News and Information

Contact: Filippos
Rempoutzakos
For Immediate Release

336290-3053

January 22, 2015

Email:frempoutzakos@elon.edu

Olympia University Proposes Education for High School Dropouts to

Combat Low Income
Mountaintop, Virginia, is home to Olympia University. Located in an area that
has low high school graduation rates and an even lower college graduation rate,
Olympia is proposing a program to not only complete primary education, but offer
college education as well.
In September 2015, Olympia will unveil an initiative to help combat the
situation in the region. The average annual income in the four-county area near
Mountaintop, Virginia is $30,000 a year, far below the national average of $48,000
dollars. High school dropout rates stand at 42 percent, whereas only 18 percent of
students in the area finish college. This makes the area stand out even on a
nationwide scale.
We believe a university has an obligation to its wider community and not
just to those who teach, work or study on campus, said Olympia president Dr.
Foster L. Fogbottom. We are members of that community.
The pilot program is set to begin with 300 students. Created to help high
school dropouts, the program aims to address the regional problems. The plan is to
use a combination of night classes and introductory college courses to help
students complete a high school degree and four semesters of college in six years.

Students will be able to take high school English, American history, mathematics
and general science, which will allow those who earn at least a B average to begin
college education.
Due to the low average income in the four-county area, Olympia is actively
seeking to help support those who cant afford the tuition. Apart from financial aid,
there is a program in place to help obtain federal and state loans. A large part of the
attendance cost, room and board, will not be an issue for students who live nearby,
further lessening the cost.
In this part of the state, we have an acute problem that can be addressed
by our reaching out to those who need help, said Fogbottom. We believe that
within 10 years, this program can become a national model for other programs in
economically depressed areas.
According to a recent article from the New York Times, studies show that a
college graduate will earn on average almost double the wages as a high school
graduate. An M.I.T. economists study found that the cost of college, if you can
attend, amounts to negative $500,000. By going to college, the study suggests
people earn half a million dollars over their lifetime. Accordingly, the positives of a
college degree far outweigh the negatives. Olympias program aims at this very
thing, to increase college attendance rates and increase average income in the
area.