Funding Scholarships
The Ventura College Foundation was initially established for the purpose of raising funds for student scholarships. While our focus has expanded over the years, we continue to support our students through our scholarship program. Each fall, students complete the Foundation’s scholarship application form, gather recommendations from their instructors and counselors and write an essay about their hopes and dreams. Each application is carefully read, scored and ranked by a committee of faculty representatives and members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Donors are invited to participate by establishing a scholarship fund or making a donation to support the students of Ventura College through one of the following:
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The Ventura College Promise: The Ventura College Promise is a program sponsored by the Ventura College Foundation that is designed to remove the economic barriers to education for graduating high school seniors. The "promise" is that all recent Ventura County high school graduates, regardless of family income, will have their enrollment fees covered during their first year of attendance at Ventura College. This same promise is extended to students who have successfully completed their GED requirements or who have completed the coursework for high school but have not yet passed their exit exam. To qualify, the Ventura County applicant must:
- Identify and educational goal
- Take the college's assessment examination
- Work with a Ventura College counselor to develop an education plan
- Complete a Financial Aid Application (FAFSA)
- Apply for the Ventura College Promise and be enrolled in Ventura College within twelve months of high school (or GED) complete
Interested individuals can contact a Ventura College counselor at (805) 654-6448 or the Ventura College Foundation Office at (805) 654-6461.
Foundation Scholarships: The Ventura College Foundation works to raise funds for the Ventura College Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, students must have completed 12 units at Ventura College and have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. Some Foundation scholarships also require a student to qualify through demonstration of financial need. Donors may make a contribution of any amount to the Foundation Scholarship Program to benefit the students of Ventura College. A gift may also be made in honor of friends or family or in the memory of a loved one.
- Endowed Scholarships: The Ventura College Foundation is proud to be the custodian of more than $2.3 million in endowed scholarships to benefit the students of Ventura College. A new scholarship can be endowed at the Ventura College Foundation for as little as $10,000. These funds ares invested and each year a percentage of the earned interest is given out as a scholarship while the principal, remains intact. For the donor, endowments create a lasting legacy that will benefit students in perpetuity. These endowed scholarships can be created in as little as a day. The donor selects a name for the fund, the criteria for awarding the scholarship are established and the gift is made to create a lasting legacy.
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Annual Scholarships: The Ventura College Foundation is honored to work with individuals and organizations to award annual scholarships to the students of Ventura College. Donors may make a donation each year to award a qualified student with a scholarship meeting the criteria of their own determination such as program, merit, ethnicity, gender or interests. The minimum amount for an annual named scholarship is $500.
For additional information about the Ventura College Scholarship Program and how you can help, contact Norbert Tan, Executive Director, at (805) 654-6461.