VCU, VCCS to receive $3.5M for transfer student program

The Mellon Foundation will award a combined $3.5 million to Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Community College System, VCU announced Tuesday.

“We are excited to continue our partnership on the Mellon Pathways Program and build upon the strong history of collaboration between VCU and the Virginia Community College System,” Deborah Noble-Triplett, senior vice provost for academic affairs at VCU and co-principal investigator of the grant, said in a statement. “This award will ensure the program remains strong and provides important continuity for our Mellon Pathways Program students as we welcome our first cohort to VCU.”

The grants will extend the Mellon Pathways to the Arts and Humanities Program until May 2025. VCCS will receive $1.98 million, and VCU almost $1.52 million. The program provides resources to arts and humanities students at Reynolds and John Tyler (becoming Brightpoint) community colleges who are transferring to VCU.

The Mellon Pathways program began in March 2018 with an initial $2.3 million from the Mellon Foundation. The first cohort entered community colleges in August 2019.

The program provides:

• Advising on course selection, transfer logistics and financial aid
• The ability for college students to take VCU coursework in their majors and participate in VCU events before they transfer
• Career development panels and workshops, and creation of a professional ePortfolio
• Funding and scholarships reserved for students in the program, like a stipend for Mellon Research Fellows

The new grants will allow the program to serve more students and provide Relevant, Experiential, Applied Learning (REAL) opportunities to transferred students through internships, mentorship and undergraduate research, with a focus on career planning and readiness.