The Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) program offers tuition assistance to Virginia residents who qualify for in-state financial aid, have a family income below an identified threshold, and are enrolled in an education program at an associate degree-granting public institution of higher education that leads to an occupation in a high-demand field. G3 can be used for designated programs in six of Virginia’s most in-demand industries: education, healthcare, information technology, public safety, manufacturing & skilled trades, and hospitality & culinary arts. Virginia’s Community Colleges received $34.5 million for the 2025-26 academic year to be awarded to qualified students who enrolled in approved degree/certificate and noncredit workforce training programs and who met the eligibility requirements.

Highlights of the 2025-26 Academic Year

• 20,129 VCCS (Virginia Community College System) students received approximately $34.4 million in G3 tuition assistance.

• 74% (14,991) of the G3 students enrolled in credit programs that lead to a postsecondary degree or certificate, while 25% (5,063) were enrolled in noncredit Workforce Credential Grant (WCG) programs that lead to a third-party licensure or certification. 75 students enrolled in both credit and WCG programs during the year.

• 1,265 associate degree and certificate programs and 1,139 noncredit WCG programs across all 23 community colleges were approved as G3 eligible.

• 36% of the enrollments were in manufacturing and skilled trades; 35% in healthcare programs; 20% in information technology; 6% in education, 3% public safety, and less than 1% in hospitality and culinary arts.

• 86% of G3 students enrolled during Fall 2025 also enrolled in the spring 2026 semester or graduated during the year.

• 79% of G3 students enrolled during AY 2024-25 reenrolled in AY 2025-26 or graduated during the two-year period.

• 2,974 G3 credit students earned 3,987 associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas.

• 4,039 G3 WCG students completed 6,485 WCG programs, and 2,558 earned 3,990 credentials.

• The median wage of 2023-24 G3 credit program completers more than doubled from pre-enrollment ($21,916) to post-completion ($44,676). The median wage of completers was about $10,500 higher than that of students who left their program before completing.