Community Grant

Young man holding money
Two Years of Free College for Class of 2024

The WVC Community Grant and Viking Promise provide 2024 high school graduates two years of free tuition and fees, plus additional funds that can be used for textbooks, transportation, or other expenses.

Scroll down to review the full list of eligibility requirements that must be completed, including attending an orientation, submitting a FAFSA/Dream Act Application (with West Valley College in the list of colleges), meeting with a counselor and enrolling in 12 units.

NOTE: Funding is limited and is awarded based on who completes the requirements first! Don’t delay as we will be awarding winners starting in April at the first EA Orientation.

You do not need to apply for the Community Grant. All 2024 grads will automatically be considered for this funding!


Benefits
Grant Amount Purpose
Community Grant (First Year) $1,000 per semester* For tuition, textbooks, and transportation
Viking Promise (Second Year) $1,000 per semester* For tuition, textbooks, and transportation
Successful Community Grant recipients are eligible.

*Amount may vary depending on state funding.


Eligibility Requirements

Community Grant recipients must be 2024 high school graduates from a California public, private, home school program, or equivalent.

  1. Complete the CCC Apply and West Valley College Application
  2. Complete the Guided Self-Placement or "My Placements" via the Student Portal
  3. Complete the FAFSA or Dream Act Application
    • Include West Valley College in the list of colleges
  4. Register for and attend one of the following Orientations:
  5. Meet with a counselor to create an Educational Plan (NOTE: This automatically happens during the Orientation process. You do not need to setup a special meeting with a counselor.)
  6. Maintain a minimum of 12 West Valley units during the semester

Young man holding money
Two Years of Free College for Class of 2023 (Closed)

The WVC Community Grant and Viking Promise provide 2023 high school graduates two years of free tuition and fees, plus additional funds that can be used for textbooks, transportation, or other expenses.

Scroll down to review the full list of eligibility requirements that must be completed, including attending an orientation, submitting a FAFSA/Dream Act Application (with West Valley College in the list of colleges), meeting with a counselor and enrolling in 12 units.

You do not need to apply for the Community Grant. All 2023 grads will automatically be considered for this funding!


Benefits
Grant Amount Purpose
Community Grant (First Year) $1,500 per semester* For tuition, textbooks, and transportation
Viking Promise (Second Year) $1,000 per semester* For tuition, textbooks, and transportation
Successful Community Grant recipients are eligible.

*Amount may vary depending on state funding.


Eligibility Requirements

Community Grant recipients must be 2023 high school graduates from a California public, private, home school program, or equivalent.

  1. Complete the CCC Apply and West Valley College Application
  2. Complete the Guided Self-Placement or "My Placements" via the Student Portal
  3. Complete the FAFSA or Dream Act Application
    • Include West Valley College in the list of colleges
  4. Register for and attend one of the following Orientations:
  5. Meet with a counselor to create an Educational Plan
  6. Maintain a minimum of 12 West Valley units during the semester

Current Recipients

Get Help and Support

Assistance with other Financial Aid Advisors is available.

Appeal Process

For students who did not meet eligibility requirements or have a special circumstance beyond their control.

Second Year Viking Counseling Workshop
 

Requirements and Steps

To create an Education Plan, you will need to meet online with a West Valley counselor to create a plan for your coursework. An Abbreviated or Comprehensive Education Plan are acceptable.

Eligibility Requirements

No. You must be enrolled full-time with West Valley College units to be eligible.

No. Community Grant does not apply for Summer or Winter courses. If students enroll in Summer or Winter courses, they are responsible to pay for those courses.

Awarding and Status Updates

WVC Community Grant award notification will be sent to your West Valley College student email the week after Convocation, Friday, August 20, when all the steps have been completed.

The Community Grant allotment will first pay off your student balance (enrollment and fees), and if there are remaining funds available, they will be refunded to you via your refund preference choice.

No, students who applied to the Community Grant do not need to pay for their Fall tuition and fees at this time. Community Grant applicants will not be dropped from Fall classes for non-payment while we review completion of all the completed requirements.

All Community Grant applicants are temporarily exempt from the drop for non-payment deadline. You will not be dropped from courses. Make sure you have completed a Community Grant online application to ensure you are temporarily exempt.

If you have already paid for classes and are awarded the Community Grant, you will receive the full disbursement to reimburse yourself for out-of-pocket payment.

** A refund after Sunday, September 11. Dependent on Convocation requirement.

A status update will be emailed to all Community Grant applicants on the week of August 23rd with preliminary information.

Due to the high volume of inquiries and applications, we are unable to provide status updates at this moment.

Yes, but the class must be successfully completed in order to be paid for the spring semester.

Last Updated 2/8/24