Students can attend Rio Grande’s McArthur Center for free following donation

A new scholarship is available at Rio Grande Community College and the University of Rio Grande for students who are going to attend the McArthur Center. Established by James Mitchell, the Mitchell Family Scholarship will provide free tuition, free books, and cover any fees for eligible students who receive the scholarship.

According to an article on the University of Rio Grande’s website, Mitchell is quoted as saying of his donation to establish the scholarship, which will come via the Vinton County Community Fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, “I feel fortunate to be able to fund the programs at Rio for the education of residents of Vinton County and surrounding areas. By helping fund their continuing education, my hope is to enable them to advance their trade, profession, or career.”

The McArthur Center is currently located in the former Vinton County High School building, though in the spring of 2024, Rio received a $12,000,000 grant from the Appalachian Community Grant Program to build a new McArthur Center. 

Ryan Smith, who serves as the president of University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, said, "We started this project to continue supporting education and economic development in southern Ohio. The gift from the Mitchell family will remove the financial barriers that keep many people from benefitting from a life-changing education. I’m excited to see the impact that this has economically in Vinton County and throughout the region.”

The McArthur Center offers two degree programs: an Associate in Medical Assisting and an Associate in General Studies; six certificate programs: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA), Phlebotomy, EKG, Medical Billing and Coding, and Medical Scribe; and five credential programs: Dispatching, Microsoft Excel, OSHA 10, Traffic Control/Flagging, and Officiating.

The Mitchell Family Scholarship is available to students who will be attending at least 50% of their classes at the McArthur Center, according to the McArthur Center’s webpage. Students will have to reapply for the scholarship each semester to maintain their eligibility. Applications for the Spring 2025 semester are now open.

For more information about the University of Rio Grande, visit the school’s website.