RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen college students from military families across Virginia will receive full tuition and other assistance as Dominion Energy Fellows attending Virginia's Community Colleges. These thirteen students are the first to benefit from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation's grant to the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE).

The $300,000 two-year grant establishes the Dominion Energy Fellows Program to support military-connected students at Virginia's Community Colleges who are within one year of completing their studies. Active-duty service members, veterans, as well as their spouses and dependents are eligible to receive this fellowship.

The inaugural class of Dominion Energy Fellows completes a group of 43 total Fellows offered through the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education. Out of more than 280,000 people who attend Virginia's Community Colleges each year, only a handful of second-year students are selected for a Fellows program.

This Fellows program provides full tuition, book expenses, fees, and opportunities to participate in a unique curriculum of intellectual and cultural activities. A cornerstone of the program is a commitment to community engagement.  Each Fellow will volunteer 80 hours of service during the academic year to strengthen their leadership skills and develop a strong foundation for future success.

The 2019-2020 Class of Dominion Energy Fellowship recipients are students throughout Virginia who have a wide variety of career goals and academic majors. They include:

• Corinna Carr of Newport News who attends John Tyler Community College. She is a military spouse pursuing a degree in Business with a long-term career goal to serve in hospital administration.
• Ryan Miller of Herndon attends Northern Virginia Community College and majors in Science. Miller is a U.S. Air Force veteran pursuing a career in electrical engineering.
• Katrina Duff of Bumpass attends Germanna Community College. She is a mother of four and the spouse of a disabled veteran. She is working on her Nursing degree and plans to transfer to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The Dominion Energy grant will also provide Military Student Success Funds to support military-connected students with expenses outside of tuition and standard fees, such as specific program costs, books, needed materials, and technology. These supplements can also help with food, housing, and other emergency situations that may keep a student from attending class. The Veterans Resource Centers will allocate the funding at seven of Virginia's Community Colleges: Germanna in Fredericksburg; Reynolds and John Tyler in the Richmond area; Northern Virginia; Tidewater; Thomas Nelson on the Virginia Peninsula; and Virginia Western in Roanoke.

"Virginia's Community Colleges have a strong support system in place for our military-connected students, from our Credits2Careers initiative which translates military service into college credits to our Veteran Education Resource Initiative for Transition, Advising, and Success program at seven community colleges. This grant is a powerful recognition of the growing needs of this important population to the future of Virginia," said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia's Community Colleges. "We appreciate the continued partnership of Dominion Energy in fueling student success across Virginia."

The application for the 2020-2021 Dominion Energy Fellowship opens in March, 2020. For more information visit www.vfcce.org.

About the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE):

The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) is the supporting arm of Virginia's 23 community colleges.  The VFCCE works to broaden educational access, support student success, and provide innovative solutions to workforce needs. Our mission is "providing access to education to all Virginians," with a focus on expanding access and programs for underserved populations.  To ensure access to high quality, affordable education, the VFCCE provides statewide leadership in raising funds for community college education, supplementing and supporting the activities of the 23 individual colleges, and securing support for major system-wide initiatives that could not be undertaken by any single college. For more information, please visit www.vfcce.org.

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. Together, Virginia's Community Colleges serve more than 241,000 students each year. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu.

About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation:

Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed nearly $35 million in 2018 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education and encourage community vitality. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy