
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, September 13, 1994                   TAG: 9409130084
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: RICHLANDS                                 LENGTH: Short

COMMUNITY COLLEGE PICKED FOR PROGRAM

Southwest Virginia Community College has been chosen from some 1,700 applicants as a National Service Corps site, one of only three community colleges in the nation to participate in the new program, said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon.

President Clinton formally announced the program Monday. The program, proposed by the president and passed by Congress last year, allows young people to work in community service jobs for financial assistance for college.

Forty Southwest Virginia residents between age 17 and 35 will be chosen for the program. They will work in 15 elementary and middle schools in Tazewell, Russell, Buchanan and Dickenson counties as part-time tutors in reading, science and math.

After completing 900 hours of work, each one will be credited with $2,362 for use to further the individual's own education. The community college will get a $253,000 federal grant to coordinate the program.

Karen Hudson will be the program director at the community college. Boucher said the college was chosen because of the strong application put together by Hudson and Charles King, president of the college.

``The national service program will increase the number of young Americans who will be able to attend college, graduate school or technical school,'' Boucher said. ``In the first year alone, the program will provide opportunities for more than 25,000 young people nationwide to earn money to further their educations at two- and four-year colleges, graduate or professional schools and job-training programs.''

Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by CNB