With the cost of education constantly rising, it makes sense for students and their families to research scholarships and other types of financial aid as thoroughly as possible. Unlike loans, scholarships don’t have to be repaid, which makes them the most appealing type of financial aid.
In this article, we’ll be focusing on some of the leading California scholarships currently available. Some of these scholarships are specific to certain California universities, while others are open to anyone studying in the state of California. Keep in mind that this is only a sampling of the many scholarships that are available to residents of California and students planning to attend California colleges and universities.
Usc.edu National Merit & National Achievement Finalist Presidential Scholarships
The award for this scholarship is $16,000 and is for full time, incoming freshmen students of the University of Southern California. The requirements include being PSAT national achievement finalists and naming USC as your first choice.
California Institute of the Arts Scholarships
This scholarship awards $8,000 to undergraduate students enrolled full time at the California Institute of the Arts. To be eligible, you must include a FAFSA along with a statement of purpose.
These scholarships are in the amount of $7,500 and are awarded to artists born in California. There are four categories -video, printmaking, photography and film.
Joseph Henry Jackson Literary Award
This scholarship in the amount of $2,000 is awarded to residents of Northern California or Nevada who are working on unpublished manuscripts. To be eligible, students must be between the ages of 20 and 35 and have residential status for at least three years.
This scholarship, with awards ranging from $2,500 to $7,500, is for students enrolled in a California law school. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and must intend to practice law in California once they graduate from law school. They must also demonstrate financial need, as well as have a commitment to pursue a public interest legal career.
UCLA.edu Yvonne Braithwaite-Burke Scholarships
These scholarships are specific to the University of California Los Angeles. Amounts and deadlines vary, but only California residents who are entering UCLA as freshmen are eligible.
California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation Scholarships
These scholarships in the amount of $2,750 are intended for students planning for a career in the agricultural industry at any four-year California college or university. This is a renewable scholarship. Awards are based on scholastic achievement, career goals and extracurricular activities.
Leni Fe Bland Music Scholarship
This scholarship is for California residents who are majoring in music at a postsecondary institution. Awards are based on talent as well as financial need. There are also age requirements -instrumental students must be under 25, voice students must be under 30. Amounts of awards vary.
Horatio Alger California Scholarships
These scholarships are for high school seniors who are residents of California and who have overcome major obstacles in their lives. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.0. There are 38 scholarships for residents of northern California and 5 for residents of southern California. The average award is $5,000.
Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship
These scholarship, with amounts ranging between $500 and $5,000, are for California residents currently enrolled in or planning to enroll in a community college, culinary arts school or four-year college in California. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0.
