Specially Funded Programs

Grant Funding is Available

We offer hundreds of students free and reduced tuition, books and fees every quarter. Find out more about these programs and if you are eligible.

BFET

The Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) program offers educational and workforce training opportunities to students receiving Basic Food Assistance (food stamps).

You may be eligible for the BFET program if:

You are currently receiving or are eligible to receive food stamps.
You are not currently receiving TANF.
You are in or plan on pursuing a career/technical program (no transfer degrees).

Program benefits may include:

Establishing and/or maintaining eligibility for food stamps while attending school.
Eligibility for DSHS's Child Care Subsidy Program. Under many circumstances, funds for child care services also are available to participants.
Assistance with tuition and/or text books and required course materials (on a funds available basis).
Referral to on-campus and off-campus resources.

Find out if you are eligible through Washington Connection.

Start Your Application!

WorkForce Transitions
Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063
509-533-7249

Opportunity Grant

The Opportunity Grant is a state program helping low-income students in Washington access to education and training to enter high-wage, high-demand jobs.

Students who qualify may be eligible for:

Assistance with tuition, books and fees for up to 45 credits (or three years), based on availability of funding.
One-time emergency expenses, such as childcare and transportation, based on need and availability of funds.

To be eligible, you must:

Be a Washington state resident as defined by law.
Have an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. See the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines.
Maintain a 2.0 grade point average

Learn more at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Start Your Application!

WorkForce Transitions
Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063
509-533-7249

Passport to College

The Passport to College program fosters youth who are 27 and younger and who are over the age allowed for foster care (been emancipated).

You may be eligible to receive:

A scholarship for tuition and other living expenses for up to five years of education.
Priority consideration for others grants and work study programs.
Other personal support services.

Find out more at www.WashingtonPassportNetwork.org.

Center for Inclusion and Diversity
Building 6—The Lair, Room 115
Spokane Community College
509.533.7033

Guillermo Espinosa, Director of Student Success, Diversity, and Equity
Phone: 509.533.7033

Worker Retraining

Worker Retraining is a state program designed to help unemployed workers retrain for a job in a new field. It is in partnership with the Washington State Employment Security Department.

You might be eligible if:

You have been laid off or received a layoff notice from a Washington state employer.
You are currently receiving unemployment benefits.
You have exhausted unemployment benefits within the past 48 months.
You are a displaced homemaker (someone formerly supported by a spouse or significant other and longer receives that support).
You were formerly self-employed.
You are a veteran separated within 48 months from armed forces with an honorable discharge.

What services does Worker Retraining provide?

Short-term "Jump Start" funding (tuition and fees only).
Assistance with the Employment Security CAT/TB application to attend school while collecting unemployment.
Assistance in locating additional funding.
Liaison to other agencies, programs, and funding.

What programs does it fund?

State funded, credit and noncredit programs or classes that lead towards improving employment opportunities.

Enroll in an individually designed program to update your skills. Training offerings include:
Short-term certificates lasting one to four quarters.
Industry certification programs, completed in four to seven months.
Two-year degree programs.

Because the emphasis in the Worker Retraining Program is retraining and rapid reemployment, programs designed for transfer to a four-year college or university are not approved. We can help you select a program that's right for you.

Start Your Application!

WorkForce Transitions
Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063
509-533-7249

WorkFirst

If you are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you can qualify for WorkFirst funding.

WorkFirst helps you pay for tuition and books and, as a WorkFirst participant, you also may qualify for child care and other WorkFirst benefits through DSHS.

You may qualify if:

You are a parent who receives TANF.
You participate in the WorkFirst program.

If you are unsure whether or not you are elgible for TANF, visit Washington Connection. If you are already receiving TANF, contact your caseworker to find out more about WorkFirst.

Start Your Application!

WorkForce Transitions
Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063
509-533-7249

Emergency Grants

SEAG

The Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG) assists with unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect a student’s ability to continue attending classes.

You may be eligible for SEAG if:

You are currently enrolled at SCC.
You have an emergent situation that has arisen and would prevent you from continuing classes.
You fill out a written application by following the link below or completing a paper copy in the WorkForce Transitions office.

Emergent needs may include:

Books
Childcare
Food
Healthcare
Fees and Fines
Housing
Utilities
Technology
Transportation

At this time, funding for Winter quarter has been exhausted and we are not able to award any funding to students. However, the application will remain open for resource referrals. One of our team members will reach out to you to provide additional campus and community resources, as available.

Apply Here!

Contact WorkForce Transitions: 509-533-7249

Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063

SSEH

Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) may reduce barriers to help in obtaining access to resources on campus or within our community while experiencing homelessness.

You may be eligible if:

You are currently enrolled at SCC.
You have an emergent situation that has arisen and would prevent you from continuing classes.
You fill out a written application by following the link below or completing a paper copy in the WorkForce Transitions office located in building 6.

Emergent needs may include:

Books
Childcare
Food
Healthcare
Fees and Fines
Housing
Utilities
Technology
Transportation

Applications are now open for winter quarter

Apply Here!

Contact WorkForce Transitions: 509-533-7249

Location: Bldg. 6, Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St. Spokane, WA 99217 MS: 2063

Contact Our Team

Wendy Jones
Mgr Workforce Transitions
Wendy.Jones@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8655

Calendly
Susan Morgado
Program Coordinator
Susan.Morgado@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8056

Calendly
Anne Mayer
Program Coordinator
Anne.Mayer@scc.spokane.edu
509-227-2276

Calendly
Allie Groves
Wkforce Trans Grant Coord
Allie.Groves@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8210
Deana Sleep
Program Specialist 2
Deana.Sleep@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7027
Helen Faasala
Program Assistant
Helen.Faasala@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7030
Joe Witmer
Workforce/Scholarship Funding
Joe.Witmer@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8221
Mark Ramos
Workforce Prog Coord
Mark.Ramos@scc.spokane.edu
509-443-5537

Bio

My name is Mark Ramos, and I am a member of the Coeur D’ Alene Tribe of Idaho. I proudly served in the US Army and US Coast Guard from 1985-1991. I am a disabled veteran with a 70 % rating, but I do not let that interfere with my life professionally or personally. For 20 years, I worked in adolescent and adult substance abuse facilities assisting people with addictions at the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations in Spokane, KLEAN Treatment Centers, and Westwind Recovery that were both located in Hollywood, CA. Before coming to Spokane Community College, I was a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Spokane Tribe. I worked with Native Americans with disabilities to remove any barriers they faced while seeking employment or while attaining their higher education. All these roles I utilized my servant leadership to deliver optimal services to clients. In my new role as the Workforce Program Coordinator, there are many similarities in the duties with Vocational Rehabilitation. I strive to empower the students to be self-sufficient in order to successfully realize their goals in employment and education. I began my journey in Adult Basic Education in November 2021, so I am new to SCC. I am learning as quickly as possible to better support the students in my role as the Program Coordinator at the Spokane Valley site. I look forward to working with students and getting to know my colleagues at the Community Colleges of Spokane in the future.
Molly Thorpe
Program Coordinator
Molly.Thorpe@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-4639

Bio

My love for the Adult Basic Education world began in 1997 when I was an Americorps Volunteer with Rural Resources in Colville. I served as the Literacy Coordinator, where my main role was to write curricula for, and teach ABE classes to students seeking their GED. While my role only lasted one year, my passion for serving that population of students never disappeared. Over the next few years, I held positions at Mental Health agencies, Department of Social & Health Services, and Eastern Washington University, where I continued to serve similar populations in slightly different ways. More recently, I worked at SFCC as a Workforce Program Coordinator, where I was able to support students in poverty with funding and navigation of the culture of academia. Last fall when the opportunity arose to return to the ABE world as a Workforce Program Coordinator, I knew it was time to return ‘home’. I began working at the Monroe Adult Education Center in November of 2020, am very pleased to be serving this population of Adult Basic Education students once again.
Katherine Cornelis
Program Coordinator
Katherine.Cornelis@scc.spokane.edu
509-279-6961