Virginia Union University and Henrico County Public Schools have partnered to establish “VUU Henrico Scholars,” a new program that will award full, four-year tuition scholarships to 25 eighth-graders to attend the university when they graduate in 2026.

The scholarships will cover tuition at VUU as students pursue a bachelor’s degree in an area of their choosing. Students and their families will be responsible only for non-tuition costs, such as room and board and fees.

Students chosen for the program will be supported between eighth-grade and high school graduation with college-readiness programs, and will participate in other VUU events, officials announced.

Tuition and fees for the current academic year total $14,030, according to the fee schedule posted on the VUU website.

Applications for the VUU Henrico Scholars program will be accepted beginning Monday, Nov. 1, until the deadline at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17.

Scholarship recipients will be announced in March.

Henrico County Public Schools and VUU will hold a series of “Panther Parties,” which will be open to all families, at middle schools to provide more information about the program.

For more information, contact Deia Champ, HCPS’ director of middle school education, at vuuhenscholars@henrico.k12.va.us.