The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges recently announced that it has awarded grants totaling more than $2.7 million to its 15 member colleges for 2009-2010, including $102,486 for Sweet Briar.

The VFIC is a consortium of private colleges and universities in Virginia that supports its members by securing financial support, increasing the institutions' visibility and facilitating collaborative initiatives among the colleges.

Since 1952, VFIC has raised funds for its member institutions to support general operations, student scholarships, undergraduate research and other programs.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.vfic.org.