Opportunity to Support Laurel Ridge Community College Dental Assisting Program

The VDA shared the positive news last summer that Laurel Ridge Community College was expanding its dental assisting program to its Fauquier campus. We now have an opportunity to help the dental assisting programs in Fauquier and Middletown be approved for FastForward and G3 funding from the state, allowing them to bring in additional funding to support the programs as well as make new financial assistance available to students enrolled in the accelerated dental assisting programs. If approved, Laurel Ridge would be the first FastForward-eligible dental program in Virginia. 

Laurel Ridge is convening a focus group of dentists in their direct service area (Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren counties, the city of Winchester) 

Your presence at this focus group can make a huge difference in the future of these programs. 

Please share your information with Paul Logan at logan@vadental.org if you are willing to participate. 

Additional background on the FastForward and G3 programs below:

FastForward at Virginia’s Community Colleges is a program that was launched in 2016.   Since its inception, the program has grown year after year thanks to generous funding and support from the General Assembly. FastForward is a pay-for-performance program for Virginia residents that incentivizes students to complete the program. In this model, students pay one-third of the cost of training, and as they complete the training and earn their credential, those additional thirds are covered by workforce credential grants.  Upon accepting the funding, students agree they will successfully complete the program or pay their portion back. More details:  https://fastforwardva.org/

G3 tuition assistance has been available since 2021 for students living in Virginia who qualify for state financial aid with a household income of less than $111,000. G3 is a last-dollar scholarship that, with other financial aid, could bring the cost of tuition at in-demand VCCS programs, including dental hygiene and dental assisting, down to $0. 

As the primary workforce training provider for the Commonwealth of Virginia, all 23 of Virginia’s Community Colleges proudly offer G3 tuition assistance to its students. G3 grants are also available for in-demand programs for equipment purchases and program expansions. The VDA has been a G3  program ambassador since 2022. More details:  https://virginiag3.com/