Virginia highlands community college excel program

Virginia Highlands Community College received a $445,963 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education under the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program (CFDA 84.042), effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026. This award funds comprehensive support services designed to enhance academic potential and financial literacy for disadvantaged students, including low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities attending the college in Abingdon, Virginia.

The SSS Program services delivered through this grant aim to increase student retention rates, graduation completion, and successful transfer rates from the two-year community college to four-year institutions. As a participant in the federal TRIO programs, Virginia Highlands Community College will implement targeted interventions and supportive services that directly address barriers to postsecondary education completion for vulnerable student populations in the southwestern Virginia region.