Located in the rolling foothills of the Laurel Highlands, Penn State Fayette features talented faculty who have received national and University awards for teaching and research. The size of the campus and student population allows for close interaction between instructors and students.

Penn State Fayette is a commuter campus, however a variety of activities and events keep students in close contact with one another. Clubs, organizations and intramural sports match the interests of just about every student. Fayette's cultural events, including the annual Shakespeare Festival, performances and lectures, all help enhance the educational experience at the campus. The Learning Enrichment Center is available
to lend academic assistance with a class, and a career counselor is on hand to help students prepare for their career search by providing resume workshops and internship and employer information.

As a first-year student, you may choose from among 20 Penn State campuses to start your education. Many students (about 60 percent) spend their first two years at one campus, then move to another location to finish their degrees. Where you finish depends on your major and the type of campus you prefer.

Commonwealth College Scholarship Program:

This program was started in the Summer of 1999
with enrollment of nine students. The program has been very successful with representation from the following schools: Albert Gallatin, Beth Center, Brownsville, Carmichaels, Connellsville, Frazier, Geibel, Laurel Highlands, Mapletown, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, Trinity, Turkey foot, Uniontown, Waynesburg and a couple of homeschoolers. Students have enjoyed the program and have used their credits to enter Penn State Fayette as well as University Park and other Penn State campuses. Our first four students who completed all the requirements of the scholarship received a $1000 scholarship and nine credits, at half cost, to be used towards their freshman year.

First Year Seminar:

This is a required course designed to ease the transition from high school to college. The small size of the seminars allows for more discussion in class, interaction with the professor, and attention to writing skills. In addition to fulfilling the University’s first year seminar requirement, each three-credit seminar fulfills a general education requirement in either the humanities or social and behavioral sciences.

Homeschoolers:

Homeschoolers represent a large number of students in our immediate area and are very important to Penn State Fayette. There are several types of programs students can be part of in order to complete their high school requirements. Support groups for Homeschoolers from different counties are located in the surrounding area.

Homeschooled students are considered for admission to Fayette through the same enrollment process as all other students.