Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program

Winner of the 2009 Virginia Excellence in Education Award for Community Colleges!

Pathway's Mission

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program increases access to and success in higher education for selected Northern Virginia high school students who have the desire and capacity to achieve a bachelor’s degree, but whose likelihood of academic success would be significantly enhanced by receiving the targeted support and structural guidance provided by the Pathway Program. The program provides an environment to facilitate the successful transition and increased retention, graduation and transfer of students from high school, through Northern Virginia Community College, to George Mason University or another university of the student’s choice.

Our Partnership

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate program was launched in Fall 2005 through a united effort and common goal to improve college access and success for underrepresented students in higher education living in Northern Virginia. The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program is a joint initiative of Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation co-supports our Loudoun County branch.

What Pathway Does

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program provides support to selected students using a one-stop, case management format as they transition from participating high schools to NOVA, through NOVA, and as they transfer from NOVA to George Mason or another university.

Our interventions include:

• One-on-one meetings with a Pathway Counselor to prepare for college transition     
• Regular workshops on college transition issues, including placement test preparation and financial aid 
• Personalized assistance with applying for financial aid and scholarships 
• Early placement testing and priority registration 
• Learning community/cohort courses and student development programming at NOVA 
• Grant and scholarship funding dedicated to program participants 
• Participation in academic, social, athletic and cultural events at both NOVA and GMU
• Designated program counselors on campus to guide students through their college careers 
• Assistance with each step of transferring to a four-year college or university  
• The chance to enroll in classes at GMU while completing a NOVA degree 
• Guaranteed admission to GMU upon completion AA or AS degree and a 2.50 cumulative GPA

Pathway Schools

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program currently operates in 31 high schools and centers across Northern Virginia, including 12 sites in Fairfax County, 10 in Loudoun County, 9 in Arlington County and 1 in Alexandria City. A complete listing of participating program sites and designated counselors may be accessed on the Pathway staff page.

Pathway students currently attend all six campuses of NOVA and the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. Pathway students are also successfully transferring to other universities, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University and Howard University to name a few.

Pathway Eligibility and Admission

Admission to the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program is selective and is open to high school seniors at participating high schools and centers only.  Priority application deadlines typically range between early November and early December of the senior year of high school, with additional applications considered on a space-available basis until February 1. Interested students should obtain an application from their High School Counselor or Career Center Specialist. Please note, admission to the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program and admission to NOVA are two separate admissions processes.

Pathway Students

Approximately 3,600 students will participate in the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program in the 2009-2010 academic year, with an additional 1,500 high school students across Northern Virginia expected to join the program annually. Ninety-three percent of program participants meet one or more U.S. Department of Education criteria known to adversely affect academic persistence in college.  

• High school GPA range: 0.5 to 4.1; median high school GPA: 2.50
• 76% of participating students are members of minority groups
• 68% of participating students are the first in their families to attend college
• 67% of participating students report an annual family income less than half the median family income in the Northern Virginia region
• 28% of participating students report having a documented disability

Pathway's Success

The Pathway Program has demonstrated a profound impact on college access and success for participating students. Pathway students outperform national and college benchmarks of college transition, retention, academic standing, graduation and transfer. 

• 84% of students transitioned from high school directly into post-secondary education
• 12% of students transitioned directly from high school into a four-year institution
• 90% of students at NOVA are retained from the first to the second semester
• 81% of students at NOVA are retained from year to year
• 70% of students are in good academic standing after the first semester
• 98% of students at NOVA earned college credit in the first year

In 2009, the Pathway Program was awarded the Virginia Excellence in Education Award for Community Colleges in recognition of its role in increasing college access and success for underrepresented students in higher education. Pathway was also a finalist in the Excelencia in Education Foundation’s 2009 Examples of Excelencia, noting the program’s strong outcomes in supporting Latino students in higher education.

Please see the Program Fact Sheet for more information on our program outcome data and student demographics. The Pathway Program graciously acknowledges the generosity of the following scholarship donors: The Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA), The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Wachovia Foundation and Professor Richard Semmler.

For program information, please contact:                
Kerin A. Hilker-Balkissoon, Program Director  
8333 Little River Turnpike, CG 202
Annandale, VA 22003  
Phone: 703.323.3063
Fax: 703.323.2341
Email: khilker@nvcc.edu

Potential scholarship donors should contact the NOVA Educational Foundation:
4001 Wakefield Chapel Road
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: 703.323.3023
Fax: 703.323.3751    
Email: foundation@nvcc.edu