Virginia’s Community Colleges were created more than 40 years ago to address Virginia’s unmet needs in higher education and workforce training. That pursuit continues with Achieve 2015, a six-year strategic plan for Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Achieve 2015 is focused on the needs of the communities we serve, not the needs of our community colleges.

Community input served as the genesis for this strategic plan. Formal and informal conversations across Virginia with students, business and community leaders and elected officials guided the plan’s creation. The ultimate success of the plan will be judged with Virginia’s Community Colleges report back to those communities with the results of its five measurable goals.

Access • Affordability • Student Success • Workforce • Resources

Access

Increase the number of individuals who are educated and trained by Virginia’s Community Colleges by 50,000 to a total of 423,000, with emphasis on increasing the number from underserved populations by at least 25,000 individuals.

Affordability

Maintain tuition and fees at less than half of the comparable cost of attending Virginia’s public four-year institutions, and increase the number of students who receive financial assistance and scholarships by 36,000.

Student Success

Increase the number of students graduating, transferring or completing a workforce credential by 50 percent, including increasing the success of students from underserved populations by 75 percent.

Workforce

Double the number of employer provided training and services to 10,000, with a particular focus on high-demand occupational fields.

Resources

Raise at least $550 million in gifts and grants to support the mission of Virginia’s Community Colleges.