatz, of Cranberry Township and of Tampa, Fla., and a 1972 BC3 graduate, has contributed $100,000 to the BC3 Education Foundation to create 125 scholarships, including 100 for current high school seniors who enroll next fall at BC3 with credits earned through BC3’s College Within the High School or College Now programs.
BC3’s College Within the High School program this fall offered reduced-rate courses to students in seven western Pennsylvania counties. Included in College Within the High School are BC3’s Early College Pioneers and Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship seniors whose tuition and fees are partially or fully sponsored by grants or by private contributions.
Students enrolled in College Now take courses at a BC3 location independent of their high school or online.
Enrollment in BC3’s College Within the High School program has increased 25 percent and credits earned 65 percent in the past 10 years, according to Dr. Sharla Anke, BC3’s dean of institutional effectiveness. The program had 518 students this fall who pursued 2,332 credits, according to Anke.
About 75 of the college’s first-time students this fall had earned dual-enrollment credits through BC3, according to Dr. Josh Novak, the college’s vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.
“The choice for a high school student to jump in and pursue college-level credits certainly shows a lot of dedication and commitment to a longer-term goal,” Novak said. “This sort of scholarship opportunity will hopefully incentivize them to consider BC3 as they start their academic journey after high school.”
Tuition and fees for a three-credit course in BC3’s College Within the High School program range from $225 to $450 for residents of Butler County and $250 to $474 for residents of Pennsylvania counties other than Butler. Costs reflect whether instruction occurs during regular school hours or not.
“The costs are low,” Novak said. “You’re earning college credits before you graduate from high school, which means you’re cutting down on the overall total cost of higher education. The time to get a degree can be cut down, which gets you closer to employment more quickly.”
Tuition and fees for BC3’s College Now program are identical to those charged to BC3 students. A three-credit course in BC3’s College Now program for Butler County residents costs $621 for in-person instruction and $696 for online instruction; and for residents of Pennsylvania counties other than Butler, $930 and $1,005.
BC3 represents “stability for the community”
In addition to presenting an affordable opportunity to explore career options, Griwatz said he chose BC3 as a student because he was able to maintain part-time fall, spring and summer employment at the Butler County Family YMCA, Woodings Industrial Corp., Kmart, MSA Safety and in the evenings, selling cookware, vacuum cleaners and ceramic dinnerware door-to-door.
“There is no pressure on you when you go to college and live at home,” he said. “You still have your locals around you, your family’s close by if you need them and you feel a little more comfortable. A lot of people want to get away. I didn’t.
“I also didn’t put any value in going to a high-priced school just because it had a famous name.”
Griwatz’s gift comes near the conclusion of a calendar year in which BC3 marked its 60th anniversary, opened BC3 @ Lawrence in Shenango Township, was named the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania for an 11th time and for 2026 by Niche.com, and ended with its first fall-to-fall enrollment increase since 2015.
“BC3 is stability,” Griwatz said. “Stability for the community. The students are going to stay here. They are going to learn here. Maybe they’ll go on to get a four-year degree or become doctors, and maybe they will want to come back here because they spent two years at BC3.”