Thank you for your interest in the VCCF Scholarship Program. To successfully complete the application process, please review all the information below.

*1. When creating your account to complete your scholarship application, DO NOT use your school email address. Please use a personal e-mail address so we can stay in touch with you after your graduation.

2. TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENT: Your most recent transcript or student profile must be uploaded and your full name, school name, and unweighted GPA must be visible on the uploaded document.

A. Request your most recent transcript from your academic advisor/school counselor.
B. Please upload a copy of the transcript or student profile as a PDF file. No other formats accepted.
Screenshots or any other portals are not accepted. If you are a freshman in college, please also submit your high school transcripts for a more complete academic history.

3. REFERENCE REQUIREMENT: Two references are required. One of the individuals must be a teacher or school counselor. The second reference can be a coach, pastor, employer, or someone who is not a friend or family member. References from peers are not accepted. Enter the reference’s name and email address into the application and they will receive a link to the reference questionnaire to complete. For teacher and counselor references: Please ask these references for a personal e-mail address, as their school e-mail addresses sometimes block reference e-mails. Please give your recommenders as much advance notice as possible when requesting a reference. IT IS THE APPLICANT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT TWO REFERENCES ARE SUBMITTED ON THEIR BEHALF BY THE REFERENCE DEADLINE. Applications that do not include two references will not be considered. The FINAL DEADLINE TO ADD OR CHANGE REFERENCE NAMES AND E-MAIL CONTACTS IS JANUARY 16, 2026.

4. FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION/PROOF OF INCOME REQUIREMENT: When filling out the application, you will need to know you or your family’s most recent financial information. If you are a dependent, you will need your parents’/guardian’s total income from the most recent filing tax year. If you are an independent, you will need your total income for the most recent filing tax year. Many of our scholarships require applicants to demonstrate financial need. Click HERE to access 24/25 financial need guidelines. You will need access to this document as you fill out the scholarship application.

5. REVIEW SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES: Please review the 2025/26 guidelines and apply only for the opportunities you qualify. Even if you are a prior recipient, it is still important to review eligibility guidelines as criteria may have changed. Scholarship guidelines can be found HERE. You can search scholarships by a keyword (major, population served…) by using the Search by Keyword field located below. For example, if you are looking for scholarships in the STEM category, type STEM in the search box, and a list of STEM scholarships will be pulled for your review.

6. APPLICATION ESSAYS: There are three required essays in the general application. All work submitted in this application must be your own. Contributions from anyone or anything else- including AI sources will be considered fraudulent. If it is suspected that AI was used in your application, it will be disqualified.

7. TWO PART APPLICATION PROCESS: VCCF offers two types of scholarships: “Automatch” and “Apply To”. “Automatch” scholarships require that you complete and submit only the general scholarship application. “Apply To” scholarships require an additional essay. “Apply To” scholarships require applicants to click on the “Apply To” opportunities tab and complete the required additional essay. Once you submit your general application, you will be able to access the “Apply To” tab to see the “Apply To” scholarship opportunities.

8. NEED HELP? If you need assistance, we offer open office hours throughout the application period. You can also email scholarships@vccf.org, or call (805)330-6615 with your questions.

October 29, 2025: Applications open online
January 16, 2026: FINAL DEADLINE FOR VCCF SCHOLARSHIP SUBMISSION
January 23, 2026: FINAL DEADLINE for references to be submitted
May 2025: E-mail message of award/denial and information on scholarship orientation sent to applicants, schools, and donors.