For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Alesa Martin, Director of Institutional Marketing
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Phone: 304.442.1005 • Fax: 304.442.3052
Email: alesa.martin@mail.wvu.edu

New Financial Aid Grants Available

Montgomery, WV – WVU Institute of Technology announced today two new federal grants for college students based on financial aid need, with one grant promising up to $4,000 a year to eligible college-level juniors and seniors. Students with financial need meeting the eligibility criteria could receive both the new grant and a federal Pell grant, with a combined total up to $8,050 per year.

The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent grant, known as the SMART grant, is aimed at qualified and eligible college juniors and seniors admitted to a bachelor degree program in math; science including physical, life and computer sciences-technology; engineering and certain foreign language programs for the 2006-07 academic year. The program is for full-time, U.S. students who are eligible for federal Pell grants with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. For a complete listing of the eligible majors, log-on to http://ifap.ed.gov.

The second grant, called the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) is for qualified and eligible first- and second-year, full-time college students. Its maximum award is $750 for freshmen and up to $1,300 for sophomore students who completed qualifying studies in high school. Third and fourth year students with cumulative GPA’s of 3.0 may receive grants in the amount of $4,000 per year. The grant amount is in combination with a student’s Pell grant and remaining financial aid may not exceed the cost of attendance.

The first step in applying for either grant is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a requirement for both state-level and federal financial aid.

“There’s no doubt that a college education is a great return on investment, even with recent tuition increases factored into the equation,” said Louis T. Levy, Director of Admission at WVU Tech. “The question shouldn’t be solely ‘how much is tuition?’ but rather, ‘how affordable is a college education?’ Priced at an average of $5, 042 a year for in-state undergraduate tuition, attending college at WVU Tech continues to be a wise investment for an individuals future, and very affordable for students who qualify for the grant and loans.”

Levy continued that the two new grants were developed to better prepare American students to compete globally. “The grants are outlined in a new federal law called the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005.”

Since both grants will be available for students for the Fall 2006 semester, Levy and other university officials are trying to get the word out to current WVU Tech students, prospective students from West Virginia, parents and guardians as well as high school counselors from across the state.

For more information, contact WVU Tech’s Office of Financial Aid at 1-888-554-TECH or log-on to the U.S. Department of Education website at http://ifap.ed.gov.

WVU Institute of Technology, a regional campus of West Virginia University, is a four-year institution that offers a variety of baccalaureate degree programs in high-demand fields such as Engineering, Nursing, Printing Management, Business Management, Life Sciences, Computer Science, Health Services Administration and many more. WVU Tech also offers a masters degree program in Control Systems Engineering. Nestled in the scenic Appalachian Mountains, WVU Tech is located in Montgomery, WV, and offers academic centers in Beckley, Charleston, Huntington, and Oak Hill. For more information about the WVU Tech, call 888-554-TECH or log-on to www.wvutech.edu.

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