Itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s a season of possibility, as high school students from Cabell Midland High School, Huntington High School and others across the region prepare to don their caps and gowns and celebrate a major life milestone. Whatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s next for them is a question only they can answer, but my sincere hope is that these students òòò½ÊÓƵ” representing our collective future in the Tri-State and beyond òòò½ÊÓƵ” will pursue higher education to better themselves and the Mountain State.
At the institutional level, the annual economic impact of West Virginia University alone tops $2 billion. At the individual level, research shows a bacheloròòò½ÊÓƵ™s degree increases earning potential by an average of $1 million over a lifetime, proving that affordable, accessible higher education is critical to quality of life. That is why I am proud to serve as a member of the òòò½ÊÓƵU Board of Governors and, in that role, work to actively support the land-grant mission of West Virginiaòòò½ÊÓƵ™s R1 flagship university. We are the training ground for the next generation of the stateòòò½ÊÓƵ™s leaders, field experts, researchers, health care providers, educators, artists, business leaders, public servants and entrepreneurs.
Our students receive a quality education from dedicated faculty members while performing world-class research, engaging in meaningful service activities and finding their purpose. Price should never be a reason why a student misses out on such life-changing opportunities, which is why I am so supportive of the òòò½ÊÓƵU Guarantee, an option for students enrolling now for the fall. Find more information at this website: .
Open to students across the òòò½ÊÓƵU System, including òòò½ÊÓƵU Institute of Technology in Beckley and òòò½ÊÓƵU Potomac State College in Keyser, this last-dollar-in financial aid program works in combination with other scholarships and assistance to further remove barriers and ease studentsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ and familiesòòò½ÊÓƵ™ financial burdens for income levels at and below $65,000.
This is a commitment from the university to qualifying Mountain State students that they will have the resources they need to cover the costs of tuition and university fees as they pursue their purpose at òòò½ÊÓƵU. This òòò½ÊÓƵU Guarantee program and the many others like it open doors to the worlds of robotics, management information systems, forensics, neuroscience, game design and interactive media, cybersecurity, nursing, engineering and much, much more. Like their counterparts at the high school level, our university graduates from those programs and many others will celebrate this commencement season.
And it’s important to note that, as graduates link arms at the end of each ceremony to sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and mark the conclusions of their college careers, nearly half of them will be doing so without any student debt. What’s next for our new graduates remains to be seen, but their affordable, quality òòò½ÊÓƵU educations give them a significant advantage, supplying enduring lessons and equipping them with the confidence to move forward in pursuit of their passions while changing West Virginia and the world. I invite you to learn more about West Virginia University and the òòò½ÊÓƵU Guarantee .
Letòòò½ÊÓƵ™s go!
A former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Kevin Craig is executive vice president for GP Natural Resources Partners in Huntington and serves on the West Virginia University Board of Governors and the West Virginia University Health System Board of Directors.
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