Latest News
Media Contact
Jessica Tice
304-558-0699
jessica.tice@wvhepc.edu
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Higher ed leader wants to create college-going culture in WV
BY SAMUEL SPECIALE Fewer students are attending and completing college in West Virginia, a statistic that, along with budget cuts and increases in tuition, has state higher education officials concerned. With the state’s college-going and completion rates falling to 55 and 24 percent, respectively, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Paul Hill wants students to see the importance of earning a postsecondary education. “We want to create a college-going culture,” he said Tuesday during a meeting with Gazette-Mail editors. The college-going rate in West Virginia — the number of students attending either an in-state of out-of-state college — is…
Continue ReadingChancellor Hill talks college and careers with seniors at St. Albans High School
Charleston, W.Va. – This week, Chancellor Paul Hill sat down with a group of seniors at St. Albans High School to discuss their goals for life after high school, why college is important for their futures, and how they can succeed in postsecondary education. “These students are engaged and excited about what’s next, and at the same time they have worries and questions about the process,” Chancellor Hill said. “Programs through the Higher Education Policy Commission are here to help students across West Virginia navigate the college-going process. It was great to share these resources directly with the bright young…
Continue Reading1,300 eighth grade students ‘GEAR UP’ for college
West Liberty mascot wins ‘Mascot Mania’ contest CHARLESTON, W.Va. – More than 1,300 eighth graders attended the West Virginia ‘GEAR UP’ Student Leadership Academy held yesterday at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. ‘GEAR UP,’ which stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” is a federally funded college readiness program coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. During the event, students learned about college options and the importance of developing their leadership skills to take charge of their futures. Kendyl Ryan, a graduate of the West Virginia GEAR UP program, said GEAR UP has taught her to take…
Continue Reading
Charleston Gazette-Mail: WV college attendance program continues with new funding
BY RYAN QUINN About 1,300 West Virginia eighth graders danced, laughed and cheered Wednesday in Charleston at the kickoff event for a program to get kids from disadvantaged areas and backgrounds into college or other post-high school training — and take others with them. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education granted the Mountain State $21 million in its third Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant, according to Jessica Kennedy. Kennedy — director of communications and outreach for the Division of Student Affairs, part of West Virginia’s public higher education agencies — said the GEAR…
Continue ReadingMetroNews: More than 1,000 W.Va. eighth graders ‘GEAR UP’ for college
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly 1,300 eighth grade students from 32 West Virginia schools were in Charleston Wednesday morning to participate in the state’s GEAR UP program at the Clay Center. The program teaches students, from pre-school to high school, how to take control of their futures by informing them about the steps needed to pursue higher education. “What that really is is to help other students be peer mentors, to spread the word about going to college, getting a career in mind early in their life and being prepared for college when they do go,” explained Dr. Paul Hill, chancellor…
Continue Reading1,300 students to attend ‘GEAR UP’ student leadership academy in Charleston
For Planning Purposes: October 20, 2015 Contact: Jessica Kennedy, Director of Communications and Outreach Division of Student Affairs (304) 558-0655 – office • (304) 532-0911 – cell jessica.kennedy@wvhepc.edu 1,300 students to attend ‘GEAR UP’ student leadership academy in Charleston When: Wednesday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. What: A leadership academy to inform students of college options and empower them to take charge of their futures. West Virginia GEAR UP will host a leadership academy featuring a presentation from Aric Bostic, a nationally renowned youth leadership coach. Additionally, college mascots from across West Virginia will present dance routines incorporating college information…
Continue ReadingCollege Foundation of West Virginia hosting statewide ‘College Application and Exploration Week’
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) is coordinating college preparation help at more than 400 sites across the state, with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin officially designating this week as “College Application and Exploration Week.” Participating schools will host a variety of college-planning activities including college application workshops, classroom lessons focused on college awareness and planning, and panel discussions with current college students and employers. Students of all ages — from pre-schoolers to adult learners — will learn about the importance of pursuing higher education and the different types of college options available including certificate programs, career and technical programs, two-year degree programs, four-year degree programs…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research to host Bill Nye the Science Guy in West Virginia
Charleston, W.Va. – Bill Nye the Science Guy will be the next featured scientist in the Chancellor’s STEM Speaker Series lineup on November 19, organizers have announced. The series of events is organized by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research. Bill Nye has spent most of his life making science and technology entertaining and accessible. Combining his talents as a scientist, inventor, comedian and author, he has attracted adults and children to the wonders of science. Nye’s wit and enthusiasm have helped to garner 18 Emmy awards for his PBS/syndicated series Disney Presents Bill…
Continue ReadingGovernor Tomblin declares ‘West Virginia GEAR UP Week’ in recognition of college readiness program
‘West Virginia GEAR UP’ helps thousands of students prepare for higher education programs and training CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has designated this week as “West Virginia GEAR UP Week” to recognize the impact and achievements of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) effort. GEAR UP is a national grant program funded by the United States Department of Education. Its mission is to help students pursue and achieve some form of education and training beyond high school. This week has been declared “National GEAR UP Week” by program partners across the country. “GEAR UP…
Continue ReadingHechinger Report: Can u fix education w/ txts?
Facing some of America’s biggest education challenges, Benjamin Castleman thinks small. In his new book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies can Improve Education, the University of Virginia education professor argues that the humble text message can boost student achievement, improve study habits and help students stay on track in the transition from high school to college. Start with the obvious. Texting is cheap, and it’s everywhere. None of the newer social-media apps have anywhere near its reach. You don’t need a powerful computer or broadband Internet to text. You just need a phone and fast…
Continue ReadingEmployers to meet with college students at Erma Byrd Higher Education Center’s inaugural Career Expo
Beaver, W.Va. – The Erma Byrd Higher Education Center, West Virginia’s first public postsecondary education collaborative, will host its inaugural Career Expo in partnership with Bluefield State College, Concord University, Marshall University and New River Community and Technical College on Friday, October 2, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Center in Beaver. Nearly 25 employers and businesses have signed up for the Expo to share information with interested college students, graduates and local residents. Lisa Moten, the Center’s Director, says business community participation continues to grow. “The response from local businesses and service agencies has been overwhelmingly…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission statement on WVU Board of Governors’ vote on WVU Tech
Charleston, W.Va. – Paul L. Hill, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, today released the following statement following approval by the West Virginia University Board of Governors to authorize action to move the WVU Institute of Technology to WVU Beckley by fall 2017. The Policy Commission has a statutory mission to review and vote on program proposals offered by WVU for a new location not presently served by the institution. Statement from Chancellor Hill “The Higher Education Policy Commission’s mission is to make higher education decisions in the best interest of West Virginia’s students. This is upheld in…
Continue ReadingStatewide ‘College Day Tour’ kicks off September 1
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Representatives from West Virginia’s colleges and universities will hit the road today as part of West Virginia’s annual “College Day Tour.” During the tour, college admissions and planning counselors, along with military service representatives, will set up displays and host informational workshops in every region of the state. The West Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (WVACRAO) organizes the event and works to ensure that West Virginia’s high school students have an opportunity to get college planning information close to home. Additionally, representatives from the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) attend every event to…
Continue Reading“5 Star Challenge” emphasizes colleges’ and universities’ commitments to student veterans
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Education officials are stepping up their efforts to support the needs of West Virginia’s student veterans. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and West Virginia Community and Technical College System (WVCTCS) today announced the “5 Star Challenge,” a call to action for the state’s public colleges and universities to adopt a set of exemplary standards that support student veterans and their families. The challenge is a tribute to the military tradition of issuing “challenge coins” to service members who exemplify the values and standards of their military units. Colleges and universities that accept the challenge…
Continue ReadingWTRF: Local students pass along importance of higher education
WTRF 7 News Sports Weather – Wheeling Steubenville MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. – A group of local students are ready to tackle the new school year and pass along the importance of higher education. Higher Education Readiness Officers (HEROs) is a relatively new program happening at some high schools in West Virginia. The goal is to educate high school students about the importance of higher education, whether it’s a four year degree or a technical school. Starting early is essential, according to incoming Sophmore Alec Kuskey. “I learned that it really is a good idea to start considering college even if…
Continue ReadingNew study shows federal GEAR UP program steering more West Virginians to college
Charleston, W.Va. – According to information presented today to the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission, the federal GEAR UP program is achieving its mission in West Virginia. The 2014 High School Senior Opinions Survey revealed that GEAR UP, which helps students in high-need West Virginia counties prepare for higher education, is successfully providing young West Virginians with the tools they need to attend – and succeed – in college. According to the survey conducted in spring 2014 among students at 45 schools, more than seven out of 10 seniors in GEAR UP high schools received direct assistance from college representatives,…
Continue Reading
West Virginia student HEROs inspiring their peers to reach higher
“My confidence has absolutely skyrocketed. I know being a HERO is going to be an important part of my life now and I really hope I can take my experience and positively impact other students’ lives. When I return to school, I have every intention to talk to other students and spread the positivity that was spread to me.” – Morgan Hicks, Oak Glen High School Charleston, W.Va. – Thirty-one students from four high schools in West Virginia – Berkeley Springs, Hedgesville, John Marshall and Oak Glen – participated in last week’s statewide Student Success Summit in Morgantown…
Continue ReadingGovernor Tomblin, Congressional delegation announce $20 million scientific research grant
State has received more than $60 million in EPSCoR funding since 2001 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, along with Representatives David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins, today announced the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a highly-competitive $20 million grant to West Virginia’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to boost academic scientific research and upgrade infrastructure at West Virginia University (WVU), Marshall University (MU), West Virginia State University (WVSU) and other state institutions. EPSCoR is facilitated by the state Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and…
Continue Reading
Student Success Summit to focus on collaboration among educators and community
More than 500 individuals expected to attend the event in Morgantown MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – More than 500 education administrators, teachers, students, military leaders and community group members will join forces this week to find ways to help students prepare for lifelong success. Education representatives ranging from pre-school teachers to college presidents to the students they serve will convene during the fifth annual Student Success Summit (Summit) to be held Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30 at the Waterfront Hotel and Conference Center in Morgantown. Organizers say the two-day event encourages participants to work together to create a more seamless, life-long education…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia hosts U.S. State Department seminar on international education and safety
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today hosted a national conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council focused on international education and safety. Nearly 120 attendees representing more than 60 higher education institutions and organizations nationwide discussed issues related to the health and security of college students, faculty and higher education staff traveling abroad. This event comes as the Commission works to increase the number of West Virginia students going abroad through the statewide “Global West Virginia” initiative. The Commission encourages student participation in International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP), which provide…
Continue Reading
Concord University recognized nationally for ‘GEAR UP’ partnership
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. – The National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) announced today that Concord University has been named the 2015 national “GEAR UP Community Partner of the Year.” Concord was recognized for its support of the West Virginia GEAR UP program, a federally funded grant program to help students from low-income areas prepare for college. West Virginia GEAR UP serves more than 5,000 students annually in 10 West Virginia counties. The project is coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission), which received its second consecutive GEAR UP grant last year. Dr. Marjie Flanigan, Vice President of Student Affairs at Concord…
Continue ReadingMore than 3,200 PROMISE scholars eligible to begin college this fall in West Virginia
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today announced that more than 3,200 students who graduated from high school this year have been awarded PROMISE Scholarships, annual awards of up to $4,750 they can use beginning this fall toward tuition and fees at colleges and universities in West Virginia. Additional PROMISE Scholarships will be awarded as eligible students are identified through June 2015 ACT and SAT testing scores. “Again this year, the PROMISE Scholarship is making college more accessible and affordable for thousands of West Virginia students,” said Paul Hill, the Commission’s Chancellor. “Through this merit-based program,…
Continue ReadingW.Va. higher education community joins forces to address campus safety
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) today hosted a statewide Campus Safety Summit focusing on some of higher education’s most challenging issues. More than 140 representatives of the state’s public four- and two- year colleges and universities, along with independent institutions, gathered to discuss awareness, prevention and response surrounding suicide, sexual violence and communicable diseases. “These individuals are on the frontlines at colleges and universities across West Virginia working to not only educate and inspire students – but also to protect those students and everyone on our campuses,” said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. “These subject…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission chair calls for focus on college completion following tuition vote
Charleston, W.Va. – Dr. Bruce Berry, chair of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, today released the following statement after the Commission voted 5-2 to approve in-state student tuition increase requests from West Virginia University (9.7 percent) and Potomac State College of WVU (8.1 percent), while voting 6-1 for an in-state student tuition increase request from West Virginia State University (7 percent) for the 2015-16 academic year: “Affordability remains one of the biggest challenges facing West Virginia’s higher education community. As our state’s public network of colleges and universities, the responsibility lies with us to ensure West Virginians have…
Continue Reading
Chancellor Hill: The answer is higher education
This commentary appeared in the August 30, 2015 edition of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. In 1963, my father lost his coal mining job at the Kopperston No. 1 mine in Wyoming County. With very little money, we returned to our farm in Lincoln County, hoping for better days. It was a challenging time for our family – and a defining moment in my life. I observed intently as my father worked hard to sharpen his skills and his mind, taking night classes at a local high school. His resolve paid off when he earned a job in Richwood at the Department…
Continue Reading