Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges
The Commonwealth Alliance's mission is "to provide our member institutions the resources to ensure their students have access to an affordable, value-based education that prepares them for success in a global economy". Since 1965 Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges (formerly known as The Virginia College Fund) has been a reliable, consistent source of financial support for rural "access institutions", providing direct support to students from low to moderate income households, minority students, and students who are the first in their families to attend college. Our member schools are: Appalachian School of Law, Averett University, Bluefield University, Eastern Mennonite University, and Ferrum College. As a statewide consortium well-known for over 50 years, The Commonwealth Alliance has been able to cultivate donors and board members committed to expanding access to higher education. The Commonwealth Alliance's support comes from individuals, corporations, foundations and trusts. Our member schools are located in rural areas of western, southern and southwestern Virginia in the towns of Grundy (Appalachian School of Law), Danville (Averett University), Bluefield (Bluefield University), Harrisonburg (Eastern Mennonite University), and Ferrum (Ferrum College). All are long-established fixtures of their communities, having operated continuously for a century or more. These schools provide employment, invigorate the local economy, and provide a crucial path to economic prosperity for those who attend. Each year, The Commonwealth Alliance divides 100 percent of its funding among the six institutions. The individual college or university will decide the size of each grant based on availability, need and academics. The average financial aid package for our six member schools is over $22,000 per student!
