Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) values the efforts of early childhood professionals to increase their knowledge and skills in early care and education. To support increased education, the Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program (VCCPSP) awards scholarships for undergraduate courses that focus on the care and education of young children at Virginia Community Colleges and approved Montessori Certification Programs.

ELIGIBILITY: This scholarship program is primarily available for child care educators working toward a Career Studies Certificate or AAS degree in Early Childhood Development.

PRIORITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS: Based on eligibility and the availability of funding, priority for scholarships will be given to applicants employed in the field of early care and education. For those not employed in child care, applications will be processed if funding is available.

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS: Scholarships will support the cost of in-state tuition at Virginia’s Community Colleges and SCHEV-approved Montessori Certification Programs for up to two (2) APPROVED COURSES per semester when eligibility criteria are met, as long as the student has not exceeded the lifetime maximum scholarship award amount. Reduced scholarships may be awarded based on a student’s lifetime maximum scholarship award balance.

The maximum lifetime award amount for VCCPSP scholarships is $4,130 (effective October 2024) for new scholarship accounts.

• When a scholarship account is created, the maximum lifetime amount will not change even if the maximum amount is increased for new applicants.
• For approved (equivalent) undergraduate courses at a four-year college or university, the scholarship will pay $500 per course (effective March 2024) depending on the student’s scholarship balance.

COURSE OPTIONS: Scholarships are available for students enrolled in APPROVED COURSES at a Virginia Community College or SCHEV-approved Montessori Certification Program. Scholarships may also be awarded for equivalent courses at SCHEV-approved four-year colleges/universities. All equivalent courses must be approved by VDOE on a case-by-case basis.

HOW TO APPLY: Students interested in the scholarship may apply by submitting an online application during the open application period for each semester. Applicants are encouraged to apply early in the application period as funding may be limited.

Students should ENROLL in college courses PRIOR to submitting a scholarship application to be sure the course(s) desired is/are offered during the upcoming semester.

• Students may apply for scholarships each semester until they have reached their maximum lifetime award amount.
• Scholarships cannot be transferred from one semester to another or from one student to another.

WHEN TO APPLY: Scholarship applications are accepted for FALL, SPRING, and SUMMER academic terms. Students should register for courses PRIOR to applying for scholarship funds to be sure the course(s) desired is/are offered during the applicable semester.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PERIODS FOR UPCOMING SEMESTERS

• SPRING 2025 Courses October 15 through November 26, 2024
• SUMMER 2025 Courses March 15, 2025 for approximately four (4) weeks
• FALL 2025 Courses June 15, 2025 for approximately five (5) weeks

NOTE: Application periods may close early if scholarship funds are no longer available for an academic semester or if community colleges are beginning to drop students for non-payment.

COURSE ENROLLMENT/SCHOLARSHIP AWARD LETTER: Recipients of scholarships are responsible for enrolling in courses and providing their scholarship award letter to the school’s business/finance office. If the award letter is not provided to the college, the business/finance office may not properly apply the scholarship award to the student’s account.

CHANGE/DROP SCHOLARSHIP COURSES: If a student is awarded a scholarship and educational plans change, they need to drop or change the course(s) during the college’s add/drop timeframe to avoid a financial penalty.

Students also need to notify VDOE about a change in course(s) awarded scholarship funds by:

• Requesting a scholarship change in their online Scholarship Account
• - OR -
• Submitting a completed Scholarship Change/Drop Request Form to VDOE by EMAIL

VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT: After each scholarship application period closes, VDOE will send colleges a roster of students/courses awarded scholarships for that semester. If students are not enrolled in courses awarded scholarships, scholarship funds will be dropped for that semester.

PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS: VDOE will pay the college/institution of higher education directly; the scholarship program does not pay or reimburse students.

COURSE GRADES: Students are required to earn a passing grade for all courses for which they have been awarded a VDOE scholarship.

UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT: When students receive scholarships, they agree to provide an unofficial transcript to VDOE (via email) at the end of each semester to verify final grades for courses awarded scholarships.

Students may also ask colleges to send their course grades to VDOE via the Authorization to Release Grades form. This form is to be submitted to the college the student is attending, not to VDOE.

• If a student does not report grades for courses awarded scholarship funds, eligibility for additional scholarship awards will be CONDITIONAL until grades are received.
• Students receiving a failing grade (F) or W for a course or those who enroll but do not complete a course will no longer be eligible for VCCPSP awards.

QUESTIONS? If you have questions or need more information about the Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program, please email us at: vaccscholarship@doe.virginia.gov

VCCPSP is funded by the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which is administered by VDOE. CCDF provides financial resources to improve the quality of early care and education in Virginia. The scholarship program is managed in accordance with Virginia Administrative Code.

PROJECT PATHFINDERS: Additional financial assistance to help pay for college courses may be available through Project Pathfinders.

Pathfinders funding is available to educators either (1) employed and currently working with preschool-aged children (birth – five) or (2) dually enrolled in high school and community college to pursue an Early Childhood Development certificate/degree at a Virginia Community College. Pathfinders funding may be used in conjunction with VDOE scholarships to pay for additional courses, fees, and textbooks.

Learn more about Project Pathfinders at vecf.org/pathfinders or send an email requesting information to: pathfinders@vecf.org