Many area residents have believed for years that West Virginia Northern Community College is an appealing bargain in higher education. Now, it's official, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
WVNCC, with campuses in Wheeling, Weirton and New Martinsville, is among the 100 two-year colleges with the lowest net prices of attendance in the country, the DOE has determined.
Net prices of attendance for full-time students seeking degrees are calculated after grants and scholarships are factored into the calculations. According to the DOE, the average net price of attendance throughout the country is $6,485. WVNCC's figure is less than half that, at $3,094 per academic year.
The local college has provided higher education to thousands of Ohio Valley residents who, without WVNCC, would have had no chance of furthering their education after high school. Simply providing campuses in three communities has not been enough to accomplish that, however. Affordability has been the key.
WVNCC administrators and staff are to be commended for holding the price of attendance down. That will continue to be important to many residents of our area.
