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VPCC reports enrollment gains but warns Fast Forward funding limits capacity
Summary
Virginia Peninsula Community College told the Hampton City Council it has seen two years of enrollment growth, with Hampton residents making up about 24.7% of students, but officials said state constraints on Fast Forward funding have forced the college to reduce program capacity this year.
Virginia Peninsula Community College officials told the Hampton City Council they are seeing an enrollment rebound but face funding limits that are constraining workforce training programs.
"For the first time in many years ... we're growing," said Nikkia Madre Smith, director of campus and community initiatives at VPCC, reporting two consecutive years of enrollment growth and that Hampton students represent about 24.7% of the college's total enrollment. Smith said the college is on track for a third year of growth.
College leaders emphasized the role of Fast Forward, a state-funded workforce credential grant that supports short-term, noncredit credential programs in fields such as allied health, HVAC, IT and welding. "The workforce credential grant is a state funded program that covers 0.667 of a student's tuition," Smith said, describing a three-part payment structure: a payment at class start, a payment at completion and a final payment on certification.
VPCC officials said rapid program growth led to spending beyond the program's original allocation. "Due to the success of the program, we have actually spent more money than has been allocated to us," Smith said, adding the Virginia Community College System reallocated funds through fiscal year 2025 but that practice was curtailed for fiscal year 2026. "So it has impacted our ability to serve a larger number of students through that Fast Forward funding."
City and college representatives said additional funding in the state's current budget deliberations and use of VCCS fund balance could restore capacity for a first year of expansion, but sustained state support would be needed for long-term program growth. "A large part of it is coming from our own Virginia Community College System, a surplus that we have," Smith said, adding that beyond year one continued state contributions will be important.
The presentation outlined a mix of funding sources — Fast Forward, possible WIOA support and partner grants — that can reduce or eliminate student costs in many cases, but officials warned that not all programs are covered and eligibility varies by program and student need.
Officials invited further council engagement, noting the college's new trade centers and local partnerships that feed the regional workforce pipeline.
