LEAD Program

Program Overview

The Leveraging Early Admission (LEAD) Program is a guaranteed transfer pathway for students at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) who intend to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy and Leadership at UVA Batten.

LEAD participants complete an associate’s degree at PVCC while co-enrolling in Batten coursework at UVA. Students who complete all program requirements earn admission to Batten as bachelor’s degree candidates – with no additional application, no application fee, and all UVA Literacy and Discipline Plus requirements satisfied.

What Participants Receive

• Guaranteed admission to the UVA Batten upon earning the associate’s degree and successful completion of program requirements

• PVCC tuition rates for all co-enrolled UVA Batten courses

• Access to LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy, a major prerequisite offered only at Batten, while still enrolled at PVCC

• One-on-one academic advising at both PVCC and UVA, structured around an individualized plan for student success and timely degree completion

• Financial aid, career, and engagement coaching

• A UVA student ID and facilities access during any semester of in-person co-enrollment

• Early connection to Batten faculty, peers, and the academic culture of UVA

Eligibility

The ideal LEAD Program participant is a disciplined, determined, self-motivated learner interested in building leadership skills for a future career in public service, law, policy, advocacy, government or a related field. Applicants must:

• Hold Virginia residency status

• Be enrolled at PVCC in a transfer Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, or an approved alternate program

• Have completed between 12 and 30 credit hours of general education coursework toward the associate’s degree, earned outside of dual enrollment or dual credit

• Hold a minimum 2.5 GPA in all Virginia Community College coursework

• Not already hold a bachelor’s degree

LEAD asks students to carry college-level coursework at two institutions at once. Before applying, consider whether your schedule accommodates weekly classes at UVA – including discussion sections – along with study time, office hours and other academic support.

Earning the Admission Guarantee

Participants secure guaranteed admission to UVA Batten by meeting each of the following:

• Remain continuously enrolled at PVCC, summers excepted, through completion of the associate’s degree

• Meet with a PVCC academic advisor at least once each semester and attend all required LEAD programming, which may include orientation, financial aid sessions, workshops and cohort events

• Earn a C or higher in LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy at Batten

• Complete Microeconomics (ECO 202) and Social Psychology (PSY 216) at PVCC

• Maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA at PVCC, inclusive of co-enrolled Batten courses

• Earn at least 54 transferable credits; up to 60 will apply toward the bachelor’s degree. Only grades of C or higher transfer.
• Matriculate at Batten within three years of LEAD Program admission