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Jessica Tice
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Noting gradual enrollment declines, WV’s higher education chancellor encourages high school students to stay on track for college
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission today released fall 2020 enrollment data for the state’s public four-year colleges and universities. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment declines were moderate at most campuses – with an overall drop of 2.8 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020, excluding dual credit high school students. The majority of enrollment declines were among dual-enrollment, non-resident and international students. “We had a lot of uncertainties going into this fall semester. Working closely together, our college and university presidents made the decision to bring students back to campus, but in the safest…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia awarded $750,000 from Ascendium to increase degree completion, leverage philanthropic collaborations for student success
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and Community and Technical College System (CTCS), together with Philanthropy West Virginia, today announced that Ascendium Education Group – one of the most active postsecondary education philanthropies in the country – has awarded the state $750,000 to support student success and accelerate degree completion. The West Virginia collaboration is part of Ascendium’s inaugural rural philanthropy grantees. In line with West Virginia’s Climb initiative, which seeks to arm 60 percent of the state’s workforce with a postsecondary credential by 2030, the programming resulting from the Ascendium grant will provide tools and…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission releases enrollment report, announces newly appointed members
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission releases enrollment report, announces newly appointed members CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) held its regularly scheduled Commission meeting. During the meeting, HEPC released the Fall 2017 Enrollment Report, which covers national enrollment trends as well as projections and statistics for West Virginia’s four-year public colleges. The report indicates that public four-year institutions nationwide are continuing to experience slow enrollment growth, increasing by 0.2 percent in the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. The headcount in West Virginia’s public four-year colleges has decreased by 0.2 percent since Fall…
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Report: More Mountain State students pursuing higher education
Braxton, Doddridge and Clay counties lead the way in improving college-going rates Charleston, W.Va. – More West Virginia high school graduates went on to pursue higher education last year, according to a report released today by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) and West Virginia Community and Technical College System (CTCS). The college-going rate increased for the second consecutive year, inching up by 0.3 percent — or 266 students — from 2015 to 2016. “These gains, while subtle, represent a solid step in the right direction,” Dr. Paul Hill, HEPC Chancellor, said. “For several years, the impact of…
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Higher ed ‘Report Card’: State colleges retaining, graduating more students
Statewide initiatives generating results despite budget challenges CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s state colleges and universities are retaining more students and have generated record numbers of graduates in recent years, thanks to statewide efforts to improve student success. However, continued positive results could be hindered by budget challenges and increased tuition costs, state higher education officials told members of Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability (LOCEA) today. During the meeting, representatives from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and West Virginia Community and Technical College System (CTCS) provided an overview of findings from the annual West Virginia Higher…
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W.Va. sees gains in college freshmen enrollment
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The number of students entering a four-year college is on the rise in West Virginia, according to information reported during a meeting of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission held earlier today. State officials said the number of freshmen on West Virginia’s public four-year college campuses increased by 3.7 percent from last year. “These increases are reflective of the strong emphasis the Commission and its partners have placed on college access and success,” Paul Hill, Chancellor of the Commission said. “West Virginia needs more college graduates to meet workforce demands and grow our economy. I…
Continue ReadingRegister-Herald: WVU study shows increase in college graduates, and graduates who stay and work in W.Va.
A new study conducted by West Virginia University for the Higher Education Policy Commission shows that more students are graduating from public higher education institutions and more college graduates are employed in West Virginia. The study, “From Higher Education to Work in West Virginia, 2014” shows that 2,500 more graduates were working in the state in 2014 than in 2013. Researchers attribute the increase in employment to an increase in available graduates for the workforce. “The Commission has led a concerted effort to graduate more students from West Virginia’s colleges and universities since 2013,” said study co-author John Deskins, director of…
Continue ReadingWVU study: State’s efforts to graduate more college students pays off
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A new study shows that a focus on graduating more students from West Virginia’s public higher education institutions is paying off for the state in terms of employment for those graduates. According to the study completed for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission by West Virginia University, 2,500 more graduates were working in West Virginia in 2014 than in 2013. Researchers attribute the increase in employment to an increase in available graduates for the workforce. “The Commission has led a concerted effort to graduate more students from West Virginia’s colleges and universities since 2013,” said study…
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,…
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