U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) recently announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is helping young West Virginians gain access to financial aid information with a $176,240 grant. The grant, which will help more than 4,700 parents of high school seniors in West Virginia apply for financial aid, is for the WV-FAIR (Financial Aid Information and Resources) program within the West Virginia Department of Education and Arts.

"Giving the young people of West Virginia the tools needed to get financial aid is a great service to our country," Rahall said. "By making financial aid more accessible, more students will be able to attend college and gain the skills necessary for leading our Nation's future."

"The ARC is helping to get our highly qualified students, who may need assistance in paying for college, the resources they need to get a great education. We are lucky that the ARC continues to put its money where its mouth is."

The $176,240 grant from the ARC will help the West Virginia Department of Education and Arts provide parents with information on the state and federal financial aid resources available. The project, WV-FAIR, will provide information to 46 high schools in 19 counties across West Virginia.

The West Virginia counties that will receive the grant money for WV-FAIR are Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mingo, Nicholas, Ritchie, Roane, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, and Wyoming.

The project started as a pilot project in 9 counties with a target of raising financial aid applications by 10 percent. This goal was more than doubled to over 20 percent increase in applications. Financial difficulties have been identified as one of the prime barriers to post-secondary education.

"Providing access to the financial aid is a great step toward getting more West Virginians a college education," Rahall said. "We are lucky to have the ARC on our side and helping in this great endeavor. That is why it is imperative that the U.S. Congress remain vigilant in supporting programs like the ARC that help our small communities with everything from financial aid access to creating jobs in Southern West Virginia."