Five Reasons to Give to Community Colleges

Your charitable giving goes further at community colleges. For example, a $500 scholarship is not enough to fund one class credit at most four-year universities. In our district, the same amount covers a three-credit class plus books. Suddenly, your $500 donation goes from being a drop in the bucket to a life-changing gift.

The number one reason students drop out of college is financial, citing the need to work long hours while attending school as the primary cause. Our nontraditional students, including parents, those who work full time, or those needing to reskill after a change in employment, need financial support to stay on track, as well as access to local resources. By supporting a student scholarship, you can make the difference between a student dropping out and staying on a successful path to graduation.

As our region faces an urgent need for skilled workers, many more people must earn college degrees, workforce certificates, industry certifications, and other high-quality credentials. West Valley and Mission Colleges are producing the next generation of skilled workers to fuel Silicon Valley’s economic engine. And when our homegrown talent studies right here in the community, they can take advantage of internships and other professional opportunities locally. It’s a win-win!

Community colleges are invaluable because they are literally in the community. It’s that simple. Our community colleges are local treasures that contribute to thriving communities, far beyond the pivotal role we play in providing further education. By offering local summer camps and tutors for K-12 students, ESL classes for our immigrant populations, grocery distribution centers for families in need, and support of small business owners to earn certifications in new technologies, donating to the West Valley-Mission Foundation is a simple way to directly support your own community.

In the US, 70% of students who receive a bachelor's degree have debt by the time they graduate, often forcing them to live hand to mouth rather than building fulfilling and lucrative careers. The inverse is true among community colleges: about two-thirds of community college students graduate without any debt. By supporting the West Valley-Mission Foundation, you’re helping students to start and finish their degrees and build the lives they have earned without the overwhelming burden of student debt.