West Virginia exports many things, including coal, spark igniting engines, and air craft carrier parts, but by and large our largest export is our Youth. For decades, young people have left the state in search of jobs and opportunities that were not available at home. In their wake they left a ever growing gap that has caused the state’s population to decline.
With the Come Home Award program, we aim to encourage young people, both from West Virginia and other states, to come to Appalachia by offering to repay their student loans across a set time period. It’s time we provided more than Country Roads to bring our talent home.
News Articles
Where We Came From and Where We Went, State by State (NYT)
Examples of “Reverse Scholarship” Programs:
Model Examples:
Come Home Award Candidate Templates
Model Draft: State, Regional, Local Concepts
Notes:
Come Home Award Working Group Meeting Notes (4/8/2019)