For Coby Dillard, a student at Tidewater Community College and student government president at the Norfolk Campus, wandering the halls of the General Assembly Building is comfortable. He stops Delegates and Senators walking to committee meetings to introduce himself. Since beginning his community college journey, he had the opportunity to work on political campaigns in [...]

Below are the remarks Dr. Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges, gave Tuesday, January 24, 2012 to the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Education. Dr. DuBois was asked to talk to the committee about the Governor’s introduced budget bill and how it bodes for Virginia’s Community Colleges. Mr. Chairman; members of the committee; ladies and [...]

Two bills which would benefit community college students were reported today from the Senate Finance Committee. SB 85 (Favola and Hanger) which would increase the expected family contribution allowed for eligibility for the Two-Year Transfer Grant from $8,000 to $12,000 was reported unanimously. This change would mean that approximately 800 more students would be eligible [...]

Shawn Fenner John Tyler Community College Much like my experiences at John Tyler Community College, my visit to the General Assembly of Virginia as part of the college’s student delegation was equal parts surreal, extremely positive and downright unforgettable. While I’m not exactly shy (I’ve been told I could hold a conversation with a brick [...]

HB 437 (Tata) was tabled on a voice vote in the Higher Education Subcommittee of House Appropriations on January 23. Subcommittee member Delegate Chris Jones made the motion to table the bill, noting that it was “laudable,” but citing concerns about the fiscal impact. Speaking on behalf of the bill in addition to the VCCS were [...]

Legislators are considering more than 2,000 pieces of legislation this Session; here is a summary of a few of them of interest to Virginia’s Community Colleges. A full list of bills we are following can be found on the Legislative Tracking page. Transfer grant bills All transfer grant bills (HB 437,  SB 85 and SB 400) [...]

Brendan Wynn Piedmont Virginia Community College Sitting at my high school graduation, I was convinced I could never afford to go to college. I was the only person in the top 10% without a university beside my name in the program. My diploma would come with the Governor’s Seal, special commendation for an AP curriculum, and my [...]

Angelica Puzio Blue Ridge Community College Going to the General Assembly to visit Virginia’s Senate and House members was an experience I will never forget. My school, Blue Ridge Community College, has given me so many opportunities; this is what I wanted to convey to our legislators. However, I was a little nervous about talking [...]

Hello, my name is Melissa Haley Reid.   I attend Paul D. Camp Community College, and I plan to get my associate’s degree in education, then transfer to a four year college to get my bachelor’s degree in counseling/education. Out of my family, I was the first child to go to college. When I graduated from [...]

The Virginian Pilot today focused on a bill that would expand the number of community college students who would qualify for transfer grants. The newspaper covered yesterday’s House Appropriations Committee, where Ellen Davenport, assistant vice chancellor for governmental relations, testified on behalf of HB 437 submitted by Del. Bob Tata. The article begins: On television and [...]