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Students' jobs pay off tuition at 7 work colleges
CRAFTSBURY, Vt. (AP) — Many students spend years after college working off tens of thousands of dollars in school debt. But at seven "Work Colleges" around the country, students are required to work on campus as part of their studies — doing everything from landscaping, growing and cooking food to public relations and feeding farm animals — to pay off at least some of their tuition before they graduate.
The arrangement not only makes college more affordable for students who otherwise might not be able to go, it also gives them real-life experience, teaches them responsibility and how to work together, officials said.
"I love it," said Melissa Eckstrom, of Philadelphia, who is an assistant garden manager at Sterling College in Craftsbury, Vt., where she's studying sustainable agriculture. "It's really satisfying to work in the garden and do all this hands-on, you know, dirty work — and I go to the kitchen and sit down for a meal and I'm like, I grew this. It can't get more full circle than that."
With rising college costs and a national student loan debt reaching more than $1 trillion, "earning while learning" is becoming more appealing for some students. The work college program is different than the federal work study program, which is an optional voluntary program that offers funds for part-time jobs for needy students.
But at the seven so-called Work Colleges — Sterling College, Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky., Berea College in Berea, Ky., Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill., College of the Ozarks in Lookout, Mo., Ecclesia College in Springdale, Ariz., and Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C., — work is required and relied upon for the daily operation of the institution, no matter what the student's background. The students are then evaluated on their performance.
"It's a core component of the educational program," said Robin Taffler, executive director of the Work Colleges Consortium.
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Appalachian Air ready to take off PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Pikeville officials say Appalachian Air is set to take off from eastern Kentucky in mid-April even though some work may remain unfinished.
Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn told the News-Express (http://bit.ly/1pEl6xQhttp://bit.ly/1pEl6xQ ) delays in dealing with the federal government have put the project slightly behind and forced local officials to decide begin flights without some of the proposed features of the service being in place
Blackburn says the proposed seamless baggage transfer between Appalachian Air and national air carriers at the Nashville International Airport will likely not be in place when the service begins flights.
Commercial air service consultant Luke Schmidt says the implementation of seamless baggage transfer with Appalachian Air has fallen victim to disagreements within the Federal Aviation Administration about certifications needed for the Pikeville airport.
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Information from: Appalachian News-Express, http://www.news-expressky.comhttp://www.news-expressky.com
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Police: 1 injured when car strikes buggy in Ky CERULEAN, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say one person has been injured when a car struck a horse drawn buggy near Hopkinsville in western Kentucky.
Spokesman Chris King says an ambulance took 14-year-old Amos Stolzfus to Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville on Sunday morning for treatment of several injuries.
King says that 23-year-old Branden McGhee drove his 2000 Suzuki Esteem south on KY 91 at about 8:58 a.m. when a vehicle ahead of him suddenly passed the buggy driven by 60-year-old John Stolzfus near Cerulean.
King says McGhee could not stop before striking the rear of the buggy.
Two other passengers in the buggy, 46-year-old Anna Stolzfus, and 13-year-old David Stolzfus, were not injured.
McGhee was not wearing a seatbelt and was not injured in the collision.
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Reward offered for information on horse shooting MAYSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The owner of a horse found shot to death in a pasture is offering a $1,000 reward for information about who killed the animal.
The Ledger -Independent reported (http://bit.ly/1iOgMLChttp://bit.ly/1iOgMLC ) that Brandi Courtney-Mauricio of Mason County put the money up because she wants to find out who killed the 24-year-old walking horse named Gipsy Rose.
Gipsy Rose was found in her pasture on Feb. 22 near the Slipup community of Mason County.
Mauricio says animal cruelty charges could be filed against the shooter.
Donations to the reward fund can be taken to USBank in Maysville under the Gipsy Rose Reward Fund.
Anyone with information on the case should contact Mason County Sheriff's Office at 606-564-3309.
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