Representatives from more than 40 Pennsylvania and Maryland colleges and universities will converge on the Lebanon Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, on Tuesday, March 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. to provide students with a unique opportunity to learn more about them. The campus is located at 735 Cumberland Street in Lebanon.

An added benefit of attending the College Fair is a special program on financial aid. The presentation will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will include information on everything from scholarships, grants, loans, and employment opportunities to eligibility guidelines and how to apply. Workshops are not specific to financial aid at HACC but are informational sessions on financial aid in general for high school seniors, their parents, high school guidance counselors, and homeschoolers.

Career testing that matches skills and abilities with potential career paths also will be available for students during three different sessions. Scheduled for 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., the service is free of charge.

"The Lebanon County College Fair is a great opportunity for high school students just starting the college process to visit different schools. It will be like making 40 or 50 college visits in one trip," said Ralph Dyer, interim dean for HACC's Lebanon Campus, referring to the many schools scheduled to participate in the fair.

"It also provides the opportunity for students to learn how they can start their education at HACC and transfer to virtually any college thanks to our dual admission agreements."

Matt Hocker, of Palmyra, is currently a second-year student at HACC's Lebanon Campus and is enrolled in a dual admission agreement with Lebanon Valley College. He values the impact the program has had on the class scheduling process.

"You actually sit with a counselor and talk about the classes you need to take [to ensure your credits will transfer]," said Hocker, who wants to teach high school history when he graduates. "That makes the process easier, and it takes some of the headache out of doing it by yourself."

No registration is required to attend the college fair or any of the informational sessions. Free childcare is available for children from two to eight years old; however, pre-registration is necessary and can be made by calling 717-270-6354.

The following list of some of the colleges and universities scheduled to participate in the Lebanon County College Fair:

Albright College
Alvernia College
Baltimore International College
Bloomsburg University
CA University of PA
Central Penn College
Delaware Valley College
Drexel University
Duquesne University
Eastern University
Edinboro University
Elizabethtown College
Harrisburg University
Immaculata College
Indiana University of PA
Kutztown University
Lafayette University
Lancaster Bible College
Lebanon Valley College
Lincoln University
Lycoming College
Mansfield University
Millersville University
Penn State Berks
Penn State Harrisburg
Salisbury State University
Shippensburg University
Slippery Rock University
Thaddeus Stevens College
Towson State University
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Widener University
Wilson College
Yorktowne Business Institute