West Virginia University students and their families are invited to learn about national scholarships and the graduate school application process during a Mountaineer Parents Club event Wednesday (March 5) at WVU .

The presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Martha C. Howard Lounge in Stalnaker Hall on the Downtown Campus.

Lisa DeFrank-Cole with WVU s Honors College will discuss the Universitys new Advanced Academic Scholarship Preparation and Intellectual Resources Exposure program. The program assists students who are applying to graduate and professional schools and major academic awards, such as the Rhodes, Truman and Goldwater scholarships.

Students interested in pursuing competitive scholarships or fellowships that could help fund their graduate education are encouraged to attend and learn about the support and resources available at the University.

To RSVP , contact Christine Garbutt at 304-292-1261 or monparentsclubwvu@mac.com before Wednesday.

Parking for the event is available on Maiden Lane or the upper deck of the Mountainlair parking garage.

The Mountaineer Parents Club serves as an outlet to help families stay connected to the WVU student experience. Since it was established in 1995, the organization has grown to more than 18,000 members with 15 state chairs and two international chairs.

The organization also has more than 70 local clubs that host guest speakers from WVU ; attendcollege nightsat area high schools; and organize Summer Send-off, Winter Fest and game-watching events.

Club benefits includeParents Perksdiscounts from Morgantown merchants; a newsletter published three times a year; Parent Electronic News bulletins with timely information about campus happenings; and a toll-free helpline, 1-800-WVU-0096.

The Mountaineer Parents Club coordinates many other services for parents and studentsincluding bus service to students going home for holiday breaks and parking passes for families moving their students in and out of Morgantownand helps organize campus events such as the Winter Weekend festivities (http://parentsclub.wvu.edu/winter_weekend/winter_weekend_home).

WVU families may join the club by calling 304-293-2506 or registering online athttp://www.wvu.edu/~parents/.