Specially Funded Programs

BFET

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

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

Priya Osborne, Director of Student Success, Diversity, and Equity
Phone: 509.533.8201

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 and SSEH

We are currently out of funds for the emergency grants (Students Emergency Assistance Grant and Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness). However, we still want to help you any way we can. We have compiled a list of college and community resources that may be able to address barriers.

General resources:

Resource Center of Spokane County (RCSC) has a goal to help the underserved members of our community achieve economic empowerment by increasing access to opportunities and restoring hope. This is done by providing access to a wide variety of agencies offering a diverse number of services, including housing, training, healthcare, and justice-involved services among other.

2-1-1 connects callers, at no cost, to critical health and human services in their community. If you are unable to find a service, please dial 2-1-1 for assistance. If you are outside of Washington State or having a problem using the 2-1-1 number, please call 1-877-211-9274.

Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation has the mission to support students. Each January applications for over 100 scholarships open with a select number becoming available again in August. There are also some limited emergency funds available through the CCS Foundation.

If you are in needs of food assistance:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, called Basic Food in Washington, helps people with low incomes make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food. You can check if you are eligible for Basic Food and apply at WashingtonConnection.org. If you are receiving Basic Food, you may also qualify for BFET. Learn more about BFET.

For our students to succeed, we realize basic needs must first be met. The SCC Cares Food Pantry and Resource Center is here to assist students who need food and hygiene assistance, free of charge.

Tuition, books, or technology:

The SCC Workforce Transitions office has four grants through these grants we are able to offer hundreds of students assistance with tuition, books, fees, and other supports. You only need to complete one application to apply for all these grants.

To see if you may be eligible for Workforce Transitions Support, please complete the electronic application for services.

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
Anne Mayer
Workforce Program Specialist
Anne.Mayer@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8191

Calendly
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
Indigenous Stu Otrch/Suppt Mgr
Mark.Ramos@sfcc.spokane.edu
509-533-3934
Molly Thorpe
Workforce Tran Specialist
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 Specialist 2
Katherine.Cornelis@scc.spokane.edu
509-279-6961