WVU Tech and Pendleton Community Bank Announce New Initiative to Support College Students

Beckley W.Va. (WVDN) – Representatives from Pendleton Community Bank (PCB) and faculty, staff, and students from WVU Tech gathered in the auditorium of Carter Hall to announce a new initiative to give PCB customers the opportunity to support students pursuing a degree.

PCB’s new co-branded Affinity Debit Card will support current and future generations of Golden Bears as they complete their college degrees through donations to the William “Bill” Benn Student Success Fund.  For every WVU Tech Affinity Debit Card transaction, PCB receives a variable portion of the interchange income. The bank will donate 10% of the net revenue received to the William “Bill” Benn Student Success Fund. Additionally, 10% of the revenue generated by the PCB ATM on the WVU Tech campus will also be donated to the fund. PCB CEO William Loving said this debit card is the latest step in their partnership with WVU Tech to support student success.

“The launch of the co-branded Affinity Debit Card is the culmination of our two-year Communiversity partnership,” said Loving. “We are thrilled to see this project come to fruition and unveil it to the students, alumni, faculty, and staff of WVU Tech as well as our community. Every debit card transaction directly supports a WVU Tech student facing financial hardship and allows them to continue pursuing their dreams. We believe this is ‘Communiversity’ at its best, and a way the entire community can financially support and promote WVU Tech by simply using this co-branded Affinity Debit Card for their day-to-day purchases.”

The William “Bill” Benn fund is an essential resource for students impacted by economic hardship while receiving an education. The fund is named after a former WVU Tech student who studied civil engineering in the 1960’s before being forced to leave college for financial reasons. Benn intended to return to WVU Tech but was drafted and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Benn was killed in action during his tour in Vietnam on June 6, 1969. The fund honors Benn’s legacy of sacrifice and respect for education by helping current students who find themselves in similar situations.

“What you are looking at here is the true meaning of Communiversity and what it looks like in action,” WVU Tech President T. Ramon Stuart, Ph.D. said. “Keeping our community’s college students enrolled through this fund helps all of us thrive. When our Golden Bears succeed as students, we all succeed. The fact that PCB is willing to step up to do their part for our students is a testament to their dedication to our community.”

This new initiative is the latest in a series of joint projects between WVU Tech and the Communiversity initiative’s founding sponsor PCB. WVU Tech joined PCB to roll out a co-branded ATM in April 2024 giving students easy access to banking tools on campus.

PCB also offers a Cub Club Savings Account for students under the age of 18 in the community to begin their journey to financial literacy. The Cub Club Savings Account offers generous interest rates to encourage students to save money and account credits for students who receive A/B honor roll status or students with perfect attendance.

To learn more about WVU Tech’s partnership with PCB and other Communiversity sponsors, visit wvutech.edu/connect . Additional information about PCB and community banking is available at yourbank.bank/resources/ communiversity .

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