What it means for you
Virginia's G3 program covers remaining tuition and mandatory fees and provides a textbook stipend at the state's 23 community colleges, for students from families earning up to 400% of the poverty level who train for in-demand jobs.
Who benefits: Virginia residents eligible for in-state tuition, with household incomes up to 400% of the applicable federal poverty guideline, enrolled in approved programs in six high-demand fields.
If you want to train for a high-demand job at a Virginia community college, the state may cover what your other aid doesn’t. G3 is a “last dollar” program: after federal and state grants are applied, it pays the remaining tuition and mandatory fees and provides a textbook stipend, which can bring your tuition-and-fee cost to zero. Full-time students who receive a full federal Pell Grant can get extra help on top of that.
To qualify, you must be a Virginia resident eligible for in-state tuition, have a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty guideline applicable to your award year, and apply for other federal and state aid you may qualify for. You must enroll in an approved program in education, health care, hospitality and culinary arts, information technology, public safety, or skilled trades, manufacturing, and construction. Credit-bearing students must take at least six credit hours per semester; approved noncredit programs may also qualify.
G3 was Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) proposal; he announced it in December 2019 with $145 million in his budget plan. House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D) and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D) carried the identical bills that wrote it into law. HB 2204 passed 93–7 in the House and 37–2 in the Senate; SB 1405 passed 39–0 in the Senate and 93–7 in the House. Northam signed both on March 29, 2021.
SchoolsWork and wages
Sources
- G3 FAQsVirginia's Community Colleges
- Code of Virginia § 23.1-2911.2Virginia Legislative Information System
- HB 2204, 2021 Special Session I: bill historyVirginia Legislative Information System
- SB 1405, 2021 Special Session I: bill historyVirginia Legislative Information System
- New report finds strong wage gains for Virginia G3 graduatesVirginia's Community Colleges, September 29, 2026
- 2026–28 budget, Item 204: Higher Education Student Financial AssistanceVirginia Legislative Information System
- Gov. Northam proposes making community college free for some job-seekers in VirginiaThe Washington Post, December 12, 2019
How we checked this
Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) on November 11, 2026. Checked against its sources by GPT-5.6-sol (OpenAI) on November 11, 2026, which corrected it. Confirmed the law, sponsors, enactment dates, all four roll calls, current operation, and continued FY2027–28 funding. Corrected the overstated book benefit and removed an income figure that is not the applicable statewide 2026–27 threshold.
Spot a mistake? Send a correction and we'll fix it.
