SOUTHSIDE’S COLLEGE ATTAINMENT FOR PARENT STUDENTS (CAPS) PROGRAM
Are you a parent student balancing the demands of school, work, and family? Do challenges like childcare or financial stress stand in the way of your success? Are you seeking a supportive community to help you reach your educational goals while attending SVCC?
The SVCC College Attainment for Parent Students (CAPS) program is here to support you with encouragement, accountability, engaging events for both students and their children, and access to an emergency fund for parent students.
NATIONAL PARENT STUDENT AWARENESS MONTH
September is dedicated to uplifting and celebrating student parents in higher education. Your strength, determination, and dedication matter, and the work you do every day deserves to be seen and celebrated.
Below are some of the resources and programming CAPS provides:
PARENT STUDENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
Activities vary per semester
CHILD-FRIENDLY SPACES
“Busy Boxes” (boxes full of educational toys) - located in the libraries on both the Christanna and John H. Daniel campuses. The children of students and prospective students can use these boxes to stay busy and engaged while their caregivers visit these offices. (Please note that children must remain supervised while on campus.)
LACTATION ROOMS:
Christanna Campus (Alberta) Room 227 in the Student Success Center
John H. Daniel Campus (Keysville) Room 49 in the Main Instructional Building
*Rooms at other locations are available upon request.
DIRECT SERVICES TO STUDENTS
Panther Clothing Closet- The Clothes Closet is available Mondays (Christanna Campus) and Thursdays (Daniel Campus), 8:30 AM–4:00 PM in the Student Services Centers. Visit Student Services at your nearest campus. (Off-campus location hours may vary.)
Panther Pantry- The Panther Pantry provides groceries and snacks for any student in need, and the Clothes Closet offers gently used casual and professional clothing for the family.
TimelyCare - Take advantage of three free counseling sessions, self-care resources, and discussions among a peer community that gets it.
Laptop Loaner Program - Laptops are available for checkout from the college libraries to support you in completing your coursework. Please contact them for more information.
Tutoring
The Library and Tutoring Center offers professional tutors and student assistants who have been trained to help you with your academic needs, one-on-one or group tutoring, in-person or virtual tutoring. Contact Tutoring@southside.edu or call 434-949-1064 (Alberta) or 434-736-2042 (Keysville) for tutoring assistance.
Brainfuse is our online tutoring service that provides students at a distance with tutoring in math, science, social sciences, humanities, computer science, business, English, and more. Connect with real tutors virtually with Live Help. Use the Writing Lab to have your papers reviewed by an expert within 12-24 hours of submission. Visit: https://southside.edu/brainfuse-online-tutoring to learn more
Eligibility:
Before applying for Southside’s CAPS (College Attainment for Parent Students) program, complete the following:
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a complete application packet for FANTIC
Determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid Award
A Single Stop Screening - Another screening is not required if previously completed; this will determine if you are eligible for state assistance
There are two ways to complete a Single Stop Screening:Complete the online tool for an independent screening at https://app.singlestop.org/vccs/southsidevcc
or schedule an appointment to participate in an assisted screening by emailing singlestop@southside.edu
Once awarded, students must:
Register for and attend the CAPS Program Orientation.
Maintain Pell Grant or FANTIC eligibility.
Maintain enrollment in a minimum of six (6) credits or a Southside Workforce Credential Program.
Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to Financial Aid.
Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Meet with the CAPS Coach at least once per semester.
Notify the CAPS Coach before changing enrollment status (e.g., adding or dropping a course, changing your major, or withdrawing from a course).
Participate in at least one parent-student community engagement each semester.
Southside does not provide on-site child care services on campus.
Below is a website where parents can locate providers in their area.
ChildCareVA website