Fairmont State, Pierpont Expand Partnership With Reduced Tuition for Pierpont Employees

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Employees of Pierpont Community & Technical College will be able to pursue degrees at Fairmont State University while paying Pierpont’s community college tuition rate under a new agreement announced by the two institutions.

Fairmont State President Mike Davis and Pierpont President Michael Waide announced the partnership at Pierpont’s Advanced Technology Center, describing the agreement as another step toward expanding access to higher education and strengthening connections between the two North Central West Virginia institutions.

Under the agreement, Pierpont employees will be able to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees through Fairmont State while paying Pierpont’s community college tuition rate, creating a lower-cost pathway for employees who want to continue their education.

The partnership also creates additional opportunities for employees from the two institutions to build professional relationships while demonstrating another way colleges in the region can work together to make higher education more accessible.

Fairmont State said partnerships such as the agreement with Pierpont can also help strengthen workforce development efforts throughout North Central West Virginia.

The announcement represents another chapter in the relationship between the two institutions.

Pierpont developed from Fairmont State’s community and technical college operations before becoming a separate institution. Today, Pierpont focuses heavily on career and technical education, workforce training and two-year degree programs, while Fairmont State serves as a four-year public university offering undergraduate and graduate programs.

That difference in missions provides opportunities for the institutions to complement one another, particularly as employers across the region continue looking for trained workers and employees seek additional credentials and degrees.

Fairmont State said the new agreement is intended to show prospective students and employees that higher education opportunities remain accessible within North Central West Virginia.

For Pierpont employees, the immediate benefit is a more affordable pathway to continue their education. For both institutions, the agreement represents another opportunity to connect their programs, employees and resources to support the region’s workforce.