West Virginia public two-and four-year colleges and universities, or research corporations thereof, may apply for First-Generation Student Success Grants to sponsor comprehensive projects which must meaningfully encompass each of the following categories:
Implementation of extraordinary campus-based initiatives, events, services, or supports designed to address the unique needs of First-Generation college students and bridge gaps in cultural capital, thereby promoting positive educational outcomes for First-Generation college students;
Implementation of events, initiatives, or services committed to supporting recruitment and/or retention of First-Generation students on college campuses within West Virginia;
Development or enhancement of research, evaluation, assessment and data collection strategies and practices for the purpose of improving institutional First-Generation initiatives and/or increasing institutional buy-in.
Maximum single award amount: $25,000
Application Deadline: Friday, July 11, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.
Workforce and Campus Mental Health Impact Grants- Electronic Health Record Stipend- Round 2
This funding opportunity will support student mental health and campus counseling centers by providing campuses with an Electronic Health Record System (EHR). Funding will be provided to campus counseling centers that do not currently have an Electronic Health Record System (EHR).
Funding will be awarded to help provide increased HIPAA and confidentiality regulations and standards and streamline student scheduling of appointments and session documentation.
The applicant institution will not receive funds but will complete a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, who will include the institution in a statewide contract with the selected vendor and pay for the service on the school’s behalf for a one-year period.
Campus Mental Health Impact Grant-Counseling and Crisis System Grant Opportunity
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission was awarded Congressionally Directed Spending Funds, administered through a Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration grant to grow West Virginia’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education Initiative. The state of West Virginia awarded the Commission matching funds for this grant to support the growth of the West Virginia workforce through supporting student mental health at West Virginia’s 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. This opportunity is made available through matching funds.
This funding opportunity supports student mental health by providing public 2-year and 4-year campuses across the state with a 24/7 mental health support help and line, virtual counseling services, and virtual wellness workshops for students. This opportunity is available after providing eight institutions with these services as a one-year pilot program during the 2024-2025 academic year. This is helping to support the behavioral health workforce at West Virginia’s higher education institutions and supports the mental health of the future workforce, and the students attending college in the state. Data and research show that such programs can be beneficial to higher education students in helping to provide additional mental health, crisis, and counseling support for students in addition to the campus mental health counseling centers. All public two and four-year institutions can opt in to a one-year agreement.
The Commission will contract with BetterMynd, a vendor selected through the state of West Virginia’s bidding process. The vendor’s services will support mental health on eligible campuses represented by successful applicants. Services to be provided include student access to a 24/7 mental health help support line, virtual counseling services, and access to wellness workshops. The participating institutions will not receive funds directly.
Application deadline: Monday, June 30, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.
