NEWS UPDATE

Blue Ridge CTC Board of Governors Meeting December 4, 2024BRCTC Attends Mike Rowe ProgramBlue Ridge Community and Technical College Now Offers DISC Assessments for Community BusinessesBlue Ridge CTC and Washington High School Key Club Partner for Hurricane Helene ReliefBRCTC Recieves Grant to Support Creation of a New Commercial Driver’s License Certification ProgramBlue Ridge CTC Board of Governor’s Meeting October 2, 2024BRCTC SPACE Club Goes to NASAValley Health Contributes $25,000 to Enhance Simulation Lab at Blue Ridge Community and Technical CollegeBlue Ridge CTC Develops Workers with Digital and Human SkillsBlue Ridge Community & Technical College Hosts Career Fair for Job SeekersYouth STEM Enrichment Summer Programs NEW DATES!Completion of Blue Ridge CTC HVAC CourseBlue Ridge Community and Technical College partners with Mellott CompanyBlue Ridge Community and Technical College celebrates Spring 2024 GraduationBlue Ridge CTC unveils Articulation Agreement with Berkeley County Sheriff’s DepartmentBlue Ridge Community and Technical College Students Plant 400 Trees in Back Creek ValleyBlue Ridge partners with Frederick County Public Schools through JumpStart ProgramBlue Ridge CTC Receives Initial Accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical AssociationBlue Ridge Community & Technical College (CTC) Announces Commitment to Growing Global Cybersecurity Success during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023Blue Ridge CTC and TSPi Announce New Scholarship Opportunity for StudentsBlue Ridge CTC Announces Criminal Justice Degree Reforms to Reflect Changing Criminal Justice System Demands

Ascend Supports and Empowers Student Success

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s Accelerating Student Completion: Encouraging New Dreams (Ascend) is a program created to help more students earn certificates and associate degrees within three years.

Ascend

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s Accelerating Student Completion: Encouraging New Dreams (Ascend) is a program created to help more students earn certificates and associate degrees within three years. Funded by a grant from Arnold Ventures, Ascend replicates the ASAP program at CUNY colleges in New York whose students doubled their graduation rates by providing a range of financial, academic, and personal supports.

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s Accelerating Student Completion: Encouraging New Dreams (Ascend) is a program created to help more students earn certificates and associate degrees within three years. Funded by a grant from Arnold Ventures, Ascend replicates the ASAP program at CUNY colleges in New York whose students doubled their graduation rates by providing a range of financial, academic, and personal supports. These supports include comprehensive and personal advisement, career counseling, tutoring, waivers for tuition and mandatory fees, gift cards for groceries and/or gas, and additional financial assistance to reduce or eliminate the cost of textbooks.
Ascend also offers special class scheduling options to ensure that Ascend students get the classes they need, are in classes with other Ascend students, and attend classes in convenient blocks of time to accommodate their work schedules. As students approach graduation, they receive additional assistance to help them transfer to a 4-year college or transition into the workforce, depending on their goals.

Program Benefits

  • Monthly incentive to help with groceries and/or gas
  • Textbook assistance to reduce (or eliminate) the cost of textbooks
  • Waiver covering tuition and mandatory fees for any gap left over after applying your financial aid award
  • Dedicated Ascend Advisor to guide you from entry to graduation
  • Special registration options to help you get the classes you need that fit your schedule
  • Enhanced career development and academic support services

Eligible Programs Include…

Business

  • Business Administration
  • Business Operations

Culinary

  • Baking and Pastry
  • Catering and Hospitality Management
  • Culinary Arts
  • Food Service Retail Management

Engineering

  • Electric Distribution Engineering Technology
  • Mechatronics
  • Plastics Engineering Technology
  • Welding, Certificate

Health Science

  • Health Information Management
  • Healthcare Professions
  • Medical Assisting
  • Nursing
  • Paramedic
  • Physical Therapist Assisting

Occupational

  • Accounting
  • Agribusiness
  • Applied Laboratory Technician
  • Board of Governors
  • Criminal Justice
  • Early Childhood Specialist
  • Electric Utility Technology
  • Engineering Technology
  • Environmental Science Technician
  • Human Services
  • Occupational Development: Child Development Specialist
  • Paralegal Studies
  • Technical Studies

Technology

  • Applied Technology
  • Applied UAS Technologies
  • Computer Network Engineering Technology
  • Cyber Security
  • Database Management
  • Digital Media Specialist
  • Information Technology
  • Software Development Engineering

Eligibility Requirements
Apply To Ascend Now
Register For An Information Session

Questions? Contact:

Lisha Burks, Ascend Director:
ASCEND@blueridgectc.edu
304-260-4380 EXT. 2409

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