Scholarships

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MECC Foundation Scholarship

Mountain Empire Community College receives donor support and grants which support a variety of scholarships, the majority of which are provided through the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation. The MECC Foundation is an institutionally-related 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable foundation whose mission is to foster the growth and progress of Mountain Empire Community College. The MECC Foundation awards scholarships from over 160 funds.

The priority deadline for scholarship applications is August 1, 2024.  

Click Here To Apply For The MECC Foundation Scholarship

AIMS Higher Scholarship

 The MECC AIMS Higher Scholarship encourages Virginia-resident high school students in Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton 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 two 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. 

 

Click Here To Apply For AIMS Scholarship

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: 

  • 4 credits of English
  • 4 credits of Math
  • 3 credits of Lab Science
  • 3 credits of Social Science
  • 2 credits of the same foreign language OR 2 credits of technical courses in the same track (I & II)
  • 1 computer applications course (Keyboarding, Word Processing, Computer Information Systems, ITE, IT Fundamentals, etc.)  *Economics and Personal Finance does not meet the computer application course requirement.

 

  • Maintain a 95% school attendance rate from grades 9-12. (No more than 36 days missed) *Both excused and unexcused absences are counted towards the 36 day maximum.
  • Have no out of school suspensions
  • Complete 20 verified hours of community service before high school graduation
  • Students enrolled in courses (or working on community service requirements) that are required for AIMS during their final semester of high school will be confirmed eligible/not eligible upon review of your final transcript.
  • Complete the online AIMS/MECC Scholarship application at www.mecc.edu/scholarship.
  • Enroll at MECC beginning with the Fall semester immediately following high school graduation and maintain enrollment each Fall and Spring semester until completion of the AIMS program
  • AIMS Scholars must maintain a 2.25 cumulative and a 2.25 semester GPA for each semester of attendance.
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov and submit all required documentation to the Financial Aid Office for each academic year by the first day of Fall Semester.
 
 

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

No. The AIMS Scholarship only guarantees that the student will not pay any tuition or fees. Students are still responsible for book costs. Some students may qualify for a sufficient amount of federal and state aid to assist with book costs. In addition, students receiving external scholarships (non-MECC Foundation scholarships) may use those funds to assist with book costs.

 

Once the student has failed to meet the requirements for the AIMS Scholarship, the student is no longer eligible to receive the scholarship at MECC or UVA-Wise. There is no appeal process for the AIMS Scholarship.

 

An AIMS Scholar is eligible for up to

* 72 credit hours
*3 years

OR

Completion of 1st Associate's Degree (whichever comes first)

AIMS scholars are currently eligible for funds during the Summer term. Summer coverage is subject to change year to year based on available funds. Students who are AIMS Scholars and who attend summer classes are still required to maintain the required semester and cumulative GPA requirements during summer term to maintain the scholarship.

 

No, the MECC AIMS funding can only be utilized at MECC.

 

Please contact the MECC Recruiter at 276-523-6434.

 

Latest News

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Mountain Empire Community College) have partnered to help students bridge the gap from high school diplomas to college degrees in an effort to raise the educational attainment rate in Southwest Virginia.

A $75,000, two-year grant will fund research needed to launch new pilot programs geared for improving access for rural students to attain higher education success. This summer begins the year-long data analysis and pilot development phase. In fall 2023, the colleges will implement pilot programs.

“Our goal is to strengthen the pathways from MECC to UVA Wise and increase equity in education. The ultimate goal is to have more people in this region with degrees. We believe there are several different paths for success,” UVA Wise Provost Trisha Folds-Bennett said.
“A significant number of students from our region come to MECC as their first step toward attainment of a bachelor’s degree,” Mountain Empire Community College President Kristen Westover said. “Building on the strong foundation that the AIMS program provides, the data captured from this research will assist MECC and UVA Wise in identifying and removing barriers to success, empowering us to enhance the student experience, and ultimately increasing the success of those students in our region who desire to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.”

The grant also hopes to explore ways to improve student success in earning business and technology degrees because the job opportunities in these areas are predicted to expand exponentially in the next five to 10 years. Another focus of the project is helping address the critical shortage in nurses and teachers by making it easier for students to earn bachelor’s degrees in those areas. For some careers, an associate’s degree is the right choice but for others a bachelor’s degree is a better fit, Folds-Bennett said.

“Having more people with bachelor’s degrees will help us build a stronger workforce, attract more businesses, and encourage students to stay in the region for education and work. It will help us create an engine for economic vitality in the region,” Folds-Bennett said.

The grant hopes to address the commonwealth’s goal of reaching 70% of Virginians, ages 25 to 64, who attain an undergraduate degree.

The 2020 U.S. Census indicated that in Wise County only 15% of adults had obtained a bachelor’s degree. Only 11% of the entire region’s population holds a bachelor’s degree, according to the GO Virginia Region 1 Growth and Diversification plan released last December.

“This research will be a study of the students in this region, acknowledging that if we are going to close the education gap, we have to do it in partnership. We believe MECC is a key partner,” Folds-Bennett said. “We think both institutions will thrive through a stronger partnership and together we can meet the needs of the region even more.”

To build that collaboration, the schools are conducting in-depth data analysis on a longstanding project targeted at transitioning high school students to college graduates—the Appalachian Inter-Mountain Scholars (AIMS) Scholarship program.

“The AIMS Scholar program was a natural fit. Those students are primarily recruited to MECC with the intention of attending a four-year college, but they aren’t required to do so. This data analysis will help us address what’s working and what isn’t. We want to find out how we can bridge that gap,” Folds-Bennett said. “Both schools will be using the same metrics and measures to better understand what encourages these students to continue on to a bachelor’s degree or what doesn’t.”

Established in 2003 at, AIMS scholars are recruited as high school students who earn “C” or better grades, have 95% attendance and no out-of-school suspensions. Only students from Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson counties and the City of Norton high schools are eligible.

AIMS Scholars receive full tuition at MECC for up to three years, 72 credit hours, or completion of their first associate’s degree. They must maintain a 2.25 GPA or higher until degree completion. 

For those students who earn an associate degree from MECC and wish to obtain a bachelor’s degree at UVA Wise, they receive an additional three-year, full-tuition scholarship.

Leadership at both institutions are exploring ways to increase student success by sharing dual admissions and recruitment through advising staff, courses, immersive learning and campus activities. They are also working to improve access to both two-year and four-year programs offered by MECC and UVA Wise.

 This summer, both colleges will start institutional research and data analysis which is expected to continue through January 2023.

This grant project will complete a thorough analysis of the success of AIMS Scholars in attaining a bachelor’s degree relative to other students (non-AIMS students) who transfer to UVA Wise from MECC. Data from 2009-2018 will be used in the project from both schools.

The analysis will include figuring out the success rate of AIMS scholars who graduate with a college degree including factors of timely graduation, maintained 2.25 GPA, and the rate at which UVA Wise students maintain full-time status after transferring from MECC.

 Once the full analysis is finished, UVA Wise and MECC will develop pilot programs to build on the most successful aspects of the AIMS Scholar program to further improve every student’s success at both colleges. They will work to find new ways to propel students to finishing their degree, including the possibility of shared coursework and expedited pathways. They also will create ways to expand the program to a broader group of MECC students.
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