Penn State Adding Dorms To Two Philadelphia-Area Campuses
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Penn State has announced plans to add dormitories to the Abington and Brandywine satellite campuses.
Government figures estimate nearly 30,000 students will enroll at the commuter schools by 2021.
"There's a real market for on-campus living options at both locations," says Penn State spokesman Alex Novack.
Novack says administrators want to give those students more of a college experience, so they are building a 256 bed residence hall at Brandywine and a 402 bed apartment-style dorm about a half-mile from the Abington campus.
"Both of the campuses are really attracting a growing number of first-choice, out-of-state, and international baccalaureate applications."
It's expected to cost about $50-million in Abington and $31-million in Brandywine.
Novack says each would also help the surrounding communities by adding dozens of permanent jobs.