Tobacco Commission announces grant for AIMS Higher Program

Grant will help students pay for education at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia Community Colleges

Delegate Terry Kilgore, a member of The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, announced on December 30th that the Commission is awarding a $300,000 grant to establish the new AIMS Higher Program at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia Community Colleges.

The program will encourage students in grades 8-12 in Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell, and Tazewell Counties and the City of Norton to complete a challenging curriculum and to pursue higher education. Students who graduate from high school and meet the program guidelines will receive funding for tuition and fees for up to two years at Mountain Empire Community College or Southwest Virginia Community College.

The name of the program, AIMS Higher, is drawn from two sources. "AIMS" is an acronym for the Appalachian Intermountain Scholars (AIMS) Program, a business-school partnership established in the fall of 1993 to encourage students to complete a rigorous curriculum in preparation for higher learning or technical training. The two community colleges will use the academic and attendance standards of the AIMS Program in determining the students who qualify for the scholarships.

The second half of the program name, "Higher," denotes the independence of this scholarship program from AIMS. AIMS Higher is sponsored by the two community colleges to serve all students who want to "aim higher" by pursuing higher education, but who do not receive enough other financial assistance to meet the costs of tuition and fees.

AIMS Higher will fill the financial aid gaps for high school graduates who receive financial aid that is less than the cost of their tuition and fees, or who fail to qualify for financial aid. Students who meet the requirements of the program will receive scholarships to cover up to 72 credit hours of tuition and fees, which is sufficient for the completion of an Associate Degree. Students who receive AIMS Higher scholarships will be expected to attend full time and complete their coursework within three years.

The grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission will be used to provide financial assistance to 2003 high school graduates who have met the AIMS requirements. Each of the college's foundations has pledged to provide a match for the program. The match from the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation, as well as some of the funding awarded by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, will be used to establish an endowment to sustain the program over time.

Senator William Wampler, also a member of the Tobacco Commission, stated that "Educational grants . . . are important to the success of Southwest Virginia. By helping many young people to pay for a college education, we are enabling them to get good jobs and attracting more economic development opportunities to the region. The Tobacco Commission is excited to partner with the AIMS Higher Program and make the dream of a college education a reality for students in Southwest Virginia."

In communities such as Scott County where the AIMS Program has been heavily promoted, the percentage of students meeting the AIMS requirements has increased from 11 percent in 1994 to 33 percent in 2001. Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia Community College's AIMS Higher Program will provide another incentive to encourage students to complete courses of study beyond the minimum requirements for high school graduation.

The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission is a 31-member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. It has, as a significant part of its mission, the promotion of economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities.

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