VCCF Scholarship Program > Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF)?
VCCF is a public charity dedicated to increasing the quality of life in Ventura County by promoting and enabling philanthropy in our community for good, for ever. Click here for more information.
What are VCCF’s scholarship funds?
Funds are created by donors including individuals, corporations, and organizations to assist local students pursuing higher education and/or career training.
What if I am not a “straight A” student?
Apply! Many scholarships are based on financial need or improvement year by year. In most cases, but not all, a minimum 3.0 GPA is required.
What if I do not know where I’ll be going to college?
You can still apply. Be sure to list the colleges to which you are applying in the space provided on the scholarship application. List your first choice as your first entry, your second choice as the second entry, and so on. Circle or check the names of the schools you have been accepted to. Not knowing which school you will attend generally does not affect your eligibility for most scholarships provided you continue to meet the specific guidelines for the scholarship. It is not advisable to apply for scholarships restricted to certain schools until you are certain of your college choice.
Is it free to apply?
Yes. There is no application fee.
Are any awards large enough to pay the full cost of my education?
No. In addition to applying for VCCF scholarships, you should explore other financial aid resources such as federal and state grants, loans and work-study awards, as well as other scholarships available from the college itself. Your college financial aid office can put a complete financial aid package together. VCCF has collected a list of links that may be helpful to you. Inclusion does not imply VCCF endorsement. Visit the resources page to see the various links.
Do I need to pay scholarship money back?
No. Scholarships are charitable grants that do not require repayment with one exception: the Medical Education Fund Forgivable Loan awards must be repaid if the recipient does not fulfill his/her promise to practice as a nurse in Ventura County for a minimum of 2 years upon completion of studies.
Is it a lot of work to apply?
You will need to plan ahead because you must ask two people for letters of recommendation (at least one must be a current faculty member - a teacher/professor at the school you are currently attending). You also must request an official sealed (unopened) transcript to submit with your packets. It may take several hours to complete the application and write the essay(s).
How do I know if I am eligible?
Each scholarship has specific eligibility criteria defined by the donor when the fund was set up. Check to see which awards you are eligible for by reading the Scholarship Guidelines. The Guidelines are revised each year and describe the different opportunities along with specific eligibility criteria for each scholarship fund. The scholarship funds are listed semi-alphabetically by fund name (so the Sage Scholarship is included under the “S’s”). VCCF also is instituting an online screening process to help students focus on opportunities for which they may be eligible. Note: Employees, volunteers, or board members of VCCF are not eligible. Individuals directly related to members of a scholarship fund’s selection committee are ineligible for those particular awards.
How many scholarships may I apply for?
Each student may apply for a maximum of five (5) different scholarship opportunities. Double check to be sure you meet the eligibility criteria for each of the 5 scholarships you select.
How many applications should I submit?
You must submit a complete application packet for each opportunity, so you will submit between 1 and 5 complete application packets. Each packet consists of a completed application form, 2 letters of recommendation (at least one from current faculty, both signed and dated within six months of the application deadline, and neither from a relative), an essay of 750 or fewer words (some scholarships require a specific topic), and a transcript of your school work to date. You need to submit one official sealed (unopened) transcript with your application packets and an unofficial transcript photocopied to include with each of the up to 5 packets you are submitting.
How do I assemble the application packets?
List the names of the scholarships to which you are applying on the lines provided on the first page of the official scholarship application. Assemble the required documents after the application (2 letters of recommendation, your essay, an unofficial transcript). Be sure everything is single-sided (no double-sided photocopies). Please do not staple your packets. Use paperclips. Make a check in the box next to the first scholarship name on your first packet indicating that packet is an application packet for that scholarship. Make a check in the second box next to the second line on the second packet indicating the second packet is an application for the scholarship listed second, and so on.
What if my Recommenders want to seal their letters?
If your teacher/professor prefers to give you sealed (in an envelope) letters of recommendation, that is okay but you must request up to 5 copies of the letter (all sealed) so you can include one letter with each packet you submit. Applications are processed separately and each packet must be complete and have each required component.
What topic or prompt should I use when I write my application essay?
Some scholarship funds have a required topic and others do not. Check the official VCCF Scholarship Guidelines to see whether or not there is a required topic for you to address in your essay. If there is no required topic, you may write about whatever you would like. Please note that the selection committees consider student essays as “narrative pictures” of applicants. The essay is one of the ways our selection committee gets to know applicants. Please be sure that you check your spelling and grammar. Please type and double-space your essay. Please include your name and Registration/ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page of your essay. If the essay is specifically for one opportunity, please put the name of the scholarship opportunity underneath your name and Registration/ID number in the upper right-hand corner of the essay.
Do I need to write multiple essays?
If you can realistically incorporate the required topic(s) into one essay (of 750 or fewer words) then you should do so and submit the same essay with each of your application packets. Some scholarships require specific topics in the essay that may preclude including other elements. If you determine this is the case, you may have to write more than one scholarship application essay. Be sure to paperclip the correct essay to the application packet for the appropriate scholarship.
When are the application packets due?
The application deadline changes each year depending upon various circumstances. The timeline and updates will be posted on the scholarship page of the VCCF website as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of interested applicants to check the website to learn of each year’s timeline and program. The application deadline each year is by 5 o’clock p.m. of a specific day. Postmarks are not acceptable. Application packets must be received in the VCCF offices on or before the deadline. VCCF does not accept incomplete or late application packets. You must submit all components of your application packet together (letters of recommendation, essay, transcript). Do not have anything sent separately to VCCF.
When and how will I be notified?
Applicants are notified via regular mail sent by the middle of May.
What happens if I am selected as a recipient?
If you are chosen to receive a scholarship, you will be invited to an awards reception to celebrate your achievement and to have a chance to meet some of the donors who make the VCCF scholarships possible.
If I am selected as a recipient, how and when do I receive a check?
Scholarship awards are for the fall/winter term of the year following the application deadline. Thus applications received for the 2010 program are for awards for the 2010-2011 academic year (fall 2010/winter/spring 2011). If you are selected to receive a scholarship you will receive details on how and when to claim the scholarship award along with your notification letter in mid-May. VCCF requires acceptable proof of enrollment before issuing a scholarship check directly to your school. It takes 2-3 weeks to process check requests.
What happens if I move?
You must notify VCCF if you move or if your contact information changes. If we cannot contact you, or you fail to contact us within 6 months of the scholarship award, the scholarship will be automatically cancelled.
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