BU Announces Appalachian Educator Scholarship

Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Elle Gunter

This fall, the Appalachian Educators Scholarship was added to the list of scholarships Bluefield University offers to its students.

According to Harrison Rice, associate vice president for online learning, “This scholarship came about as part of a conversation with our dean of the School of Education, Dr. Shellie Brown, and our desire to reach more teachers and school staff in our region.”

Rice continued, “We’re excited about it because it makes Christ-centered education even more accessible to educators and helps us to grow our programs in the state and region.”

The Appalachian Educators Scholarship is a 15 percent tuition discount offered to online students who are currently employed in the preschool to 12th grade school system in Virginia or West Virginia.

“Many of the individuals who receive this tuition discount will complete our Bachelor’s in Elementary Education (PreK-6) or Special Education (K-12) and/or our Master’s in Education or Educational Leadership,” Dr. Shellie Brown said.

Brown went on to speak about the value of local educators receiving the scholarship.

“This will help to provide highly qualified and well-prepared teachers and leaders for schools,” Brown said.

“These school employees already live and work within their local communities, so by helping them to complete their degrees, we are helping them to train locally and stay locally while enabling them to complete their programs in a flexible online format that works well for working adults’ schedules,” Brown said.

Coming from an educator’s background, Brown understands the goals of an educator.

“For some students, the tuition discount, the flexibility of online programs, and being able to have on-the-job training within their school districts while completing clinical experiences has made all the difference in being able to finish their degrees and accomplish their goals of becoming teachers and leaders,” Brown said.

There is currently no limit on how many students can receive this scholarship. Applicants must only maintain a proper GPA, meet Bluefield University’s admission requirements, be in good standing with the university, and provide proof of employment in their school district.

Interested? Check out Bluefield’s website or request more information.