HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Tidewater Community College announced Wednesday that it will be providing scholarships to Virginians who are unemployed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The college says that the deadline to apply for the “workforce training” in a “high-demand field” is Dec. 14. The five essential industries for the program include health care, information technology, skilled trades, public safety, and early childhood education. 

The scholarship falls under Governor Ralph Northam’s Re-Employing Virginians (REV) initiative in which $30 million in federal funding from the CARES Act has been allocated.

The initiative is set to provide one-time REV scholarships of $3,000 for those registered in a qualifying full-time workforce program and $1,500 for those registered in a part-time or in a short-term, noncredit training program.  

“Virginians who have been furloughed had hours reduced, or lost a job because of the pandemic are struggling and wondering what the future holds,” Northam said. “Investing in programs that help people develop skills in high-demand fields is a win for workers, employers and our economy. As we focus on recovering from the impacts of the global pandemic, the new REV initiative will give Virginians the resources they need to get back on their feet and help ensure that our Commonwealth emerges from this public health crisis even stronger than we were before.” 

According to a statement released by the college, of the total funding, $27 million will be allocated to the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) for statewide programs and $3 million for both Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads Local Workforce Development Areas under the REV initiative.

The statement says that Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia combined have experienced nearly 50% of the state’s initial and continuing unemployment claims. 

“TCC is grateful for the opportunity to provide educational funding to the citizens of Hampton Roads,” said Tamara Williams, interim vice president of TCC’s Center for Workforce Solutions. “Our area is still seeing high numbers of unemployment and underemployment, and the situation is exacerbated for women and people of color.  The college will award over $3 million in scholarship funds in high-demand career areas, bridging the gap between education and industry.” 

“The REV initiative offers you another way into the short-term credential and degree programs that prepare you for a high-demand career. These opportunities will be more affordable than ever before thanks to these grants, and we look forward to helping individuals and families who want to move forward, beyond the unexpected challenges posed by the pandemic,” said VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois. 

Those interested can email REV@tcc.edu for more information or visit tcc.edu/paying-for-college.

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