For Immediate Release:
May 25, 2021
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Laurel Ridge is happy to announce that the in-state tuition rate for the 2021-2022 academic year will remain the same as it has been since 2018.
The State Board for Community Colleges, by a unanimous vote, elected to maintain the current in-state tuition and mandatory fees for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Board’s decision means tuition will remain at today’s rate of $154 per credit hour – keeping community college tuition and mandatory fees at approximately one-third of the comparable costs of attending Virginia’s public four-year universities.
Further, the State Board maintained the existing tuition rate for out-of-state students, which is $354.10 per credit hour. More than 90 percent of students in the 23-college state system are Virginia residents.
“Our Board has had some tremendous partners in the Virginia General Assembly working to keep our courses and programs as accessible and affordable as possible, and I applaud them,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “As we take our vaccines and move beyond the pandemic, we know that plenty of Virginians need our help beginning, or re-starting, their careers and we are here to help them do just that.”
The State Board’s decision comes as G3 Scholarship funding becomes available. G3 (Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back) Scholarships cover tuition and fees for students who qualify for state financial aid and who are taking select programs in the most in-demand industries – early childhood education, health care, information technology, public safety and skilled trades.
Available to lower- and middle-income students, the G3 program is a last-dollar scholarship, which means that when combined with other financial aid, it can bring the cost of tuition down to zero.
“I’m thrilled that the State Board for Community Colleges made the decision to keep tuition rates steady once again,” said Laurel Ridge President Kim Blosser. “The pandemic has been so hard on everybody, and knowing that students won’t have to worry about tuition going up is a weight off my mind. Our hope is that with more in-person classes and the new funding sources to help students pay for career-training programs, more students will be ready to focus on their education.”
Learn more about G3 Scholarships at www.laurelridge.edu/g3. Explore all of Laurel Ridge’s programs and other funding opportunities at www.laurelridge.edu/explore.
*************************
Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected], 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.
###