Zero percent tuition increase approved by Concord University Board of Governors
ATHENS, WV (WVNS) — A zero percent tuition increase request was approved by Concord University's Board of Governors for the 2025-2026 academic year.
According to a press release, the decision is one of Concord University's ways to get rid of financial barriers that students may face.
Concord University announces 13th President
Concord University is dedicated to making higher education accessible to all students. Removing financial barriers for our students is one way we do this, in addition to providing necessary support from day one through graduation.
President Kendra Boggess
Operating in times of increased inflation can be difficult, but we are working to offset costs in different ways so we can remain competitive with neighboring institutions while also meeting the needs of our students.
Kelly Bennington | Chief Financial Officer
The press release stated that as part of the CU Ascend Capital Campaign, more than $4 million for student scholarships was raised by the Concord University Foundation over the past four years.
Concord University Esports ends fifth year with a record-breaking season
Students from West Virginia can get their degree tuition free with the CU Free Program if they are eligible for the Pell Grant and meet other requirements.
Out-of-state residents can qualify for tuition reduction programs offered by Concord University, and accelerated learning opportunities such as CU Rise, which can help students finish their degrees early, helping the students save money and time.
Additional information can be found on Concord University's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
UMass Amherst prepares for possible budget reductions in wake of changes in federal funding and policies
'Cuts of the magnitude outlined in the President's budget proposal and the federal tax legislation advancing through Congress will impact every academic and administrative department—including those not directly supported by federal grants,' said Chancellor Javier Reyes and Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El-Khalick in the letter. UMass Amherst's preparation for financial instability under the Trump administration reflects a shifting economic landscape for higher education institutions, both private and public, grappling with widespread federal funding cuts and other policy changes. Advertisement With $150-plus million in annual federal funding now uncertain at UMass, 'We reduced (not rescinded) our doctoral admission offers across the board in anticipation of continued reductions or interruptions in federal funding' from the Advertisement While the budget scenarios UMass Amherst administrators are requesting are only an exercise in financial planning at this point, professors are already thinking about what they may have to lose, following a faculty senate meeting on the subject last month. 'I am preparing to offer fewer courses, defer classroom technology and equipment upgrades, bring in fewer guest speakers, limit support for some student-led activities, and further restrict our research capacity,' said associate professor of journalism Rodrigo Zamith who chairs that department. Associate professor of history Kevin Young said he worries departments in humanities and fine arts 'will be especially harmed,' considering what he sees as the university administration's focus on STEM and business fields. Given the scale of the federal government's cuts, said Jennifer Lundquist, professor of sociology and a co-founder of 'Faculty and staff have been talking about this for a long time. How can we be our most resilient? How can we ensure that our public land grant university mission continues despite these threats?' she said. Reyes and Abd-El-Khalick said the university's They also said federal policies could also affect student enrollment since proposed cuts to Pell Grants 'could lead to across-the-board disruptions to every aspect of instruction,' noting the grants have helped nearly a quarter of the university's students. Advertisement Meanwhile, recent student visa woes could lead to a smaller cohort of international students and fewer tuition dollars. 'Research, international students, and changes in the Pell Grant — that is a triple hit for us,' Reyes said in a phone interview Thursday. 'That would be something we have to be ready for, if that's where things go, which is why we said, 'Let's plan.'' 'What we don't want is to be in a situation where we have to make a decision quickly,' he added. The Trump administration in May announced its Reyes said UMass Amherst relies on its reputation as 'a research university' to attract faculty and students. But now, he said, 'what we're seeing is international students second guessing whether they would like to come because they simply don't know what will happen' over the next few years. Kalpen Trivedi, vice provost for global affairs, said the US halting of visa interviews worldwide created further worry. Although The chancellor said he understands why students are nervous and can relate as a former international PhD student, himself, from Mexico. Advertisement 'You make a lifetime decision to leave your country and go study somewhere else,' he said Thursday. 'If that's derailed, it derails your future.' 'We're being careful,' he said. 'We want to have international students. They contribute to our university. We want to have the right support for them.' Brooke Hauser can be reached at
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Boston Globe
Federal student aid is on the chopping block. Meet five students at Mass. colleges who depend on it.
Advertisement The 'big, beautiful' budget reconciliation bill that narrowly passed the House last month with Trump's support would threaten part-time students' eligibility for Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'If you're not from a high-income family, there's not a lot to look forward to in terms of college costs going forward, given these policies,' said Phillip Levine, a Wellesley College economics professor who studies college pricing. 'If college access is your goal, this does not do it.' Advertisement With these threats looming large, the Globe spoke to five incoming and current students at Massachusetts colleges who rely on federal financial aid in one form or another. They shared what that money means for the lives they've cultivated — and the futures they hope to build. Here's what they told us. Down to your 'last dollar' The way Tyrie Daniel sees it, he wouldn't be getting his associate's degree next year if it weren't for the Pell Grant. The 34-year-old Cambridge resident first enrolled in Bunker Hill Community College in 2014, but he had to drop out to help his family pay rent. He returned in 2023 to study cybersecurity under Tyrie Daniel returned to Bunker Hill Community College in 2023 to study cybersecurity under the new MassReconnect program, which made his tuition free. Lane Turner/Globe Staff But Massachusetts treats programs like MassReconnect as $655 for the three-credit class he is enrolled in, which he balances with a variety of odd jobs, from cleaning to a side-hustle selling spices. 'I wanted to go full-time, but I have, you know, four businesses and rent and life,' he said. Under the House bill, students first receiving Pell Grants after July 1, 2026, would not be eligible for money if they were enrolled less than half-time — a threshold that, under the bill, would climb to a minimum of 15 credits per year, or 7.5 credits a semester. That would squeeze state programs such as MassReconnect and could also increase dropout rates for students across the board, the Advertisement 'It's pretty discouraging,' said Daniel of the proposed changes. When the levy breaks For Isabel Crews, getting her acceptance letter into Harvard University was a dream. Seeing her financial aid packet made it come true. The incoming freshman, who grew up in a small, rural town in central Missouri, qualified for a Pell Grant, plus $4,000 from the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, meant for students with 'exceptional financial need.' (Trump proposed slashing these grants in his fiscal year But the majority of her education will be funded by Harvard itself, which promises to cover all tuition, room, and board expenses for students 'If it wasn't for their really comprehensive aid, I would not have been able to attend,' said Crews, who is saving up from her beauty store and waitressing jobs before she heads to Cambridge. 'The uncertainty is always a little bit overwhelming, because at any point in time, you don't know what's going to happen next,' Crews said. 'We obviously didn't expect what has happened up to this point to happen at all.' Advertisement Soldiering on When Dallas teenager Bryan Gonzalez started his college search, his parents, both immigrants from Mexico, encouraged him to look at schools with generous financial aid. Heeding this advice, his high school counselor told him to check out Babson College. When he starts his freshman year there this fall, it will be because of a hard-won patchwork of aid: $64,000 a year from the Wellesley school, the maximum annual Pell Grant of $7,395, $1,000 a year through the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and $9,000 a year from a private scholarship. When Dallas teenager Bryan Gonzalez start his freshman year at Babson College this fall, it will be because of a hard-won patchwork of aid. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff But headlines about cutbacks of the Department of Education have stoked concerns for Gonzalez and his family; they have very little wiggle room if even one portion of his funding were to unravel. So, in part to shore up his financial situation, Gonzalez plans to apply for a scholarship from the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which can pay for students' tuition as they train for the military. 'That'll be another source of funding that I could rely on, just in case things go south with financial aid,' said Gonzalez, who plans to study finance and entrepreneurship. A grim prognosis Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, when she spent hours at a time engrossed in surgery videos on YouTube, Lydia Du has been laying the groundwork for medical school. Du, who just wrapped up her freshman year at Tufts University studying biology, gets an $81,000 grant from Tufts, plus a Pell Grant, a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and $2,200 a year as a student electrician for Tufts' theatre department through federal work-study. But with the House bill proposing the phase-out of grad PLUS loans — which often Advertisement 'Everyone's kind of sitting there like, 'So, for those of us whose parents don't make $500,000 a year, are we screwed?'' she said. For now, she's just hoping the tide turns by the time she graduates, or that another boon comes through. 'I think I will apply to scholarships until my hands fall off,' she said. A private struggle For many students, cuts to financial aid remain hypothetical anxieties. Not Aiyina Meng. Last year, Meng was accepted into Worcester Polytechnic Institute's newly formed U-RISE@Wπ program — an initiative, funded by the National Institutes of Health, meant to support biomedical students from underrepresented communities. The program was a crucial financial cushion for Meng, carrying a yearly $16,000 scholarship and $14,000 stipend. She already receives a $25,000-a-year scholarship from WPI and has taken out $10,000 in federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans to finance her education, so the U-RISE money was a game-changer. 'It was like my ticket down this road,' said Meng, an incoming junior studying biotechnology and biology. Even with two part-time jobs and her plans to graduate a year early, Worcester Polytechnic Institute student Aiyina Meng still expects to have to take out private loans to get through her final year. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff But in April, Meng was informed that NIH had terminated the $1.6 million grant that supported U-RISE at WPI. The school scraped together enough money to pay Meng's stipend through the summer, and she picked up another part-time job at a family friend's restaurant as an extra source of income. Even with those jobs and her plans to graduate a year early, she still expects to have to take out private loans — which Advertisement 'I just don't see another way,' said Meng. 'I have to get my degree somehow.' Dana Gerber can be reached at
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
You Have Less Than Two Weeks Left to Submit Your FAFSA for the Current Year. Here's How to Do It
Time is running out if you need help paying for college this year; the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline is June 30. designer491/Getty Images Another school year has come to a close for most of us, but there's still money you can claim to help cover any lingering costs by filling out the 2024-25 FAFSA. Is it even worth submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid -- especially for an academic year that's already passed? The answer is yes, you should still submit the FAFSA. You could still be eligible for financial aid that helps cover bills from this current school year. "Even if you're a latecomer, you can still be eligible to receive federal student aid -- including a Federal Pell Grant," the Federal Student Aid website says. But the deadline to apply is June 30, so there's no time to wait. Financial aid has had its own rough year, with the Department of Education has been gutted and borrowers in default being sent to collections. A proposed overhaul of student loans could reduce access to Pell Grants and the total amount a student can borrow. The FAFSA is designed to help students shoulder the cost of college by determining their family's eligibility for financial aid, including Pell Grants, scholarships, work-study programs and student loans. Most experts agree that even with all the turmoil, filling out the FAFSA is still a good idea in most circumstances. Here's what you need to know if you need help paying for the college and want to fill out the FAFSA. Is this year's FAFSA affected by the GOP plan to overhaul financial aid? The Republican proposal for overhauling federal financial aid, the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan, is in its early stages and would need to approved by both Congress and the President before it becomes law. In its current form, many of the rules would affect financial aid awarded on or after July 1, 2026. Among the proposed changes are a maximum limit on how much a student can borrow each year and in total, restrictions on eligibility for Pell Grants and a restructuring of the student loan repayment program. The plan doesn't impact the FAFSA application for the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years, but it could potentially affect those who plan to be in college after July 1, 2026, as well as current borrowers enrolled in income-contingent repayment plans. Experts say those who are just applying for their first year of college should start planning now with these potential changes in mind. "Instead of just looking at what's my loan amount this year, what's my out of pocket and so on, they should be looking at the total timeline of the program," said student loan expert Betsy Mayotte, president of the nonprofit Institute of Student Loan Advisors. "This is something people should be doing today." What's changed with the FAFSA in the past few years? The 2024-25 and 2025-26 FAFSA forms are similar, drastically cutting the number of questions and applied a new formula to determine a family's contributions. Delays and glitches caused widespread chaos during the 2024-25 rollout. Although the 2025-26 rollout was smoother, the transition to a new administration has created questions about the FAFSA amid President Trump's call to abolish the Department of Education. If the department's duties are reassigned and another government agency takes over FAFSA processing, experts say any changes to the current year's application process likely would be minor. "There might be changes to things like where to find the FAFSA online," said Elaine Rubin, director of corporate communications for Edvisors. "If it is shifted, we'll have plenty of time to determine how it's going to be managed and processed." 🍎Extra credit Check out the PDF of the 2024-25 FAFSA (for the current school year) and 2025-26 FAFSA (for the upcoming school year) before you start the online application so you know what to expect. Although you can submit a paper application, using the online version is typically faster and easier. How does FAFSA use my info to help me get federal student aid? Based on the answers you provide to questions on the FAFSA, the financial aid office calculates your Student Aid Index. The SAI factors in the incomes and assets of the student and their "contributors" -- parents or spouse -- to determine the expected family contribution toward college costs, which can range from -1,500 up to 99,999. A lower number means there's a higher likelihood you'll receive need-based financial assistance. Schools use the SAI to calculate the amount of financial aid they offer you. Should I fill out the FAFSA? Unless you are prepared to pay for college without any assistance, it's in your best interest to fill out the FAFSA, regardless of your financial status. The federal student aid site notes that multiple factors, including the size of your family and your year in school, are considered in addition to your family's income. "Not filing just screams, 'I can pay full price,'" said Danilo Umali, founder of Game Theory College Planners. Even if you believe your family's income is too high to qualify for need-based aid, filling out the form may still be worth your time. "Some schools require FAFSA to qualify for merit aid through their school," Rubin said. 🍎Extra credit You must fill out the FAFSA each year to apply for financial aid, even if none of your information changed. Concerns about disclosing citizenship While a student must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen to complete the FAFSA, your parents or spouse may not be. Although the site says your contributor's citizenship or immigration status won't affect your eligibility, there is concern that information submitted on the FAFSA might be shared with other government agencies. Nancy Goodman, founder of the nonprofit organization College Money Matters, said this is a valid fear for college students with undocumented parents. "Under the previous administration, sharing info between government departments was not allowed unless specified and approved," she said. "Under this administration, it continues to be unclear where information sharing is possible and with whom." If your family has concerns about citizenship and wishes to forgo the FAFSA, consider contacting colleges where you're applying to find other options to secure aid. Some may offer alternative applications or other financing options. Also consider private, merit-based scholarships, which may not require information about your parents or spouse. "Citizenship and legal permanent residency is a very complicated topic," Rubin said. "It's going to be a very personal decision on how to proceed." Here's what you need to fill out the FAFSA Before you can fill out the FAFSA, you and your contributors must each create your own FSA ID. You'll need the following: Your legal name Date of birth An email address Social Security number -- contributors who do not have a Social Security number will need to be able to answer questions about themselves to verify their identity If you have a mobile phone number, you can also add it to your account for two-step verification. Note that verifying your Social Security number for your FSA ID may take one to three days. If you plan to submit your FAFSA application by a particular deadline, make sure everyone gets their FSA IDs at least a few days before. 🍎Extra credit Make sure you'll be able to access the email and phone number you provide. If you ever forget your username or password, your email or phone number will be used for account recovery. Filling out the FAFSA: Step-by-step guide Preparation is key when filling out the FAFSA. You'll want to gather relevant financial and legal documents before you start. This will save you time during the application process. There are five sections in the FAFSA form: Student Student's spouse Parent Parent's spouse or partner Preparer (if someone other than the student, student's spouse, parent, or parent's spouse or partner completed this form on the applicant's behalf) The Federal Student Aid office recommends that students log in to to fill out their portion of the FAFSA first, then invite your contributors. You can pause the application at any time and return to complete it. You'll each need the following information to complete your sections of the form: Personal information: name, contact info, Social Security number and birth date Bank statements (for checking and savings account balances) Investment records Income statements, including W-2s Tax returns Records of any child support received You'll also be asked which schools you want your FAFSA information shared with so keep your college list handy. You must list at least one college but you can add more colleges later. If you and/or your contributors filed a US tax return, you may be eligible to transfer your tax information directly from the IRS into your online FAFSA application. Select "Proceed to the IRS" to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Double-check your work throughout. All of your information for the student and contributors must match their account exactly. Don't use nicknames or suffixes (such as Jr.). Most of the information you'll need to provide about income, investments, tax credits and account balances will come from your tax returns or bank statements. Submitting the FAFSA You and your contributors must each sign and submit your portion of the form when you're finished. You can monitor the status of a FAFSA application with your account (using your FSA ID) under the My Activity page. You'll also be notified when contributors sign and complete sections. After successfully submitting the FAFSA, you'll receive a confirmation page that includes your estimated Pell Grant eligibility and estimated SAI. The schools you listed on the FAFSA will use the SAI to determine your financial aid package and send you an offer after you've been accepted. What's the deadline for submitting the FAFSA? The opening date for the upcoming FAFSA and the deadline for the previous school year's FAFSA overlap, which can make keeping track of all the dates difficult. In general, the FAFSA application period opens on Oct. 1 before the following school year. So for high school students, you can submit FAFSA for your freshman year of college on Oct. 1 of your senior year. (The 2024-25 and 2025-26 openings were delayed because of glitches with the new form.) The federal deadline for FAFSA applications is June 30 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time for that academic year. Here's a chart for FAFSA deadlines to help: FAFSA dates to know School year Application opens Federal deadline 2024-25 December 2023 June 30, 2025 2025-26 November 2024 June 30, 2026 2026-27 Oct. 1, 2025 June 30, 2027 Many states and schools have their own deadlines for accepting the FAFSA, often earlier than the federal deadline. You can find your state's deadline on the federal student loan site. Check your college's admissions site for their deadline. Although it's nearly the end of the 2024-25 academic year, it's still worth submitting the FAFSA up until the federal deadline if you need help covering the cost of college. FAQs What if I don't want to (or can't) include my parents' information/income? If a parent is responsible for at least 50% of a child's financial support, the parent's information must be included on the FAFSA form. Otherwise, the application will not be considered complete and won't be accepted. If you're an independent student, you don't have to supply your parents' information. What happens if I make a mistake? You can correct mistakes on the FAFSA by logging into your account at using your FSA ID. Information imported from the IRS cannot be changed. Is FAFSA the only way to get financial aid? Filing the FAFSA unlocks access to free Pell Grants, need-based scholarships, work-study programs, and low-interest student loans. But it's not the only way to obtain financial aid. Some colleges use the CSS Profile Form to determine financial aid awards. You can also apply for private scholarships, which may not use the FAFSA.
