REV Funding Extended to Assist Students Enrolling at MECC

Welding _REV
Big Stone Gap, VA – Students impacted by COVID-19 now have until December 30, 2021 to apply for Re-Employing Virginians (REV) tuition assistance to attend Mountain Empire Community College.

Governor Ralph Northam has extended the deadline, which was previously December 14, 2020, to appropriate $30 million in federal Coronavirus Aid,  Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars as part of the new REV initiative. The program provides scholarships to eligible individuals to enroll in a workforce or community college in five essential industries, including health care, information technology, skilled trades, public safety, and early childhood education.

MECC will receive more than $782,000 to assist residents of Lee, Wise, Scott, and Dickenson Counties and the city of Norton who are interested or are currently enrolled in high demand fields and have been impacted by COVID-19. MECC students as well as those considering enrollment, who are unemployed and underemployed, are eligible for a training voucher to pay for the cost of enrolling in a high-demand workforce education program. 

To receive a voucher, individuals must self-certify that (1) they are a Virginia resident (2) received unemployment benefits on or after August 1, 2020 or that they are working in a part-time job with an hourly wage under $15 after losing a full-time job due to COVID-19 and (3) enroll in an eligible program before December 30, 2021. Students and interested individuals who want more information related to eligible career paths and financial assistance are encouraged to visit www.mecc.edu/rev.

Those enrolling at MECC choosing short-term workforce training would receive up to $1,500 applied to their student account. Those choosing to pursue a career studies certificate, or an associate degree would receive up to $1,500 as a part-time student or up to $3,000 as a full-time student, which would cover the full cost of tuition for one year. 

For more information on MECC’s REV program, please visit www.mecc.edu/rev or call MECC’s Office of Enrollment Services at 276.523.2400 ext. 474.