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West Virginia student named to national ‘GEAR UP’ leadership academy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James “Ikie” Brooks, a native of Boone County, has been selected to participate in the highly competitive “GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy,” (GUALA) a 12-month national leadership program providing students across the country with intensive training in civic engagement and community development. The GUALA program identifies students with exceptional leadership potential and provides training to help them engage their peers, schools and communities in creating a college-going culture. Brooks, a junior at Marshall University, was one of 24 students selected from a nationwide pool of applicants made up of students who have graduated from high schools served by the federal…
Continue ReadingGazette-Mail: Grant to help Kanawha students get help with financial aid
Charleston is one of 22 metropolitan areas nationwide to receive a $55,000 grant geared toward getting more high school seniors to complete the paperwork to get financial aid. The grant, from the National College Access Network, was announced Tuesday morning by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The award comes as the commission celebrates earlier news that, according to NCAN, West Virginia was one of only four states in the country to increase its number of students who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The federal government requires every student to submit the form before…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission and Kanawha County Schools awarded grant to improve FAFSA completion rates
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) announced today that the agency has secured a $55,000 grant from the National College Access Network (NCAN), a nonprofit focusing on ensuring equal access to higher education. The grant will fund a project in partnership with Kanawha County Schools (KCS) to increase the number of 12th graders completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The announcement comes on the heels of recent news that West Virginia has jumped to fourth in the nation in ensuring students complete the FAFSA — a crucial step toward preparing for college. “We are delighted to…
Continue ReadingMetroNews: W.Va. among top states with high FAFSA completions rates
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More West Virginia students are completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid so far this year compared to last year, according to a recent announcement from the National College Access Network. West Virginia ranked 4th out of all 50 states for FAFSA completion, jumping from 10th place last year. As of this month, 52 percent of West Virginia high school seniors completed a FAFSA. “This really has been a collective effort and many folks around West Virginia have jumped in and wrapped their arms around this issue,” said Dr. Adam Green, vice chancellor of student affairs for…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia ranks fourth in the nation in FAFSA completion rates
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – According to a recent announcement from the National College Access Network (NCAN), West Virginia is one of only four states to see gains in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates so far this year. And the state ranks fourth overall nationally in FAFSA completion — jumping up from 10th place last year. Thirty-seven high schools in West Virginia met or exceeded the state’s spring benchmark for increasing the number of 12th graders who complete the FAFSA, the primary application for state and federal financial aid for college. In January, the College Foundation of West Virginia…
Continue ReadingHigher Education Policy Commission approves new president at West Virginia State University
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission voted unanimously today to grant final approval of the West Virginia State University Board of Governors’ recent selection of Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins as the institution’s 11th president. “We look forward to working with Dr. Jenkins as he takes the helm at West Virginia State University during this critically important time for higher education in West Virginia – a time when it is imperative that we produce more college graduates prepared to move our state forward,” said Dr. Paul Hill, the Commission’s Chancellor. “We also thank President Brian Hemphill for…
Continue ReadingWBOY: West Virginia Student Leadership Conference Kicks Off in Jackson’s Mill
Full Story College students from around the state are learning more about how to lead at Jackson’s Mill this week. The West Virginia Student Leadership Conference kicked off in Jackson’s Mill Monday. The annual event connects students to campus leaders from around the state to help engage their campuses and each other. Organizers said that’s exactly how they want to enable their students. “We want to help them be more effective leaders. We know our students want to lead, and we think part of leadership is learning how to be better at that. Leadership is a skill that can be…
Continue ReadingCollege students come together to promote student leadership on campus
WESTON, W.Va. – College students from across West Virginia are meeting at Jackson’s Mill this week to learn new ways to strengthen their campus communities. More than 75 student representatives from West Virginia’s public two-year and four-year colleges and universities are participating in the annual West Virginia Student Leadership Conference, which kicks off today and continues through Wednesday. The conference is sponsored by the West Virginia Community and Technical College System (WVCTCS), the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and Shepherd University. During the conference, students will attend breakout sessions focused on helping them inspire and engage their classmates…
Continue ReadingWHS celebrates College Decision Day
While lots of ink and air time were devoted to last week’s NFL draft, area high school seniors were being recognized for making a different kind of decision. College Decision Day, sponsored by GEAR UP, was observed at Westside High last Thursday. About three dozen students headed to college or military service were recognized in a ceremony held in the school auditorium. The format was similar to a sports signing day. Senior , accompanied by parents and a favorite teacher, sat at a table and “signed” with a college, got their photo taken and were congratulated by the principal, assistant…
Continue Reading‘College Decision Day’ events to celebrate students for committing to higher education
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thirty-four West Virginia high schools will participate in the annual statewide “College Decision Day” campaign to recognize high school seniors who plan to pursue some type of education or training beyond high school. College Decision Day is organized by the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV), an initiative coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to help students go to college and succeed. “College Decision Day is inspired by sports events, such as the NCAA national signing day and the NFL draft,” Dr. Paul L. Hill, Chancellor for the Commission, said. “We want to make sure…
Continue ReadingWilliamson Daily News: MCHS holds College Day
Published April 13, 2016 by the Williamson Daily News By Kyle Lovern – klovern@civitasmedia.com WVU, MU and Southern presidents attend RED JACKET – Mingo Central High School welcomed some important guests on Tuesday afternoon, the presidents of West Virginia University, Marshall University and Southern W.Va. Community and Technical College for their College Day assembly. Presidents Gordon Gee of WVU, Jerome Gilbert of MU and Robert Gunter of SWVCTC (Southern) all addressed thestudents, faculty and parents in attendance for the special day. Gary White of Logan, the former interim president of Marshall, was also at the event with Gilbert. Dr. Paul…
Continue ReadingHuntington Herald-Dispatch editorial: New strategy for remedial classes appears to aid students
Published April 12, 2016 in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch One of the tell-tale signs that public education often falls short is that far too many students who graduate from high school aren’t adequately prepared to take on the rigors of college-level math and English. That’s not just a reference to students who did poorly in high school and did not intend to attend a college or university; it applies also to many students who plan to continue their studies and have been accepted at an institution of higher education. In the past, the answer for those students was to take remedial…
Continue ReadingCharleston Daily Mail editorial: A day to celebrate a college education
Published April 7, 2016 in the Charleston Gazette-Mail Enrolling in college or other post-high school training is the best decision some students will ever make. Despite the years of hard work, a post-secondary education for many students can set them on a course of lifelong success. That decision is to be celebrated, and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission will do just that later this month. State education officials will gather with students at Mingo Central High School on April 12. Any student who has committed to… »READ MORE
Continue ReadingCollege presidents, officials to recognize Mingo Central students during College Decision Day
DELBARTON, W.Va. – Mingo Central High School will celebrate ‘College Decision Day,’ an event honoring students who plan to pursue some form of education or training beyond high school, on April 12 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. College Decision Day is organized by the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV), an initiative coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to help students go to college and succeed. Dr. Paul Hill, Chancellor of West Virginia’s four-year public colleges and universities; Dr. E. Gordon Gee, President of West Virginia University; Dr. Jerome Gilbert, President of Marshall University and Dr. Robert…
Continue ReadingApril 15 deadline approaching for West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program applications
~Higher Education Policy Commission approves increase in award amount for students beginning this fall~ Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today reminded students that April 15 is the deadline to submit the needed paperwork to be considered for the Higher Education Grant Program (HEGP), the state’s need-based financial aid offering, for college beginning this fall. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the application for HEGP, and is the only document students need to complete to see if they qualify. “We always encourage students to complete the FAFSA to see if they are…
Continue ReadingWVROCKS expands online degree opportunities for adult students with new grant
Charleston, W.Va. – Armed with a new $500,000 grant, the West Virginia Remote Online Collaborative Knowledge System (WVROCKS) is expanding opportunities for adult students in the state to earn Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA) degrees online. The grant, which was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service program, is funding video equipment that will allow WVROCKS to offer classes online that include synchronous learning beginning in fall 2016. “This grant is another opportunity for us to expand WVROCKS, which offers nontraditional students an unencumbered path toward their degrees,” said Dr. Roxann Humbert, who oversees the portal. “We…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia makes it easier to transfer college credits
by George Hohmann for the West Virginia Press Association About 200,000 West Virginians — 20 percent of the state’s adults — have some college credits but no degree and every year about 3,000 seek to transfer their credits, said Paul Hill, the state’s chancellor of higher education. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin thinks one path to improving the state’s last-place ranking in the percentage of residents with a college degree is to make it easier to transfer credits. Gov. Tomblin focused on this in his 2014 State of the State speech. “College students across the Mountain State report problems with the flow of class credits between public institutions of higher learning,” he…
Continue ReadingChancellor Hill: Scientific discovery fuels minds, futures
This commentary appeared in the February 25, 2016 edition of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. As a young boy growing up in rural West Virginia, I loved discovery. I was fascinated by the idea of putting two things together and getting something entirely new, how things worked and why frogs croaked in the spring. So I was drawn to science. Scientific research is profoundly fascinating. Something starts as an idea, and with analytical powers, deep study and experimental creation, you end up with a problem solved, questions answered or a discovery made. Students from across our state who are at the Capitol…
Continue ReadingMarch 1 deadline approaching for PROMISE Scholarship applications
Charleston, W.Va. – High school seniors in the class of 2016 planning to apply for West Virginia’s PROMISE Scholarship program have until March 1 to complete the required forms, the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission office reminded students and families today. Through PROMISE, qualifying high school graduates receive annual awards of up to $4,750 to cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees at eligible West Virginia higher education institutions. “Since the PROMISE program started, more than $400 million has been provided to more than 35,000 West Virginia students from all 55 counties to attend a public or independent college…
Continue ReadingCollege Goal Sunday event offers free help with college financial aid forms
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia students can get free help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other college financial aid forms during the state’s annual College Goal Sunday event. College Goal Sunday financial aid workshops will be held February 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 25 locations. “Completing the FAFSA is a critical step for anyone considering going to college,” Brian Weingart, Senior Director of Financial Aid at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said. “Students must submit this form in order to be considered for a variety of financial aid programs including state and federal grants,…
Continue ReadingCollege Foundation of West Virginia sets goal to increase FAFSA completion rates
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) today announced a goal to increase the number of 12th graders who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or “FAFSA” to 60 percent. Last year, 57 percent of high school seniors completed the FAFSA, which is the primary application for state and federal financial aid for college. As of January 29, eight percent of this year’s 12th graders have completed the form. A complete list of FAFSA completion rates by high school is available at www.cfwvconnect.com/financial-aid-outreach. According to a report from the White House, “The President’s Plan for Early Financial Aid,”…
Continue ReadingCollege Foundation of West Virginia providing college planning help through text messages
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Students heading to college this fall can receive deadline reminders and get help completing college-related tasks — all through text messaging. The College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) is offering the service to any West Virginia student considering entering a two-year college, four-year college or career and technical program in the fall of 2016. Participating students will receive a few text messages per month reminding them of upcoming deadlines and providing information about important college-planing tasks such as applying for financial aid, registering for orientation and purchasing text books. Additionally, students can text back anytime they have…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia’s higher education community to join forces for Higher Education Day at the Capitol
Charleston, W.Va. – Representatives of higher education institutions from across the state will come together on Tuesday, January 19, for Higher Education Day at the Capitol, an annual event held to recognize West Virginia’s colleges and universities and highlight the far-reaching postsecondary opportunities available across the state. Participating institutions include West Virginia’s public four-year and two-year colleges and universities, along with independent four-year institutions. Each campus will distribute information and have representatives on hand to answer questions. The event is hosted by Paul Hill, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission; Sarah Tucker, Chancellor of the Community and…
Continue ReadingChancellor Hill joins students at Preston High School for college & career discussion
This week, Chancellor Paul Hill met with a group of juniors and seniors at Preston High School in Kingwood to talk about their plans for life after graduation – if and where they plan to attend college, what career paths they’re considering, and whether financial aid and college access outreach programs are helping them along the way. “These bright students have some incredible aspirations — to be engineers, lawyers, microbiologists and health care providers. I believe they have the drive to reach these goals, and we are working at the state level to ensure they have the support networks they…
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Exponent Telegram: FAFSA completion rate good news for West Virginia
The recent news that 52 percent of West Virginia high school seniors completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is good news for the state. Young people who complete this process become eligible for student aid, such as grants, scholarships and loans, that can help them obtain a college education. Some West Virginia students who see the cost of a college tuition, plus what they might have to pay for room and board, and feel overwhelmed. But there’s lots of help for those who are eligible, and that’s especially true for those who are economically disadvantaged. All that…
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