Virginia Launches Initiative to Fund CS Degrees

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced a new program to create 31,000 new computer science graduates over 20 years through funding programs with 11 universities across the state. Funding for the initiative was approved by the Virginia legislature earlier this year.

The Tech Talent Investment Program is performance-based initiative that is designed to create at least 25,000 new bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science and related fields. The initiative is direct response to the new Amazon headquarters that will be built in Northern Virginia

"This initiative is an investment in Virginians," said Northam. "Virginia's tech sector will continue booming only if we can train the workforce those jobs require. With today's announcement, we are educating a workforce that will fill jobs at hundreds of tech companies around the Commonwealth, including at Amazon, helping boost our economy and quality of life in every corner of Virginia."

The first round of colleges and universities receiving funds and the degrees over their baseline that they have committed to produce are:

About the Author

Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.

Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.

Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.

Click here for previous articles by Friedman.


Featured

  • glowing shield hovers above a digital cloud platform with abstract data streams and cloud icons in the background

    Google to Acquire Cloud Security Firm Wiz

    Google has announced it will acquire cloud security startup Wiz. If completed, the acquisition — an all-cash deal valued at $32 billion — would mark the largest in Google's history.

  • Abstract widescreen image with geometric shapes, flowing lines, and digital elements like graphs and data points in soft blue and white gradients.

    5 Trends to Watch in Higher Education for 2025

    In 2025, the trends shaping higher education reflect a continuous transformation of the higher education landscape to meet the changing needs of students and staff, while maintaining sustainable and cost-effective institutional practices.

  • consultant and educator sitting at a modern desk with a laptop and tablet, surrounded by abstract icons of online learning in a bright, minimalist setting

    Quality Matters Launches Advisory and Consulting Service

    A new service from Quality Matters, the nonprofit focused on quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments, is designed to help colleges and universities develop a sustainable online learning strategy.

  • a professional worker in business casual attire interacting with a large screen displaying a generative AI interface in a modern office

    Study: Generative AI Could Inhibit Critical Thinking

    A new study on how knowledge workers engage in critical thinking found that workers with higher confidence in generative AI technology tend to employ less critical thinking to AI-generated outputs than workers with higher confidence in personal skills.