Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) values early care and education professionals as they increase their knowledge and skills to better serve young children and their families. To increase access to higher education, the VIRGINIA CHILD CARE PROVIDER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, administered by VDOE, awards scholarships for approved undergraduate courses at Virginia Community Colleges and SCHEV-accredited Montessori Certification Programs. Courses eligible for scholarships focus on the care and education of young children.

The Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program is available for early educators working toward a Career Studies Certificate or AAS degree in Early Childhood Development and those enrolled in a SCHEV-accredited Montessori Certification Program.

To be considered eligible for a scholarship, individuals will be:

• an employee of an early care and education program located in Virginia, or
• a Virginia resident (as defined by the Code of Virginia) who intends to become employed in a Virginia early care and education program.

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

Effective SUMMER 2026, VDOE scholarships support the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees at Virginia’s Community Colleges and SCHEV-accredited Montessori Certification Programs for eligible students. Students are responsible for the cost of textbooks and all other expenses.

Up to two (2) APPROVED COURSES at a Virginia Community College or SCHEV-accredited Montessori Certification Program may be awarded scholarships each semester when eligibility criteria are met.

Scholarships may also be available for equivalent courses at SCHEV-accredited in-state, four-year colleges or universities. All equivalent courses MUST be approved by VDOE on a case-by-case basis.

The maximum eligibility amount for this scholarship program is $4,480 for new applications (effective SUMMER 2026).

• The maximum scholarship award eligibility amount may be incrementally increased for new applications, if approved by VDOE, based on updated maximum scholarship eligibility amounts.
• For approved (equivalent) undergraduate courses at a four-year college or university, the scholarship will pay $500 per course, depending on the student’s scholarship eligibility balance.

Students need to ENROLL in college courses PRIOR to the submission of a scholarship application. After enrolling in courses, students may submit an online scholarship application during the applicable time period.

Scholarships cannot be transferred from one semester to another nor can they be transferred from one student to another.

Scholarship applications are accepted for SUMMER, FALL, and SPRING academic terms. Scholarship applications are accepted during open application time periods (see below) via the online portal.

Students may apply for scholarships each semester until they have reached their maximum scholarship eligibility amount.

• SUMMER 2026March 15 – April 24, 2026
• FALL 2026June 15 – July 25, 2026
• SPRING 2027October 15 – November 21, 2026

NOTE: Application periods may close early if scholarship funds are no longer available for an academic semester.

Prior to applying for scholarships, applicants are responsible for enrolling in courses at their Institution of Higher Education (college) or SCHEV-accredited Montessori Certification Program.

If students are not enrolled in the course(s) for which they were awarded scholarships, their scholarship awards will be dropped.

After each scholarship application period closes, VDOE will send Institutions of Higher Education a roster of students/courses awarded scholarships for that semester. If students are not enrolled in the specific course(s) awarded scholarships, award funds will be dropped.

Scholarship awards are student specific, course specific, semester specific, and specific to an Institution of Higher Education. Students must drop/change courses according to their college’s add/drop deadline.

If students change or drop the course(s) for which they were awarded scholarships, they must notify VDOE about this change/drop in one of the following ways.

• Request a scholarship change/drop in their online VDOE Scholarship Account

• - OR -

• Send VDOE an EMAIL requesting the scholarship change/drop.

PLEASE NOTE: Students may be required to provide a copy of their unofficial transcript to verify course enrollment during the scholarship award process.

Students are required to earn a PASSING GRADE for all courses awarded scholarships. If a student receives a non-passing grade of “W” or “F” for courses paid by scholarship funds, the student will no longer be eligible for this program.

VDOE provides scholarship funds directly to the Institution of Higher Education via an invoice process. Institutions of Higher Education generally invoice VDOE after the census date for the last term of each semester.

The VDOE scholarship program does not pay or reimburse students directly.

When students receive scholarships, they agree to provide a current unofficial transcript to VDOE at the end of each semester to verify final grades for courses awarded scholarship funds.

• 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 will no longer be eligible for scholarship awards if they receive a failing grade (F) or withdrew with penalty (W) for courses paid by scholarship funds.

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

This scholarship program 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.

Additional financial assistance to help pay for college may be available through Project Pathfinders.

Project Pathfinders funding is available to early educators either:

• employed and currently working with preschool-aged children (birth-PreK), or
• dually enrolled in high school and community college to pursue an Early Childhood Development certificate/degree at a Virginia Community College.

Project Pathfinders funding may also be available to pursue an Early Childhood Bachelor's Degree at an approved 4-year college if the early educator has already completed the transferable Early Childhood AAS degree at a Virginia community college.

Project Pathfinders funding may be used in conjunction with the VDOE Scholarship Program to help pay for additional courses and textbooks.

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