Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Virginia College Application Week (VCAW) at 32 Virginia high schools and proclaimed Nov. 18-22 College Application Week in the Commonwealth. This initiative is designed to provide graduating high school seniors with information and resources about the college admissions process and encourages students to apply to at least one higher education institution, during the week. Virginia College Application Week is co-sponsored with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.
“By ensuring that we have the educated workforce needed to fill the top jobs of the 21st Century, we better prepare ourselves to compete in an ever-changing global economy,” said Governor Bob McDonnell. “The college application process is a critical first step in this process.”
VCAW invites all students to learn about the variety of higher education offerings across the Commonwealth and offers hands-on support to the Class of 2014 at the participating schools to apply to Virginia’s world-class higher education institutions. The initiative will help support the Commonwealth’s goal of awarding 100,000 additional undergraduate degrees to Virginians over the next 15 years.
“Completion of a post-secondary degree first begins with the submission of an application. I’m pleased to again support this initiative which will encourage high school seniors to be hands-on about their future,” said Secretary of Education Laura Fornash.
Students and counselors have access to a website created specifically for the select VCAW participants to explore, prepare and apply to college. Each site must allow all eligible seniors an opportunity, during the school day, to apply to college with the support of the administration, volunteers, and college and university representatives. The 32 high school sites receive college promotional materials, application fee waivers, event fliers and informational posters and brochures to help carry out this new annual initiative and remove barriers to accessing higher education. Support is funded through state funds and the U.S. Department of Education College Access Challenge Grant, administered by SCHEV.
“The great thing about this particular effort is that it shows students exactly how to fill out a college application,” said SCHEV Director Peter Blake. “That’s extremely important for students who may be qualified to attend college but intimidated by the application process.”
College Application Week first began as “College Application Day,” a pilot program of GEAR UP North Carolina in 2005. Since then it has evolved into statewide initiatives coordinated in over 24 states across the nation and the District of Columbia. Virginia joined the effort in 2012 with a pilot event servicing 16 high schools. This year’s event doubles high school site participation and seeks to support almost 7,000 of Virginia’s high school Class of 2014.
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