The BC3 Education Foundation in 2022-2023 awarded a record $281,000 in scholarships to BC3 students, and this year had a record 155 named financial awards available.

Twenty-year-old Lucas Ray received four scholarships from the BC3 Education Foundation.

“Finances were a big worry going into college,” said Ray, who works up to 35 hours a week as a manager at a fast-food restaurant. “I didn’t have a whole lot of money that could go toward my college education. I was really worried about debt.”

Ray expects to graduate from BC3 debt-free in May. The psychology student intends to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a bachelor’s degree in applied developmental psychology and later, pursue attend medical school.

Ray has received the $516 BC3 Alumni Legacy Scholarship, the $1,010 Melvin W. Wilson Scholarship and the $935 Daltorio Family Scholarship. He has also received a full-tuition waiver from the BC3 Education Foundation as a president’s scholar at the college.

The average student-loan debt per borrower in Pennsylvania is $38,521, according to a June 14 report by LendEDU, a website that provides comparisons for loans, credit cards and other financial products.

BC3’s affordability, and financial aid and scholarships, allowed 75% of its Class of 2023 to graduate debt-free.