Collegiate Times

The office of university scholarships and financial aid recently added a new scholarship program for graduates of community colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lifeline Scholarship will be granted to six Virginia Community College System students who have maintained the highest grade point average while earning their associates? degree.

The funds for this scholarship are being provided by the state, but Virginia Tech is the only school in the state offering this scholarship to transfer students. ?This is a two-tier process, with the increase in students enrolling in the community colleges around the state of Virginia, four year universities are consequently getting that same increase in transfer students ? we are simply awarding the best and the brightest students here at Virginia Tech,? said Shawn Monks, assistant director of Federal Work Study, loans and scholarships.

According to the office of financial aid at Virginia Tech, in 2003, there were 13, 000 Tech students who received some form of financial aid from the school, so this scholarship will provide one more opportunity to students in need of financial assistance.

Starting with the 2007-2008 school year, this scholarship will benefit one student with a full tuition and fee scholarship and five others with a half tuition and fee scholarship. The following school year, 12 scholarships will be funded ? both for the continuing recipients and new recipients for that year.

The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia is an organization that works to promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive and coordinated system of higher education.

?Although other colleges around the state have implemented a scholarship for community college students, Virginia Tech has been nationally elite in reaching out to VCCS students,? the SCHEV website said.

?Virginia Tech is consistently a state-wide leader in its relationship with VCCS students,? said Chancellor Glenn DuBois, chairman for the Council of Presidents in the Virginia Community College System.

According to the VCCS, over half of graduates earning an associates degree go on to four year universities. The new Lifeline Scholarship will not only give students a reason to maintain a high grade point average while at a community college, but will also help assist those students who would not otherwise have the funds to continue their education.

This school year, 11,000 students enrolled in community colleges in the state of Virginia.

?We are extremely excited about this new Lifeline Scholarship. It will be a great reward for students who are working hard at the community college level and wish to continue their education at a four year institution,? said Jennifer Allman, director of student services for the VCCS.

Virginia Tech just announced the launch of this scholarship last week, so the VCCS is just beginning to get the word out to community colleges in the state. ?It should be a great benefit to students and we hope that other four year institutions will begin to develop a scholarship like this as well,? Allman said. In order to receive this scholarship, the VCCS student must earn their associates? degree prior to enrollment at Virginia Tech. These scholarships will be provided to recipients for four semesters and require that the recipient maintain a 3.6 cumulative grade point average; they must also be a full time student ? taking at least 12 hours a semester.

The scholarship will be divided equally among the fall and spring semesters each year. Unlike most scholarships, the Lifeline Scholarship does not require an application; the student who meets the given requirements will be notified that they have received the scholarship when they receive their letter of acceptance in the spring.