Development and Progress 

of the 

Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A Project of the 

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Ed. D. 

ARC Education Program 

May 2004 
 May 2004 

Development and Progress 

of the 

Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A Project of the 

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Ed. D. 

ARC Education Program 

Executive Summary 

Appalachia Lags in Postsecondary Education 

Appalachia is catching up with the nation as a whole on many socioeconomic indicators—even 

surpassing the national averages in some areas—but the Region still lags in postsecondary 

education. The U.S. Department of Education estimates the college-going rate of high school 

graduates nationwide at 63.3 percent; for Appalachia the rate is between 35 and 55 percent, 

according to Commission data. And only 17.7 percent of the population age 25 and older in 

Appalachia has a college degree, compared with 24.4 percent of the population in the nation as a 

whole. While this gap may not appear large, it is growing. Because at least some college or 

postsecondary training is now necessary to obtain jobs that pay a livable wage, it is critical that 

we close the college-going gap between Appalachia and the nation.

The Appalachian Higher Education Network Seeks to Increase Educational Attainment 

Increasing the college-going rate and raising educational attainment levels is the mission of the 

Appalachian Higher Education (AHE) Network. The Network is based on a successful college 

access program in Appalachian Ohio—the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education 

(OACHE)—which was established in 1993 by the Ohio Board of Regents. Since 1998, the 

Appalachian Regional Commission has helped establish centers in Alabama, Kentucky, 

Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Consortia of two- and 

four-year institutions of higher education and community-based nonprofit organizations run each 

center. In 2003, the original center in Ohio won the “Innovations in American Government 

Award” from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

Network Centers are Models of Success 

All centers have achieved high rates of success. The key to their success? The director of 

OACHE attributes it to total school buy-in, with all teachers and administrators participating in 

and “owning” the program. Schools served by OACHE and the West Virginia Center (the first 

site to replicate the OACHE program) have shown consistent, sustained gains in their collegegoing rates. AHE Network centers now report several high schools with college-going rates well 

above the national average of 63.3 percent, with some schools in Mississippi and Alabama 

reporting 100 percent of their 2003 graduating seniors continued their education. Annual 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission ii 

increases of 25 to 30 percentage points in college-going rates are common in the first years of 

implementation. 

Network centers offer competitive grants, training, and technical assistance to high schools to 

sponsor college visits, mentoring programs, and career exploration programs. Centers also help 

students identify and apply to colleges, and address the emotional and social barriers to attending 

college that students face. 

ARC is working with the state governments, foundations, and corporations in the Region to 

establish more centers. 

Commission Support of AHE Network Centers 

ARC provides training and support services to center directors. Sarita Gattuso, director of the 

West Virginia Center, coordinates these services. Gattuso and Wayne White, director of the 

original center in Ohio, mentor new directors and provide consultative services and training to 

new sites. New directors attend the Ohio and West Virginia conferences for participating high 

schools to learn more about the process. White and Gattuso also travel to new sites to observe 

and assist with implementation. 

ARC also provides training and helps to obtain other sources of funding for centers. After two 

years of support from ARC, each center is expected to have helped increase the college-going 

rates of high school graduates and to be able to attract adequate funding to maintain services. 

Since 1998, ARC has provided $982,405 to establish and expand the AHE Network. Nineteen 

percent ($184,787) of that amount has been spent on support activities, including training and 

mentoring for directors of new centers. The remaining 81 percent of ARC funding has been 

provided directly to the centers to support start-up and initial operating costs. Commission 

investment in the AHE Network, which includes $75,000 from a W.K. Kellogg Foundation 

Grant, has leveraged over $1.1 million in state and local funds. 

More Research on the Region and about Individual Students is Needed 

Research on the long-term impact of the AHE Network and similar programs on Appalachian 

students is scant. Though the increased number of students attending some form of 

postsecondary education has been carefully documented, we do not know what happens to 

students after they enter college. 

Another area requiring more research is “brain drain” from Appalachia. Census data shows that 

many parts of Appalachia are losing people—particularly young people and those in the prime 

earning years of 25 to 50. Formal research is not available on whether the AHE Network and 

similar programs have an impact on migration patterns. 

More Centers are Needed to Serve All States 

ARC’s goal is to have AHE Network centers in all 13 Appalachian states serving all 

Appalachian counties, beginning with counties and areas identified as economically distressed. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission iii 

The existing eight centers have the capacity to serve only 60 to 75 high schools in a given year, 

out of more than 300 in ARC-designated economically distressed counties alone. And not all 

states or distressed counties are currently served. Given that Network centers work with each 

school for at least two to three consecutive years, it would be at least 10 years before these eight 

centers reached all high schools in economically distressed counties for an initial round of 

assistance—and that does not include the high schools in distressed areas of other counties. 

A Discussion of the Development and Progress of the AHE Network 

This report discusses the critical need for postsecondary education, and for the AHE Network 

itself. It also discusses the history and effectiveness of the AHE Network model and how ARC 

has grown the Network, and provides preliminary data on the impact and success of individual 

centers. Future directions for the Network and the need for further research on the impact of 

these, and similar, programs on individual students and the Region itself are also presented. 
 May 2004 

Development and Progress 

of the 

Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A Project of the 

Appalachian Regional Commission 

Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Ed. D. 

ARC Education Program 

In 1998, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) began developing what is now the 

Appalachian Higher Education (AHE) Network. The AHE Network, currently composed of eight 

centers, has the mission of increasing the college-going rate in Appalachia, the numbers of 

students who continue their education directly after graduating high school. This paper discusses 

why a postsecondary education is so critical and the need for the AHE Network in the region. It 

then describes the history and effectiveness of the AHE Network model and presents preliminary 

data on the impact and success of individual AHE Network centers. The paper concludes with a 

discussion of future directions for the Network and the need for research on the long-term impact 

of these and similar programs on individual students. 

NEED FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

As the nation and the world move into the post-industrial era, the need for more workers in all 

occupations to have higher levels of both knowledge and skills grows. Postsecondary education1

is quickly becoming a necessity for all and the level required is continuing to rise. A U.S. 

Department of Education commissioned paper on workforce and job-opening projections2

readily demonstrates this. Between 1998 and 2008, 15 percent of the labor force aged 16 to 24 

will be high school dropouts, but only 9 percent of new jobs and 12 percent of all jobs will be 

available to high school dropouts. At the other end of the spectrum, 61 percent of the labor force 

will have some postsecondary education or higher, but 64 percent of all jobs—including 69 

percent of all new jobs—will require at least some postsecondary education. In other words, 

given the current projections, we are guaranteeing that we will have both unemployment and 

unfilled jobs, a situation that exists today in many regions and job sectors. 

 

1

 The terms “postsecondary education” and “higher education” are used synonymously in this paper. Similarly, 

“college” is used to refer to any postsecondary institution, including two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and 

postsecondary technical and vocational schools. 

2

 Anthony P. Carnevale and Donna M. Desrochers. "The Missing Middle: Aligning Education and the Knowledge 

Economy." (Figure 9) Paper commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocation and Adult 

Education and presented at "Preparing America's Future: The High School Symposium," April 4, 2002, Washington, 

DC. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/hs/commisspap.html?exp=0 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 2 of 17 

Figure 1 Average Earnings by Educational Attainment in 2000 

Pressing the point even 

further are the data 

gathered by the Census 

Bureau on incomes in 

2000.3

 (See Figure 1.) The 

median income for all yearround full-time workers 

that year was $32,717.

High school dropouts 

earned an average of only 

$21,332 per year while 

those with a bachelor’s 

degree made twice as 

much, $42,877. The 

income of a high school 

dropout is not sufficient to 

support a family of four 

above the federal poverty line. In order to find a job that will enable an individual and his or her 

family to live independent of government support, at least some postsecondary education is now 

essential. 

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN APPALACHIA 

A survey of the literature on high school graduation rates shows that the United States has made 

tremendous progress in the past 100 years. In the early 1900s, approximately 8 percent of the 

population graduated from high school. In the early 2000s, that number is approaching 90 

percent. In 1973, about one-third of Americans in skilled blue-collar jobs did not have a high 

school degree and only 17 percent had any postsecondary education. In 25 years those numbers 

more than reversed: in 1998, only 11 percent were high school dropouts and 48 percent had at 

least some postsecondary education or a degree.4

 

Commission analysis of 2000 Census data shows that while Appalachia is catching up with the 

nation as a whole on some indicators, the region still lags the nation in the critical postsecondary 

education rates. The percent of the population age 25 or older in the Appalachian region with 

only a high school diploma or the equivalent is 35.8 compared with 28.6 percent nationwide. 

(See Table I and Figure 2 on page 3.) While Appalachia having a higher percentage with high 

school diplomas looks favorable—and we have made strides in closing the high school 

 

3 Employment, Work Experience, and Earnings by Age and Education: Civilian Noninstitutional Population (Data 

from the 2000 Census.) http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/earnings/call1usboth.html 

4

 Scott Loftus, “Every Child a Graduate,” Alliance for Excellent Education, September 2002. 

http://www.all4ed.org/publications/EveryChildAGraduate/index.html 

$21,332

$27,351

$31,988

$42,877

$55,242

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

 Not a high

school

graduate

 High

school

graduate

 Some

college

 Bachelor's

degree

 Advanced

degree
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 3 of 17 

Figure 2 Educational attainment in Appalachia and the 

nation in 2000 

graduation gap—the data shows that not only does a larger share of the Region’s population than 

the nation’s not have a high school diploma but that many more high school graduates are 

remaining at that level instead of continuing their education. Indeed, the postsecondary 

educational attainment gap between the Region and the nation is widening and is now over ten 

percentage points with only 41.0 percent of the Appalachian population having some 

postsecondary education or higher compared with 51.8 percent of the nation’s. And given the 

current college going rates of 63.3 percent5

 nationwide while only 35 to 55 percent of 

Appalachian high school students go directly into postsecondary education—a significant 

difference even at the higher end of the spectrum—the gap is growing. This trend is not likely to 

change without a strong region wide intervention. 

Table I 

Educational attainment levels in Appalachia and the nation in 20006

Percent of population with: Appalachian Region Nationwide 

Less than a high school diploma 23.2 19.2 

High school graduate or equivalent (but no post 

secondary education) 35.8 28.6 

Some college or higher (includes 2-year, 4-year, 

and graduate degrees) 41.0 51.8 

Bachelor’s degree or higher 17.7 24.4 

Levels of education are closely associated with several indicators of success in life.7

 Higher 

levels of educational attainment are associated with better health, healthier children, longer life 

expectancies and higher salaries.

Countries and regions with 

populations that have higher levels 

of education are clearly better 

positioned to develop economically, 

regardless of how the economy 

performs overall. Such areas will be 

able to attract higher levels of 

investment and jobs that pay higher 

salaries. They are likely to shrink 

more slowly in a recession and rise 

more quickly when the overall 

economy is strong. Likewise, 

 

5

 National Center for Educational Statistics, Digest of Educational Statistics, 2001. Table 184. 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/digest2001/tables/dt184.asp 

6

 Data for Table I and Figure 2 were compiled by the Appalachian Regional Commission from US Department of 

Commerce, Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Demographic Profile, Table 2 

7

 Dan Goldhaber and Dan Player, Analytical Framework for Assessing the Potential Return on a Federal Investment 

in the Alliance for Excellent Education’s “Every Child a Graduate”. 

http://www.all4ed.org/publications/PotentialReturnOnAFederalInvestment_Goldhaber.doc and Duncan Chaplin, 

Public and Private Benefits of Education for At-Risk Youth and the Alliance for Excellent Education Framework. 

http://www.all4ed.org/publications/BenefitsOfEducationForAtRiskYouth_Chaplin.doc 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High

school

graduate

or

equivalent

Some

college or

higher

Bachelor’s

degree or

higher

Appalachian Region

Nationwide
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 4 of 17 

countries and regions with populations that have lower levels of education are poorly positioned 

to develop economically. This has been the case in Appalachia. When the national and world 

economies have been robust, growth in the Region has been considerably slower than growth in 

the nation as a whole. When the national economy has been in a downturn, the economy of the 

Region has tended to sink farther and faster.

HISTORY OF THE AHE NETWORK MODEL: OHIO APPALACHIAN CENTER FOR 

HIGHER EDUCATION 

The Ohio Board of Regents realized in the early 1990s that they had a problem. While 80 percent 

of the high school seniors surveyed in Appalachian Ohio indicated that they wanted to go to 

college, only about one-third did.8

 At the time, the statewide college-going rate was close to 54 

percent. Spurred by regent and restaurateur Bob Evans, a long-time resident of the region, the 

board formed a consortium of two- and four-year colleges and universities in the region to 

investigate the problem. The consortium, funded at $100,000 by the Ohio Board of Regents for 

two years, initiated the Access and Success Project. The first phase of the project, completed in 

1993, was to conduct research to determine why such a discrepancy existed in the college-going 

rates between the state as a whole and the Appalachian portion of the state. 

Initial Study 

The Appalachian Access and Success Project identified several significant barriers to greater 

participation in higher education in Appalachian Ohio, which can be summarized as: 

 Lack of information and misinformation 

 Lack of informed guidance and assistance 

 Lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem 

 Lack of encouragement 

 Lack of academic preparation 

While the financial burden of participating in higher education is a primary concern for students 

and their families, the report noted that most of the high school students greatly overestimated 

the cost of attending postsecondary education. Furthermore, both parents and students indicated a 

lack of knowledge about financial opportunities and the process of applying for aid. Surveys of 

older, “non-traditional” students in college also indicated that high schools had not done an 

adequate job of informing the students about the need for continuing their education and what it 

would mean for their careers. 

Parents surveyed by the project indicated that they would like their children to attend college, but 

most of the parents themselves had not. The process of selecting a college, applying to the school 

and for financial assistance, and making the transition from high school to college is a very 

 

8

 Tim Crowther, Dewey Lykins, and Karen Spohn, "Report of the Appalachian Access and Success Project to the 

Ohio Board of Regents," Athens/Portsmouth: Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural 

Development, Ohio University/Shawnee State University, 1992. http://www.oache.org/A-Sstudy.html 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 5 of 17 

complex and difficult one. Many of the parents, not having had the personal experience 

themselves, may not have been able to provide the level of assistance needed. 

When surveyed, only a very 

small portion of Appalachian 

Ohio high school seniors felt 

themselves to be of above 

average intelligence. Onequarter of the seniors rated 

themselves as not intelligent 

enough to be successful in 

college and another quarter 

thought that their poor school 

grades would be a barrier to 

attending college. This poor 

self-image and low selfesteem likely comes, at least 

in part, from not having their 

potential to succeed 

recognized. 

Given the low level of 

participation in higher 

education in the region, the 

students most likely did not 

have any role models to 

follow or other sources of 

encouragement. At the time 

of the report, most of the high 

school seniors from 

Appalachian Ohio would 

have been the first in their 

families to go to college and 

many would have been 

among the first in their communities. The students did not have anybody to tell them stories 

about campus life, to demonstrate the benefits of continuing their education or to show them that 

they too could handle it. 

Finally, many students in the survey reported not having taken a college-preparatory curriculum. 

Whether this was due to a lack of encouragement—or pushing—from teachers to take higher 

level courses, a lack of resources in the mostly rural, low-income schools to offer more 

academically challenging curricula, or a combination of both is not known. Nontraditional 

college students who participated in the survey were particularly critical of their schools and lack 

of academic preparation. 

Common Elements of Effective Programs 

“The programs that appeared to be most effective [at increasing 

the college-going rate] had the following elements in common: 

 Providing a key person who monitors and guides the student 

over a long period of time—a ‘mentor,’ program director, 

faculty member, or guidance counselor.... 

 Providing high-quality instruction through access to the most 

challenging courses offered by the school (‘untracking’), 

through special coursework that supports and augments the 

regular curricular offerings (tutoring and specially designed 

classes), or by revamping the curriculum to better address 

the learning needs of the students. 

 Making long-term investments in students rather than shortterm interventions. The longer students were in the program, 

the more likely they were reported to benefit from it. 

 Paying attention to the cultural background of students... [I]t 

is likely the background and expertise of the staff and 

directors helped them to make cultural connections with 

students. 

 Providing a peer group that supports students’ academic 

aspirations as well as giving them social and emotional 

support. 

 Providing financial assistance and incentives. Financial 

assistance is important for access to academic leveling 

experiences—college visits and SAT preparation courses—

as well as monetary support to make college a realistic 

possibility for some students.... “ 

Patricia Gandara and Deborah Bial. (September 2001). Paving the 

Way to Postsecondary Education: K-12 Intervention Programs for 

Underrepresented Youth. Report of the National Postsecondary 

Education Cooperative Working Group on Access to 

Postsecondary Education. National Center for Education Statistics, 

U.S. Department of Education. Available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2001/2001205.pdf page 9. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 6 of 17 

Formation of Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education

These barriers remained “remarkably consistent” across all groups in the survey. Identification of 

the barriers by the Access and Success Project presented the Ohio Board of Regents with an 

opportunity: address and eliminate them. Thus the Ohio General Assembly established the Ohio 

Appalachian Center for Higher Education (OACHE)9 under the leadership of Wayne White, a 

retired school superintendent and native of the region. OACHE, run by the same consortium of 

two- and four-year institutions of higher education that conducted the “Access and Success” 

study, began operating in 1993. The program offers competitive grants of $5,000-$10,000 to 

high schools in Appalachian Ohio and has recently begun funding middle and elementary 

schools to get their students thinking about college as well. These grants, supported by training 

and technical assistance from OACHE, provide the funds for the schools to sponsor college 

visits, mentoring programs, career exploration, and assistance in identifying and applying to 

colleges. The OACHE mission is to get the students to continue their education beyond high 

school, whether at a technical school, two-year college, or four-year college⎯it does not matter 

where the students go. 

Model Program 

Newcomerstown High School in Tuscarawas County was one of the first applicants in 1993. Pat 

Cadle, a guidance counselor at Newcomerstown developed what is now called the “model 

program”. Using this program, Newcomerstown High School increased its college-going rate 

from 28 percent to 72 percent in only three years. The model has been successfully replicated in 

numerous other schools including Southern Local High School in Meigs County, Ohio, where 

the college-going rate exceeded 90 percent in 2001. The model is built on involving the total 

school, not just selected students or teachers, infusing career exploration throughout the 

curriculum, and holding monthly parent meetings. Parents are provided training on how to help 

their children select and apply to colleges, and apply for financial aid. Students learn about 

career options, take interest and ability tests, travel to worksites and college campuses, and meet 

with current college students and successful adults who have completed a degree or certificate 

program. 

Schools applying for an OACHE grant may submit a proposal based on the model program or an 

"innovative" program. By submitting a model proposal, schools are committing to implement all 

of its components and timeline. An innovative proposal may use some or all of the components 

with adjustments to the timeline as necessary and add components to meet the unique needs of 

that school. 

OACHE is currently funded by the Ohio General Assembly 

and receives numerous grants and gifts from other 

governmental agencies, foundations, private corporations and 

individuals. In May 2001, the Public Employees Roundtable 

named OACHE top public-service initiative in the State 

category. In May 2003, OACHE received the prestigious 2003 

 

9

 (http://www.oache.org/) 

“The key to the success of the 

model program has been total 

school buy-in with all of the 

teachers and administrators 

participating and having 

ownership.” Wayne White, 

Executive Director, OACHE
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 7 of 17 

“Innovations in American Government” Award from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy 

School of Government. To date, OACHE has given over $1 million to 61 schools in Appalachian 

Ohio. While not all of the schools have seen a tripling of their college-going rates, most have 

been extraordinarily successful. (See Table II on page 14 for pre- and post-intervention collegegoing rates of high schools funded by AHE Network centers in 2002-2003.) 

First Replication: West Virginia Access Center For Higher Education 

In 1998, the Community Colleges of Appalachia, an association of two-year colleges in the 

Appalachian region, approached ARC about replicating OACHE. The Community Colleges of 

Appalachia had heard from its Ohio members about the success OACHE was having and knew 

the importance of raising the levels of educational attainment to the region. With $144,000, 

including $35,000 from ARC, and training from Wayne White of OACHE, the North Central 

Appalachian Center for Higher Education (NCACHE) opened at Bluefield State College. 

NCACHE, directed by Sarita Gattuso, a native of McDowell County, West Virginia, was to 

serve the entire state of West Virginia and the three western counties that make up Appalachian 

Maryland. Opening its doors on September 1, 1998, NCACHE had the additional mission of 

proving the replicability of OACHE. 

Following the OACHE model, NCACHE issued a Request 

for Proposals (RFP) in West Virginia and Appalachian 

Maryland. That first year, NCACHE awarded $10,000 to 

each of six schools in West Virginia. (Schools in Maryland 

chose not to apply for this funding.) The following year, 

NCACHE sent an RFP to 135 high schools, received 18 

proposals, and made eight new awards. With training and 

mentoring from White and assistance from the Community 

Colleges of Appalachia and ARC, Gattuso and NCACHE 

appeared to be off to a good start. ARC thus provided a 

second year of funding at $35,000. 

In 2000, “because of the tremendous critical need in West Virginia and the enthusiasm of schools 

in that state,” NCACHE shifted its focus entirely to West Virginia and was renamed the West 

Virginia Access Center for Higher Education (WVACHE).10 With the support of Bluefield State 

College, Gattuso established WVACHE as a tax-exempt corporation to allow it to solicit 

donations and apply for a wider variety of funding. Sizable grants from Bob and Jewell Evans 

($150,000) and the Benedum Foundation ($110,000) have been major sources of funding since. 

West Virginia Results 

WVACHE soon proved both its worth and the replicability of OACHE. Wirt County High 

School, one of the first to be funded, increased its college-going rate from 47 percent to 72 

percent in just two years. Other high schools were seeing similar success rates. (See Table II on 

page 14 for all pre- and post-intervention college-going rates of currently funded high schools.) 

 

10 (http://www.oache.org/wvache_history.htm) 

“Students are making better 

quality decisions. They are 

researching their options, 

getting more financial aid 

information, allowing more to 

attend private schools.” Richard 

Duffield, Counselor, Valley High 

School, Pine Grove, West 

Virginia. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 8 of 17 

Since opening its doors, WVACHE has provided over $290,000 to 17 schools throughout West 

Virginia. 

APPALACHIAN HIGHER EDUCATION NETWORK 

ARC closely watched the early successes of both OACHE and WVACHE. Having demonstrated 

the replicability of the OACHE model of seeding college access projects, ARC started the 

Appalachian Higher Education (AHE) Network in 2000. The mission of the AHE Network is to 

raise the levels of educational attainment in the region. 

At the Governors’ Quorum Meeting on February 27, 2000, the Appalachian Regional 

Commission approved the establishment of Appalachian Higher Education Network centers 

throughout the region focusing on the economically distressed counties. Up to four centers were 

approved for funding of $50,000 per year for two years; the centers would be supported with 

training and mentoring by White and Gattuso. ARC approved $200,000 for the first year, which 

was to be a “challenge grant,” with additional funding to be sought from other sources both 

public and private. 

AHE Network Centers address emotional and social barriers 

to college. This strategy is based on research conducted in 

Ohio by the Appalachian Access and Success Project and 

supported by studies around the country, including the work 

of the Harvard University College Opportunity And Career 

Help (COACH) program;11 Expanding College Access, 

Strengthening Schools: Evaluation of the GE College Bound 

Program;12 Paving the Way to Postsecondary Education: K12 Intervention Programs for Underrepresented Youth;13 and 

“Who Should We Help? The Negative Social Consequences 

of Merit Scholarships."14

Increased levels of financial aid alone are not sufficient to 

raise college-going rates in economically distressed 

communities. Programs must be developed that help students 

realize that higher education is a realistic option for them and that it can open the door to far 

more opportunities. Typical activities funded by AHE Network grants to high schools include 

but are not limited to the following: 

 

11 See http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/coach/index.htm for program details. 

12 Lawrence Neil Bailis, Alan Melchior, Andrew Sokatch and Annabel, Sheinberg. January 2000. Center for Human 

Resources, Heller Graduate School, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Available at: 

http://www.ge.com/community/fund/GEFund_CollegeBound.pdf 13 Report of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative Working Group on Access to Postsecondary 

Education. Patricia Gandara and Deborah Bial. September 2001. National Center for Education Statistics. Available 

at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2001/2001205.pdf 

14 Civil Rights Project of Harvard University, August 23, 2002, Donald E. Heller and Patricia Marin, editors. 

Available at: http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/meritaid/fullreport.php

COACH Mission Similar to 

AHE Network 

“COACH empowers Boston 

Public School students to make 

informed decisions about their 

futures. Harvard students work 

in the schools to provide 

information and instruction on 

how to navigate the college 

application and financial aid 

process. We encourage 

students to explore educational 

opportunities as they develop 

and pursue long-term career 

goals.” 

From the COACH Web site
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 9 of 17 

 campus visits to colleges, universities, and technical schools; 

 parental involvement pertaining to college selection, costs, and financial aid; 

 active participation in college and career fairs; 

 career exploration and investigation; 

 motivational speeches by college students; 

 teacher and staff visits to schools and industry; 

 networking with business alliances and partnerships; and 

 guest speeches by respected, well-known, successful adults who have overcome barriers 

to post-secondary education. 

The centers provide funding, training, and assistance in implementing programs to high schools 

in their service areas. They hold annual or more frequent meetings of high school grantees and 

help individual schools build the capacity to maintain their programs beyond the life of the grant.

Preintervention college-going rates at participating high schools are often as low as 30 or 35 

percent with some considerably lower. (See Table II on page 14.) Upon initial implementation of 

the Access Projects, high schools typically see 50 percent or more of their students going on to 

college. After two to three years of implementation, the college-going rate is consistently at a par 

with the national average of 63.3 percent and frequently 70 percent or higher. 

Forming the Network 

In April 2000, ARC issued an RFP for new centers. The competition was open to all “institutions 

or agencies with demonstrated ability to operate and manage grant funds,”15 except for high 

schools, local education agencies, and for profit businesses.16 To help assure local ownership, 

each $50,000 grant was to be matched at least one- or two-for-one. The centers were to be 

faithful replications of OACHE and WVACHE and would work closely with high schools, 

community groups, other agencies, and the institutions of higher education that most frequently 

receive students from their self-defined regions. The RFP required that contracts be awarded to 

those entities that had the most viable plans and that would serve “a predominance of high 

schools in [economically] distressed counties (as designated by the Commission).”17 

ARC received five proposals. Gattuso, White, Nancy Brooks Smith, Appalachian Regional 

Commission Liaison Office, US Department of Education, and Jeffrey H. Schwartz, ARC 

Education Program, reviewed the proposals and recommended to ARC Federal and State CoChairs funding two of them. Centers were thus established in Kentucky and Alabama. 

Having been authorized by the Governors and Federal Co-Chair to fund up to four centers, ARC 

released a second RFP in January 2001, and intensified its search for a funding partner. While 

two very strong proposals were received, one from Mississippi and one from Tennessee, without 

additional funding only one of them could be funded. In September 2001 the site in Mississippi 

 

15 Request for Proposals by The Appalachian Regional Commission for Appalachian Higher Education Network 

Centers, April 28, 2000. 

16 Restrictions were due to a statutory prohibition against making grants to for-profit enterprises and to avoid any 

conflict of interest between ARC’s grantee and subgrantees. 

17 Given the diversity of the region and its school systems, ARC wanted to assure that all distressed counties would 

have equal opportunity, regardless of student population or the number of schools. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 10 of 17 

was funded. The Mississippi site was funded first as it proposed to serve a greater number of 

economically distressed counties. ARC sought and, in February 2002, received a grant of 

$75,000 from the W. K. Kellogg foundation to support the two centers in Mississippi and 

Tennessee. Thus, the Tennessee center was funded and became operational in June of 2002. 

As a part of its Distressed Counties program, ARC again appropriated funding for the AHE 

Network in fiscal year 2003. Thus a third solicitation of centers was issued in May 2003. Both 

proposals, one from North Carolina and one from Virginia, were strong. Both were funded and 

the centers began operating in September of 2003. 

Currently, AHE centers operate in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, 

Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Figure 3 on page 11 shows the service areas of the eight 

centers. 

AHE NETWORK CENTERS 

Kentucky

The Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy at Morehead State University in Morehead, 

Kentucky, established the Kentucky Appalachian Higher Education (Kentucky AHED) Center in 

August 2000. The Kentucky AHED Center is a collaborative effort with Hazard Community and 

Technical Colleges, Southeast Community College and the Kentucky Department of Education. 

On the Board of Directors are Rowan Technical College, Cumberland Valley Technical College 

and the University of Kentucky. With Morehead State College almost equaling the initial ARC 

grant of $50,000 and Hazard and Southeast contributing about $20,000 each, the center was able 

to fund and provide technical assistance to four high schools during its first full year of 

operation. The second and third years of operation saw the same levels of funding and was able 

to provide grants to additional schools each year. Over those three years, the college-going rates 

of the schools receiving grants from the center have gone up an average of almost 20 percentage 

points (see Table II on page 14) with most schools at or above the national average college-going 

rate in 2003. 

Kentucky AHED works closely with the statewide and local GEAR-UP18 and other college 

access programs, both supporting and complementing their efforts. The center serves 38 high 

schools19 in 23 Appalachian Kentucky counties. Morehead State University currently supports 

the center while it searches for additional sources of funding to continue making grants to high 

schools and to expand operations to all of Appalachian Kentucky. 

 

18 Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs: A college access program funded by the 

U.S. Department of Education that focuses on an entire cohort of students and follows them from grades 7 through 

12. While GEAR-UP has an emphasis on providing a more challenging middle and high school curriculum, the 

AHE Network emphasizes overcoming the social, cultural, and emotional barriers to attending college. 

19 While only four high schools receive grants and intensive support, information on applying for college and 

financial aid and college and career fairs are offered to their self-designated 23-county region. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 11 of 17 

Alabama 

Hale County Appalachian Center for Higher Education (HCACHE) also opened in September of 

2000. Run by the Hale Empowerment and Revitalization Organization (HERO) Family Resource 

Center in partnership with Shelton State Community College, HCACHE serves only a single 

county with five high schools. While the grants to the schools are not competitive in that all five 

schools can—and did—receive awards, the schools must submit acceptable proposals indicating 

how they intend to manage and use the funds. HERO equally matched Commission funding of 

$50,000, enabling them to fund and support all five high schools in the county. College-going 

Figure 3 Appalachian Higher Education Network Service Areas 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 12 of 17 

rates in the five high schools have increased between 22 and 50 percentage points. All five now 

have higher college-going rates than the national average, with Greensboro West High School 

achieving a 100 percent rate in 2003. 

HCACHE is now finishing its fourth year, with a grant from the state of Alabama and one-third 

of its support coming from the Hale County Board of Education. The Hale County Board has 

been picking up an increasing share of the costs each year and HERO is reaching out to 

corporations and foundations to help provide long-term support. 

Mississippi 

The North Mississippi Education Consortium based in Tupelo, Mississippi, opened the North 

Mississippi Appalachian Center for Higher Education (NMACHE). The consortium is a 

collaborative of the University of Mississippi School of Education, Northeast Mississippi 

Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Itawamba Community College 

and 41 public K-12 school districts located in North Mississippi. NMACHE serves the entire 

Appalachian Mississippi region with a particular emphasis on serving high schools located in 

economically distressed counties. During its two years of operation, NMACHE was able to fund 

and provide assistance to six high schools. The gains in college-going rates in those schools 

ranged from 2 to 55 percentage points with an average gain of close to 29 percentage points. 

Three schools now have college-going rates over 90 percent and in one school, Jumpertown 

High School, 100% of its senior class graduated and then continued their education. 

In 2004, NMACHE plans to move to Itawamba Community College. Itawamba Community 

College will house NMACHE with similar college access programs that will be able to support 

and complement one another. NMACHE will continue to work throughout northeastern 

Mississippi in collaboration with other postsecondary institutions and local school districts. The 

goal will remain getting more students to continue their education beyond high school without a 

focus on any one particular school. 

Tennessee 

The University of Tennessee operates the Tennessee Appalachian Center for Higher Education 

(TnACHE) in partnership with Roane State Community College, Walters State Community 

College, the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI), the Southeastern High School 

Equivalency Program, America’s Promise of Campbell County, the Tennessee Career 

Information Delivery System and several local school districts. The TnACHE service area 

includes all economically distressed counties of Appalachian Tennessee (as designated by ARC 

in FY 2002) with an initial emphasis in Campbell, Cocke, Fentress and Scott Counties. These 

four counties already had GEAR-UP and other programs in place with which the TnACHE 

projects can collaborate, thus facilitating start up of the center. TnACHE funded four high 

schools in its first year. These schools showed an average gain of 16 percentage points in their 

college going rates. TnACHE is currently funding and providing intensive assistance to four high 

schools, three continuing from last year and one new. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 13 of 17 

North Carolina

Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, built on existing partnerships with 

Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina Office of the President, and 

Southwestern Community College to establish the Appalachian Higher Education Access 

Network of North Carolina. Other community colleges, the Western North Carolina Community 

Development Association, and the association of North Carolina Independent Colleges and 

Universities provide additional operating support. The center operates out of Appalachian State 

University and is coordinated with federally funded TRIO20 and GEAR-UP programs and the 

state-funded New Century Scholars program. The North Carolina center currently funds and 

works programs in with two high schools. 

Virginia

Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire Community College jointly 

operate the Virginia Appalachian Center for Higher Education (VACHE). VACHE is based at 

the Educational Opportunity Center at Southwest Virginia Community College. In addition to 

coordinating with the outreach efforts of the Educational Opportunity Center, VACHE also 

works with the federally funded Upward Bound, Talent Search (both part of the TRIO program) 

and GEAR-UP programs. High school partner programs form organizations to connect the 

schools with area businesses and corporations to improve school-business communications. This 

school-business partnership sponsors job fairs for students, provides career information, and 

assists the students in identifying their postsecondary educational needs and options. VACHE 

has funded and begun to work with six high schools in their service area. 

AHE NETWORK IMPACT AND STATUS 

The replication sites are now achieving success rates similar to those of the original site in Ohio. 

High schools funded by the first replication site in West Virginia have shown consistent, 

sustained gains in their college-going rates and many are now approaching or have surpassed the 

national average. In Hale County, Alabama, one of the poorest counties in the nation, all five 

participating high schools have reported college-going rates well above the national average of 

63.3 percent, with two schools well into the 80s one school in the 90s and one school reporting 

100 percent of all high school graduates going on to some sort of post-secondary training. 

Participating schools in Kentucky have shown increases of 20 to 30 percentage points, with one 

school reporting 92 percent of all graduates continuing their education. Of the five participating 

high schools in Appalachian Mississippi, all are now near or above the national average, with 56 

to 100 percent of graduates continuing their education. The Tennessee center is working with six 

high schools and has seen college-going rates increase almost 16 percentage points on average in 

their first full year of operation. The centers in North Carolina and Virginia are just starting up. 

 

20 TRIO refers to a set of federally funded college access programs administered by the U.S. Department of 

Education. TRIO programs emphasize identifying specific students or groups of students for participation, while the 

AHE Network centers work with entire cohorts and, in many cases, entire schools. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 

Table II 

Percent of high school graduates entering two or four year institutions from high schools participa

Appalachian Higher Education Network Centers in 2002 

Center 

Year began operation

OH 

1993 

WV 

1998 

KY 

2000 

AL 

2000 

MS 

2001 

TN 

2002 

Pre21 200322 Pre 2003 Pre 2003 Pre 2003 Pre 2003 Pre 2003 

58 74 46 80 47 63 48 84 66 94 29 55 47 55 31 55 62 62 57 87 89 91 42 37 43 48 41 60 57 71 52 100 37 92 24 59 46 58 56 58 43 97 44 94 39 56 43 50 32 44 43 61 64 92 50 72 56 100 27 N/A 64 62 36 66 50 66 59 85 30 46 54 47 40 64 53 68 49 67 73 89 47 56 47 64 48 49 45 71 57 N/A23 26 53 39 56 49 N/A 44 74 33 N/A 39 39 68 N/A 68 81 

Data provided for individual schools participating during 

the 2003-2004 academic year. 48 68 

Average percentagepoint gain 13.1 17.2 19.6 37.2 28.7 15.8 

21 Pre-intervention college-going rates reported as a percentage of the high school senior class. Dates of initial intervention may vary. 22 College-going rates reported for high school seniors in the spring of 2003; some high schools may have had funding for multiple yea23 School is in its initial year of funding, individual school data not yet available. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 15 of 17 

Appalachian Regional Commission Role 

ARC provides training and support to the center directors. Sarita Gattuso, director of the West 

Virginia Center, coordinates these services, which she provides along with Wayne White, 

director of the original center in Ohio. Together they mentor new directors and provide 

consultative services and training to the new sites. New center directors attend the Ohio and/or 

West Virginia grantee conferences to learn more about the process, and White and Gattuso travel 

to new sites to observe and assist with their implementation. ARC also provides training and 

assistance in obtaining other sources of funding. It is expected that after two years of support 

from ARC, each center will have demonstrated its effectiveness at increasing the college-going 

rates of high school students and will be able to attract adequate funding to maintain services. 

From FY 199924 through FY 2003, ARC provided $982,405 (includes a grant from the W.K. 

Kellogg Foundation of $75,000) to help grow and expand the AHE Network and has budgeted 

another $200,000 for FY 2004. (See Table III below.) Nineteen percent of the funding is used for 

support activities, including training and mentoring for the new centers. The remaining 81 

percent is provided directly to the centers to support start-up and initial operating costs. As of 

September 2003, ARC investment had leveraged over $1,108,540 in state and local funds. 

Table III 

Appalachian Regional Commission Financial Support of AHE Network Centers 

by Fiscal Year in Dollars

Fiscal 

year of 

Funding 

Training 

& 

Support 

WV AL KY MS TN NC VA Total 

1999 31,500 35,000 

2000 57,337 38,500 50,000 50,000 192,337 

2001 50,450 50,000 49,455 50,000 199,905 

2002 28,000 50,000 31,163 61,000 170,16325

2003 49,000 75,000 50,000 30,000 61,000 60,000 60,000 385,000 

Total 184,787 145,000 200,000 99,455 111,163 122,000 60,000 60,000 982,405 

 

24 ARC follows the federal October-September fiscal year. For example, FY 1999 began October 1, 1998, and ended 

September 30, 1999. 

25 Amounts include partial funding for the training and support and for the centers in Mississippi and Tennessee 

from a $75,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in FY 2002. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 16 of 17 

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

There is great need throughout the entire Appalachian Region for additional AHE Network 

centers. The eight existing centers are doing an excellent job of raising the college-going rates. 

These centers, though, only have the capacity to serve up to one-fourth, between 60 and 75, of 

the more than 300 high schools in the 91 Commission-designated economically distressed 

counties in any given year. Given that the centers work with each school for at least two to three 

consecutive years, it would be at least 10 years before they could reach all schools for an initial 

round of assistance. And that does not include the number of high schools in “economically 

distressed areas” of non-distressed counties or any other high school in need of assistance. 

ARC’s goal is to eventually have centers in all states serving all counties, beginning with those 

counties and areas identified as economically distressed. 

ARC is working with state governments, foundations and corporations in the region to add more 

centers to the network. As funding permits, ARC will periodically issue RFPs to establish new 

centers. The centers will implement the proven model from OACHE and center directors will be 

trained and mentored by the current Network support team, the founders and current directors of 

OACHE and WVACHE. The Network will continue to be supported by the Education Program 

manager at ARC headquarters who manages the RFP process and the grants to the centers, 

assists in providing technical assistance, and actively seeks new partners for both ARC and the 

individual centers. 

Research Needed 

Studies are needed to document the long-term impact of the AHE Network centers on the 

individual students and on the region. While the increased number of students attending some 

form of postsecondary education has been carefully documented—and we believe that is a good 

thing for both the individuals involved and the region—we do not know what happens to the 

students after they enter postsecondary education institutions. Research on the impact of these 

and similar programs on individual students is scant; studies with a focus on Appalachian 

students are virtually non-existent. What little research there is, along with anecdotal evidence, 

indicates that Appalachian students tend to drop out of two- and four-year programs at somewhat 

higher rates than the national average. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 

employment and salary benefits increase as years of college attendance increases. Thus, while 

students are likely to be considerably better off financially with even just “some college”, if they 

are indeed dropping out at a higher rate, this is an area that should be addressed. When it comes 

to obtaining employment and higher salaries, the statistics on years of college attendance show 

that this is truly an instance of where “if a little is good, more is better.” 

To assure that the centers are working as well as they can and to assist with future replications, 

an independent evaluation and study of the centers needs to be done. This study needs to 

document the implementation of the programs as well as the changes in the college-going rates at 

participating high schools. This evaluation and study will prove useful in building and 

strengthening the program as well as gathering support for the network and individual centers. 
Development and Progress of the Appalachian Higher Education Network 

A project of the Appalachian Regional Commission 17 of 17 

Another area for concern is “brain drain”. Census data shows that many parts of the region are 

losing population, particularly young people and those in their prime earning years. Formal 

research is not available to see if the AHE Network and similar programs are impacting 

migration patterns. Anecdotal data from high schools in Ohio that have been funded for a 

number of years, however, appears to show that those who attend college do not appear to leave 

the Region at higher rates than their peers who do not attend college. In other words, whether 

they go to college or not, it appears that some young people will leave the region and others will 

stay. Hard evidence proving this, however, is needed. 

These are serious issues that need to be studied and, if necessary, addressed. The amount of time, 

effort and money put into the schools, the centers and the network is not trivial. It is imperative 

that we use all of our resources in the most effective and efficient means possible. The research 

to be undertaken will help ensure this by guiding the growth and work of the AHE Network and 

facilitating development of networks and centers in other parts of the country and the world.