STEP Program

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Overview 

If you are an Oregon resident and are receiving Food Stamps (SNAP) you may be eligible for additional education and training support services while attending classes at Treasure Valley Community College.  
These additional services can include tuition, books, and transportation to assist students as they build their skills, complete their GED, increase English communication fluency, earn college Career and Technical Education certificates (Career Pathways) and degrees, and access internships and jobs.  The goal of the project is to increase equitable opportunity and economic mobility for SNAP students.

If you are not sure you are eligible, apply here:  Apply Here for SNAP

The STEP grant serves Oregon SNAP recipients with assistance in obtaining a livable wage through the use of added financial, social, and educational services during vocational training, job search, and job retention. STEP coaches and advisors can offer additional support services to provide a safety net and remove barriers to successful completion of a Career Pathway certificate and job attainment.  TVCC works closely with community resource providers to find solutions to assist our students with issues beyond what the grant and TVCC can offer.
Participants complete an in-depth assessment to identify what services, skills, and resources are needed. Students also complete a College and Career Plan.

  • Career Coaching: individualized success coaching and case management, educational guidance and career advising, college navigation, and wrap-around support for equitable college and career success.
  • Vocational Training: high-quality education resulting in a credential that prepares students for in-demand career opportunities; focus and priority is for students starting on their career pathway and progressing towards a stackable Career Pathways certificate, but is also open to others needing support in a Career and Technical Education or workforce program that leads to an industry-recognized credential, certificate, or degree.
  • ABE/GED/Remediation: GED, ESL, on-ramps, and skill building courses and services that build skills needed to enter and progress in college and the workforce.
  • Job Search and Job Search Training: support, workshops, and services designed to help participants find the right career path, prepare for and find jobs that will offer pathways out of poverty and into living wage careers.
  • Work Experience: work-based learning opportunities and connection with employers; job shadow, internship, co-op education, and externship placement.

Any referrals for the STEP grant go to Charla Wheeler.  If you would like to refer an individual, please feel free to give Charla's contact information out or email/call her directly (with permission from the student).


STEP Contact:
Charla Wheeler
STEP Student Success Coach
step@tvcc.cc
(541) 881-5603

The STEP program is located in the Oregon Trail Building room #107, or you may call or email Charla Wheeler.

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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.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 
mail: 
U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 
1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 
fax:  (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 
email: Program.Intake@usda.gov 
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.