MEDIA CONTACT:
Craig Butterworth
PR Coordinator
(804) 516-8473
2.18.26
RICHMOND, VA – More than 200 students and college administrators representing Virginia’s 23 community colleges are at the General Assembly today for Community College Student Day, meeting directly with state lawmakers to share how access to affordable education and workforce training is shaping their futures and Virginia’s economy.
Students and college leaders from across the Commonwealth are gathering in Richmond as part of a coordinated, single-day advocacy effort. Throughout the morning, student delegations are meeting with members of the House of Delegates and Senate to discuss workforce needs, career pathways, and the role community colleges play in expanding opportunity statewide.
“Virginia’s community college students are our best advocates,” said Dr. David Doré, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System. “They represent working adults, parents, first-generation college students, and future transfer students, people whose success depends on continued investment in education that is affordable, accessible, and aligned with real workforce demand.”
Community College Student Day is part of the Virginia Community College System’s broader engagement during the 2026 General Assembly session around priorities including expanded dual enrollment, increased access to workforce training and financial assistance, and continued investment in regionally aligned workforce programs.
Virginia’s Community Colleges serve nearly half of all public undergraduate students in the Commonwealth (48%) and generate $11.6 billion in annual economic activity. Notably, the system has the second-highest rate in Virginia of graduates working in-state five years after graduation (78%) yet receives the lowest per-student funding among Virginia’s public higher-education institutions, underscoring both the return on investment community colleges deliver and the challenges they face in meeting growing workforce demand.
Students are sharing personal experiences related to dual enrollment, short-term workforce credentials through the system’s FastForward program, transfer pathways, and other efforts such as G3, the Commonwealth’s tuition assistance initiative for students pursuing high-demand career fields. Colleges are also highlighting the system’s role as a primary talent pipeline for regional employers and communities.
Later in the day the student groups will be recognized from the floor of either the Virginia Senate or House of Delegates, reflecting bipartisan recognition of the role community colleges play in workforce development, economic growth, and regional vitality.
Photos from the day and additional information will be shared following the event.
About Virginia’s Community Colleges
Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills, so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. In academic year 2024, Virginia’s Community Colleges served more than 232,000 students across 23 colleges throughout the Commonwealth. Learn more at www.vccs.edu or fastforwardva.org.
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