RVC Foundation Scholarships

Complete the Financial Aid Process

Submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible. To apply, go to FAFSA.gov

Check your RVC Financial Aid page under MyRVC > Students > Self Service and ensure all requested verification paperwork has been submitted.

NOTE: If you are an international student, under 18, or otherwise ineligible to file a FAFSA, we understand that federal funding may not be available to you. There is an opportunity to explain your situation in the Financial Statement portion of the application.

How to Secure an RVC Foundation Scholarship

1. Add all deadlines listed in section 1, Dates and Deadlines, into your calendar so you don’t miss any important dates.
2. Watch for emails from RVC-Foundation@rockvalleycollege.edu in your student email.
3. Activate your voicemail on your phone so we can notify you of important updates or an issue with your application.
4. Write strong Personal, Educational, and Financial statements. Please share your story. Your personal statements are what brings your application to life for our application reviewers and scholarship providers.
   1. Be specific
      • Too vague: My education goal is to get my degree (or certificate) and start my career.
      • Provides details: I’m working toward my CNC Machining Certificate as well as my NIMS certifications so I can work for a top manufacturing company in Rockford.
   2. Be personal:
      • Too bland: Receiving an RVC Foundation Scholarship would mean a lot to me because I have a lot of bills to pay.
      • Tells a story: I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to teach. My dad taught high school history, and my mom teaches 4th grade, so I grew up with lesson plans and bulletin boards, class projects and papers to grade, and can’t wait until I can do the same thing. With my parents’ example to follow, I know I can become the teacher I want to be, but receiving a scholarship would help make my goals a reality.
   3. Provide details:
      • Lacking information: The FAFSA says my parents make too much money so I won’t get a Pell Grant, but I really need help to pay for school.
      • Detailed explanation: Two years ago, my father was a VP at Good Company, but they were bought out. He still has a job, but had to take a 30% pay cut. My mom is only working part-time now due to health reasons. Neither parent can afford to help me pay for school. I have filed an appeal to adjust my parent’s income, but I don’t know if it will be approved. I have some savings from working part-time the last two years, enough to pay for two classes a semester, but I’d really like to be able to go full-time so I can graduate quicker and get a decent job while I work on my bachelor’s degree. Thank you for considering my application.
5. If you Save and Continue Editing your application, don't forget to go back and Submit! 
6. After receiving a Preliminary Offer, complete your post-acceptance tasks (explained in the next tab) as soon as possible. You will not receive your Final Offer and release of funds unless all tasks are complete by the deadline.
7. RVC Foundation Scholarships cover your direct costs only and are paid to the College to cover tuition, books, fees, and mandatory supplies. Any funds not used will be returned to the Foundation to help other students next year.

If you have any questions regarding the scholarship process, please reach out to the RVC Foundation at (815) 921-4500 or RVC-Foundation@RockValleyCollege.edu. We’re here to help!

Post-Acceptance Tasks

If you receive a Preliminary Offer Email:

1. Click the link within the email to either “Accept” or “Decline” the offer. Either link will take you to the scholarship portal Sign In window. If you accept, the Post-Acceptance Supplemental Questions tab will become available to you. You’ll just need to answer a few questions. 

2. Write your thank you letter in Microsoft Word and upload it through the link on the Supplemental Questions tab. See Section 5: Thank You Letters for further instructions and sample text.

3. If required, upload your Unofficial Transcript and Financial Aid Award Letter.

4. Register for classes and complete your RVC Financial Aid file.

5. Submit your Supplemental Questions by July 24, 2025. There can be no extensions to this deadline

Understanding a Scholarship Thank You Letter

A properly written thank-you letter to your scholarship provider is a mandatory requirement of receiving an RVC Foundation scholarship, and it’s also a way to show your gratitude to the person who believed in you enough to support your education. Thank you letters are due July 24, 2025. Please note that the deadline is final and no exceptions will be made. We encourage you to take advantage of the helpful tips below and utilize the Writing Center for assistance in writing your letter.

Writing Your Thank You Letter

A proper thank you letter should include the date written and use a formal tone. Be sure to include the name of your scholarship in your letter. The full name is in your preliminary offer email, or you can find it by clicking the link at the top of the left-hand column of the Supplemental Questions tab. If that name contains the word “Memorial”, that person is no longer living. They may be the original donor, or a family member of the current scholarship provider. Click the link for “Donor Information” in the middle of the left-hand column to discover the name of the generous individual who made your scholarship possible. That’s the person you address your letter to. 

There are two addressee samples below – one if the scholarship provider is an organization, and one if the scholarship provider is an individual. Since your letter does not have to be mailed, you do not need to include the mailing address

How to address a letter to an organization:

February 14, 2025 [Date]

Mr. Robert Stenstrom, President [Addressee – organization representative]
RVC Foundation Board of Directors [Organization]

Dear Mr. Stenstrom and Members of the Foundation Board [Salutation]

How to address a letter to an individual:

February 14, 2025 [Date]

Mr. and Mrs. Dudley D. Donor [Addressee – look at the donor bio for your scholarship and address your letter the same way. It will be either formal as shown, or casual, like Dudley and Polly Donor]

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Donor, [Salutation – match the addressee style. Casual would be Dear Dudley and Polly,]

Your letter should include:

• Opening thank you paragraph. Acknowledge the scholarship you received.
  • Thank you so much for awarding me the RVC Foundation Endowment Scholarship. I am so very grateful to receive these funds.
• Background paragraph. Tell the scholarship provider a little about what led you to your major, or what led you to Rock Valley College. Why are you studying your subject?
  • I can remember when I was little, my babysitter brought over a book about stars. She’d take me outside so we could look at the stars and try to identify them. I hated it when a cloud came by and covered up the stars. That got me thinking, where do clouds come from? Why are some white and others almost black? How do they move? It was then that my love of weather and astronomy was formed.
• Current status paragraph. Where are you in your educational journey? What do you like best about attending RVC? Will you move on to another school after graduation, or do you plan to work first? What is your ultimate purpose in going to school?
  • So, that’s why I’m at Rock Valley College studying to get my AS degree. I want to study the weather, and I knew I’d need an excellent background in science and math. I’m just finishing my first year here, and absolutely love it! After Rock Valley, I want to go to NIU to get my Bachelor of Science in Meteorology.
• Closing paragraph. Thank the scholarship provider again. You can never thank someone too many times.
  • Thank you again for the privilege of receiving the RVC Foundation Endowment Scholarship. It means a great deal to me and my family. Thanks to this scholarship, maybe someday you’ll see me on the news as your weather forecaster!
• Closing line – you can use the standard “Sincerely”, or let the donor know how you really feel.
  • Sincerely, (Other options could include: With deepest gratitude or From a grateful student or With heartfelt thanks)
• Signature – Always use your first and last name. Do not provide your student ID or address or other contact information. Just your name.
  • Rayne Weatherman

If you have any questions regarding writing your Thank You letter, please reach out to the RVC Foundation at (815) 921-4500 or RVC-Foundation@RockValleyCollege.edu. We’re here to help!