Jamestown Community College officials have spent the past several years trying to find new students as its Chautauqua County enrollment decreased.

A couple of new initiatives from the JCC Foundation could pay dividends for both the college and students from Warren, McKean and Erie counties. The first initiative is the Good Neighbors Scholarship, a trial initiative designed to support students from Warren, McKean, and Erie counties in Pennsylvania. The scholarship covers half the cost of out-of-state tuition, allowing qualifying students to pay the same rate as New York residents. The program aims to strengthen cross-border educational partnerships and make it easier for local Pennsylvania students to pursue higher education close to home.

It makes sense, given the fact that JCC offers in-state tuition to students who live six or seven hours away from the Jamestown campus while charging out-of-state tuition to local students who live 20 to 30 minutes from the campus in Pennsylvania.

JCC is also allowing applications for eligible students from Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean or Warren counties, or from the cities of Corry or North East, to apply for the USA Scholarship, a merit-based award available to first-time, full-time freshmen who graduate in the top 20% of their high school class.

Pennsylvania is closing seven of its Penn State branch campuses, though the Bradford and Erie campuses will remain open. However, if declining enrollments and the financial issues that the loss of students means, it’s possible there could be future closures. New York faces a similar problem in its SUNY system but hasn’t wanted to close campuses. Instead, individual SUNY campuses like JCC are trying to boost their enrollment through efforts like the Good Neighbor Scholarship and eligibility for the USA Scholarship.

As we said, JCC officials have recruited far and wide to boost enrollment. Perhaps a recruitment effort closer to home will pay dividends.