ST. LOUIS, May 15, 2014 – The Arch Coal Foundation announced today that 15 recent high school graduates were chosen as 2014 Arch Coal Scholars. Each student will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship to an accredited college or university for up to four years.

"We are honored to recognize the 2014 class of Arch Coal Scholars, an impressive group of young people," said John W. Eaves, Arch Coal president and chief executive officer. "Their interests are diverse and their achievements are many. We applaud them on their accomplishments, and look forward to their continued success as they pursue their college educations and 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, potential to succeed, 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 25th year.

The 2014 Arch Coal Scholars are:

This year's top-rated Arch Coal Scholar, Katlin Preston, was named the 2014 Kendra Bradley Washburn Memorial Scholarship recipient. Preston graduated from Pike County Central High School in Pikeville, Ky. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Future Business Leaders of America, the Student Technology Leadership Program and the Pike County Young Republicans Club. Preston served as senior class secretary and was the student council treasurer. She plans to attend the Elizabeth Akers Elliott Nursing Program at the University of Pikeville in the fall. 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.

"The Arch Coal Scholars program allows us to invest in the future of our employees' children and help them in a small way in their quests to become tomorrow's leaders," Eaves said. "This program fits nicely into the longstanding education-related causes supported by Arch Coal and the Arch Coal Foundation."

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 285 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 and responsible.archcoal.com.