MECC’s Promise Program Efforts Featured at NCCAC
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College’s efforts to launch a tuition coverage program for all high school graduates in the college’s service region was a featured presentation at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) National Conference for Community College Advancement.
MECC launched the MECC Promise Program in 2023 as an economic development effort to increase educational attainment and skilled training in the region. The MECC Foundation was able to fund the program thanks to the many donors that had already established private scholarships, funding from Lee, Scott, and Wise Counites, the City of Norton, and the Columbus Phipps Foundation. The Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation provided a $750,000 gift to endow the program permanently.
MECC President Dr. Kristen Westover, MECC Vice President for Institutional Advancement Dr. Amy Greear, and MECC Foundation Vice Chair and MECC Advisory Board Member Keith Wilson presented “A Promise to Our Community: Launching a Free College Program in Rural Appalachia” at CASE’s annual conference in Baltimore, MD on October 16. The presentation featured information on Mr. Wilson’s involvement in developing a promise program in Sullivan County which was ultimately adopted by the state of Tennessee, and how MECC developed, funded, and implemented the program in Virginia’s Southwest region.
Since implementing the program in 2023, MECC has experienced a 10% enrollment growth in the fall of 2023, followed by a 9% enrollment growth in spring 2024 and an additional 3% enrollment growth in fall 2024. Through data analysis, MECC also found that students enrolling in the Promise Program may need additional support services to include assistance with the scholarship and federal financial aid application, as well as other academic interventions to help grow retention year-to-year. An estimated 145 students were served by the program in 2023, with 65 credentials, including certificates and associate degrees, earned.
“MECC’s Promise Program is more than a pathway to college—it’s a commitment to our region’s future. By making college accessible and achievable for every high school graduate in our region, we’re building a stronger, more resilient community. This program represents the promise of opportunity and the power of education to transform lives in Southwest Virginia,” said President Kristen Westover.
Keith Wilson noted in the presentation that today’s students require more than a high school diploma to be successful. That requirement should extend to an expectation of students completing a K-14 education. Promise programs break down financial barriers to students reaching their educational and career goals. “Kids rise to expectations,” said Wilson. “The most important thing this program communicates is that college is part of your future.”
For more information on the MECC Foundation, visit www.meccfoundation.org. For more information on the Slemp Foundation, please visit www.slempfoundation.org.