participants agree to complete a service obligation in the state .
Opportunities also exist outside of the health care field to train potential workers at all stages of life . Currently , the state ’ s financial aid programs total more than $ 100 million per year to support continued education . The Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student ( HEAPS ) Grant Program and subsequent HEAPS Workforce Grant Program have been implemented to encourage and enable West Virginia students with financial needs to continue their education on a part-time basis at the post-secondary level .
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant is another opportunity for West Virginia residents with financial need to pursue post-secondary education at an affordable rate . The maximum annual award for 2021 and 2022 is $ 3,000 and can be applied to eight semesters . Since the grant was established in the 1968 to 1969 academic year , approximately 450,000 awards have been given at the tune of $ 43 million .
The West Virginia Invests Grant Program has made obtaining a high-quality certificate or associate degree more accessible and affordable by covering the remaining costs for tuition and eligible fees at West Virginia community and technical colleges . The last-dollar-in program requires students to use all of their federal or state grant awards first , and West Virginia Invests puts in the last dollar .
The umbrella of West Virginia ’ s financial aid programs encompasses well-known programs like the Promise Scholarship , which offers tuition costs and mandatory fees for graduating high school seniors who achieve certain academic requirements ; the West Virginia STEM Scholarship , created to enable academically talented students to pursue careers in engineering , science and technology in the state ; and the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars program , designed for recent high school graduates with a passion for teaching . Recipients of this program receive $ 10,000 per year for up to four years .
West Virginia ’ s Community and Technical College System ( WVCTCS ) has been leading workforce development , economic development and educational partnerships in the Mountain State for nearly a decade through the increasingly popular Learn and Earn program — which provides students with a part-time job while they study for an associate degree at a West Virginia community and technical college .
Among the many fields that are lacking workers , information technology occupations are in increasingly high demand throughout the state . WVCTCS ’ s Apprenticeships in Motion program connects employers with students through colleges , allowing students to take technical courses while gaining paid work experiences . The program creates a pipeline of skilled workers within a company , allowing companies to grow on their own and giving workers the opportunity to advance to higher positions .
“ I think we still have a long way to go in our health professions , education and retaining students in our state ,” says Persily . “ We have to look at how we do that in a very strategic way . We must learn from other professions that have done a good job with that . There are ways that we can use out of the box thinking and tap into outdoor activities and the family atmosphere of West Virginia to keep people in the Mountain State .” •