Virginia Foundation For Community College Education

TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO EDUCATION & ENSURE SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND.

SINCE 2006, THE FOUNDATION HAS SUPPORTED HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS ACROSS VIRGINIA'S 23 COMMUNITY COLLEGES THROUGH ITS SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM. THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS PARTNERS, THE VFCCE HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $5.4 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS, HELPING STUDENTS INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS. FOR THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR, 118 SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED TOTALING $375,000. THE PRESTIGIOUS FELLOWS PROGRAM AWARDS HIGH ACHIEVING SECOND YEAR STUDENTS WITH FULL SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT TO COMPLETE ASSOCIATE DEGREES AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH A COHORT MODEL. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2011, 235 STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED MENTORING AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING THROUGH THE FELLOWS PROGRAM.

BY 2026, THE VIRGINIA EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION EXPECTS THERE TO BE 2.6 MILLION MIDDLE SKILLED JOBS IN VIRGINIA JOBS THAT REQUIRE SOME TRAINING, BUT NOT A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE. IN 2016, VIRGINIA'S GENERAL ASSEMBLY ENACTED LANDMARK LEGISLATION, THE NEW ECONOMY WORKFORCE CREDENTIAL GRANT, PROVIDING STATE FINANCIAL AID FOR UP TO 2/3 OF THE COST FOR STUDENTS PURSUING APPROVED NONCREDIT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR HIGH DEMAND CAREERS IN TARGETED INDUSTRIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH. OVER 44,000 STUDENTS HAVE EARNED CREDENTIALS IN THESE HIGH DEMAND TRAINING PROGRAMS IN INDUSTRY SECTORS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, SKILLED TRADES, TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS, EDUCATION, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. UPON COMPLETION, STUDENTS SEE AVERAGE WAGE GAINS OF 55 PERCENT AND GAIN ACCESS TO BENEFITS SUCH AS EMPLOYER-PAID MEDICAL INSURANCE, PAID VACATION, AND SICK LEAVE. ALTHOUGH PUBLIC FUNDS SUPPORT TWO-THIRDS OF PROGRAM COSTS, OFTENTIMES, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, THE REMAINING ONE-THIRD OR OTHER NON-TUITION BARRIERS INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION, CHILDCARE, AND EQUIPMENT COSTS, SERVE AS A BARRIER TO STARTING OR COMPLETING A SHORT-TERM CREDENTIAL.

THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROGRAM IMPROVES THE LIKELIHOOD OF COLLEGE SUCCESS FOR VIRGINIA'S YOUNG PEOPLE WITH FOSTER CARE EXPERIENCE BY PROVIDING SUPPORTS NEEDED TO ACCESS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND TRANSITION TO INDEPENDENCE. GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROVIDES CAMPUS COACHES TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FOSTER CARE BETTER TRANSITION TO AND NAVIGATE THE WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION. HAVING MENTORSHIP SUPPORT IS THE CRITICAL LINK IN HELPING THESE VULNERABLE YOUTH ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN COLLEGE. GREAT EXPECTATIONS WAS LAUNCHED IN 2008 TO ADDRESS THE HIGH NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. SINCE THEN, OVER 3800 AT-RISK STUDENTS HAVE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE AND EARNED 1,651 DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, OR CERTIFICATES FROM VIRGINIA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THROUGH TRANSFER TO FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS. THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF PASSIONATE DONORS, VFCCE PROVIDES GREAT EXPECTATIONS FUNDING TO STUDENTS AT ALL OF VIRGINIA'S 23 COMMUNITY COLLEGES. GREAT EXPECTATIONS' STUDENTS ALMOST TRIPLE THE COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE FOR FOSTER YOUTH WITH 23% OF GE STUDENTS GRADUATING WITH A COLLEGE CREDENTIAL COMPARED TO ONLY 8% NATIONALLY.

THE RURAL VIRGINIA HORSESHOE INITIATIVE (RVHI), ESTABLISHED IN 2014, HAS BEEN RENAMED TO THE GERALD L. BALILES RURAL VIRGINIA HORSESHOE INITIATIVE AWARD CONTINUING THE MISSION TO RAISE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT LEVELS FOR STUDENTS IN RURAL VIRGINIA. RVHI PROVIDES CAREER COACHES IN RURAL HIGH SCHOOLS TO ENCOURAGE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COMPLETION AND OFFERS FINANCIAL INCENTIVES AND TO ASSIST ADULT LEARNERS RETURN TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING. 14 RURAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM HAS TWO 10-YEAR GOALS. ONE IS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS OF THE RURAL HORSESHOE REGION THAT HAVE NOT EARNED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA BY HALF, FROM 20% TO 10%. SINCE 2012, THAT METRIC HAS LOWERED TO 13.7%. THE OTHER IS TO DOUBLE THE POPULATION IN THE RURAL HORSESHOE WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR CAREER CERTIFICATION. IN 2012, THAT PERCENTAGE WAS 26%. AS OF THIS REPORT, THAT METRIC IS UP TO 32%. IN FY'22, 9,880 STUDENTS WERE SERVED BY 54 HIGH SCHOOL CAREER COACHES, EITHER ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS, OR IN SMALL GROUPS. A TOTAL OF 51,455 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SERVED BY A CAREER COACH BETWEEN JULY 1, 2014 AND JUNE 30, 2022.THANKS TO ENGAGED DONORS, THE VFCCE PROVIDES MATCH FUNDING THAT IS LEVERAGED BY LOCAL COLLEGE FOUNDATIONS TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.