Welcome back to Extra Credit, a weekly roundup of education-related news from across Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Did you catch last week’s story about how some Virginia communities hope to fund school construction through a new 1% sales tax? I talked with Fred Echols of Radio IQ about the referendums and what we’re watching — listen here.
Have a story idea, tip or think there’s something I missed? Email me at meghan@cardinalnews.org.
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Washington & Lee raises income limits on free tuition program
Students from families that earn less than $200,000 a year could soon attend Washington & Lee University for free under an expanded tuition guarantee program.
The Lexington school is expanding its “W&L Promise” program by raising income thresholds to reach more middle-income families, according to a news release.
The W&L Promise, launched in 2014, is one of the oldest tuition-guarantee programs. Many colleges and universities have launched similar programs in the decades since.
Starting in the fall of 2027, students from families with annual household incomes below $75,000 will pay no tuition, room or board. Students whose families earn less than $200,000 will not pay tuition. This is made possible through financial aid programs not including loans, according to the release. Previously, the program was available to students whose families earned less than $150,000 annually.
“This expansion of the W&L Promise reflects the university’s continued commitment to making its top-tier undergraduate liberal arts education accessible to talented students from all financial backgrounds,” the school’s interim president, Ken Ruscio, said in a statement.
“We know that the cost of higher education is an important consideration for families across all income levels and too often students rule out an institution before they fully understand the financial resources available to them. We want talented students and their families to know that if they see W&L as the right place for them, they should not assume that costs put this education beyond their reach.”
More than two-thirds of current undergraduate students receive some sort of financial assistance, according to Sally Stone Richmond, vice president for admissions and financial aid.
“The W&L Promise provides families with a clear guarantee, and our commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated need without loans allows our university to continue to recruit exceptional students based on their talent, character and potential rather than financial circumstances,” she said in the release.
The expanded program will apply to all undergraduate students, including transfer students starting next school year. To be considered for the W&L Promise program — or any other university-funded assistance — students must complete an application for university-funded need-based aid, including the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and meet income-based eligibility guidelines, according to the release.
Emory & Henry welcomes largest incoming class in 190 years
Earlier this month, Emory & Henry University welcomed its largest incoming class in history.
More than 300 first-year students joined returning students, transfers and 68 international students to round out a class of 492 undergraduate students enrolled at the Emory school this fall.
Total enrollment is estimated to surpass 1,200 students across all levels at the Emory campus and the health science campus in Marion, according to a news release.
“This is an exciting moment for Emory & Henry, and we are thrilled to welcome our new and returning students to campus,” President Lou Fincher said in a statement. “This enrollment growth reflects the confidence students and families are placing in Emory & Henry and our commitment to providing an exceptional education that is both accessible and relevant to the opportunities of today and tomorrow.”
Increased enrollment is welcome news for the university, which, like many small colleges, has struggled financially in recent years.
Last year, university officials cut the school’s undergraduate tuition price in half — from $39,975 to $19,990 — and this year launched the Emory & Henry Promise program that covers tuition for eligible in-state students. New students who are Virginia residents with a household income of $85,00 or less will receive enough financial aid to fully cover the cost of tuition under the program.
“For 190 years, Emory & Henry has prepared students to lead lives of purpose and impact. Today, we are building on that legacy by creating new pathways to an Emory & Henry education for students here in Southwest Virginia and well beyond our region,” Michael Lane, vice president for academic affairs at Emory & Henry University, said in a statement.
“We want every student who comes here to know that they can be rooted in a strong community, prepared for a meaningful career, and ready to make a difference wherever life takes them.”
Weigh in on Roanoke County Public Schools’ new strategic plan
Roanoke County Public Schools’ new superintendent Jamie Soltis and his team are revising the division’s five-year strategic plan.
The plan, which focuses on student performance, proposes a more data-driven approach, including some new measures that can track progress over time, according to the division’s website.
Officials also plan to conduct annual surveys to track “perceptions of safety, instructional quality, and overall satisfaction.”
Community members are invited to weigh in on the draft plan by taking a survey. You can find it and more information here.
Roanoke College launches ‘Maroons on a Mission’ leadership program
Roanoke College is launching a new character education program that will include a comprehensive program for first-year students centered around service learning and mentoring, professional development opportunities and student leadership workshops.
The program, “Maroons on a Mission,” is made possible by a $300,000 grant from the Education Character Initiative, a project of The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. It’s aimed at expanding character education initiatives and supporting new students and service-learning opportunities, according to a news release.
“This is work that goes to the very core of our mission,” President Frank Shushok Jr. said in a statement. “Education’s deepest purpose is to mentor and inspire future leaders who understand their unique contribution and genuinely desire to use it for the common good. It is work that we embrace wholeheartedly at Roanoke College.”
The three-year grant and the framework for the program follow a campus-wide conversation about leadership, character and how the university can better serve students, according to the release.
The program will also offer new workshops centered on leadership, character and belonging, training for alumni mentors and more. Two Roanoke College professors, Laura Hartman and Karin Carneal, will oversee and study the work to inform national efforts around character education.
“Character is developed through practice, reflection, and meaningful engagement with others,” associate professor Laura Hartman said in the release. “This support allows us to create more opportunities for students to put these principles into action and to connect what they’re learning with how they want to lead, serve, and live.”
