The VFIC’s New Horizons program is a strategic initiative with two objectives:
a) to help the 15 Member Colleges to further diversify their student bodies, and
b) to expand college access and opportunity for students from lower-income, rural or minority families, or for students who would be the first in their family to attend college.

One of the core programs in the New Horizons initiative is a multi-year collaboration with Partnership for the Future (PFF), a remarkable college readiness program focused on helping inner city Richmond minority students prepare for and get into college. Surveys at the beginning of the collaboration showed that few PFF students were aware of Virginia’s independent colleges, and those who knew of them thought that these institutions were outside their range of college options. The objective of the New Horizons program is to make the PFF students aware of the VFIC colleges and to make the admissions staff of the colleges aware of the talent pool represented by PFF, thereby helping to open the doors of these colleges for these students.

In addition to partnering with PFF, the VFIC also works with Project Discovery, a statewide program that works to lower dropout rates and increase college readiness in students from low- to moderate-income families. There are currently more than 30 Project Discovery alumni attending VFIC Member Colleges.

Each year, the VFIC hosts a College Fair for our New Horizons partners.  This year’s fair introduced students from Partnership for the Future and Higher Achievement to admissions representatives from all 15 of our colleges.

Minority Peer Mentoring Program

The VFIC provides funding to peer mentoring programs designed to retain underrepresented students on our campuses until graduation.  Each campus provides support to a population of students of their own choosing, including racial minorities, first generation students, international students, and students with academic difficulties. In addition to providing extra support and programming for the identified students, the peer mentoring programs allow outstanding student leaders the opportunity to design and develop their own initiatives.

For more information on the program contact: Emily Lowry