(Butler, PA) Prospective students can learn about Butler County Community College virtual programs whose enrollment has more than doubled since their fall 2023 rollout, and about visual communications majors offered only at BC3’s most-populated additional location during open houses next week.

Guests interested in BC3’s virtual programs in behavioral sciences, business and health care can log in to an open house to be available through video conferencing from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11.

Prospective students who visit BC3 @ Cranberry’s open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at 250 Executive Drive, Cranberry Township, can explore its nine associate degree programs that include digital audio and video production, and graphic design.

BC3 will waive its $25 application fee during each open house. Prospective students can learn more and RSVP for either event at bc3.edu/open-house.

Guests at each open house can learn how BC3’s affordability, financial aid options and BC3 Education Foundation scholarships enabled 93 percent of the college’s Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.

BC3 Education Foundation scholarships are available to students attending any BC3 location, or enrolled in online courses or virtual programs, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, the foundation’s scholarship and development coordinator.

Prospective students at each open house can review BC3’s associate degree transfer programs, and its associate degree career and certificate programs. Students in the college’s career and certificate programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

BC3’s virtual programs in accounting, business administration, business management, business skills and medical coding and billing specialist align with current state Department of Labor & Industry high-priority occupations. Business administration and business management are also offered at BC3 @ Cranberry.

Tuition and fees for online courses cost $232 per credit for Butler County students enrolled at BC3 in 2025-2026; and $207 per credit for in-person courses. BC3’s credits transfer to public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.

Butler County students pursuing 15 credits each semester in the 2025-2026 academic year can receive up to $10,453 in federal and state grants, according to Juli Louttit, BC3’s director of student financial services.

College administrators during the virtual-program open house will discuss through video conferencing BC3’s application process and financial aid opportunities, and answer questions from prospective students.

Enrollment in BC3’s virtual programs has increased 118 percent since fall 2023. More than 130 BC3 virtual-program students have earned an associate degree or certificate since May 2024.

Students from New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and from Pennsylvania’s Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Chester, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington or Westmoreland counties are enrolled in BC3’s virtual programs this fall. About 53 percent are part-time students.

Faith Derr, 39, of Slippery Rock, is the mother of 11-year-old twin sons, works 30 hours a week as a paraprofessional and is among BC3’s 129 virtual-program students this fall.

She first attended the college as a high school graduate in fall 2005.

 “I went to BC3 then because a lot of the kids I was graduating with went to BC3 knowing it was a more affordable option and that we could transfer our credits,” Derr said.

Derr suspended her pursuit of higher education a year later to pursue full-time employment that would include working as an associate in retail stores and managing a restaurant, and last fall enrolled in BC3’s virtual business management program.

“I knew financially it would be a good choice because it is more affordable,” Derr said. “I did not want to take on student loans, especially with having two kids. I didn’t have to take away from them to invest in myself.”

She expects to graduate debt-free from BC3 in December.

“As adults,” Derr said, “we are trying to pay our bills and go about our life. But it is also important that we do something to make ourselves proud. This degree now means so much more. I’m proud of coming as far as I have being a woman who was a single mother for so long.”

BC3 @ Cranberry enrolls nearly 190 students this fall.

It offers associate degree programs in criminology, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies, psychology and health care science in addition to business administration, business management, digital audio and video production and graphic design.

Raymond Dean, 22, of West Sunbury, is a digital audio and video production student at BC3 @ Cranberry and a full-time audio technician at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township.

“A lot of my production experience previous to starting at BC3 was a little painted in, where I am good at audio, I do audio,” Dean said. “So I do this one thing, no one really bothers me and everything is fine. And BC3 has pushed me personally to be more collaborative with others in doing projects and having to communicate my vision or adjust my vision.

“The entertainment industry is very collaborative, and this could apply to any industry, but if you are not willing to work with anyone on anything and just want to do your own thing, people are not going to hire you.”

Dean, a 2021 graduate of Moniteau Junior-Senior High School, said he has also learned at BC3 @ Cranberry how to use vector software, which allows users to create images that can be scaled.

“It may not be something that I will do day to day, but learning how to use those programs is important,” he said.

Dean expects to graduate debt-free from BC3 @ Cranberry in December.

“I’ve been super on top of trying to not have any college debt,” he said. “I can actually go through BC3 and actually afford it.”

BC3 has also been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania 11 times since 2015, most recently for 2026 by Niche.com.