Student Frequently Asked Questions - Response to COVID-19

Click the questions below to find answers to many questions. You can find more health information about COVID-19 and best practices for staying safe and healthy at:

You should also protect your personal information and avoid becoming a victim of COVID-19 related online scams.

Taking Classes

＋ When will classes be held on campus?

The Virginia Western campus is currently closed to the public and non-essential personnel until further notice. We are carefully monitoring reports from the CDC and other federal and state government agencies to determine when it will be safe for students and employees to return to campus. While we will return to campus as soon as it is deemed safe, based on current information it is likely that we will not reopen for the remainder of the spring semester and that all current courses will be completed remotely. Courses that require hands-on activities may be extended beyond May 15^th in order to ensure that all course outcomes are met. Please ask your course instructor if you have questions about completing a specific course. When decisions are made about reopening, updates will be posted here and email messages will be sent to the campus community.

＋ Who do I contact if I cannot get in touch with my instructor?

Please contact Lori Baker, the Dean of Student Affairs, if you are not able to get in touch with your instructor. She will forward your message to the appropriate academic dean who will reach out to you. lbaker@virginiawestern.edu.

＋ What should I do if I don’t have the necessary computer equipment or internet access to participate in my class?

Brown Library’s first floor computer lab is available for students to use during library hours. Students may borrow laptops for the semester from the library with a photo ID. WiFi is available in most of the parking lots around campus. Please visit Options for Students Needing Internet or Computer Access for more information.

＋ How do I buy books if the bookstore is closed?

The Virginia Western Bookstore is closed to the public, but students may order books and other materials online or over the phone. During this time, Follett will ship purchases to you for free. Additionally, Follett has teamed up with several publishers to offer free ebook access. Visit https://www.bkstr.com/virginiawesternccstore for more information.

＋ Is the Testing Center closed? If so, how do I complete tests for my courses?

The Virginia Western campus is currently closed to the public and non-essential personnel until further notice. This includes the testing center. Students should discuss testing requirements with their instructor for each course.

＋ I am in a Health Professions program and am concerned about meeting my clinical requirements which might impact my ability to graduate?

Our Health Professional Programs are accredited by external national accrediting agencies and each Program Head has been working with their respective agency, on your behalf, to create a plan of action for you. Each program has different requirements and your Program Head is the appropriate contact person for the specific information. While each program has made plans for your success, do recognize that this is a fluid situation that is changing daily but our commitment is to you.

Student Support, Registration, Tuition & Grades

＋ What student support resources are available?

Remote access to resources and services for students is available. Please visit Student Support Resources and Learning Resources for detailed information.

＋ What is the tuition refund policy?

At this time, Virginia Western has NOT cancelled any classes for the remainder of the Spring 2020 term. Please work with your instructor to establish a plan for your success in your courses. The colleges Tuition and Fees Refund Policy remains in place. Students enrolled in second 8 week courses (courses that began on Monday, March 23^rd) may drop and receive a refund based on the academic calendar.

＋ What if I need accommodations for remote learning?

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is available to assist students with accommodations as outlines in their Accommodation Access Plan. Please contact Disability Counselor, Hillary Holland with ODS directly if you have any questions or concerns. hholland@virginiawestern.edu

＋ Will the grading scale for my classes change?

Multiple colleges and universities across the country are shifting to some type of a pass/fail grading system for the remainder of the semester. Discussions are currently taking place within the Virginia Community College System and additional information should be provided within the next week. Updates will be posted here and sent out through college email.

＋ When can I withdraw?

Students can withdraw from courses through SIS within the withdrawal deadline window. For the spring semester (16 week) courses the deadline is Tuesday, March 31^st. Beyond this timeframe, a process will be established to allow students to withdraw and receive a “W” grade beyond this deadline. For the spring semester (16 week) courses, this process will extend through Friday, May 8^th. Additional details regarding the extended withdrawal deadline and the revised process will be provided here and sent to the campus through email in the near future.

＋ Will graduation be held as scheduled?

Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges, announced that all 23 community college’s May commencement ceremonies will be cancelled in accordance with CDC and VDH guidelines. This includes pinning ceremonies.

Our commencement ceremony is the culmination of our academic year at Virginia Western and it gives us a chance to celebrate all the hard work and dedication our students have exhibited to reach their goals. With the evolving nature of this public health crisis, we have not yet determined the best way to reschedule our ceremony. We are, however, committed to honoring the Class of 2020.

＋ Are there any financial resources available to help students who are experiencing hardships during the COVID-19 crisis?

The Virginia Western Educational Foundation has a Student Emergency Fund Assistance program to help students experiencing a crisis or exceptional financial hardship while currently enrolled at Virginia Western. The Foundation is soliciting further support from the community for this fund during the COVID-19 crisis.

To help a student apply for the Student Emergency Fund, visit: https://virginiawestern.edu/foundation/assistance.php or contact Carolyn Payne, Scholarship & CCAP Coordinator, at cpayne@virginiawestern.edu. Members of the community can support the fund at: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/7e9db20c-c8a0-41ec-95d6-1bf432bc6f38.

CARES Act Student Relief Funds

＋ What are COVID 19 CARES Act Student Relief Funds?

The federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and included in it the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). This designated $1.38 million in emergency financial aid grants for eligible students at Virginia Western Community College.

＋ How did VWCC determine who gets funds?

Using guidelines provided by the federal Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System, Virginia Western identified the population of students eligible to receive the funds. The basic eligibility requirements were:

The student must have been enrolled in at least 6 financial aid eligible credits as of February 6th, 2020 (census date) and remained enrolled through March 13th, 2020 (date of national emergency declaration).
The student must have a FAFSA on file with no holds for citizenship or legal residency holds and/or selective service
The student must have an EFC between 0 and 19,000
The student must be in good Satisfactory Academic Progress standing
The student must be currently enrolled
The student must not be enrolled in all online courses since the beginning of the semester

＋ How do I know if I was awarded funds?

Students were informed in their student message center within SIS if they were eligible for these funds. Please login into your MyVWCC account and review your student messages.

＋ How much does each student get?

Our eligibility process identified 1,866 students eligible for COVID Student Relief funds.

Each eligible student will receive $740 as their portion of Virginia Western’s $1.38 million student grant allocation.

＋ How can I spend my funds?

The funds you will receive are intended for costs you incurred due to the disruption of COVID-19 and may include course materials, technology (i.e. laptop, internet access, data plans, etc.), food, housing, health care, and childcare. This also includes costs to support continued online education during the pandemic.

＋ How will I get my funds?

Virginia Western began the process to distribute these funds on March 14, 2020.

You will receive your funds either by direct deposit or a check will be mailed to the current mailing address on file. This depends on what payment method you have on file.

To review your refund options visit https://vwcc.afford.com/. If it is your first time setting up direct deposit, you will need to create an account by using the ‘Resend Registration Email’ using your school email account (do not use your personal email).

To check the mailing address the college has on file log into your MyVWCC account and click the SIS (Student Information System) tile. Then go to the ‘Student Center’ and scroll to the bottom of the page to review and edit your mailing address.

＋ What are the tax implications?

If you have questions about the tax implications please visit this IRS link: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-higher-education-emergency-relief-fund-and-emergency-financial-aid-grants-under-the-cares-act. For more specific questions you should contact a tax professional.

＋ I was not awarded funds. Is there a way to appeal?

No. Unfortunately, VWCC was allocated limited student funding and the current distribution of payments represents the entire pool of CARES Act Student Relief Funds.

Students who are in need of emergency funds are encouraged to apply to Virginia Western’s Rapid Response Emergency fund.

＋ I still have questions, who can I call?

Contact the Student Support Center by visiting this link: https://mysupport.virginiawestern.edu/ to chat or submit a question, or you can call 1-855-874-6690.

Technical Issues

＋ What do I do if I cannot log in to MyVWCC?

The Help Desk is available to assist students. Please call 540-857-7354 or email helpdesk@virginiawestern.edu if you need assistance.

＋ How do I get help with Canvas?

Click here for instructions and tutorials for using Canvas.

＋ How do I get help with Zoom?

Click here for instructions for using Zoom Video Conferencing.