FACTORYVILLE, Pa. — The Middle States Commission on Higher Education announced they will be revoking Keystone College's accreditation.
Meaning the college will not be given federal aid and won't be able to give financial aid to students.
“It's really devastating; I mean, Keystone College has been around forever and ever," said Sandy Kostick, the co-owner of Gin's Tavern.
Many residents of the surrounding areas of the campus in Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties, have at some point in their life crossed paths with Keystone.
"My own children actually went to the children's center," said Kostick.
"I was an adjunct professor at Keystone College," said Judy Johnson.
"I'm an alumni, I graduated there in 1986," said Cathy Dunay.
"My mom works at Keystone as the director of the back campus, and my little sister just graduated from Keystone last Spring," said Olivia Thornton, a waitress at Gin's Tavern.
Despite having her own connections to Keystone, Sandy Kostick is also worried about the college as a nearby business owner.
"I mean, even graduation, Gin's was the place they'd bring their parents to eat, have a couple of cocktails, and go to graduation day, something to celebrate,” said Kostick. “It'd be really sad to lose the college as a business owner."
Others in Factoryville worry about the future of the college's faculty and students.
"A lot of employees depend on their income by working there, and the students are great, and it's just going to be very sad if it comes to pass," said Johnson.
"It's going to be a quite large impact especially for my mom, because this is where her passion lies, she loves educating the public through the environmental science program there. It's a heavy hit," said Thornton.
Keystone College says they do plan on appealing the decision to revoke accreditation. The appeal hearing for accreditation is anticipated to be in March 2025.