Arch Coal Foundation Awards Scholarships to 16 High School Graduates

ST. LOUIS, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arch Coal Foundation announced today that 16 recent high school graduates have been chosen as 2015 Arch Coal Scholars. Each student will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship to an accredited college or university for up to four years.

"Congratulations to the 2015 class of Arch Coal Scholars," said John W. Eaves, Arch Coal chairman and chief executive officer. "These young people are among the 'best of the best,' and we applaud them for their many diverse accomplishments and commitment to hard work. We look forward to continued success from them as they pursue their higher education goals and prepare for their future careers."

The Arch Coal Scholars program honors outstanding scholastic achievement by the children of the employees of Arch Coal and its subsidiaries. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic record, leadership, and participation in school and community activities. Also included in the application are a statement of education and career goals, a work history and an outside appraisal. The program is in its 26^th year.

The 2015 Arch Coal Scholars are:

This year's top-rated Arch Coal Scholar, Peyton Case, was named the 2015 Kendra Bradley Washburn Memorial Scholarship recipient. Case graduated from Betsy Layne High School in Betsy Lane, Ky. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, Pep Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the school's regional championship Science Olympiad team. Case also played varsity football, baseball and basketball, where he was named to the 2014 and 2015 all-conference and all-tournament teams, and was the two-time Floyd County Conference Player of the Year. He plans to attend Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky., in the fall and major in biology. The Washburn Memorial Scholarship is named for the late daughter of former Arch Coal Director Robert G. Potter and is given each year to the Arch Coal Scholar that received the judges' highest ranking.

"Arch Coal and the Arch Coal Foundation have a long history of supporting education-related causes," Eaves said. "The Arch Coal Scholars program is an important piece of our efforts and allows us to invest in the future success of our employees' children and provide assistance as they endeavor to further their education."

Scholarship America, the country's largest private sector scholarship and educational support organization, administers all aspects of the Arch Coal Scholars program, including the independent selection process.

The Arch Coal Scholars program has provided four-year scholarships to more than 300 new high school graduates since it began in 1989. The Arch Coal Foundation also supports educational excellence through its annual Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards in West Virginia and Wyoming, and through a teaching grants program in Delta County, Colo.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is one of the world's top coal producers for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers on five continents. Its network of mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. For more information, visit archcoal.com.

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SOURCE Arch Coal Inc.