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 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS, HELPING STUDENTS INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS. FOR THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR, 158 SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED TOTALING $648,820. 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, 218 STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED MENTORING AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING THROUGH THE FELLOWS PROGRAM.

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 3500 AT-RISK STUDENTS HAVE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE AND EARNED 1,253 COLLEGE CREDENTIALS. APPROXIMATELY 42 PERCENT OF GREAT EXPECTATIONS' STUDENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS THROUGH GRADUATION OR TRANSFER TO OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF PASSIONATE DONORS, VFCCE PROVIDES GREAT EXPECTATIONS FUNDING TO STUDENTS AT VIRGINIA'S 23 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, REACHING OVER 30 PERCENT OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.

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. FOURTEEN RURAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE PROJECT, BOTH THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND COLLEGE GRADUATION RATES OF RURAL RESIDENTS INCREASED. MORE THAN 41,000 STUDENTS WORKED WITH COACHES TO DEVELOP CAREER PLANS AND ENROLL IN COLLEGE. SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS LEVELS HAVE RISEN IN RURAL VIRGINIA BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ATTAINMENT RATES HAVE INCREASED FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS RESPECTIVELY. IN ADDITION, ALMOST 1,000 STUDENTS IN RURAL VIRGINIA HAVE RECEIVED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO ASSIST WITH TUITION, FEES, BOOKS, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND OTHER COSTS NOT COVERED BY TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL AID, SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY, TRANSPORTATION, AND CHILDCARE. THANKS TO ENGAGED DONORS, THE VFCCE PROVIDES MATCH FUNDING THAT IS LEVERAGED BY LOCAL COLLEGE FOUNDATIONS TO SUPPORT THE 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 25,000 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 37 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.