THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION INC

SCHOLARSHIPS 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 $7 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS, HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED AND REACH THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS. FOR THE 2024 -25 ACADEMIC YEAR, 110 SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED, TOTALING $511,250. 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, THE FELLOWS PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTED 348 STUDENTS THROUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, MENTORING, AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING.COLLEGE ATTAINMENT FOR PARENT STUDENTS (CAPS)THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION (VFCCE) LAUNCHED A CRITICAL INITIATIVE IN 2023 TO SUPPORT SINGLE PARENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS AS THEY PURSUE COLLEGE. THE COLLEGE ATTAINMENT FOR PARENT STUDENTS (CAPS) PROGRAM ADVANCES A TWO-GENERATION, ANTI-POVERTY SOLUTION THAT INCREASES EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES BY PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE COACHING SERVICES AND TARGETED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE PILOT PROGRAM SERVED 100 PARENT STUDENTS ACROSS FIVE COLLEGES PROVIDING DIRECT STUDENT SUPPORT THROUGH A COHORT MODEL AND HELPED TO IDENTIFY STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES THAT ARE HINDERING PARENT-STUDENT SUCCESS. CAPS WILL BE RELAUNCHED IN FALL 2025 TO ENGAGE MORE COLLEGES AND SUPPORT MORE PARENT STUDENTS STATEWIDE.SINCE MAY 2025, THE CAPS PROGRAM HAS SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED FROM ITS PILOT PHASE INTO A ROBUST STATEWIDE EXPANSION ACROSS THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. THE VISION FOR THIS EXPANSION IS TO GROW FROM AN INITIAL FIVE-COLLEGE PILOT SERVING 189 STUDENTS TO SUPPORTING UP TO 1,500 STUDENTS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHILE CONTINUING TO DRIVE INCREASED GRADUATION AND RETENTION RATES. BY DEVELOPING AN INTEGRAL PROGRAM TOOL KIT AND GATHERING CRITICAL STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED A DATA-DRIVEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT ONBOARDING COLLEGES. THIS EXPANSION WAS FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY OBTAINING ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ESTABLISHING A TIERED ALLOCATION MODEL BASED ON ENROLLMENT SIZE, AND CREATING STANDARDIZED GUIDELINES TO ENSURE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION. TO MAINTAIN HIGH-QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION, THE PROGRAM ALLOCATED RESOURCES TO THE ORIGINAL PILOT COLLEGES TO PROVIDE MENTORING AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH A NEWLY ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR COACHES. CURRENTLY OPERATIONAL IN 21 OUT OF 23 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CAPS HAS SEEN AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 700 ENROLLED PARENT STUDENTS. THE INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO ALIGN WITH STATEWIDE GOALS BY HOSTING COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS AND IMPACT SESSIONS. THESE SESSIONS FEATURE FORMER RECIPIENTS WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, HIGHLIGHTING HOW COACHING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT HAVE POSITIVELY TRANSFORMED THE ACADEMIC CAREERS OF STUDENT PARENTS.

THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS (GE) PROGRAM HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE NAVIGATED THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL, GAIN ACCESS AND SUCCEED IN COLLEGE, AND TRANSITION SUCCESSFULLY TO LIVING INDEPENDENTLY. SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN 17 YEARS AGO, ALMOST 5000 STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED WITH 22% EARNING A CREDENTIAL, ALMOST 3 TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR STUDENTS WITH EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER CARE.THE FALL 2024 TO FALL 2025 PERSISTENCE RATE FOR GE STUDENTS WAS 68%, WITH STUDENTS EARNING 47 ASSOCIATE DEGREES, 19 TRANSFERS TO 4-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND 9 FAST FORWARD WORKFORCE CREDENTIALS.