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Learn how you can support student success with a gift to the VFCCE.

Learn more about how the VFCCE is making a difference in the lives of Virginians like you.

Give now to help students in your community build a career that helps Virginia thrive.

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Students at Virginia’s Community Colleges are currently facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These scholars, many of whom are within weeks of completing a certificate or degree, are now forced to adapt to online learning without the technological resources to meet that requirement. Those who work in fields deemed “non-essential” during this crisis also find themselves unemployed and struggling to meet basic needs in addition to the stress of reaching their educational goals.

Your support during this time can help to immediately impact the life of a student and the future of Virginia.

Emergency Funds available through the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) aid students in maintaining housing, meeting food and nutritional needs, and completing the education and training necessary for them to fill the vacant jobs in crucial fields like healthcare, logistics, and public safety on which we are all currently relying.

Your contribution to the VFCCE Student Emergency Fund will help students continue their education and reach important milestones. Please join us in supporting them during this difficult time.

Give Now to Support Virginia Students

The VFCCE Impact

When community colleges were created in 1966, they were funded primarily by the state with students and families paying a smaller percentage of the cost of an education through tuition and fees. Today, students and families pay more than 60% of the cost of tuition while state appropriations cover the remainder.

Despite community college tuition ranking at about 1/3 of the average cost at a four-year state institution, that cost can still be prohibitively high for a large percentage of Virginians. That’s where the VFCCE strives to make an impact—by supporting community colleges and student success through scholarships, fellowships, and other programs that make higher education attainable for all.

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Serving the Student, Strengthening the State

The majority of funds raised by the VFCCE are used within community colleges to directly serve students. These financial resources come from individuals, organizations, and foundations that span Virginia. Because the VFCCE is a statewide foundation, we’re able to address system-wide needs relating to education, workforce growth and development, and the creation of a strong and resilient state economy.

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Learn More About How VFCCE is Making a Difference in the Lives of Virginians Like You.

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14%

is the increase in graduation rates for Great Expectations students compared to national average

85%

of graduates feel they have greater job stability post-credential

$62 Million

is the increase in lifetime income for every 100 rural students who earn a community college degree

"We want to see all Virginians moving forward. Investing in people who want to work, who want to be productive, is the right thing to do."

Michael Smith, Vice President of Valley Proteins

"Great Expectations expands educational opportunities and offers hope for a brighter future to an important group of deserving and disadvantaged young Virginians: youth transitioning out of the foster care system."

Anne Holton, Former Great Expectations Program Director and Former First Lady of Virginia

"Knowing that you have help means a great deal to someone like me who can see the future, but is not able to afford the path to get there."

Lisa Mullins, Davenport Fellow

"We want to give people who may not have thought they had a future in higher education an opportunity to earn family-sustaining wages."

Karen Barrs, EquipVA

"The biggest thing young people need is some kind of support. Somebody who can say, 'I believe in you, and I can help.'"

Barbara Fried, Great Expectations Program Founder

"Scholarships are a powerful vote of confidence that can spur talented students to unimagined heights—especially those young people who do not have a family history of attending college."

Gaye Montgomery, VFCCE Board Member

"We've all had days when a kind word or an unexpected smile from a stranger makes our day. I like to think that VFCCE scholarships go one step farther to 'make the day' for our students by making their dreams of attending college possible."

Karen Petersen, Former VCCS Executive Vice Chancellor

"Most people don’t realize how little it takes to change a student’s life."

Eleanor Saslaw, Virginia State Board for Community Colleges

"A gift to the Foundation empowers and changes lives."

Dorcas Helfant-Browning, Former VFCCE Board Chair