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West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission launches ’15 to Finish’ initiative
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Representatives of West Virginia’s public four-year colleges and universities gathered today in Charleston to launch the Higher Education Policy Commission’s statewide 15 to Finish* campaign, an initiative designed to encourage students to take 15 credit hours each semester and promote timely degree completion. “Enrolling in and completing at least 15 credits per semester is essential to completing a degree on time – within four years for a four-year degree,” said Dr. Paul L. Hill, the Commission’s Chancellor. “And the payoffs for taking this full course load extend beyond timely degree completion. Research has shown that taking 15…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia awarded $21 million “GEAR UP” college-readiness grant
For immediate release: Monday, September 22, 2014 Contact: Jessica Kennedy, Assistant Director of Communications Division of Student Affairs West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (304) 558-0655 (office) (304) 532-0911 (cell) jkennedy@hepc.wvnet.edu NEWS RELEASE West Virginia awarded $21 million “GEAR UP” college-readiness grant CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Students in ten West Virginia counties will have extra help preparing for college and career training programs, thanks to a $21 million grant awarded to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission). The U.S. Department of Education announced today that the Commission will receive a “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs” (GEAR…
Continue ReadingGovernor Tomblin declares statewide “College Application and Exploration Week”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has designated October 20 – 24 as “College Application and Exploration Week” in an effort to help students prepare for college. Schools across the state will participate by hosting a variety of hands-on activities including college application workshops, panel discussions with current college students and college scavenger hunts and trivia contests. During the week, students of all ages — from kindergarteners to adult learners — will learn about the importance of pursuing higher education and the different types of college options available including certificate programs, two-year degree programs and four-year degree programs. Students who…
Continue ReadingStatewide “College Day Tour” schedule announced
College planning events to be held September 9 through October 29 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Representatives from West Virginia’s colleges and universities will hit the road next month 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…
Continue ReadingHEPC to begin ’15 to Finish’ campaign
Article: WV MetroNews CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The state Higher Education Policy Commission will roll out an informational campaign on college and university campuses encouraging students to graduate within four years. Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill said the “15 to Finish” campaign will encourage students to take at last 15 credit hours every semester in order to graduate on time. Read more »
Continue Reading4th Annual Student Success Summit: Redefining College and More
Article: West Virginia Public Broadcasting The WV Department of Education says high school graduation rate has been increasing and is up to 80 percent. But only 56 percent of students are college bound. How to improve those rates, and defining what “college-bound” really means were among the discussions at the fourth annual Student Success Summit in Morgantown last week. Read more or listen to the story.
Continue ReadingStudents join forces to help others earn a college diploma
MORGANTOWN, W.VA. – Nearly 40 students completed the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) Youth Summit held this week in Morgantown. The Youth Summit was part of West Virginia’s annual Student Success Summit, an event that brought together education administrators, teachers, students, military leaders and community group members to focus on collaborating to promote lifelong success for the State’s students. Tenth and 11th graders from Berkeley Springs, Elkins, John Marshall, Philip Barbour and Point Pleasant high schools participated in the Youth Summit, which offered a variety of workshops to develop their leadership skills. The Youth Summit focused on helping students…
Continue ReadingStudent Success Summit to focus on supporting students at every level
MORGANTOWN, W.VA. – More than 300 education administrators, teachers, students, military leaders and community group members will join forces next 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 fourth annual Student Success Summit (Summit) to be held Wednesday, July 30 and Thursday, July 31 at the Waterfront Hotel and Conference Center in Morgantown. The two-day event provides a unique opportunity for participants to work together to create a more seamless, life-long education system. “Collaborative initiatives such as the Student…
Continue Reading‘R U on Track for College?’ Texting a New Strategy
Article: Education Week As educators look for ways to keep high school seniors on track for college and to avoid the “summer melt” that leads some astray in the months after they graduate, a new strategy is gaining ground: texting. This year, West Virginia launched a pilot program that alerts students about deadlines for financial aid, registration, and student orientation, among other matters, with personalized messages on their mobile phones. The texting initiative targets students from low-income families—especially those set to become the first in their families to attend college. It begins in January of students’ senior year and continues…
Continue ReadingSummers County High School to celebrate college bound students during ‘College Decision Day’
HINTON, W.Va. – Summers County High School (SCHS) will recognize seniors who plan to enroll in some form of education or training beyond high school during the school’s first “College Decision Day” event to be held May 19. “College Decision Day is inspired by sports events, such as the NCAA national signing day and the NFL draft,” Kari Vicars, vice principal at SCHS said. “We want to make sure we showcase the academic excellence of our students with the same enthusiasm and pride as we devote to sports.” College Decision Day is coordinated through West Virginia’s “Gaining Early Awareness and…
Continue Reading‘GEAR UP’ students recognized during sixth annual Governor’s Honors Symposium
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission recognized the academic achievements of more than 200 GEAR UP students at the sixth annual Governor’s Honors Symposium, held April 5 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. GEAR UP, which stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” is a college preparation initiative providing services to students in ten West Virginia counties. The Symposium highlighted the accomplishments of the program’s 12th-grade students, many of whom have participated in GEAR UP since the seventh grade. During the Symposium, a representative from Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s office…
Continue ReadingText messaging program involving high school seniors has caught on quickly
Article: Metro News CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To say a text-messaging program between high school students and four colleges and universities in West Virginia is working would be an understatement. The College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) began a three-year pilot project in January that utilizes text-messaging to promote college access and support student success for a high school senior through his or her freshmen year. West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Communications Manager Jessica Kennedy said the response has been outstanding with 57 percent of the seniors in the 14 pilot high schools signing up for the program and many…
Continue ReadingFAFSA ‘definitely the gateway’ to financial aid
Article: Fairmont Times West Virginian Students encouraged to file as soon as possible FAIRMONT, W.Va. — It’s time to file the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an online form students seeking higher education can fill out to apply for any kind of federal financial aid. “It’s definitely the gateway to all federal and most state financial aid,” said Jessica Kennedy, communications manager for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Students file the FAFSA to get aid like federal PELL grants, which do not have to be paid back, and federal student loans that have lower…
Continue ReadingCollege Goal Sunday event offers free assistance in applying for financial aid
CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia students can get free help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other financial aid forms during West Virginia’s fifth annual College Goal Sunday event. College Goal Sunday financial aid workshops will be held February 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 25 locations across the state. “Completing the FAFSA is a crucial step in finding financial aid for 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…
Continue ReadingPersonal text messages offer support as students face higher education
Article: Times West Virginian FAIRMONT, W.VA. — The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission recently launched a three-year pilot project that will help high school seniors prepare for college and begin their freshman year of higher education. The text message support project, which has not yet been officially named, has two main goals: to remind students of deadlines and important steps in the college application process, and to provide them with support and answers to any questions they have along the way. The project is a twist on traditional methods used to help students plan and prepare to move on…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia college access and completion project highlighted at White House event
Washington, D.C. – Paul Hill, Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission), and Adam Green, Senior Director of the Commission’s Student Success and P-20 Initiatives, today participated in an event hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama focused on new initiatives that will expand college opportunity. West Virginia’s text messaging support project – which launched this month and provides a pilot group of high school seniors personalized college counseling by text message – was highlighted as part of the event as a new, innovative action aimed at increasing college access and completion. “The project…
Continue ReadingDr. Adam Green: Higher education leads to higher wages
In a recent editorial, the Daily Mail argued against increasing the minimum wage. Editors noted that while it’s a tough marketplace for workers with little education or experience, the bigger question is how to expand access to jobs with higher earnings. Arguing whether the minimum wage should be increased is not within my realm of expertise. However, I believe the editors are right to point out that opportunities for low-skilled workers are increasingly limited and that growing our economy revolves around bigger issues. In my mind, we cannot talk about income equality or economic growth without addressing higher education. Increasing…
Continue ReadingMan Middle School participates in CFWV College Days
Article: Logan Banner MAN — Man Middle School (Logan County) participated in College Foundation West Virginia (CFWV) College Week October 16th and 17th. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin designated this week as “College Application and Exploration Week” in effort to help students prepare for college. Read the full story »
Continue ReadingJRES students explore careers
Article: Elkins InterMountain Most elementary students are concerned with sports, play and what it will be like when they move up to middle school. But Jennings Randolph Elementary School fifth-graders got a jump on their career exploration this week. On Wednesday, they traveled to the Randolph Technical Center to learn about the programs offered there and work with high school-aged students to experience a typical day at the center. JRES counselor Aaron Talbott said the students participated in West Virginia’s statewide College Application and Exploration this week. Read the full story »
Continue ReadingGovernor Tomblin declares statewide “College Application and Exploration Week”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has designated this week as “College Application and Exploration Week” in an effort to help students prepare for college. Nearly 150 schools across the state will participate by hosting a variety of hands-on college planning activities including college application workshops, panel discussions with current college students, and college scavenger hunts and trivia contests. Students of all ages – from kindergarteners to adult learners – will learn about the importance of pursuing higher education and the different types of college options available including certificate programs, two-year degree programs, and four-year degree programs. Students who…
Continue ReadingGov. Tomblin declares “GEAR UP for College Week”
Article: MetroNews CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s “GEAR UP for College Week” in West Virginia. The governor’s proclamation was aimed at recognizing the achievements of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs across West Virginia. GEAR UP is a grant program through the United States Department of Education that aims to help students pursue education and training beyond high school. Since its launch in 2008, thousands of students in 10 West Virginia counties have received assistance in going to college. Taylor Raby and Allison Epling, seniors at Scott High School in Madison, have been in the program since seventh grade…
Continue ReadingGovernor Tomblin declares “GEAR UP for College Week” in recognition of West Virginia’s success with national college readiness program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Tomblin has designated this week as “GEAR UP for College Week” to recognize the impact and achievements of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a national grant program through the United States Department of Education that launched in West Virginia in 2008. Its mission is to help students pursue and achieve education and training beyond high school. Since 2008, nearly 13,000 students in ten counties – Boone, Clay, Lincoln, McDowell, Mingo, Roane, Summers, Webster, Wirt, and Wyoming – have received college counseling and academic support through GEAR UP, which is coordinated by…
Continue ReadingChancellor Hill: Hitting “restart” for those who have stopped out
For so many people who have some college credits but are no longer enrolled, the desire to walk across the stage to a degree is strong, but the prospect of returning to school is daunting. There are hosts of roadblocks, from finances to a lack of extra time and family commitments, so it’s our job at the public higher education level to even out the road for returning students. In West Virginia, we have placed an increased emphasis on helping adult learners complete their postsecondary education. And the good news is that our efforts are paying off. We are graduating…
Continue ReadingWest Virginia Students and Educators Attend 2013 Student Success Summit
Article: WBOY The State Department of Education, community college system, and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission collaborate for the Student Success Summit. The Summit looks at the education system from elementary school through college. Its goal is to better serve students so they’re more likely to finish high school and go into post-secondary training. Students and educators from around the state attended the event, started August 5 and will continue August 6. Scott High School Higher Education Readiness Officers, or HEROs, went to learn how to better their outreach program lead by students. “We want to get a…
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Chancellor Hill: 15 to Finish – a simple message to drive college completion
This commentary appeared in the September 30 edition of the Charleston Gazette. When preparing for college, there are so many questions students must consider — from which school and major are the right fit, to choosing from financial aid options and mapping out schedules. Through all of this detailed planning, I believe it’s clear that students enter college with a real desire to graduate on time and start their careers as soon as possible. To help them reach that goal, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has launched a 15 to Finish campaign — with a simple but critical…
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