Higher Education

The coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on all students. This includes high school students -- some of whom did not qualify for West Virginia’s PROMISE Scholarship this year. There are also still students who have yet to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which, last fall, officials said submissions were down by 25 percent compared to the previous year.

West Virginia University administrators announced plans to hold an in-person commencement ceremony in May amid improving public health conditions. The plan was announced in a virtual campus forum Thursday.Last spring, graduates had their graduation ceremony canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s ceremony will be held on May 15-16 at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.

As West Virginia lawmakers gear up to return to the Capitol next week for the 2021 state legislative session, there are many issues that are top of mind -- from tackling the coronavirus pandemic, expanding telehealth care, broadband, job creation, tax repeals and reviewing the governor’s emergency powers -- another issue will be centerstage: education.

On this West Virginia Morning, WVU Medicine has quickly set up a mass vaccination site in Morgantown, hoping to vaccinate tens of thousands of people against COVID-19 each week. Also, we hear the latest news on school reentry in the state, we visit the New River Gorge, and we hear from higher education institutions that are trying to help students stay in school.

Coronavirus cases among college students, faculty and staff in West Virginia remained low this fall. By the end of the semester, both public and private schools averaged a cumulative positivity rate of just 2 percent at all four-year institutions after holding a 1 percent cumulative positivity rate for several months.

On this West Virginia Morning, we explore how West Virginia’s colleges and universities tackled the pandemic last fall and what they're hoping to improve on in the spring. Also, we hear the latest news on a newly elected West Virginia delegate who took part in the insurrection in Washington, D.C., we hear a report from a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic, and we have this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced the state plans to test all college students for the coronavirus on a weekly basis.

West Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities have experienced their own challenges amid the pandemic, including lower enrollment.

All of West Virginia’s two and four-year public and private nonprofit higher education institutions will see support from the state to help increase surveillance testing for the coronavirus.

On this West Virginia Morning, our election coverage continues with an exploration of the state’s Attorney General race. Also, in this show, we hear from West Virginia’s higher education systems Chancellor Sarah Armstrong Tucker who speaks to workforce challenges in the state.