If walls could talk, Danville Community College would have quite a story to tell. It would begin in 1890 when the 11 buildings on the sprawling 86 acre campus in Southern Virginia were home to the Danville Military Academy. It would remain a military academy until 1939, just as Europe was heading into a world war. The campus itself became a subplot of World War II in 1944. Guarded by the military, prisoners of war called the campus home until 1945.
The end of the war saw the release of the prisoners, and the campus again found itself transitioning. This time Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Danville Technical Institute shared the campus. Eventually, in 1966, the two schools merged to create Danville Community College.
Today, Danville Community College serves students in Pittsylvania and Halifax counties and provides students with an idyllic setting for learning. Danville, self-described as “the heart of Southern Virginia,” sits along the Dan River, providing students and community members with plenty of outdoor activities, especially with the temperate climate year round. Golf, tennis, hiking, walking, biking, and motorsports are popular activities while antiquing is another popular pastime. Wine connoisseurs have the
Tomahawk Mill Vineyard & Winery; animal lovers might want to check out the Owen Farm and Petting Zoo; and baseball fans can catch a minor league Braves’ baseball game.
Danville Community College
Academics
With a student population of close to 7,000, more than half of whom are working toward an associate’s degree, Danville Community College graduated over 500 students in May 2011. The college boasts that graduates of some of its programs, including administrative support technology, air conditioning and refrigeration, and practical nursing have had a 90 to 100 percent employment rate upon graduation over the past decade.
Academic programs at DCC, which holds accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, lead to the associate’s degree, a diploma, or a professional certificate. Students working toward an associate’s degree typically plan on transferring to a four year institution while diploma and professional certificate programs generally lead to a position upon graduation from DCC.
Students can choose from more than a dozen majors for the associate’s degree, ranging from accounting and medical laboratory technology to general engineering technology and marketing. Diploma and certificate programs are available in such wide serving areas as air conditioning and refrigeration, graphic imaging technology, practical nursing, law enforcement, and drafting technology.
Danville Community College was one of more than a dozen schools to receive a $743,000 grant to help it strengthen its remedial programs to ensure students are well-prepared to succeed academically in college. In addition to its remedial programs, students have access to the Learning Resource Center, which provides assistance with research, writing, and tutoring.
In addition, the DCC Transfer Center is available to all students to assist them in preparing to transfer to a four year college or university. An adviser at the center can help students ensure they take classes at DCC that will transfer to a four year school, help plan visits to colleges and universities, and provide assistance on admissions, financial aid, and scholarship applications.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Danville Community College.
Danville Community College, which has an open admissions policy, requires that applicants meet one of several criteria to register for classes. Applicants must have a high school diploma, have earned their GED, or be a transfer or a dual enrollment student. Dual enrollment allows for both traditional and homeschooled junior and senior high school students to take classes for college credit.
Applicants, who have not earned a high school diploma and who are not a part of the dual enrollment program, may still be allowed to take classes at the college provided they are 18 years or older. However, such students may not be able to enroll in actual certificate or degree programs.
All applicants must fill out a paper or an online application form; submit high school and, if applicable, college transcripts; and to receive in-state tuition, must complete the Virginia Residency Form. Students must hold residence in Virginia for one year prior to the enrollment date to be considered an in-state student.
Once students have completed the application process, they will be scheduled for placement, or COMPASS, testing to determine in which classes they should be placed. Testing is held Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and requires an appointment.
Those students with significant life experience, previous training, or prior education may be able to parlay that experience into college credits. Consideration for advanced standing requires that the student contact the Dean of Instruction and Student Development Office for assistance.
Financial Aid
Students at Danville Community College, which currently charges an in-state per credit fee of a little over $100 as of May 2011, can help pay for their college education through grants, scholarships, and loans. During the 2008-09 academic year, over four million dollars in Pell grants were awarded to more than 1,100 DCC students while $100,000 in scholarship money from the Educational Foundation helped DCC students pay for their tuition and other education-related expenses in the 2009-10 academic year.
In addition to the Federal Pell Grant, which is awarded to students on the basis of financial need, DCC students may be eligible for a number of other federal grants, including the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant. The latter awards $750 for freshmen and $1,300 for sophomore students who meet eligibility requirements and is based on both academic merit and financial need.
Virginia residents may be eligible for such state grants as the Commonwealth Award Grant, the VGAP grant, or the Part-time Tuition Assistance Program Grant (PTAP). The PTAP grant offers financially strapped students, enrolled in a maximum of six credits, funds to help pay for tuition only.
Students may also want to apply for scholarships for which they are eligible. The DCC Educational Foundation Inc. administers scholarships, based on academic merit and financial need, to eligible candidates. To apply for scholarships for the fall semester, students must fill out the Scholarship Application Form by mid-March. A full list of scholarships available through the DCC Educational Foundation can be found on the official DCC website.
The federal work study program and student loans, including the Parent Plus or the Stafford Loan, may be used to offset costs not covered by grants and scholarships.
Student Financial Aid Details
How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Danville Community College 5293rd for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best Virginia scholarships and financial aid
Students on the campus of Danville Community College, which is a commuter school like the majority of its community college counterparts, enjoy a thriving college social life. Student activities abound on campus, providing a way for students to socialize, create friendships, and even help the community around them. The popular student club TEACH – which stands for To Educate Always Creates Hope – offers education majors and students who plan to work with children with the opportunity to volunteer within the community and to attend educational lectures.
Students who want to give a voice to those who have none, specifically animals and the environment, can join the Better Earth and Animal Treatment Society, which works to bring awareness to animal rights and environmental issues. The Networking Club is for computer students; the Japanese Culture Club exposes students to all aspects of Japanese life and culture; and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Students with an interest in politics can run for the Student Government Association.
Those students juggling college life with parenting have the option of enrolling their child or children in the on-campus child care facility. Families First Children’s Center, ideal for children from two months old through nine years old, allows students to receive affordable childcare while also giving early childhood education majors the opportunity to get hands-on childcare experience to compliment their classroom experience.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Danville Community College?
Danville Community College currently fields a competitive men’s baseball team. Members of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and playing in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), the DCC Knights wear the school’s colors of royal blue and white and have written quite a sports history for the college since the team played its first game in 2002.
In its brief history, the DCC Knights have proven a powerhouse on the baseball field, capturing VCCS conference championships in 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2010. In the years they didn’t earn championship status – 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009 – they were crowned the runners-up to the champs. The team’s winning record of 277 wins and 142 losses, as of May 2011, is a testament to Danville Community College’s commitment to developing a strong baseball program.
Student-athletes interested in becoming a part of the DCC Knights must fill out a recruitment form, which they can find and print on the college’s official website.
Athletes may also want to join the burgeoning soccer or golf clubs which, like the baseball team, play in the VCCS. Teams play against teams inside and outside of the VCCS.
The college is currently building its first women’s softball team. Because club sports – baseball, soccer, golf, and softball – are not funded by either Danville Community College or the state of Virginia, the teams must raise their own money, through fundraisers, to pay for the necessary expenses to play competitively.
Bibliography
Buck, Amanda. “PHCC Gets Grant of $743,000 for Remedial Instruction.” Martinsville Bulletin 22 June 2009. Print.
Danville Community College. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.dcc.vccs.edu>.
“DCC Sets 2010 Commencement.” Alta Vista Journal 5 May 2011. Print.
Demographics – Main Campus and Surrounding Areas
Reported area around or near Danville, VA 24541-4004
Surrounding community
Small city (inside urban area, pop. under 100,000)
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Danville, VA 24541-4004
p. 434-797-2222
w. www.dcc.vccs.edu