25 Henrico eighth-graders receive full scholarships to Virginia Union University

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Twenty-five Henrico County Public Schools eighth-graders won’t have to worry about paying for college.

The students learned earlier this month that they had been selected as “VUU Henrico Scholars” and earned full tuition scholarships to Virginia Union University upon graduation from a Henrico high school in 2026.

The scholarships will cover Virginia Union’s tuition and college-readiness support as students pursue bachelor's degrees in areas of their choosing. Students will be responsible for room, board and fees.

During an application window in November and December, 116 students applied to be part of the program. In addition to essays and an interview, scholarship recipients were selected based on extracurricular activities; community involvement and leadership; a minimum GPA of 2.5; a statement about their career aspirations and dreams; and letters of recommendation. The selection process also prioritized first-generation college attendees and representation from Henrico County’s five magisterial districts.

The students will gather at Virginia Union with their future classmates for a celebration the evening of March 31.

The students won’t have to wait until they arrive as college freshmen to take advantage of the program. In high school, they will:
• be assigned a mentor throughout their high school years to help support, advise and prepare them for college;
• take part in a weeklong college-readiness and exploration program each summer;
• enjoy regular on-campus experiences, such as sporting and other events;
• have access to VUU labs, classrooms and faculty for educational and professional development;
• connect with local business leaders in their areas of career interest.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Moody Middle School – Tiajia Randolph;
• Brookland Middle School – Jayla Henley and Kalani Curry;
• Fairfield Middle School – De'Jhonae Sangster; Erica Higginbottom; Ja'Niyah Little; Shykayla Winston;
• Wilder Middle School – Chad Young; Eon Fleming; Hezekiah Anderson; Jaden Tatem; Kamari Moore; Mikayla Mines; Preciana Franges; Riyel Waller-Butler;
• Holman Middle School – Cesar Espaillat Rojas;
• Pocahontas Middle School – Jayla Bledsoe; Joshua Hanna;
• Quioccasin Middle School – Isaiah Cousins; Kaiden Ratay; Manas Malwal; Patrick Megaly;
• John Rolfe Middle School – Natalia Morales-Gomez; Osman Morales Diaz;
• Virginia Virtual Academy/John Rolfe Middle School – MacKenzie Turgeon.