(New Castle, PA) 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence is βa welcoming school,β said Gina Shearer, who selected Butler County Community Collegeβs new location in Shenango Township to begin her pursuit of a nursing career.
βEverybody is there for you and to help you,β said the first-semester health care science student and 2025 graduate of New Castle Senior High School.
The 18-year-old New Castle resident visited 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence for the first time just before it opened Aug. 25 in Shenango Commons.
βI just walked in,β she said, βand I was greeted. That was really nice. I was shown around the building and introduced to some of the faculty. I think it would be harder to have a personal talk like that at a university. They might just say, βHello. Welcomeβ and that would be it.
βHere they have a personal relationship with their students.β
Prospective students can meet 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence staff, tour the high-tech facility and discover how to minimize or avoid higher-education debt during an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.
91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence will waive its $25 application fee during the open house at 2658 Ellwood Road, Suite 129, New Castle. Prospective students can RSVP at bc3.edu/open-house.
91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence supersedes 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence Crossing in Union Township, which served as 91³ΙΘΛβs additional location in Lawrence County from 2008 until June 2025.
Health care science student Gina Shearer, of New Castle, is shown in a psychology class Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, at 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence in Shenango Township. 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence will hold an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.
βThey just say, βWhat a big differenceββ
It was Sean Carroll, 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence director, who guided Shearer on that tour of a 91³ΙΘΛ facility that features a student lounge, a technology bar, diner-style booths, ergonomic chairs and highlight walls painted in what the college calls 91³ΙΘΛ blue and what the manufacturer says is a βdeep, saturated blue β¦ that adds a cool serenity to a well-lit space.β
βStudents like the location,β Carroll said. βThey like that everything inside is new. They like the color. Thatβs been a consistent comment, how nice it is. Especially the students who have been to both 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence Crossing and then came to 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence. They just say, βWhat a big difference.β
Open house guests can inquire about 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrenceβs associate degree transfer and career programs, and how 91³ΙΘΛβs affordability, financial aid options and 91³ΙΘΛ Education Foundation scholarships enabled 93 percent of the collegeβs Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.
91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence offers transfer programs in business administration, criminology, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies, history, psychology and social work.
It also offers career programs in accounting, business management, health care science, heath care office management and technical trades-cosmetology management option.
Students in 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrenceβs career programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
Credits earned at 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence transfer to public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.
Three of 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrenceβs programs β accounting, business administration and business management β align with current state Department of Labor & Industry high-priority occupations.
β91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence is more affordableβ
Tuition and fees for 91³ΙΘΛ students from Lawrence and Mercer counties pursuing 15 credits each semester in the 2025-2026 academic year cost $9,300 for in-person courses. Those students can receive up to $12,289 in federal and state grants.
β91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence is more affordable than any university around here,β said Shearer, who works 15 hours a week at a restaurant.
Mitchell Covert works 40 hours a week at an automobile dealership while attending 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence.
β91³ΙΘΛ was more affordable to attend while I figured out what I wanted to do and then be able to transfer somewhere,β said Covert, 20, of Ellwood City.
Health care science student Mariah Minor, of New Castle, participates in an activity between classes in the lobby of 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence in Shenango Township on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence will hold an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.
βYou donβt want to end up $100,000 in debtβ
The 2024 Lincoln High School graduate plans to graduate debt-free from 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrence in May with an associate degree in business administration, then transfer to possibly the University of Pittsburgh or Robert Morris University.
βYou donβt want to end up $100,000 in debt coming out of school after four years,β Covert said. βI donβt want to be tied up with that much debt. And if you canβt find a job right away β¦ you could get in a really bad spot.β
Covert was among students from Ellwood City, Grove City, Hermitage, Mercer, New Castle, New Wilmington, Portersville and Sharpsville to be selected by the 91³ΙΘΛ Education Foundation to receive one of its record 164 named scholarships in 2025-2026.
He received from the foundation the $815 Ellwood City Wolves Club Scholarship in 2025-2026 and the clubβs $745 financial award in 2024-2025. Recipients must be a Lawrence County resident and Lincoln High graduate.
Covert has also been a medalist three times as a 91³ΙΘΛ golfer and this summer was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association all-academic team, a recognition for students who excel athletically and who have a grade-point average of at least 3.6.
Prospective students visiting 91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrenceβs open house can also learn about support services such as free tutoring and student activities.
91³ΙΘΛ @ Lawrenceβs neighbors within the Shenango Commons plaza include restaurants, indoor pickleball courts, gymnastics and fitness centers, and nearby, the 35-acre Shenango Community Park with picnic pavilions, a walking trail, and volleyball, tennis and bocce courts.