Top California scholarships for you

The Presidential Scholars Program is for high-achieving students who have a commitment to serving their communities and who will lead their peers in transforming their tomorrow. The scholarship application is for California residents and is available by invitation only. Qualified first-year applicants are notified in December through March if they are eligible for consideration. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

At the Better Business Bureau, we believe it is never too early to introduce and emphasize the importance of ethics. At the high school level, students begin to face ethical decisions that may impact the rest of their lives. The BBB seeks to honor ethical students for doing the right thing with the BBB Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship, available in Greater Arizona and Southern California. Students in grades 9-12 (graduating classes of 2025-2028) residing and enrolled in school in eligible counties are invited to apply for this scholarship opportunity. Winning scholarship recipients will be recognized and receive funds towards college tuition and expenses at this year's Torch Awards for Ethics. The deadline for San Diego and Imperial County students is August 18, 2024. The deadline for Orange County students is September 8, 2024. The deadline for Greater Arizona students is September 24, 2024. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

Becoming a Greenhouse Scholar is the first action in a series of positive events that will create change in you, your community, and the world. Eligible students must be a graduating high school senior planning to attend a four-year accredited academic institution. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and a legal resident of California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New York, or North Carolina. Applicants must demonstrate financial need (annual household income no greater than $80,000), and possess excellent leadership skills, an ability to persevere through difficult circumstances, and a strong interest in and commitment to your community. The eligibility survey will open on September 1, 2024 and close on November 14, 2024. Students must report their unweighted GPA, household income, and geographic location to confirm eligibility, and submit one short answer response. The academic information and submission of essay responses will start on September 15, 2024 and end on December 1, 2024. Applicants must submit a transcript, ACT/SAT test scores (optional), two letters of recommendation, and four written essay responses. Then, starting January 10, 2025 to January 26, 2025, semi-finalists have two weeks to create and submit a five-minute video response and submit proof of income documents. Finalist registration for interviews open on March 10, 2025. Finalists will be invited to submit updated transcripts, ACT/SAT test scores (optional), a headshot, college acceptance status, other scholarship awards statuses, and to schedule an interview. The deadline for the submission of finalist documents and scheduling of interviews will be on March 17, 2025. Please visit the award's website for more information.

The Celebrate Azusa Citizens Scholarship/Nancy Moore Scholarship is open to students who currently attend Azusa or Gladstone High School and plan to enroll at APU or for graduates of these schools who attend Citrus College. Students must reside in the Azusa Unified School District boundaries and have a strong Christian commitment. Students must be admitted to APU before March 2. Students must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 or a minimum Citrus College GPA of 2.2. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

The Janet Paine Peters Scholarship will be awarded according to the following preferences: First preference will be given to an active or alumna member having legal residence in Southern California. Second preference will be given to an active or alumna member of Beta Omega Chapter. Third preference will be given to an active or alumna member of Kappa Alpha Theta. A recommendation from a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and a recommendation from an academic or professional reference are required. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation for more information.

The Karl Pister Leadership Opportunity Award is available to students who have overcome adverse socioeconomic circumstances, who have a demonstrated commitment to assisting and improving the lives of others, and who might not otherwise be able to attend UCSC for financial reasons. Candidates are nominated by the presidents of each of the 13 regional community colleges. The Leadership Opportunity Awards Review Committee reviews the nominations, and a student from each college will be nominated to receive the award. Participating community colleges: Cabrillo College, Canada College, College of San Mateo, De Anza College, Evergreen Valley College, Foothill College, Gavilan College, Hartnell College, Mission College, Monterey Peninsula College, San Jose City College, Skyline College, and West Valley College. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.

The Give Something Back Scholarships are open to applicants from California who meet one or more of the following criteria: A) Are or were in foster care, B) Have incarcerated parent(s)/guardian(s), C) Dealing with homelessness. Students must apply to be part of Give Something Back prior to enrolling at Chapman University. Students may contact the Financial Aid Office for more information and inquiries about the application process.

The SDSU Achievement Scholarship is available to first-generation, California high-achieving students. The scholarship application is available by invitation-only and qualified first-year applicants are notified to apply in March for award consideration. Award values are typically $5,000 or more per year. Students may contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information.

The Macy's Emergency Scholarship Fund is a joint partnership between LNESC & Macy's to provide financial resources to deserving students facing economic hardship and immediate monetary need that, if not met, could result in an inability to complete classes or a degree program. Emergency financial need resulting from the following will qualify students for funding: change in family income/support; loss of job; death of an immediate family member; natural disaster; pending eviction or home foreclosure; burglary; or fire. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university and in good standing. For consideration, applicants must submit their college transcript, including proof of full-time enrollment and cumulative GPA; and budget information detailing the amount of funds requested along with supporting documentation. Applications will be considered until all funds have been awarded. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.