Focal Point

A JMU graduate paid off $60,000 off student loan debt in 5 years. She says the key to her success came down to finding the right community.

Medical debt is a problem that affects more than 500,000 Virginians. Medical bills that are beyond someone’s financial capacity can drive people into bankruptcy.

What is cash stuffing? A viral TikTok trend helped a Virginia woman cut down her college debt.

More than 1 million Virginians owe student loan debt, which can linger for decades. Direct-to-school debt can also prevent students from completing their degrees, because Virginia colleges routinely withhold transcripts which are proof of credits until all debts to the university are settled. Delegate Betsy Carr has introduced legislation to stop the practice of transcript-withholding in Virginia.

The Melungeon Heritage Association met in Hillsborough, NC recently to discuss an upcoming conference exploring their identity. Andrew Harris Jr was an attendee.

Deone Allen spoke at length with VPM News Focal Point this week, saying that families have reached their limit and will no longer tolerate their children being mistreated. She is calling for swift and serious consequences for students who subject others to verbal attacks and for the school board as well as the community to take decisive action to remedy the problems.

Lindsay Webster has never thought of herself as anything other than White. But after taking an at-home DNA test, she’s discovered one percent of African ancestry. Do these tests have the power to challenge racial identity?

New national DAR leader makes diversity a top priority as Virginia chapters welcome descendants of “Forgotten Patriots.”

Doctors at Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Center for Maternal and Child Health Equity and Advocacy focus on improving racial disparities in health care.

A bronze statue of the Virginia civil rights figure could be displayed in the U.S. Capitol by 2025.