Foundation for Roanoke Valley Grants Two Thousand Dollars to Virginia Western Educational Foundation for ESL Course

The Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation has received a two thousand dollar ($2,000) grant from the Katherine Nelson Fishburn Foundation Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley.  The purpose of the grant is to help reduce the college's tuition costs for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for individuals living in the Roanoke Valley.  The course assists students, who in the past have represented 35 different countries, and whose English-speaking capabilities are limited.

"Virginia Western made significant changes in the ESL program in 2005 by moving the classes from credit to non-credit.  This move allowed us to bridge the financial barrier faced by many students and has resulted in a substantially larger program, " said Elizabeth Wilmer, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the department that administers the ESL courses.  "Support from Foundation for Roanoke Valley will help to keep this initiative strong," she added.

The ESL class is offered as a non-credit course at a fixed rate of $65.00 to reduce the cost to students, many of whom would pay the out-of-state tuition rate of $285.19.  Funding to offset the cost of student tuition is provided by student fees and private sources.  State General Fund tax dollars are not used in the program.

Demographic trends indicate that the limited English proficiency (LEP) population continues to grow.  The class assists students with basic conversational English, basic English grammar and writing skills, and social and cultural literacy skills.  The class, also, prepares individuals for employment or for becoming a future Virginia Western Community College student.

Virginia Western Community College is a two-year public institution of higher education operating under a statewide system of community colleges.  The College operates under the policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Virginia Western Community College Board.  It offers day, evening, and weekend classes on a 70-acre campus located in Southwest Roanoke as well as at off-campus locations in the area.  The College was established in 1966 and has grown from an initial enrollment of 1,352 to its current enrollment of over 12,500 students.

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For more information about this press release, please contact Mike Shelton, Interim Public Information Officer at mshelton@virginiawestern.edu or 540.857.6532.