ONTARIO, Ore. — Treasure Valley Community College announced on Monday that it’s expanding the Western Treasure Valley Academic Merit Tuition Waiver. It will now be available to high school seniors nationwide.

Previously, only students from eastern Oregon and western Idaho could obtain the waiver. Now, it is open to students with an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher throughout all four years. 

TVCC President Dana M. Young said the expansion is intended to commend academic success. 

“The top-performing students deserve to be rewarded for the years of work they’ve invested in their studies, and we want to invest in those students in turn,” Young said in a news release.

College officials said the decision was made to be competitive in recruiting academically inclined students without the financial burden. 

Despite most students coming from Oregon and Idaho, they wanted to expand access to relevant opportunities. 

Twenty-one students applied for the waiver in 2025-26. As of right now, TVCC has 26 applicants for the upcoming school year but aims for a goal of more than 30.

The college’s annual budget funds the waiver. According to college officials, the award reduces tuition cost by roughly 30%. Of course, that varies by major and additional expenses.

The application deadline for the 2026-27 academic year is June 30.

Click here for more info on TVCC’s financial aid.