You can establish a scholarship that reflects your values and interests or honors a loved one. And by helping our students offset the cost of higher education, you can create a positive, lasting impact in a student's life.
While it's far less expensive to attend a community college than it is a four-year university, without significant financial assistance, community college remains out of reach for many students from low-income backgrounds.
Our scholarships typically range from $1,000 - $5,000 and are designed to offset some of the costs associated with attendance. The most expensive aspect of attending community college in Silicon Valley is the cost of living. Many of our students work while attending school to cover rent and basic needs. Carrying a full-time course load while working enough hours to make ends meet is quite difficult.
A significant number of our students are also former foster youth, veterans, homeless, food-insecure, or face some combination of these challenges. Many are also major contributors to their household budgets or the first in their families to attend college. The fact that these students are also pursuing higher education is a testament to the magnitude of their ambition and drive. Scholarships alleviate some of the financial burden students face so they can focus on their academic and long-term career goals.
The West Valley-Mission Foundation offers donors two ways to establish a Named Scholarship: Expendable Scholarships (listed below) and Endowed Scholarships.
With a named Expendable Scholarship, your donation will be distributed in that year’s Scholarship Cycle. The minimum donation for a named expendable scholarship is $1,500. Donations must be made year after year if you wish to continue offering your named scholarship.
Contact our team to let us know you are interested in establishing a named scholarship. We will walk you through our quick and easy process to confirm the details of your scholarship. You can also start the process by submitting the scholarship inquiry form below.
With a named Endowed Scholarship, your donation of $25,000 or more creates a scholarship in perpetuity. The original gift principal is invested in the Foundation’s investment fund. The income generated from the investment is used to distribute your annual Endowed Scholarship to students. Based on our investment policies, we aim to distribute annual scholarship awards equivalent to 4% of the endowment's value. For example, an endowment valued at $25,000 produces $1,000 in scholarship support annually. Additional gifts can be made to the endowment over time, and as the value of the endowment grows, so too do the size of the scholarship gifts we distribute.
“Getting the scholarship was freeing. For two full years, I was able to explore and
take any class I wanted to without worrying that I would put myself in debt. This
exploration led me to my passion, and now I'm working towards a career in animation
and illustration. I'm incredibly grateful to the scholarship donors."
- Kate Kanemura