New River agreement signing

Left to right): West Virginia Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sara Stankus and New River CTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver with the newly signed agreement.

BEAVER, W.Va. – New River Community and Technical College (New River CTC) announced a new partnership with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) Office of Adult Education (WV Adult Ed) today and signed an agreement to strengthen the adult education pipeline in the state.

Not everyone’s path to college or career training begins on the same time frame. Many adults throughout the state build career skills through WV Adult Education, and this agreement will help them transition more easily to a college-level learning and career path at New River CTC.

New River CTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver

The new agreement allows students who have earned industry-recognized certifications through WV Adult Ed to have these certifications converted to academic credit and continue their education at New River CTC. The agreement eliminates repetition of academic experiences for students, and as part of the agreement, New River CTC will waive all fees associated with Prior Learning Assessment.

“Not everyone’s path to college or career training begins on the same time frame,” explained New River CTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver. “Many adults throughout the state build career skills through WV Adult Education, and this agreement will help them transition more easily to a college-level learning and career path at New River CTC.”

“This partnership represents the importance of supporting our adult learners and providing them opportunities to extend and expand their learning,” said State Superintendent of Schools David L. Roach. “Paving the way for a seamless transition to college is significant because it changes the trajectory of their lives through better career pathways and earning potential.”

New River CTC offers certificate and associate degree programs to prepare students for employment or to continue their education. More than 40 of New River CTC’s academic certificate and associate degree programs are eligible for free tuition through the WV Invests Grant program. Programs eligible for free tuition range from automotive to nursing, welding to business and information technology to line service.

WV Adult Ed programs build skills for success by providing students with the opportunity to acquire and improve functional skills that will enhance their quality of lives as workers, family members and citizens. There are 83 Adult Education locations across the state in all 55 counties offering 30 industry-recognized credentials. Services are offered at no cost to students.

To learn more about WV Adult Ed programs, visit WVAdultEd.com or call the hotline at 1-800-642-2670. For media inquiries for the WVDE, contact Director of Communications Christy Day at Christy.Day@k12.wv.us or call 304-558-2699.

For more information about New River CTC, visit www.newriver.edu, emailadmissions@newriver.edu or call Director of Communications Jenni Canterbury at or 866-349-3739.

New River Community and Technical College serves nine counties in southeast and south-central West Virginia: Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, and Webster. The College offers classes online, in Beaver at the Raleigh County Campus, in Ghent at the Advanced Technology Center, in Hinton at Summers County ARH Hospital, in Lewisburg at the Greenbrier Valley Campus, in Marlinton at One Room University, in Princeton at the Mercer County Campus and in Summersville at the Nicholas County Campus.

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