How VCU’s new Career Bridge Program is setting up first-year students to succeed

When Melissa Osei Ntiamoah applied to Virginia Commonwealth University, she wasn't confident her federal financial aid would cover all of her needs. But she heard about VCU's new Career Bridge Program - which provides Pell Grant-eligible first-year students with financial and career support - and decided to apply to the program.

"I didn't know how I was going to pay for my tuition after FAFSA," said Ntiamoah, a sophomore pre-medical laboratory sciences major. "When I got the email I had been selected for this program, I was super-excited because it meant I would be able to afford my education."

The Career Bridge Program, which launched for fall 2025, provides students with significant financial resources, academic and career advising, and meaningful work-based learning opportunities. The goal is to help students graduate on time, with less debt and a clearer path to their career.

Ntiamoah was part of the Career Bridge Program's initial cohort of 25 first-year students. A second cohort of 25 students started this fall.

The program provides:

• Financial support toward the cost of students' education, including assistance for tuition, textbooks and technology/supplies totaling at least $13,000 for one year.
• Access to paid work-based learning opportunities aligned with students' career goals, such as on-campus jobs and/or internships.
• Dedicated career and academic coaching.
• A financial success coach to help students build and maintain a budget.
• A supportive network of advisors, VCU alumni and peers.
• Numerous valuable experiential-learning opportunities.

More than one-third of undergraduate students at VCU are eligible for the Pell Grant, which is generally available to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate or professional degree. Pell Grant eligibility is determined through FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The Career Bridge Program is funded by a grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which also supports Pell-eligible students more broadly at VCU. In 2025, the grant provided 531 Pell-eligible students with a combined total of more than $1 million in direct financial aid, as well as more than $70,000 in basic needs support.

"We've been given a unique opportunity to explore how we can better support students for whom finances are a bigger question, and this program has depended on students taking a chance on us as well," said Jonathan D. Fuller, Ph.D., director, First and Second Year Experiences at VCU. "I'm really grateful for the whole team that is not only working with students in the Career Bridge cohorts but is attempting to make some of our most vital student success resources more accessible to students with limited financial resources. All of these teams that support students' academic, career and financial success are stronger for all VCU students because of the Career Bridge Program."

For Ntiamoah, the program has provided her with support not just for tuition but also for textbooks, food and professional clothing.

Ntiamoah, who has a 4.0 GPA, plans to attend medical school after graduation and is interested in a career in anesthesiology or orthopedic medicine. The Career Bridge Program connected her with a professional working in the field.

The program also led Ntiamoah to get out of her comfort zone and attend career fairs.

"As a freshman, this program helped me do more things I wouldn't have done," she said. "I wouldn't have gone to a career fair because I wouldn't have known what to even say to employers. But the program required us to go, and I'm really glad it did."

The Career Bridge Program also linked Ntiamoah with career advisers and academic coaches.

"I really liked my academic coach," she said. "We met every two weeks, and he helped me plan out everything I needed to do in a week and helped me figure out how to handle my course load and all of my work."

The summer before Ntiamoah started at VCU, she was hired as a research development intern at VCU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. Last spring, SCHEV named her one of the top 50 interns in Virginia, recognizing them as students making a difference for their employers and distinguishing themselves through initiative, leadership and results.

"Melissa is an example of a student who dove head first into the Career Bridge Program," said Lillie Crawford, the program coordinator. "She took advantage of every opportunity, asked questions and formed valuable relationships with her peers and support staff. She is a very kind, hardworking and intelligent young woman who has excelled at VCU due to her passion for learning and desire to be the best version of herself. I am very proud of Melissa, and I cannot wait to see what she does with the rest of her time at VCU."

For more information about the Career Bridge Program, visit its webpage.