What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Virginia
When selecting a community college, you should consider what type of career you want to pursue and your earning potential. In 2021, the top five highest paying careers for associate degree holders in Virginia were air traffic controllers, legal support workers, nuclear technicians, funeral home managers, and dental hygienists.
Associate degree holders entering the workforce in Virginia should also consider which occupations tend to have high job availability. The top five careers expected to have the most job openings for the next ten years are preschool teachers (excluding special education), paralegals and legal assistants, legal support workers, computer network support specialists, and electrical engineering technicians.
It’s important to consider which careers are expected to thrive and which are expected to decline. Jobs expected to undergo the greatest decline for associate degree holders in Virginia are desktop publishers, broadcast technicians, embalmers, drafters, and nuclear technicians.
What’s Next?
One of the most important factors to consider when pursuing community college is cost. We’ve put together a list of federal and state resources to facilitate access to the grants, scholarships, and financial aid available for associate degree students in Virginia.
- Virginia Department of Education. The Virginia Department of Education connects residents to resources about state, local, and federal funds. It also offers information about the minimum qualifications to apply.
- Federal Student Aid. Every year, students across the United States receive over $120 billion in financial aid from the Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. To see if you qualify for a scholarship, grant, or loan, visit the FAFSA4caster. Then, you can apply with the online FAFSA form.
- CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop connects students to scholarships and information about their deadlines, award amounts, and qualification requirements. Users can even filter this information by degree level and state.