Jan 26 2017
This article was published on Jan 26 2017 and was archived on Jan 27 2018. The information below may be outdated or inaccurate.
A new tuition assistance program for Floyd County students to attend New River Community College will begin with the class of 2017 thanks to a $78,500 Virginia Tobacco Commission grant received by the college.
Floyd County High School students and their parents heard last week about the new program at NRCC. With grant funding from the Virginia Tobacco Commission, graduating seniors will receive tuition assistance to attend New River through NRCC's Access to Community College Education (ACCE) program. Home-schooled and private school students in Floyd County will also be eligible for the program. More informational meetings/open houses are being scheduled and will be announced.
NRCC and Floyd County officials are working together to create this opportunity for county residents to attend college. Case Clinger, Floyd County Board of Supervisors' chairman, says, "We are excited to be partnering with NRCC to offer these opportunities to young people. Local and regional employers need people with technical skills, so this is really a win for everyone."
Students must be Floyd County residents for at least one year prior to graduation from high school, graduate from high school with at least a 2.5 GPA and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). ACCE students will also complete 80 hours of community service work in Floyd County annually.
"The ACCE program will work closely with each student, helping them to complete the FAFSA forms and tracking their performance closely throughout the semester. Our goal is that every Floyd County ACCE student will graduate from NRCC with either a career/technical degree or certificate ready for the workforce or a two-year degree to transfer to a four-year college," says Angie Covey, executive director of the NRCC Educational Foundation through which the ACCE program funding is secured.
Modeled after the Giles County ACCE program, which is a partnership between NRCC and Giles County that has been in existence for two years, qualifying students must enroll full-time at NRCC in a program that meets federal financial aid requirements. Priority will be given to Advanced Manufacturing (mechatronics, manufacturing technology, machine technology, industrial maintenance, computerized numerical control, welding and more) and STEM-H (engineering, information technology, nursing and more) students. Other areas include Business Services, Human Services and General Studies.
Radford City and NRCC have also developed an ACCE program, which will begin with the city's 2017 high school graduates.
"We're so happy to start the ACCE program in Floyd County and hope to help meet area employer needs and to assure for our students the preparation and skills for not only participation in the labor force, but a living wage," says Dr. Charlie White, NRCC's interim president.
"Every young person needs the opportunity to develop a skill that can help him or her earn a good living. This program provides a good pathway for that. I'm very optimistic about the future of these students and what they'll do for the future of Floyd County," says Joe D. Turman, Floyd County Board of Supervisors vice-chairman.
About The Tobacco Region Revitalization CommissionThe Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is a 28-member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. Its mission is the promotion of economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities, using proceeds of the national tobacco settlement. To date, the Commission has awarded 2,036 grants totaling more than $1.1 billion across the tobacco region of the Commonwealth, and has provided $309 million in indemnification payments to tobacco growers and quota holders.
Public Relations Specialist / Adjunct Instructor