VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Governor Terry McAuliffe awarded a grant that will connect Kempsville High School students with college and career tracks at Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College.
The school is one of the first five recipients of the Virginia Affordable Pathways Partnership Grants, which aims to provide Virginia students with a clearer path to higher education.
The program will offer students a path from the high school’s Entrepreneurship and Business Academy, through enrollment in TCC’s business and entrepreneurship program, to ODU’s leadership major. It will use online and other resources rather than textbooks to reduce costs to students.
“It is imperative that we are preparing our students with transferable workforce skills for career tracks in higher education and our workforce,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The Affordable Pathways Partnership Grants will allow more students to gain access to higher education or workforce credentials. These grants will help strengthen that professional pipeline by ensuring more students are building skillsets for careers of the 21st century and the new Virginia economy.”
The programs are expected to save students an average of $10,600 toward completing their degrees or credentials, with an expected cumulative $4.3 million for the first group of students.
