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

1. TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENT: Your most recent transcript or student profile must be uploaded and your 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.

2. REFERENCE REQUIREMENT: Two references are required. Reach out to two individuals who are willing to fill out a recommendation questionnaire link on your behalf. 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 family member. References from peers are not accepted. Enter the reference’s email address and they will receive a link to the 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 never too early to ask for a reference!

3. 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.

4. REVIEW SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES: Please review the 2024/25 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. For a scholarship index by major and populations served, click HERE.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

Important Dates:
November 8, 2024: Applications open online
January 15, 2025: FINAL DEADLINE FOR VCCF SCHOLARSHIP SUBMISSION
January 24, 2025: *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.