Man hands scholarship award to woman on stage as boy watches

SBVC Foundation Executive Director Michael Layne awards a scholarship to a student during the record-breaking scholarship awards ceremony on May 7, 2026 in the college's historic Auditorium.

Photo credit: Angel Castillo


CONTACT: Paul Bratulin, San Bernardino Valley College: pbratulin@valleycollege.edu / (909) 384-8978

SAN BERNARDINO – In a milestone that reflects a century of commitment to student success, the San Bernardino Valley College Foundation awarded more than $882,000 in scholarships — the most in its history — at its annual scholarship ceremony on May 7, 2026. The record-breaking award comes as SBVC celebrates its centennial year, marking 100 years of expanding access to higher education in the Inland Empire.

A total of 638 SBVC students received scholarships in the 2025-26 academic year, including funding from the two-year pilot ValleyUp2CSUSB program for students committed to enrolling at Cal State San Bernardino. The record scholarship total follows the Foundation’s most successful fundraising event in college history: the Centennial Gala on March 27, which raised more than $1 million. In addition to the scholarship awards, the Foundation distributed over $20,000 in other student support.

“Your college community is proud of you. Tonight is not the end of your journey – it is a reminder of what you have already overcome and what you are still capable of achieving,” said Foundation Executive Director Michael Layne.

The ceremony showcased the resilience and determination of SBVC’s student body. Many recipients juggled work, family obligations, and other challenges while attending classes. Mercie Ramirez, who is graduating with an associate’s degree in liberal arts and transferring to Cal State San Bernardino, spoke about navigating the foster system, homelessness, domestic violence, and being a working parent before enrolling at SBVC.

“Thank you, San Bernardino Valley College, for not only being the biggest lifeline I have ever had but also for going above and beyond it,” Ramirez said.

SBVC President Gilbert J. Contreras connected the record scholarship milestone to the college’s centennial legacy of serving students who need it most.

“We know how much it means to our students to have financial support to pursue their dreams,” Contreras said. “As we fulfill our ancestors’ dreams, it takes time and money – especially for students who are low-income, first-generation, and balancing many responsibilities for family and home. That is my story as well. I know how much financial aid means. I know how much scholarships mean.”

Top scholarship funders include Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Jay Pritzker Foundation, Chuck Obershaw and the Obershaw family, and Southern California Edison.

For more information about the SBVC Foundation, visit sbvcfoundation.org.