October 5, 2021 

Media Contact:
Kris King, student benefits navigator, 509-682-6613
Libby Siebens, WVC community relations executive director, 509-682-6436 (Mon.-Thurs.)

WVC was approved to receive the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) grant this year as part of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) grant pilot program.

WVC is one of eight college districts selected to participate. The pilot program aims to assist students experiencing homelessness and students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high school.

According to SBCTC guidelines, colleges chosen to participate in the pilot program must provide certain accommodations to students that may include, but are not limited to:

• access to laundry facilities;
• access to storage, locker room and shower facilities;
• reduced-price meals or meal plans, and access to food banks
• access to technology
• access to short-term housing or housing assistance, especially during seasonal breaks
• case management services

Colleges participating in the pilot program must also provide information to students on existing community resources for individuals experiencing homelessness, including nonprofit organizations, the local housing authority, and the Department of Commerce's Office of Homeless Youth.

"WVC is honored to be a part of the SSEH pilot program," said WVC President Jim Richardson. “This grant will change the lives of our students who are most in need.”

Learn more about the grant on the SBCTC SSEH page. View all of WVC’s Workforce Grants at wvc.edu/WorkforceGrants.

###

Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for all students and employees and provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.