Q. What is Virtual Virginia?
A. Virtual Virginia offers
online AP and foreign language courses to students across the
state and nation. The courses utilize course management
software to maximize the interactivity of each class. Each
course contains video segments, audio clips, whiteboard and
online discussions as well as text. Teachers will be
available for telephone conversations with students
throughout the school day. Virtual Virginia classes offer a rich
multimedia learning environment that appeals to a variety of
learning styles. Virtual Virginia courses can be scheduled flexibly
throughout the day, as courses do not have to be taken in
'real' time.

Q. Who can enroll in Virtual Virginia courses?
A. Students in middle and high schools who meet the
prerequisites may enroll through their schools. The deadline
for registering students is the end of the first week of
school for your district. The deadline for spring semester
4X4 block courses is the first week of the spring semester.

Q. Is there a charge for Virtual Virginia classes?
A. There is no charge for Virginia students participating in
the Early College Scholars (ECS) program. Tuition and AP
exam fees are paid for all ECS students. There is a tuition
charge per course for non-ECS students enrolled in AP courses of $375
times the Local Composite Index (between $75 and $300). There is a charge of $250 for all public school students enrolled in SAT Prep.
Tuition for Virginia private and home school students is
$500 per 1 credit course, and $300 per .5 credit course. Tuition for out-of-state enrollment is
$650 per 1 credit course, $450.00 per .5 credit course, and a $75.00 communications surcharge for out of country students. There will be no tuition charged for
foreign language courses for Virginia public school
students.

Q. What is the Early College Scholars Program and how does
one enroll?
A. The Early College Scholars Program is the Virginia
Education for a Lifetime initiative. High school students
are encouraged to get a head start on college by taking
college level courses before graduating high school. Early
College Scholar students must have at least a "B" average,
be pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma, and be on course to
complete a minimum of 15 college credit hours by graduation.
Students, parent or guardians, principals, and guidance
counselors sign the Early College Scholars Agreement to
participate. For more information, see the Early College
Scholars page.
Q. How are tuition fees paid?
A. Tuition for Early College Scholars is paid directly by
the Department of Education. School divisions are reimbursed
for the AP exam fees for Virginia Early College Scholar
students who are enrolled in a Virtual Virginia class. Tuition fees for
other students are paid directly to the Department of
Education.

Q. What are the responsibilities of the school and school
division?
A. Schools must provide a local mentor, an adequate study
area for distance learning students, computers, access to
the Internet, and telephone. Textbooks, lab materials or
software must be purchased and are not paid by the
Department of Education.

Q. Who teaches Virtual Virginia courses?
A. All instructors with Virtual Virginia are Virginia licensed, highly
qualified, and have experience in distance learning. Courses
are offered from distance learning support centers located
throughout the state.

Q. Does the mentor need to be a licensed teacher?
A. No, the mentor will proctor tests, be available to handle
communication between the student and teacher as needed,
monitor student progress and assist students with technology
issues.

Q. Are the online AP courses as rigorous as conventional AP
courses?
A. Yes. AP courses offered through Virtual Virginia cover the same
content and are just as rigorous as conventional AP courses.

Q. When do classes begin and end?
A. Online classes are asynchronous which means they can
begin at the same time as the student's high school. Online
courses will start course sections at the same time as
typical start dates for Virginia schools. For example, one
section will begin on Monday August 21, the next on Monday
August 28, another on September 5 and the final section on
September 11. Spring semester courses will start in a
similar pattern in January.

Q. Do college level courses taken during high school
sophomore, junior and senior years count toward the
15-credit requirement for the Early College Scholar program?
A. Yes. Students who score at least a "3" on the AP exams
can be counted toward the Early College Scholar requirement.
In addition, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, or dual
enrollment courses can also count. See the Early College
Scholars website for more information or visit
www.virginiamentor.org.

Q. Are there any restrictions or other requirements for
private schools?
A. Private school students may enroll in Virtual Virginia
courses but are not eligible for the Early College Scholars
Program and therefore, not eligible for tuition or AP exam
fee payment.

Q. Should students register as a group through the school or
individually?
A. Students should confer with their guidance counselor and
register through their school using the online Web site
registration. Guidance counselors and principals will
receive the grades for the courses. See your guidance
counselor for more information.

Q. What skills do students need to succeed in an online
class?
A. While Virtual Virginia students are strongly supported by the
instructor and school mentor, students need to be
self-motivated so they do not fall behind. Students must be
able to stay on task, meet deadlines and ask for assistance
when needed. Some keyboarding skills and knowledge of email
and using a web browser are also helpful.
If you have additional questions, please contact Cathy
Cheely 804.225.2972 at the Department of Education.