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Alpha Natural Resources Awards Nearly $100,000 in First Round of High School Scholarship Initiative

Posted on: Friday, 12 June 2009, 11:07 CDT

ABINGDON, Va., June 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., (NYSE: ANR), a leading supplier of high quality Appalachian coal, recently awarded renewable tuition funding to 48 high school graduates in five states via its newly initiated High School Scholarship Program.

The program's first round of scholarship winners are slated collectively to receive up to $100,000 during the upcoming academic year, with nearly $392,000 expected to be invested over the next four years.

The Abingdon, Va.-based company's long-range plan is to provide higher-education scholarship assistance to up to 500 high school students over the next decade, representing an estimated $4 million commitment on the part of Alpha.

"This is just another step in Alpha's vision to support our youth and build our nation's next generation of leaders," says Michael Quillen, Alpha's chairman and CEO. "These scholarship winners are among our finest and brightest young people, and they deserve recognition and financial assistance as they begin their academic careers. Our new program was created specifically to tap into this group of students who are poised to make a difference."

One of the largest high school scholarship programs in the mining industry, the initiative provides annually renewable academic funding in four categories to outstanding high school graduates attending the 90 schools located in Alpha's geographic footprint, which includes Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, Northeast Tennessee and Southern and Central West Virginia.

Alpha's High School Scholarship Program strengthens the company's already-strong tradition of supporting academic performance and scholarship at the higher-education level. Since 2003, the company has donated more than $1.2 million to college foundations, most of which has been used for scholarship purposes.

High school students in Alpha's five-state geographic footprint are eligible to apply for four types of tuition funding, all of which can be renewed annually for four years of study if recipients maintain a consistent academic record.

The program consists of the following scholarship categories:

• General Scholarship of $1,000 per year for high school seniors who live in Alpha's geographic footprint;
• Sons & Daughters Scholarship of $1,500 per year for children of Alpha employees;
• Engineering Scholarship of $2,500 per year for high school seniors in Alpha's geographic footprint interested in pursuing engineering degrees; and
• Career & Technical Scholarship of $1,000 per year for high school seniors in Alpha's geographic footprint who plan to pursue a career and technical education.

Students can apply for and receive more than one scholarship if they meet the specified eligibility and performance criteria.

Alpha's High School Scholarship Program is administered by Scholarship America, the nation's largest private sector scholarship and educational support organization. Recipients are chosen based on several factors, including their academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, unusual personal or family circumstances and outside appraisals. For scholarships to be renewed annually, winning students are expected to maintain a 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

For more information on Alpha's 2009-10 individual scholarship recipients, please visit www.corporatepr.com/alpha_scholarship/alpha_scholarship.html, or contact Alpha Natural Resources' recruitment coordinator Jessica Stollings, at jstollings@alphanr.com.

About Alpha Natural Resources

Alpha Natural Resources is a leading supplier of high-quality Appalachian coal to electric utilities, steel producers and heavy industry. Approximately 88 percent of the company's reserve base is high Btu coal and 83 percent is low sulfur, qualities that are in high demand among electric utilities that use steam coal. Alpha is also the nation's largest supplier and exporter of metallurgical coal, a key ingredient in steel manufacturing. Alpha and its subsidiaries currently operate mining complexes in four states, consisting of 50 mines supplying 10 coal preparation and blending plants. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 3,600 people.

ANRG

SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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