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Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), with the help of a $2.1 million Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), will be able to significantly enhance the support systems in place for first year students and online learners.

“This is huge for our students,” says Dr. Quentin R. Johnson, SVCC President. “This grant will allow us to continue making higher education more accessible and equitable for our students.”

The grant will allow SVCC to put intervention systems in place for student groups that need additional support to succeed. It will also allow the college to significantly expand its student services infrastructure, resulting in future positive enrollment growth and increased student outcomes.

The proposed project, designed to take place over the course of five years, will include two overarching activities: enhancing support for first year student success and improving student services support for online students. The first activity will place an emphasis on first year advising, success coaching, career exploration and advising, financial literacy and empowerment, and faculty advisor professional development. The second activity will focus on offering remote students the same enrollment and advising services that are available to on-campus students.

“We are excited and honored to receive this grant,” Dr. Johnson said. “With this funding, we will be able to ensure that students in all learning formats and from all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to succeed.”

SVCC is one of 23 community colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). It is a two-year institution of higher education that serves one small city and spans ten rural counties. The college offers 23 degrees at the associate level, a host of shorter-term academic and workforce development programs, opportunities for dually enrolled high school students, adult basic education, and other transitional services for non-traditional students.