Access to Community College Education (ACCE) Information

The Access to Community College Education (ACCE) Program is an economic development public/private partnership which makes college available debt-free to current year high school, home-school, and private school graduates who reside in the 91�ؿ� Valley. ACCE supports our youth by making college within reach. With the support of ACCE, students graduate from 91�ؿ� prepared to join the workforce or transfer to a four-year college/university without college debt. ACCE supports as many students as possible based on available funding.

ACCE Eligibility Requirements:

Students Must:

Have at least a 2.5 GPA to qualify and maintain a 2.5 GPA while in the program.
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and submit all FAFSA generated documents.
Qualify for Virginia in-state tuition and reside in one of 91�ؿ�’s service regions (Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties and the City of Radford) at least one year prior to ACCE application date.
Complete at least 80 hours of ACCE Volunteer Hours annually (100 hours in Giles County).
Enroll in a degree, diploma or certificate program that meets federal financial aid requirements.
Maintain full-time enrollment of 12 credits (may not apply to all students depending on dual enrollment credits earned in high school).
Pay tuition and fees for credits over 15 (ACCE funds will support up to 15 credits during the fall and spring semesters).
Purchase their own textbooks.
Attend an in-person 91�ؿ� New Student Orientation session.
Enroll in a College Success Skills course during their first 91�ؿ� semester, if required by their program of study.
Not enroll in online courses during their first semester, except College Success Skills or if a required course is only offered online.
Pay tuition and fees for any ACCE-sponsored course in which the student is unsuccessful (grades of F, U, or W). This amount must be paid in full or a payment plan established before enrolling in courses for the following semester.
Meet all ACCE deadlines.

ACCE Timeline for High School and Home School Seniors:

Each of the following requirements must be completed by the stated deadline to receive ACCE funding.

Timeline:	Information:
September 1	ACCE Application Opens: nr.edu/acce Students must apply for admission at 91�ؿ� (nr.edu/admissions) prior to submitting the ACCE application Students taking Dual Enrollment classes do not need to reapply.
October 1	FAFSA Application Opens:
TBA - Fall/Winter	Attend, with parent/guardian, a Financial Aid Workshop provided by 91�ؿ�. These are held at each of the local high schools as well as both 91�ؿ� locations
January 15	ACCE Application Deadline
February 15	FAFSA Deadline for ACCE Applicants Reminder: FAFSA information is communicated to students through their 91�ؿ� Student Account, so please be sure to check this regularly
March 15	FAFSA To-Do List Deadline for ACCE Applicants All To-Do List items must be completed and received by 91�ؿ�.
April 1	ACCE Award Notifications are sent to the student’s and parent/guardian’s email addresses.
Late April- Early May	ACCE Volunteer Hours Meetings Attend a locality-specific ACCE Volunteer Hours Meeting Volunteer hours must be served at an approved non-profit location as assigned by the locality’s ACCE Volunteer Coordinator Coordinators are listed on the ACCE website: nr.edu/acce
June 15	Deadline to register for 91�ؿ� fall courses It is very important to check your 91�ؿ� email DAILY after course registration.
June-August	New Student Orientation Attend an in-person 91�ؿ� New Student Orientation session. High School/Home School Transcripts Ensure your final transcripts have been sent to 91�ؿ�. Public high schools send these to 91�ؿ� on behalf of students. Private and home school students send these to Katie Brown.
July 15- (Floyd Co.) August 1- (All other localities)	Deadline to complete minimum of 40 volunteer hours It is HIGHLY recommended that students complete 80 hours prior to the start of fall classes; however, 40 is the minimum requirement. Giles County students must complete 100 hours annually.
January 5	Deadline to complete remaining volunteer hours (for a total of 80 hours) Giles County students must complete 100 hours annually.

*Note: Any changes to the above timeline will be reflected on the ACCE website: nr.edu/acce.

Returning ACCE Student Deadlines:

Complete the FAFSA by March 1 (You will need the same login information as last year.
Complete your FAFSA “To-Do List” by March 15.
Reach out to your Volunteer Service Coordinator to set up your community service in April.
Register for Fall classes by June 1.

Failure to meet these deadlines could result in the loss of your ACCE funding.

ACCE Non-Acceptance Ineligibility Appeal (PDF)