Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent budget amendment proposal has raised concerns about the future of the New College Institute (NCI) in Martinsville. The proposal allocates nearly $4.7 million for the fiscal year starting in July 2025 but cuts funding for the following biennium, beginning in July 2026.
It also requires NCI to develop a sustainability plan, exploring options like merging with another entity or possibly closing.
“We were surprised by the new language,” said Olivia Garrett, NCI’s director of institutional advancement. The institute, which provides higher education and workforce training in the region, has faced challenges, including leadership turnover and low enrollment.
This isn’t the first time NCI has been targeted in budget discussions. Last December, Youngkin proposed cutting NCI’s funding, but it was reinstated after NCI presented a business plan. Garrett noted that the governor’s office did not provide feedback on that plan.
NCI’s future is further complicated by an ongoing dispute with the Martinsville-Henry County Academic Foundation over assets from the 2020 sale of NCI’s former building.
Despite these challenges, NCI has added workforce training programs under new Executive Director Joe Sumner.
Governor Youngkin’s proposal has sparked controversy, with the governor’s office stressing that the sustainability plan will help ensure the region’s educational needs are met.
As NCI moves forward, its leaders continue to engage with stakeholders to address these.
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