ROANOKE – Virginia Western is becoming a top pick for high school graduates. Nearly 2,000 students have been covered by the free CCAP program since it started in 2008.

"I felt like this was an easier transition for me," said Kassity Shinault who attended Virginia Western orientation after choosing the community college.



"Her older brother decided to go the other route and went to Virginia Tech first. With his debt piling up it was quickly seen that maybe going through a program at Virginia Western especially something like CCAP would be a financial advantage so that's definitely incentive and we learned the hard way a little bit with her brother," said Kathy Clark, a mother of two.



CCAP--- The Virginia Western Community College Access Program, is becoming the first pick for what enrollment services director Brooke Ferguson calls high achieving students who could pick a 4-year college, but want to save money, stay closer to home or don't know what they want to study.



"I think a lot of those higher achieving students are thinking about graduate school after they complete a bachelors degree and the cost savings they can reap at a community college allows them more financial flexibility for graduate and postgraduate work down the road," said Ferguson.



CCAP provides free tuition for up to three years for students in the Roanoke Valley.

In 2014, the average high school GPA of CCAP students going into the program was 3.24. In 2016, it increased to 3.33.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay close or if I wanted to go out of state so this really does give me a lot more time to figure out where I want to go for my degree and help me to research more colleges to really pick the one I want to go to," said Shinault.



The Patrick Henry High School graduate will be one of 313 first year CCAP students starting in the fall.