Pratt Community College reports $42 million annual economic impact, outlines tuition and workforce initiatives

Mike Calvert, president of Pratt Community College, gave the commission an annual update on the college’s enrollment, tuition, workforce programs and local economic impact during a Pratt County meeting. He said the college’s most recent report estimates a roughly $42 million annual economic impact in Pratt County and described steps the school is taking to attract and train local workers.

Calvert said the college is charging $39 per credit hour for Pratt County residents and $49 for students from the college’s wider service area, a statutory six-and-a-half-county region that includes Kingman, Medicine Lodge, Attica, Greensburg and St. John. “We value our Pratt County residents…we want to do the best we can to help them out, financially and provide access and opportunity,” Calvert said.

The presentation focused on three areas: affordability and student supports, workforce and career-technical education (CTE), and measures of economic contribution. Calvert highlighted an “earn-as-you-learn” scholarship that makes concurrent…