Here’s what you need to know about Virginia’s G3 program, which covers tuition, fees, and books for eligible students.

MARTINSVILLE — If you had the opportunity to take your career and your life to the next level in just four weeks, would you take it?

In March, Governor Ralph Northam announced Plan G3, which stands for Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead. Now, Virginia residents who are eligible for in-state tuition and whose family income is 400% or less of the federal poverty level have the option of attending college for free.

The program covers education in five in-demand career paths, including early childhood education, health care, information technology, public safety, and the skilled trades.

Students in the Martinsville area jumped at the chance. Patrick & Henry Community College (P & HCC) currently has the highest G3 rates on the workforce side – this is the skilled trades portion of the program – among any community colleges in Virginia.

On the road to success

Tarniscah White, 38, mother of two teenagers, is one of P & HCC’s G3 students. She recently started the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program. She started working for a career in the medical field in 2013, but was unable to complete it due to other responsibilities.

Seven years later, the Martinsville-area mom decided to put herself first and pursue the career she always wanted. She signed up for classes and went to school. White’s dreams and ambitions are now center stage, though she has faced challenges along the way.

“Don’t get me wrong, it was a trip,” White said. “And even when I thought I was over my head, I kept going.”

She said moving forward with the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program would help her achieve her goal of working in the medical field. And that’s thanks to funding from the G3.

“The main advantage was that the class is practically hand-wrapped as a gift for you,” White said. “It was scale-based, and I enjoyed it so much because that way there’s the whole program in online and in-class sections, but at a faster pace. But you have access to help if you need it.

The impact of G3

Even though this is the first time the community college has offered G3 funding, it is already having an impact.

“Two in five students who earned a G3 in the Virginia Community College System are new to the Virginia Community College System,” said Rhonda Hodges, vice president of workforce, economics and community development by P & HCC. “So, you know, that’s what we want. We want students to come all the time, taking advantage of the programs that we have so that they can have a very good career path. ”

For many of these students, financial barriers are no longer a factor in obtaining a college education. For example, 94% of students in P & HCC’s Fast Forward 2021 program attend for free. FastForward is a short-term workforce training program that helps equip Virginians with industry credentials and certifications for in-demand jobs in the Commonwealth.

“They can cover everything. Tuition, books, you know, down to the last dollar for college programs, ”Hodges said. “It can also help where there can also be other financial help. It can come and cover any remaining costs for our Fast Forward programs. This covers [those programs] fully, as long as they are approved in these areas.

Hodges added that the result of these focused efforts to help more people get quality training without the financial burden is huge: Currently, Martinsville has a poverty rate. by almost 24%.

“These are all highly demanded fields and career paths, for the most part well paying. And so [students are] going to come out, no debt, be able to have a great career, start making really big money right away, ”Hodges said. “It’s just a huge impact.”

“It’s not just this student,” she continued. “You know, it’s their whole family. These are their future families. It’s the community. It really has an impact on the whole community.

A month that changes life

G3 provides students with educational opportunities tailored to their specific needs and goals, as long as they are linked to the program’s five career paths. Whether it’s a professional designation, certification or associate’s degree, G3 takes care of it. Students can also stack G3 programs; in other words, they can ultimately graduate with two workplace certifications and an associate’s degree, for example.

While some G3-related programs have a longer completion date, others only require one month of classes Monday through Thursday at P & HCC. Hodges developed the life changing offerings.

“We work with employers in the construction trades and the home construction industry,” Hodges said. “We are setting up an accelerated NCCER core, which is a Fast Forward program. It is approved for G3 funding. But we’ll do it in about four weeks.

The National Center for Construction Education and Research Core is a rigorous, skills-based, industry-recognized program for vocational and technical training. The college has worked with local industry leaders to offer guaranteed interviews to students who complete the program.

“We have at least one that will allow them to earn a higher salary after the training is complete,” Hodges said. “G3 gives us the ability to bring in these students, cover probably all, if not most, of their costs for the program, and get quick access to an interview and a job. But it also helps us serve the employers who have a high demand right now, you know, for employees. And so, we are able to form a group quickly and at very little or no cost, and prepare them for the employer.

Am I eligible?

If a financial barrier is preventing you or someone you know from going to college, the G3 program offers a solution.

There are six eligibility criteria that applicants must meet to receive G3 funding.

First of all, the student must qualify for the tuition fees in the state. Typically, this means that a potential student has lived in the Commonwealth for at least a year. However, there are some exceptions to the rule § 23.1-506 in the Virginia Code. The exceptions remain in effect until August 1, 2022.

Second, the student must demonstrate financial need. This means that they have a total household income less than or equal to 400% of the federal poverty level. For a household of four, for example, this works out to about $ 100,000.

Then, students must apply for a number of courses to qualify for funding. If they enroll for a minimum of six credit hours at their local community college, they meet the requirements.

Fourth, students must have a high school diploma or GED before they can get G3 funding.

Fifth, students must enroll in a designated G3 program. This is one of the five career paths mentioned earlier.

Finally, because G3 aid makes the difference between what federal or state financial aid pays, students should apply for federal and state financial aid before the G3 exam. For example, if you have completed your Free Federal Student Aid Application (FAFSA), this is a step in the right direction since G3 considers other grants and scholarships first. When combined, the funds are designed to bring a student’s total out-of-pocket expense to $ 0.

If you are approved for G3 funding, you will need to maintain a GPA of 2.0 to remain eligible for continued assistance for up to three years.

“There’s no better time for someone to get training, come to school, come to college and prepare for a career than now,” Hodges said.

Amie Knowles reports for The Dogwood. You can reach her at [email protected]

DO NOT MISS :