Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Glenn DuBois

Note: The following letter was written by the chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges on May 4 to the parents of high school students in the Class of 2020.

Congratulations! I write to inform you that your graduating high school senior has earned guaranteed acceptance to a Virginia community college, even if he or she had not previously applied.

The unprecedented public health crisis we’re experiencing is leading Virginia families to take a hard look at higher education options. But your student’s college dreams need not be delayed or denied as we find our way forward. Your community college is here to help.

At Virginia’s Community Colleges, your student will find flexible pathways and personal guidance from dedicated professors to stay on track. And, with the lowest tuition rates in Virginia, it just makes sense. Enrolling in a community college is a smart choice with many benefits:

• Dependable classes and courses: Collectively, our community colleges are Virginia’s leading provider of distance learning courses — and that was before the time of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Every day, our colleges are putting even more of their offerings online, ensuring that learning can continue no matter the restrictions deemed necessary to protect public health.
• Guaranteed college transfer: Virginia’s community colleges hold guaranteed transfer agreements with 36 public and private universities in Virginia, and beyond. Students can remain close to home, take college courses, or even earn an associate degree on their way to achieving that bachelor’s degree at their dream school.
• Avoid unnecessary college debt: Tuition and fees at Virginia’s community colleges are roughly one-third of the comparable costs at public universities while offering a high level of academic quality and rigor. As we work to overcome this crisis and its financial consequences, doesn’t it make sense to pursue an affordable pathway toward a college degree?

As a parent myself, I understand many of the things lost to this pandemic. We cannot replace the prom pictures and graduation parties you were expecting for your children. However, we can help you ensure that their college dreams aren’t the next victim in all of this.

Please visit our new portal for online classes at www.CollegeAnywhereVA.org, or your community college’s website, and let us connect you with the opportunities that will help them move forward, acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to live their best lives.

Glenn DuBois is the Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. He may be emailed at gdubois@vccs.edu.