Penn Highlands Community College is hoping to expand in Altoona.
Their goal for the expansion includes adding a new science lab, as well as more space for students to get more of a college experience. They are looking for an approximate 18,000 square foot expansion as the current space is only 4,000 square feet.
The extra space would allow for students, who normally travel to Johnstown for advising, among other things, to stay in Blair County, expanding their tutoring and advising services.
The president of Penn Highlands believes the expansion will allow the school to expand their reach, impacting more people looking for education.
“We know the growth potential is there to be someday as much as 1,000 to 1,500 hundred students, even more possibly,” Dr. Walter Asonevich said. “Because we know that Blair County, unlike a lot of places is a catchment area for Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon and Bedford County… everybody kind of flows there. We think that we could be serving a lot more people with a larger presence in Altoona.”