Rappahannock Community College (RCC) is one of the twenty-three community colleges in Virginia that make up the Virginia Community College System. It is a two-year public institution of higher education established in 1971. The College serves the residents of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties. The College is governed by policies set by the State Board for Community Colleges with support and advice from the Rappahannock Community College Board. Primary funding for the College is provided by the state, supplemented by contributions from seven counties and one city, and by student tuition.