Scholarships

Paying For College / Scholarships

The Foundation Scholarship Application for the 2026-2027 academic year is open through March 31, 2026.

Donors make it possible

Donors make it possible

Scholarships, a significant aid for students, are brought to life by the Southwest Virginia Community College Educational Foundation and its supportive donors. Donor, Mary Sue Whitt (right) and Halaya Marcus-Bradshaw (left) pose for a keepsake photo.

Foundation Scholarships

The SWCC Educational Foundation, Inc. administers nearly 300 scholarships for the benefit of SWCC students. Unless otherwise indicated, applicants must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and enroll with a minimum of 6 credit hours. Scholarship numbers and amounts may change depending on funding.

  1. Before applying for scholarships:
    • You must apply for admission to SWCC before applying for foundation scholarships (you can complete the application to Southwest here:  http://apply.vccs.edu) Please note: Make sure SWCC has received your official transcripts from all high schools, colleges, and universities attended (if you are a returning student, you do not need to send them again).
    • Complete the FAFSA application (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa  (SWCC’s code – 007260)
  2. When you are ready to apply for scholarships: Visit https://sw.edu/scholarship-portal/ to apply.
    • You will need to select “Create New Account” the first time you visit. Use either your SWCC email address & new password to log in OR a personal email account to register.
    • Now you’re all set to apply!
  3. After you have submitted your application:
    • Once you have finished the application, please check your dashboard and make sure there are not any follow-up items you need to complete for specific scholarships.
    • Please note:  You only need to fill out the application once.  You will see a listing of “Applied Scholarships” on your dashboard…these are the scholarships that you may qualify for and have been applied to.
    • *Scholarship numbers and amounts are contingent on funding.
    • Check your SWCC email account & your SLM account often to make sure we have not contacted you for any additional information.
    • If for some reason you need to stop at any point during the application process, you can save your work and come back later.
    • When completing your essay, you may copy from a program such as Microsoft Word and paste it into your application…this will help you keep a check on your word count.
    • If you are asked to upload a document for a specific application but are unsure of how to do that, consider asking your parents, a high school guidance counselor, a friend, or someone here on campus to help you with this.
    • When asked for your program of study, please select the program that you will enroll in for the upcoming academic year at Southwest, not a program you intend to apply to or transfer into in the future.

External Scholarships

Please submit these applications through the address or website listed for each; these are not processed by SWCC’s Scholarship office.

The Community Foundation of the Virginias offers a variety of separate scholarship opportunities for area students, such as the Margaret “Trinka” Smith-Burke Scholarship and many more. The Foundation awarded scholarships totaling more than $174,100 to 74 area high school and college students seeking to further their education.

View a complete list of the Community Foundation of Virginia's Scholarships and more information.

Applications for the Blankenship Justice Scholarship must be postmarked to TCV Trust & Wealth Management. 

Download the Blankenship-Justice Application and Rules.

The Columbus Phipps Foundation begins January of each year taking applications for scholarships from students attending colleges or professional schools in the fall. Students who receive scholarships must reapply each year. Eligibility is limited to students who have graduated or will graduate from a Dickenson County High School or have obtained a GED from Dickenson County. These scholarships will be granted until available funds have been expended.

Apply here for the Columbus-Phipps Foundation Scholarship (Select Student Grants).

For more information about this scholarship, contact:

Lennie Gail Mitcham, Executive Director
Office: 276-492-2100
Email: Lgmitcham@swvam.org
Fax: 276-698-3152

Recipients must be registered in one of the following types of programs:

  •  Career Studies Certificate programs

  • Other Certificate programs

  • STEM-H or Advanced Manufacturing Associate of Applied Science programs and Welding Diploma program
  • Non-STEM Associate of Applied Science Programs that can be completed within 1 year 5. Selective Non-Credit programs

Download the Tobacco Scholarship Application

The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education is taking applications for several scholarships, including  The Valley Proteins Scholarship, The Potomac Health Foundation Scholarship, and the Davenport & Dominion Fellows Program Scholarships.

Apply through the VCCS Scholarship site.

Scholarship Questions

Telephone: 276-964-7286

Mailing Address:
ATTN: SWCC Educational Foundation, Inc.
Southwest Virginia Community College
PO Box 1101, Richlands, Virginia 24641-1101

Southwest Virginia Community College provides equal employment and educational opportunities to all and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, political affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other non-merit factors.

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