Penn State New Kensington will start back for the spring semester on Tuesday with all virtual classes. But the remote operations of the campus won’t stop enrollment with the “Virtual Application Days,” on Monday.

If potential students and parents attend Virtual Application Days on Monday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Penn State will waive the $65 application fee. The virtual event features school admissions officials and student aid counselors. Visit the Penn State’s Facebook page to sign up and access the event.

Penn State officials announced last month they would start classes for the spring semester remotely Tuesday. Students will go back to in-person instruction in Feb. 15, according to the university’s most recent updates.

“This decision was made following extensive analysis and scenario planning given worsening virus conditions nationally and across the state indicating predictions of rising hospitalization rates in the coming weeks,” according to a Penn State news release.

Additionally, the university has its own dashboard available for the pubic to view confirmed covid-19 cases at its main and branch campuses. At University Park, there have been 5,052 total student cases, with only 81 currently active. And the number of cases at Penn State New Kensington has only been 7 total student cases with no current cases.

The university is cautioning students not to return to campus, off-campus locations, and group dwellings during the four weeks of the remote instruction in January and February. However, the university knows many students live off campus and must return for work-related reasons. Off-campus students returning before Feb. 15 are required to be tested before their arrival. In addition, students in select professional programs will return to their campuses for in-person academic programs. These students will be contacted by their academic leaders, and also will be required to participate in covid-19 testing prior to their return to their campus.

Penn State officials plan to stay on track with its 15-week spring semester, which will end on April 30, with finals week from May 3-7.

“Shifting to a remote start has been a scenario we have been preparing for by building flexibility into every level of our operations in order to prioritize our students’ academic achievement,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron in a university statement.

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