Parents in Virginia community college program juggle coursework, expenses

A new program that started last summer for single parents. It’s called the College Attainment for Parent Students program and offers an array of support for this group of students — including a $2,000 financial stipend every semester that participants can use for child care or other expenses. There’s also additional emergency funding available for things like catching up on bills and unexpected car trouble. CAPS was piloted at five community college systems across the state, including Brightpoint, with tentative plans to expand to more schools and students. Right now, it’s limited to 20 students per college each semester — and each participating school already has a waitlist.