The MECC AIMS Higher Scholarship encourages Virginia-resident high school students in Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton as well as home school students who are enrolled in a homeschool program approved by the local school district to complete a challenging curriculum and to pursue higher education. Graduating high school students who meet the requirements of the AIMS Scholars (Virginia Scholars) program will have the opportunity to attend up to three years (72 semester credits) of college without paying any tuition or fees out of pocket. The MECC AIMS Higher Scholarships are funded by the Virginia Tobacco Commission and donors to the MECC Foundation.
AIMS Scholars, please note that your initial award for the semester is based on enrollment of 12 credit hours. If you take more than 12 credit hours, your award will be adjusted after the last day to add/drop.
Applications for MECC Foundation scholarships and the AIMS Higher Scholarship are submitted online. To apply for these scholarships, use your MyMECC Username and password.
AIMS Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions
In order to qualify for the AIMS Scholarship, a high school student must meet all of the following requirements by the date of high school graduation:
Students must have obtained a minimum of 17 credits as follows:
MECC AIMS Higher Scholarship applications are accepted each year from January through May. In addition to the completion of the scholarship application (available at www.mecc.edu/scholarship), AIMS scholars must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing the MECC School Code (009629) each year.
The deadline to complete the FAFSA is May 1.
Scholarship awards are only final upon certification by the high school guidance counselor that all AIMS Scholars program requirements have been met by the day of high school graduation. Failure to submit the FAFSA by the deadline in any future year will void eligibility for scholarship renewal.
The AIMS Scholarship is designed to guarantee that an AIMS Scholar will not have to pay any tuition or fees while completing their degree at MECC. This is done by filling in “gaps” that regular financial aid does not cover. Financial situations are different for each student. Some common examples of how AIMS works for different students are noted below:
Example 1: A student does not qualify for any federal/state aid based on their FAFSA application. This student is considered a “no need” student. In this situation, the student would have to pay all tuition/fees out of pocket while attending MECC if they do not have the AIMS Scholarship. Because the student is an AIMS Scholar, the scholarship will pay 100% of the student’s tuition and fees as long as the student maintains eligibility requirements. The student will purchase books with personal funds.
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = $0.00
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $1668.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $0.00
Example 2: A student qualifies for full federal/state aid based on their FAFSA application. This student is considered a “high need” student. In this situation, a student will receive enough federal and state aid to cover their tuition, fees and most likely their books. They will even have funds remaining after all of those expenses are covered. The remaining balance is refunded to the student approximately mid-way through the semester. Because the AIMS Scholar has received enough aid to cover their tuition/fees, the AIMS Scholarship will not add any additional funds. The student will remain coded as an AIMS Scholar for tracking purposes in order to receive the scholarship upon transfer to UVA-Wise. The student will receive enough federal/state aid to purchase books.
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = $3000.00
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $0.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $1332.00 – cost of books charged at MECC bookstore
Example 3: A student qualifies for some federal/state aid but not enough to cover full tuition and fees based on their FAFSA application. The AIMS Scholarship will cover the difference in the cost of tuition/fees and the amount of federal/state aid received. The student will purchase books with personal funds.
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = 1000.00
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $668.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $0.00
MECC Scholarships
If a student receives an MECC Foundation Scholarship, this is considered to be an internal award and the scholarship funds will be used to cover the student’s tuition and fees before the AIMS funds from the Tobacco Commission will be utilized. If a student’s tuition and fees have been covered by federal/state/Foundation funds and there is any surplus remaining, the student will receive a refund check mid-term.
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = $1000.00
MECC Scholarship award received = $250.00/semester ($500.00 annual award)
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $418.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $0.00
External Scholarships
At present time, students who receive external scholarships in addition to AIMS will not see a deduction in their AIMS award based on the scholarship. For example, if a student receives a $500 scholarship from a local agency, the funds will be placed in the student’s financial aid account. The student’s tuition/fees will be covered by federal/state/AIMS funds. The student will still need to purchase their books out of pocket. The $500 scholarship funds will be split between fall and spring terms ($250/each semester) and the student will receive a refund check for the scholarship amount mid-semester.
Example 1:
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = $1000.00
External Scholarship award received = $250.00/semester ($500.00 annual award)
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $668.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $250.00
Example 2:
Tuition/Fees = $1668.00 for 12 semester credits
Federal/State Aid Available Based on FAFSA = $3000.00
External Scholarship award received = $250.00/semester ($500.00 annual award)
Amount paid by the AIMS Scholarship = $0.00
Amount refunded to student mid-term = $1582.00 – cost of books charged at MECC bookstore
OR
Completion of 1st Associate's Degree (whichever comes first)