Each year, numerous Randolph-Macon College students benefit from the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG). The TAG grant provides annual tuition grants to Virginia residents who are full-time students at independent colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.

Ashleigh Bryant ’19, Michael Harrison-Lane ’19, Josephine Realubit ’19 and Max Spivey ’21 are proof positive that the TAG grant changes lives. All four are majoring in one of the college’s 10 new majors created in the past eight years.

One-of-a-Kind Experiences
For Ashleigh Bryant ’19 (engineering physics major; mathematics minor), the most exciting part of being an engineering physics major is “the ability to help people through innovation and design. Engineering is a major that has a direct impact on people and it’s rewarding to be part of that impact.”

TAG has made a big difference in Bryant’s life, including giving her the chance to study abroad.

“RMC offers students one-of-a-kind experiences,” she says. “For example, civil engineer Dr. Ray Martin, who is a long-time supporter and friend of the college and consults on engineering projects nationwide, traveled with us to Guatemala during January Term, where we worked to mitigate erosion that had damaged a soccer field. From that project, I secured an internship with Dr. Martin at Schnabel Engineering.”

A Deeper Understanding
Michael Harrison-Lane ’19 (behavioral neuroscience and biology major) says the TAG grant allows him to benefit from unique experiences.

Studying behavioral neuroscience gives him “an opportunity to learn about what makes us human on a deeper level,” he says. “I have a deeper understanding of why people do what they do, from eating habits to anger and aggression. The Randolph-Macon experience is like no other, and I can honestly say it has shaped me into the person that I am today!”

Harrison-Lane, who is also the recipient of a Presidential Scholarship and a Diversity Grant, is a member of the Diversity Council, the Pre-Health Society, the Black Cultural Society and Omicron Delta Kappa, an honor society.

Opportunities + Meaningful Connections
For Josephine Realubit ’19 (criminology and sociology major; psychology minor), the TAG grant offers numerous ways to grown and learn.

“The TAG grant helped my mother afford my college tuition, and it is enabling me to receive a great education,” she says. “I’m learning about the larger contexts of what influences people, what shapes people’s thoughts and perceptions, and how these play into our culture and society in terms of stigmas, expectations and policies.” The best thing about being a Yellow Jacket, she says, “is making meaningful connections on campus and in the surrounding community.”

Max Spivey ’21 (computer science, mathematics, and cybersecurity major) is grateful for the TAG grant, which “helps make paying for college easier and attainable. It helps me immensely and allows me to have peace of mind about my future.”

Spivey, a Presidential Scholarship recipient and a member of the Leadership Fellows, says the best thing about being a member of the Randolph-Macon College family is having countless choices available both academically and socially. “I love being surrounded by faculty and staff who genuinely care about my well-being,” he says.