SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The staff at BridgeValley Community and Technical College is staying busy with a recent surge of applications as a result of the West Virginia Invests Grant Program.
According to college officials, the university has seen around 1,000 applicants and increased calls related to the program, which the state Legislature approved during this year’s regular legislative session.
“For our financial aid office, I can say they have been certainly overwhelmed with all of this coming in,” said Roy Simmons, the interim vice president for student affairs.
“There’s a lot of calls and a lot of volume. We’re in the home stretch, and we don’t know what’s doing to happen in the next couple of weeks.”
The West Virginia Invests Grant Program covers cost and fees related to earning a certificate or associate degree at public institutions in West Virginia. The 2019-2020 academic year is the first time prospective students can receive funding.
Simmons said BridgeValley has been active in trying to recruit people to enroll in classes; officials held forums across Kanawha County during the summer, as well as an open house last Thursday at its South Charleston campus.
“We had no idea what to expect. We knew that it was a great opportunity, and we’ve been excited about it. It’s been on the legislative calendar for a couple of years and it finally came through,” he said. “That’s why we’re everywhere.”
The enrollment period for the upcoming fall semester is coming to an end; Powell said participants have to take a drug test within 60 days of the start of the semester on Aug. 12.
“That’s why there’s a big push at the end. We know the timeline is really tight,” he said.
Powell noted there are opportunities after the fall semester, including late classes.
“I would suggest anybody that’s considering applying, apply. There’s no harm,” he said.