Appomattox Area News

During these times of economic uncertainty, Virginia private colleges remain affordable and provide a valuable, personal education, according to officials with the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV).

Prospective students and parents are invited to meet with Lynchburg College (LC) President Kenneth Garren at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, for a special Wrap Session (Within Reach and Personal) about the value of a Lynchburg College education. Visitors will also be given a campus tour and an opportunity to eat in the dining hall at no charge.

“This session serves to highlight Lynchburg College’s more than century-long commitment to providing financial aid to its students to help them on the path to successful, productive lives,” Dr. Garren said. “In these difficult economic times, we remain focused on providing an affordable, quality education.” Dr. Garren is a member of the CICV executive committee.

LC joins 24 other undergraduate private colleges across Virginia in offering this discussion, sponsored by the CICV.

Lynchburg College also offers prospective students opportunities year round to learn about financial aid. Prospective students and their parents who are unable to attend the Jan. 24 event, for example, can take advantage of Lynchburg College’s Open House on Jan. 31 and a special financial aid workshop on Feb. 5 for local students.

Ninety-eight percent of LC’s undergraduates receive some form of financial assistance which may include College grants or scholarships, loans, and work study.

Lynchburg College financial aid opportunities include:

• $20 million in financial aid from the College in grants and scholarships;
• Academic scholarship awards that range from $3,000 to $14,000, as well as those awarded in the College’s scholarship competitions, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000;
• Need-based awards and other grants such as the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) $3,200.

Antione Smith, a junior exercise physiology major at LC from Bedford, is one student who never imagined he could afford college until he met Michelle Davis, LC’s director of financial aid, when she spoke at Liberty High School his senior year. “I had no idea how I was going to get to college,” Smith said. He and his three siblings were taking care of their mother, who had been disabled by a stroke. With help from Davis, however, he was able to get a package of grants and loans to attend LC.

Shana Johnson, a sophomore math major from Lynchburg, is another student who relies on financial aid to attend LC. Her mother is a single parent with five children and Shana wanted to stay near home. “Without all the assistance, I would never have been able to afford to go to Lynchburg College,” she said.

The WRAP sessions will focus on alleviating some of the financial stress felt by families, as well as dispelling some common misconceptions about the cost of a private college education.

Myth: Tuition at a private college is beyond reach, and a state school always costs less.

Reality: Most students pay considerably less than the published tuition price at a private college. The difference between public and private college tuition is far less than many families assume, thanks to significant merit and need-based grants and the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG). Last year, private colleges awarded more than $270 million in grants and scholarships.

Myth: It’s easy for a high-income family to afford a private college education. It’s much more difficult for other families.

Reality: In Virginia, private colleges enroll a higher percentage of federal Pell Grant recipients (typically students from families with incomes of $40,000 or less) and minority students than public colleges. National studies have shown that students attending private colleges, on average, have a similar family income as those attending public colleges.

Myth: Public or private college – it doesn’t make any difference.

Reality: Parents should compare the time it takes to graduate as well as overall graduation rates, class size, student/faculty ratio, and personal attention received by students. It is becoming increasingly difficult to graduate in four years from some large, public universities.

Myth: There will be less assistance from government sources.

Reality: Last month, Governor Tim Kaine’s proposed budget protected funding for the undergraduate TAG award, which provides an annual grant of $3,200 to Virginia residents attending a private college in the state. Furthermore, federal loans and grants are unlikely to be affected by the recession.

For more information, visit http://www.lynchburg.edu/admissions.xml or contact Michelle Davis, LC director of financial aid, at 434/544-8229.