SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Being a college student can be difficult and expensive.

With costs for things like food and gas on the rise, one local college is hoping to ease the financial burden on students with a new grant program.

Johnson College is helping its students on their way to success with its new safety net grant program.

“Utilities, housing, transportation costs,” said Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate VP of Special Programs at Johnson College.

Those are just some of the expenses college students face on top of tuition.

That’s why Johnson College is lending its students a helping hand with its new safety net grant program.

“Our goal here at Johnson is to get all of our students to program completion so they can get out in the workforce. So, in order to do so, we need to take away some of the load that they have as students to help them achieve that educational goal,” Williams added.

Williams says the recently launched program helps students with costs that scholarships cannot.

The grant helps students with expenses like food, transportation, and books. It can also help with utilities and rent.

“College is very expensive and our students all should have the support and help they need to get through,” Williams continued.

“On Semiconductor”, a semiconductor tech company that often employs Johnson College graduates, recently awarded the school with $5,000 to support the program. This funding helps struggling students continue to make their way into the workforce.

“We want to support those families that work in our region so we can continue to get good paying jobs at On Semiconductor to these people,” said John Butchko, On Semiconductor’s New Product Development Manager.

Johnson College officials say that the grant is completely need-based, giving students even more room to succeed.

“We don’t put a maximum on it. We wait for the students to come and talk to us and we have a conversation to best align what support we can give them,” Williams explained.

This program will help college-age kids at Johnson’s Hazleton and Scranton branches.