Roanoke Higher Education Center

What Roanoke Higher Education Center does

Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) is a public, state-chartered higher education hub — legally constituted as the Roanoke Higher Education Authority, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia — operating from a single facility at 108 North Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke. Founded in 2001, RHEC functions as a shared-infrastructure platform on which 11 member institutions (Virginia Tech, James Madison University, Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Western Community College, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Roanoke College, Virginia State University, Sovah School of Health Professions, Total Action for Progress, and Region 5 Adult Education) and 5 partner institutions deliver 70 programs ranging from GED preparation through doctoral degrees. Member institutions lease classroom, laboratory, and office facilities, while RHEC operates shared student services including the RHEC Library (OneSearch discovery, EBSCO databases, interlibrary loan via VIVA), a 24-station Windows computer lab, the Student Success Center (free tutoring), the Testing Center (proctoring CLEP, DSST, Praxis, Pearson VUE, GED), and the Career & Workforce Training Center (which added a 24/7 AI chat assistant in 2024).

The business model is hybrid. Revenue streams include (a) lease and program-delivery payments from member institutions, (b) facility and conference room rentals to outside businesses and nonprofits at $25-$104/hour depending on room and nonprofit status, (c) testing and proctoring fees at $28.50 per examination, (d) tuition collected by member institutions (not by RHEC), and (e) philanthropic funding through the affiliated 501(c)(3) RHEC Foundation. As a Virginia political subdivision, RHEC is also supported by state appropriations, though exact figures are not disclosed. Customer segments span adult learners and working professionals (primary, 800-900 program completers annually, 17,000+ cumulatively), member institutions (primary B2B anchors), workforce-development seekers (CNA, OSHA, culinary arts certifications), adults seeking high school equivalency, and business/community organizations renting event space.

Operationally, RHEC serves the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia region with on-site, online synchronous, online asynchronous, and hybrid delivery formats. Distribution is regional for facility-based services and global for online courses. Leadership transition is imminent: Executive Director Kay Dunkley, Ed.D. — who has led the center since 2016 and overseen its 25th anniversary, campus expansion, and foundation activation — is retiring effective January 1, 2027, with the Board of Trustees conducting an executive search.

Name

Roanoke Higher Education Center

Legal name

Roanoke Higher Education Authority

Website

https://education.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roanoke Higher Education Center is a Virginia political subdivision operating a shared campus in Roanoke where 11 member institutions deliver 70 programs from GED to doctoral level, supported by centralized library, testing, tutoring, and career services for adult learners in Southwest Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Roanoke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Educational Program Delivery: Revenue generated through member institution lease agreements and program partnerships. Member institutions offer degrees ranging from GED preparation through doctoral programs, with tuition and fees collected by the respective institutions.
2. Facility and Space Rental: The center rents classrooms, conference rooms, and computer labs to businesses and organizations for meetings, training sessions, and events. Pricing varies by room type and nonprofit status.
3. Testing and Proctoring Services: The Testing Center proctors various exams (CLEP, DSST, GED, Praxis, Pearson VUE, etc.) for a fee of $28.50 per examination.
4. Tutoring Services: Free tutoring for member institution students; fee-based tutoring available for non-affiliated community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) operates as a multi-institutional educational hub offering degree and certificate programs (from GED preparation through doctoral level) delivered by 11 member colleges and universities in a shared facility. Beyond academic programs, RHEC provides student support services (library, computer lab, tutoring, career center, testing center), facility rentals (classrooms, conference rooms, computer labs) to businesses and community organizations, and testing proctoring for professional certifications.

Product overview

Roanoke Higher Education Center operates as a collaborative educational hub providing comprehensive academic programs, student support services, and facility rentals. The center functions as a platform with multiple integrated services: core educational offerings include degree and certificate programs (from GED to doctoral level) delivered through 11 member institutions; student services encompass the RHEC Library (with OneSearch discovery and interlibrary loan), Computer Lab (24 Windows workstations), Career & Workforce Training Center (with AI-powered chat assistance), Student Success Center (free tutoring), and Testing Center (proctoring GED, CLEP, Praxis, and professional certifications). Additional services include space rental for events/meetings (classrooms, conference rooms, computer labs accommodating 15-100 attendees), Seasons and Occasions Cafe, student parking, and RHEC Foundation scholarships. The center serves as a multi-institutional campus where various colleges and universities deliver programs, unified by shared facilities and support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ individuals have earned degrees, achieved industry credentials, and pursued new careers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Virginia Commonwealth UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering doctoral programs including Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (entry-to-practice and post-master's) at the RHEC. Programs are delivered in hybrid format combining on-site and distance coursework.
• Virginia TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Counselor Education Master's, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (master's and doctoral), Reading Specialist K-12, Mathematics Education, and graduate certificates in Leadership Academy and Local Government Management.
• James Madison UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Educational Leadership (master's and certificate), Speech Language Pathology, Adult Degree Program, RN to BSN, test prep programs (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT), and professional certificates (Paralegal, Project Management, Certified Financial Planner, Lean Six Sigma, Learning Design & Technology).
• Radford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Bachelor of Science in Nursing (on-site at RHEC), RN to BSN, Healthcare Administration (Bachelor's and Master's), Public Health, Social Work, Respiratory Therapy Degree Advancement, Business Analytics (MBA and certificate), Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Education, Doctorate in Health Sciences, and various graduate certificates.
• Virginia Western Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Culinary Arts career studies certificates including Introduction to Foodservice, Advanced Foodservice, Baking and Pastry, and Cake Production and Decorating.
• Appalachian College of PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Virginia's only accelerated three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students complete 2nd year didactic curriculum and 3rd year rotations at the RHEC.
• Total Action for Progress (TAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering Certified Nursing Assistant Program, Project Discovery (first-generation college-bound student program), and WINGS (Women Initiating New Growth) reentry program for women released from incarceration.
• Region 5 Adult EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering GED Preparation and National External Diploma Program (NEDP) for adults seeking high school equivalency credentials.
• Roanoke CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution providing higher education programs at the RHEC.
• Sovah School of Health ProfessionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution offering health professions training programs at the RHEC.
• Virginia State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution providing higher education programs at the RHEC.
• Mid Atlantic OTI Education CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization offering OSHA training courses (OSHA 510, 500, 511) at the RHEC as Host Training Organization.
• VIVA Cooperative Borrowing ProgramsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary resource sharing partnership allowing students from VIVA member institutions to receive community borrower cards and access RHEC library resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit offering technical training and job placement, similar in target audience to RHEC's workforce programs (CNA, culinary, OSHA) but operating through corporate employer partnerships rather than a higher-ed consortium.

Broad incumbents

• Prometric: Global commercial test delivery and proctoring operator that competes with RHEC's Testing Center in the certification/licensure exam segment. RHEC proctors CLEP, DSST, Praxis, and Pearson VUE exams that Prometric and its competitors also deliver at scale.
• Virginia Community College System (VCCS): Statewide system of 23 community colleges providing workforce and transfer education across Virginia. Functions as both a parent/funder (through VWCC and other member institutions) and a broader competitive alternative to RHEC's workforce credentials.

Regional players

• Old Dominion University: Virginia public research university that has historically operated distance learning and regional higher-education-center partnerships. Comparable in mission (regional access to advanced degrees) and demographics served, though based in Hampton Roads rather than Roanoke.
• New River/Mountain Gateway Community College: Virginia Community College System institutions serving Southwest Virginia with comparable workforce and transfer programs (similar geographic and demographic footprint as RHEC's catchment). Operates as a single institution rather than a consortium, but competes for the same adult learner pool.

Direct peers

• Virginia Western Community College: A member institution of RHEC that also operates its own campus in Roanoke with workforce credentials (CNA, culinary, IT). Demonstrates both partnership and direct competition with RHEC's non-degree offerings, making it a hybrid peer.
• Higher Education Center (Staunton, Virginia): Operates an analogous multi-institutional shared-facility model in Staunton, VA, hosting university and community college programs under one roof in partnership with Blue Ridge Community College. This is the closest direct comparable in Virginia's higher-ed-center ecosystem.
• University Center at Lake Nona: Multi-institutional higher education center in Orlando, Florida, hosting programs from UCF, Valencia College, and other partners in a shared facility. Same hub-and-spoke infrastructure model as RHEC, applied to a different region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/educationedu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUIciML855x822Z0lYrFPIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoanokeHigherEducationCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/roanokehighereducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roanoke-higher-education-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roanoke Higher Education Center