High school students in seven West Virginia counties now have yet another incentive to consider attending Davis & Elkins College. Highlands Scholarship awards for the program’s original seven counties will increase for students enrolling for the 2016-2017 academic year.Students who live in Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties graduating with a GPA of at least 2.5 will be eligible to receive $76,000 for four years as a residential student or $64,000 for four years as a commuting student. Those graduating with a GPA of 3.8 or higher are eligible to receive $80,000 for four years as a residential student or $68,000 for four years as a commuting student.
Since its inception at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year, 729 students have received the Highlands Scholarship. In March of 2015, the Board of Trustees voted to expand the program to encompass all 55 West Virginia counties.
Currently, West Virginia students residing outside of the seven-county region graduating with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to receive $56,000 for four years as a residential student or $44,000 for four years as a commuting student.
Many advantages exist for students attending a small, private college. These include a faster and higher graduation rate, which in turn means fewer tuition payments and a lower cost of degree. According to the 2008-2009 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, 59 percent of graduates of smaller private colleges finish within four years, compared to 38 percent of graduates of regional public universities.
Davis & Elkins offers more than 30 majors and pre-professional programs that allow students to study in depth. Among some of the most popular programs are Business and Entrepreneurship, Nursing, Education and Criminology. The College is also a catalyst in the arts, offering a dance program that explores social and vernacular forms.
The Highlands Scholarship is made possible through the generous gifts of individuals and businesses, and is offered to qualifying seniors every year.
For additional information about the Highlands Scholar program, call the Office of Admission at 304-637-1230.
Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, 2 hours east of Charleston, 3 hours south of Pittsburgh and 4 hours west of Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit the College website at www.dewv.edu or call 304-637-1243.