SBVC Foundation Scholarships

• Foundation Scholarship Funding - these funds are already here on campus and is housed in the SBVC Foundation so you are NOT competing with students from other colleges for these funds.
• Foundation Scholarships are 100% online and combine over 100 scholarships into one single application.
• Foundation Scholarship GPA – There is no minimum GPA requirement but a 2.5 is recommended to be competitive.
• Foundation Scholarships are mostly intended for students continuing at SBVC with a few limited scholarships for new or transfer students.
• Scholarships range between $150 - $1,500 dollars and applicants may receive more than one scholarship.
• Most Foundation Scholarships CANNOT be transferred to other colleges or universities, so if you are returning to Valley your chances are even greater.
• Approximately 1 out of 2 students who successfully complete the Inside Scholarship application process receive a scholarship.

If YOU meet the above criteria, then the Foundation scholarship application sounds like something that could benefit you!  Please select the menu items on the left to learn more details about the application process or contact the Foundation Office at (909) 384-4471.

The SBVC Online Scholarship Application combines over 100 Foundation scholarships into a single application process.  Before you complete any portion of the application you must read this entire section.  If you experience any technical difficulties or have limited computer experience, we recommend utilizing the technical support of the Help Desk, the Student Assistance Program or the Cyber Lounge.

The SBVC Online Scholarship Application asks that you provide several different sections of information including: 

1. STUDENT INFORMATION:
In this section a window will appear with your current student information. You will correct and complete the general information including your name, address, phone, email and other contact information.  It is important that your contact information MATCH the information in the Admissions and Records office.  If you have changed your phone, email, major or address recently and have not updated that information on the Change of Information Form in Admissions and Records, we encourage you to do so before completing your SBVC Online Scholarship Application.

2. SCHOLARSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE:
You will be asked a list of questions that refer to eligibility factors of one or more of the Foundation scholarships. You may answer as many or as few questions as you like; however, incomplete answers may greatly reduce the number of scholarships for which you may be eligible.  If you are unclear about a question, the application has a help feature that is enabled when you "float" over a question.  For many questions, a pop-up box will appear that offers additional clarifying information to help you select the correct response.  Academic information such as units and GPA will be verified after fall grades are posted and will be included with your most recent SBVC transcripts, which can be viewed online. 


3. SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY & AGREEMENTS :
In this section, you will be asked to sign (check the box) for statements like the following :

• The submitted information is true.
• The SBVC Scholarship Committee or selection committee will use my application for screening purposes only.
• I understand that receiving a printed list of scholarships for which I may be eligible, does not guarantee that I will be awarded a scholarship.
• I authorize the scholarship office to use transcripts, enrollment data, demographics and other student services/program data such as EOPS, DSPS, or Financial Aid data to determine scholarship eligibility.

4.  PERSONAL STATEMENT OR SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY:
In this section, you will be asked to COMPLETE a personal statement or 400-500 word essay. See below. Please read this section thoroughly before beginning your online application. 

5. SAVE OR SUBMIT:
In each section you will be able to return to your application to complete the questions or your essay by selecting SAVE AND KEEP EDITING. We recommend saving your work often throughout the application process. After you select SUBMIT AND FINISH, you may return to update your information as long as it's before the application deadline. It's a good idea to have someone proofread all sections before submitting. After having your application proofed you should submit your application immediately. Do not wait for the submission of your Faculty Recommendations in order to submit your portion of the application. Recommendations can still be added after the application has been submitted as long as it is before the deadline.

6. FACULTY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Two faculty recommendations may be added to your application. See below.

STUDENT ESSAY or PERSONAL STATEMENT: You will be asked to write a 400-500 word single-spaced essay as a part of the SBVC ONLINE Scholarship Application. Prior to completing your application online, it is recommended that you write your essay ahead of time in Word or some other text document and save it on digital storage.  Once inside the online application, you will have the option to "Cut and Paste" your essay into the actual application.   
 

It's important to submit a thoughtful essay and to utilize that area to provide details that the committee might not otherwise know about you.  A scholarship is an "academic" award and poorly written or extremely brief essays do not usually do well in the selection process.  If you do not take the time to put together a comprehensive statement about yourself, the selection committee may be left with the impression that your scholarship application is not a priority for you. 

You might want to include information from the following areas in your essay:

• Your family size and general household information.
• Your community involvement both on and off campus, including clubs, organizations, faith based, sports and political involvement.
• Your academic accomplishments including honors, awards, scholarships and other recognition.
• Your financial need and specific needs as they relate to your academic goals.
• Your barriers and obstacles to your education and how you overcome them.

Check out the following resources for completing your online research and getting advice on your personal essay:

• Cyber Lounge, Campus Center
• Library Reference Desk
• SBVC Writing Center
• SBVC Computer Labs
• Foundation Office

FACULTY/STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS : 

Each student may obtain two (2) recommendations from SBVC employees by asking them to complete the SBVC Online Faculty/Staff Recommendation Form.  One of the two recommendations may come from a SBVC counselor/ instructor, SBVC staff or a SBVC Administrator. The second recommendation may come from a community member.

As a courtesy, please give the instructor, counselor, staff or administrator your request in writing including:  

1. Your full name as it appears on SBVC records/roll sheet
2. The course that you are/were enrolled with the instructor
3. Your student ID number
4. Information about your family, academics, community involvement, financial need & barriers/obstacles

Faculty/staff members MAY NOT submit a recommendation by email or hand/typed written letter. ONLY the Online Faculty/Staff Recommendation Form that is available through https://sbccd.academicworks.com, will be accepted.  This online form is available to faculty/staff only and students cannot access that section of the application or view the completed form. Faculty receive a link to the form via email when the student enters them as a reference.

Applicants are encouraged to request their 2 recommendations by the end of the Fall semester to give the recommenders sufficient time to write outstanding information about you.  If you delay requesting your recommendation until after the winter break, your chances of receiving a quality recommendation are greatly reduced.  Faculty/Staff must submit their recommendation by the SBVC Online Scholarship Application deadline.  No exceptions will be made to extend this deadline for students or faculty or staff for any reason, including technical difficulties.  Please keep in mind that many students wait until the last minute to submit their applications or recommendations which may cause network delays and difficulties with accessing the online application.  This type of technical issue is NOT sufficient cause for extending the deadline for any student. 

When the faculty/staff member submits his/her recommendation for you, his/her name will appear on your application along with the date of submission.  Students should NOT wait for their recommendations to show, before submitting their application.  Even after you submit your portion, you will be able to see whether your faculty have submitted their recommendation on time.  For detailed instructions for faculty/staff, please direct them to their faculty/staff email account where they will receive instructions from the SBVC Scholarship Committee Chair during the fall semester. 

If you are concerned that one or more of your recommendation request will not submit their recommendation on time, you may select a third person to submit one as a backup. 

After completing the SBVC Online Scholarship Application,

 what happens next?

• The SBVC Scholarship Committee begins the selection process which takes place from March-April.  We read hundreds of applications and have a series of meetings to make selections. 

• In May, the final scholarship decisions are made and notifications are sent to students via their SBVC Student Email account. We do NOT send notifications by mail or phone. Don't miss out on scholarship awards because you are not using your Valley College student email account! If you do not respond to your email notification in May, your award could go to another student. All new scholarship announcements are also sent to students through their student email, so checking your Valley College account at least once a week could result in even more scholarship opportunities for you. For more information on how to access your SBVC Student Email contact the HELP desk for technical support.

• All scholarship recipients are invited to attend the annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony in May when they will be honored and recognized for their achievement. See below.

• The scholarship funds are disbursed in June and recipients are notified via their student email account when the funds are released.

The Scholarship Award Ceremony will be held in the SBVC Auditorium May 10th at 6:00pm.

Congrats to all our scholarship recipients!