Income-Based Tuition Programs
YVC offers special funding options for current and prospective students interested in workforce education programs and training.
Workforce Education & Training Funding Assistance
Most students attending Yakima Valley College receive some type of financial aid. Below are a few options for workforce education.
- Receiving food assistance from DSHS? Read more about Basic Food, Employment, and Training (BFET) below.
- On unemployment? Check out the Worker Retraining options below.
- Low income student? Learn more about the Opportunity Grant below.
- Working at a daycare? You may qualify for the Early Achievers Grant.
YVC’s Basic Food, Employment, and Training (BFET) provides services to Basic Food (Food Stamp) recipients in Washington State. Services may include establishing or maintaining eligibility for Basic Food while in school, child care subsidy, job search training, and other support services.
- Eligibility for Working Connections Child Care through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
- Eligibility to receive Basic Food Benefits (Food Stamps) while enrolled in college
- Financial assistance with college related expenses
- Support Services
Eligibility Requirements:
- Receiving or eligible to receive Basic Food Benefits (Food Stamps)
- Eligibility is based on household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty rate
- You must not be receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- You must be a US Citizen or Legal Resident
- You must be enrolled in a Professional/Technical program (Transfer degree programs are not eligible)
*Please Note: Enrollment in BFET is based on eligibility and availability of funds. Students must reapply each quarter.
Program Eligibility Criteria:
- Currently employed in a childcare program that participates in Early Achievers (Washington’s Quality Rating and Improvement System)
- must have been working a minimum of 10 hours per week
(or 40 hours per month) for at least 3 months
- must have been working a minimum of 10 hours per week
- A Washington State resident
- Studying with the intent of earning an Early Childhood Education certificate or AA degree.
Students who qualify for WorkFirst Financial Aid may be eligible for:
- Assistance with tuition and books
- Student Support
Program Eligibility Criteria:
- Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) pairs a professional or technical program with Adult Basic Education courses; including reading, writing, and math skills.
- I-BEST provides educational access and support for students to progress further and faster along career pathways.
- I-BEST students are paired with an Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, or GED instructor, as well as a professional-technical program instructor for twice the support in each classroom.
- Opportunity Grant provides assistance with tuition, fees, and books to low-income students who are enrolled in specific, high-demand career pathway programs at YVC. I-Best (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) is an approved program for studies in Agriculture, Business Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Phlebotomy Certificate.
- Priority funding goes to students who are enrolled in one of the I-BEST programs.
Opportunity Grant provides assistance with tuition, fees, and books to low-income students who are enrolled in specific, high-demand career pathway programs at YVC. The approved programs at YVC include:
- I-Best (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) programs: Agriculture, Business Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing Assistant Certificate.
- Additional eligible programs include Allied Health, Nursing AAS, Business Technology, and Early Childhood Education.
Priority funding goes to students who are enrolled in one of the I-BEST programs. Must be a Washington State resident to qualify.
WorkFirst programs are federally funded and are designed to support students who are TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients.
Students who qualify for WorkFirst Financial Aid may be eligible for:
- Assistance with tuition, books and fees (pending the availability of funds)
- Childcare assistance through Working Connections/Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
- Educational advising and personal support
Program Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be currently receiving TANF and meeting all participation requirements
- Students must be enrolled in a Workforce Education program through YVC
- Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above and meet YVC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy
- Must have a referral to YVC for training from your case manager at DSHS
- Eligible students may attend full time or part-time classes
Worker Retraining provides assistance to individuals who are receiving Washington State Unemployment Insurance benefits or have lost their job due to economic changes and need to change careers in order to re-enter the workforce.
YVC’s Worker Retraining offers training for a wide range of professional-technical certificates and degrees within the Workforce Education Division.
Eligible Worker Retraining students may receive tuition assistance and/or funds to cover the cost of books for one quarter at YVC.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently receiving Washington State Unemployment Benefits
- Have exhausted your Washington State Unemployment Benefits within the past 48 months
- Is employed in an occupation identified as “not in demand” (declining) on the region’s Demand-Decline List; and/or
- The individual has not reached the “tipping point,” which is defined as one year of college credits (45 credits) plus any certificate or degree related to their college course work; and/or
- In order to remain employed, the individual needs to obtain new skills (Individual must meet two of the three eligibility requirements to qualify)
- Have been determined to be a “Dislocated Worker” by WorkSource
- Have been self-employed within the past 48 months, operating your own business, and are now unemployed due to economic downturn
- Are an unemployed veteran who has been honorably discharged from the US Armed Services within the past 24 months
* Please note: Funding for qualified Worker Retraining students is contingent upon the availability of Worker Retraining funds. All applications are reviewed and processed on a case-by-case basis.