Are you currently a high school or college student? Ready to get out there and start a career? It’s not always easy to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, and it’s not always cheap either! If you have heard about the Mollohan Foundation, you’ve probably heard a lot about our efficient student and community programs. The Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation is a West Virginia Non-Profit Organization that prides itself on helping kids and organizations in state through scholarships, community grants, student loans and internships. This is a blog created by The Mollohan Foundation to keep you updated on what we are doing and what we can do to help you become the most successful you can be!

Let me start off by answering a few questions you probably have about the Foundation.

How did the Mollohan Foundation start?

The Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. was founded by the family of the late Congressman Robert Mollohan in August 2000. Mr. Mollohan saw education as a key to helping young people obtain good jobs and enjoy a better quality of life. He also realized that education was crucial to the economic health of our state and its communities. While in office, he worked diligently to improve educational opportunities for young people and encouraged economic development in West Virginia. After his death, his family wanted to continue his legacy by creating a foundation in his name as a lasting tribute to this great man and his vision for the citizens of West Virginia. As such, the Mollohan Foundation focuses on these three areas: scholarships and student programs, community outreach, and public policy.

What can you do for me?

What direction are you going in? Don’t know yet? Well, we do. Up! After becoming a Mollohan Scholarship recipient, you will immediately be eligible to receive both student loans and internships provided through the Foundation. The application process for the 2013 scholarships begins this fall, but you can head over to our website now to check out if you’re currently eligible for one of our scholarships. Internships through the Mollohan Foundation are supported by local and statewide companies and many of the internships are paid positions. Internships are provided by high technology companies and are located at I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont, West Virginia. Though positions may be limited in specific fields, every Mollohan scholar is eligible to apply for an internship. These internships vary from art to engineering and are developed to provide students with educational and work experiences in their field of study. Mollohan internships have the purpose to encourage students to stay in or return to West Virginia after college.

Doesn’t money seem to fly out of your wallet when you’re paying for school? Tired of Ramen and Redbox? As well as internships, Mollohan scholars are also able to receive student loans through the Foundation. The Scholarship Loan Program was created to provide monetary assistance to West Virginia students and give them further incentives to live and work in West Virginia after graduation by offering loans at favorable terms with the option of debt forgiveness. These loans are made payable directly to the student and their chosen college for the use of tuition, fees, books and other educational expenses. A student can apply for up to $2,000 per year with a maximum loan amount of $8,000. (That’s $2,000/year for 4 years!) The best part is – after graduation, for every 12 months of living and working in West Virginia, $2,000 of the debt will be forgiven! (That’s a lot of free money!) Our student loan program is in season so head over to the website now to fill out your application to apply for a 2013 loan. (Deadline: June 30)

How can I get involved?

There are several ways to get involved at the Mollohan Foundation! If you’re already a Mollohan scholar, keep your eyes and ears peeled for news about the Golf Event coming up this fall at Pete Dye Golf Club. YOU might be eligible to golf for free! If you aren’t a Mollohan scholar yet, there are still other things you can do to get involved as well. Try checking out our Facebook page, following us on Twitter, or just stopping by the blog every now and then! School is hard and expensive. You do the work and we’ll help with the cost. Get involved with the Mollohan Foundation today!