The Virginia House of Delegates recently passed a bill providing financial incentives to encourage students to transfer from community colleges to four-year colleges in order to continue their education. The bill passed unanimously yesterday in the Senate.
Cristen Richardson, legislative assistant to bill patron Del. Bill Janis, R-Louisa, said the bill will create a grant for students transferring from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions in Virginia.
To qualify, students must earn a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, according to the bill. A student's family must also have an income that is 150 percent below the median income in the Commonwealth.
Richardson said $2,000 will be given annually to eligible Virginians who earn an associate's degree from a community college and then enroll in a four-year college.
Receipt of the funding is limited to 70 credit hours or three years of schooling and must target undergraduates in the fields of engineering, mathematics, nursing, teaching or science.
Glenn Dubois, Virginia Community College System chancellor, said the bill is "a big step in the right direction," and will create a more favorable fiscal environment by lowering the cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree.
"By doing so, it will encourage more Virginians to pursue a bachelor's degree and position community colleges to play the on-ramp role to connect to great places like U.Va.," Dubois said.
Dubois added that the bill will also benefit the University.
"You are going to get a smart and prepared student coming over as a junior," Dubois said.
In the end, Dubois said he hopes the bill will encourage more Virginians to pursue a bachelor's degree because of the lower cost.
"Virginia will get back tenfold, if not more, because it will put more degrees in the economy, creating more innovation and more jobs," Dubois said. "It's a win-win-win situation."
Student Financial Services Director Yvonne Hubbard agreed that the bill will have a positive effect on the University.
"One thing that we work hard on in financial aid is to get people to believe there are ways to afford to go to school," Hubbard said.
According to Hubbard, the number of students going on to four-year colleges from two-year programs is statistically small because of the jump in cost. The purpose of the bill is "to defray cost between community college and four-year colleges," Hubbard said, so students who may be discouraged by the high cost of four-year colleges will realize they are financially able to earn their bachelor's degrees.
According to Hubbard, this bill will also help AccessUVa, the University's financial aid program.
"AccessUVa is very comprehensive, but requires a great deal of funds," Hubbard said. "The bill will provide another source of funding for financial aid at the University."
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