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News Release: Thousands of West Virginia students to explore college, career options for life after high school during statewide “College Application and Exploration Week”
Thousands of West Virginia students to explore college, career options for life after high school during statewide “College Application and Exploration Week” CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) is helping more than 100,000 students from 420 schools across the state learn about education after they graduate from high school during College Application and Exploration Week, Nov. 5-9. Today kicks off the annual College Application and Exploration Week celebration, which is coordinated by the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV), a partnership of the Higher Education Policy Commission, the Community and Technical College System (CTCS) and the West Virginia Department of Education.…
Continue ReadingNews Release: College Foundation of West Virginia sets goal for statewide FAFSA completion
College Foundation of West Virginia sets goal for statewide FAFSA completion Statewide efforts will encourage at least 63 percent of high school seniors to file a FAFSA by April 15, 2019 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – High school students should plan now to complete college financial aid applications if they wish to become eligible for state and federal grants and student aid, like the PROMISE Scholarship and federal Pell Grant. Today, the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) announced a goal to have at least 63 percent of West Virginia high school seniors complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, by April…
Continue ReadingNews Release: West Virginia students celebrate national initiative that helps them plan for life after high school
‘West Virginia GEAR UP’ assists thousands of West Virginia students with planning for an education or training beyond high school CHARLESTON, W.Va. – This week, thousands of students in 10 West Virginia counties are celebrating a program that helps them prepare for postsecondary education. GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federally funded program that helps to promote a college-going culture among schools all throughout the United States. In the Mountain State, the West Virginia GEAR UP program serves more than 5,000 students through activities that encourage and assist them in planning…
Continue ReadingNews Release: Higher Education Policy Commission seeks advisory committee members to improve primary and rural healthcare education
Higher Education Policy Commission seeks advisory committee members to improve primary and rural healthcare education Applicants and nominations sought for positions on the Division of Health Sciences’ Advisory Committee CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Health Sciences is seeking nominations of qualified individuals to participate on its Advisory Committee. Members of the Advisory Committee provide guidance to the Division on ongoing and proposed Division initiatives. “Our hope is to assemble a diverse and dynamic group of individuals who will provide advice and creative insight into increasing the impact of our division’s activities,” said Laura…
Continue ReadingNews Release: West Virginia’s education leaders call for doubling the number of certificates or degrees for state residents
Officials say 60 percent of West Virginians need postsecondary credentials by 2030 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s higher education leaders today set a goal to have 60 percent of the state’s workforce with a formal education credential beyond high school by the year 2030. That means nearly doubling the percentage of working-age West Virginians with a high-quality postsecondary credential in a little more than a decade. “West Virginia’s Climb,” the campaign to reach this goal, was launched at the annual Student Success Summit, which attracts nearly 500 educators from across the state and is jointly sponsored by the West Virginia…
Continue ReadingNews Release: West Virginia educators to collaborate to improve educational outcomes during annual Student Success Summit
West Virginia educators to collaborate to improve educational outcomes during annual Student Success Summit MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – More than 440 educators from all across the education continuum are expected to convene for two days of collaboration with the goal of improving educational outcomes in West Virginia. The eighth annual Student Success Summit, which is hosted by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and the West Virginia Department of Education, will kick off Wednesday and conclude Thursday. This year’s theme, “Navigating Success: Students today, leaders tomorrow,” will invite discussions regarding how West Virginia’s educators can facilitate the growth and development of students here in the Mountain State from pre-K to…
Continue ReadingRising high school juniors to “GEAR UP” for college during annual college prep academy
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – This Wednesday, more than 220 rising high school juniors are expected to arrive in Huntington, WV, to participate in a summer academy that gives students a taste of college life. The West Virginia “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs” (GEAR UP) program will host its annual GEAR UP U event on the campus of Marshall University from Wednesday, June 27 to Saturday, June 30. GEAR UP U, which is coordinated by staff of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission), will give students the opportunity to sharpen their leadership skills, to participate in team-building activities and to engage…
Continue ReadingState researchers meet to highlight accomplishments and identify potential new scientific endeavors
SO. CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Approximately 50 academic researchers from West Virginia’s colleges and universities, who collectively are responsible for an economic impact on the state of $37.5 million, met in Charleston recently to report on their current work while planning for the state’s future in scientific discovery. “The scientists who gathered last week are West Virginia’s true rainmakers when it comes to driving the state’s economic engine from a research and development perspective,” said Dr. Paul L. Hill, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (the Commission). “These very talented and intelligent individuals are not only responsible for…
Continue ReadingMore than 3,200 PROMISE-eligible scholars planning to begin college this fall
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) today announced that 3,202 students who are graduating from high school this year have been awarded PROMISE Scholarships. These annual awards of up to $4,750 can be used beginning this fall toward tuition and fees at eligible colleges and universities in West Virginia. Additional PROMISE Scholarships will be awarded as eligible students are identified through July 2018 ACT and June 2018 SAT testing scores. “The PROMISE Scholarship continues to make a significant impact on our state by making college more accessible and affordable for thousands of West Virginia students,”…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission grants $360,000 in awards to support health care in rural and underserved areas of West Virginia
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) today awarded a combined $360,000 to 17 health sciences students from across West Virginia to help pay for their education. The awards are part of the state’s Health Sciences Service Program, which was begun in 1995 by the West Virginia Legislature. Since its inception, the program has provided $2.8 million in funding to help 213 awardees cover education expenses in exchange for a commitment to practice in a rural or underserved community in West Virginia following their graduation. “The financial support provided through the Health Sciences Service Program is…
Continue ReadingStudent leaders from campuses statewide to address higher education issues during annual Student Leadership Conference
Student leaders from campuses statewide to address higher education issues during annual Student Leadership Conference WESTON, W.Va. – Student leaders from the campuses of West Virginia’s public two- and four-year colleges and universities will convene next week at Jackson’s Mill to discuss issues facing higher education in West Virginia – and at their respective college campuses. More than 60 student government leaders from West Virginia’s colleges and universities will participate in the annual West Virginia Student Leadership Conference, which will begin Monday and conclude Wednesday. During the conference, student leaders will participate in professional development sessions that will cover leadership development,…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission adds four members to chancellor search committee
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today named four additional members to the search committee for the state’s next higher education chancellor. Policy Commission Chairman Michael J. Farrell said the four new members broaden the now 17-member committee to include geographic representatives from the eastern, central and northern regions of West Virginia, including a university president appointee who will represent the colleges and universities themselves. The new members are: Dr. Bruce Berry Retired physician and former chairman of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Morgantown Ms. Sandra Chapman Founding member of Casey & Chapman, PLLC,…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission names search committee to find West Virginia’s next chancellor
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today named the members of a search committee to find a successor to current Chancellor Paul L. Hill, who last month announced he will retire. Hill has served in the role of chancellor since June 2012. Commission Chairman Michael J. Farrell will lead the search committee, which comprises 12 additional members representing students, faculty, staff and community constituents, as well as members of the Commission and experienced public and private higher education administrators. The Commission has contracted with a search firm to help conduct the national search through recruitment and…
Continue ReadingStatewide “College Decision Day” events to celebrate graduating high school seniors
Statewide “College Decision Day” events to celebrate graduating high school seniors CHARLESTON, W.Va. – High schools all across the state will be recognizing seniors who have chosen to pursue some form of education or training beyond high school. More than 50 schools have registered to participate in the College Foundation of West Virginia’s (CFWV’s) fourth annual statewide “College Decision Day” campaign. College Decision Day events serve as opportunities for seniors to commit to pursuing a postsecondary pathway and for educators and underclassmen to celebrate seniors’ ambitions to continue their education beyond high school. College Decision Day events will happen statewide from April…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia public colleges and universities share ideas to increase enrollment
West Virginia public colleges and universities share ideas to increase enrollment CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Admissions and enrollment staff from across West Virginia joined together on Tuesday to learn how to encourage more West Virginians to sign up for classes this fall. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System (CTCS) hosted the one-day Enrollment Consulting Workshop for professionals engaged in campus enrollment management efforts at West Virginia’s two- and four-year institutions. Attendees learned about trends in national college enrollment, including best practices for marketing and recruitment and how to customize those methods for the best…
Continue ReadingW.Va. public colleges, universities retaining and graduating more students over last five years, report says
South Charleston, W.Va. – West Virginia’s public colleges and universities are keeping more students in school after their freshman year and seeing them through to graduation, according to a five-year trend report presented today to members of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (the Commission). The annual Higher Education Report Card tracks data including enrollment, progression and graduation rates from West Virginia’s 21 public colleges and universities. For the 2017 report, Commission staff reported that retention rates at baccalaureate institutions were up 2.7 percentage points overall for a five-year period, while four-year graduation rates increased 8.3 percentage points, also…
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State colleges and universities to receive more than $8.3 million for campus improvements, thanks to governor’s bond refinancing
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s public colleges and universities soon will benefit from the infusion of more than $8 million for critical campus building improvements, thanks to a revenue bond refinancing made possible by the office of Gov. Jim Justice. Dr. Paul L. Hill, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said that approximately $8.3 million will be distributed to eight of the state’s public colleges and universities to help pay for their most-pressing deferred maintenance and safety needs, such as elevators, roofs and climate control systems. Justice said the projects represent the wise and prudent use of…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission extends PROMISE scholarship application deadline to March 30
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) announced today it is extending the application deadline for Fall 2018 PROMISE scholarships to Friday, March 30, 2018. Some students reported they had difficulty completing their PROMISE applications by the earlier deadline due to the statewide public school work stoppage, and legislators and the governor asked the Commission to provide relief, said HEPC Chancellor Dr. Paul L. Hill. “We understand that some students have been unable to complete their PROMISE scholarship applications for the Fall 2018 semester due to the public schools being closed and not having access to…
Continue ReadingNational higher education experts join state leaders to launch college completion campaign
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia higher education leaders committed today to the state’s Momentum Pathways Project, a program that uses proven strategies to improve student success during the first year of college and sustain that momentum through to graduation. The group representing the state’s public higher education institutions met today along with national experts to discuss strategies that increase student retention and graduation. The event was hosted by the West Virginia Higher Education Commission (HEPC), the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (CTC), and Complete College America (CCA). The Momentum Pathways Project will focus on 15 to Finish,…
Continue ReadingFacebook to join an estimated 150 employers for Job and Resource Fair at Erma Byrd Higher Education Center Complex
BEAVER, W.Va. – Facebook will be the featured employer for this year’s Job and Resource Fair on March 23 at the Erma Byrd Higher Education Center, southern West Virginia’s collaborative public higher education center. The event will feature dozens of local, state and national employers sharing career opportunities and hiring information with college students, graduates and local residents. The fair’s hours on that Friday are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a keynote address by Facebook at 1 p.m. This annual job fair is presented in partnership with United States Senator Joe Manchin, Workforce West Virginia, and the Beckley-Raleigh County…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia high schools exceed halfway mark to statewide FAFSA completion goal
West Virginia High Schools exceed halfway mark to statewide FAFSA completion goal As of January 12, more than 32 percent of West Virginia high school seniors have filed a FAFSA CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) announced today that 32.5 percent of West Virginia high school students have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2018-19 academic year, exceeding the halfway mark to the statewide goal for this year. In October 2017, CFWV announced the statewide FAFSA completion goal to have at least 63 percent of high school seniors file a…
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