Bob Spieldenner
bobspieldenner@schev.edu
(804) 718-9443 (cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2025

Richmond - The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) today released an analysis on the importance of college visits for middle school students, especially those from low-income backgrounds.

Last year, SCHEV, through our GEAR UP Virginia and Level Up Virginia initiatives, coordinated college campus visits for more than 5,700 students. Providing early and repeated college campus visits is a key part of GEAR UP Virginia’s strategy. Our experience, along with recent empirical research, demonstrates that the earlier and more often students experience college firsthand, the more likely they are to pursue it.

That’s becoming more important because Virginia and the nation are facing a looming “enrollment cliff.” Starting this year, the number of high school graduates is projected to decrease due to demographic changes. One possible strategy to overcome the expected enrollment challenge is to broaden the pipeline of prospective students by seeking out those who historically might not attend college.

GEAR UP Virginia is a federally funded grant that works with schools where more than 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches. Level Up Virginia is a broader, state-wide college access initiative.

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