35 California Scholarships You Can Apply For

Award Amount: $1,500-$2,500

Deadline: June 30

Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors attending a California high school can apply. The scholarship funds students planning to attend an accredited public or private college.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: May

Eligibility: The state awards 13,000 grants annually. You'll need to meet income eligibility requirements. Depending on the grant, you'll need either a minimum 3.0 GPA or a minimum 2.0 GPA.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: June 30

Eligibility: Dependents and spouses of qualifying law enforcement personnel can apply. You'll need to meet Cal Grant income guidelines and submit the FAFSA.

Award Amount: $1,000-$3,000

Deadline: February 18

Eligibility: CSF Advisors must nominate students. You must be a high school senior in good standing to receive the award. That includes earning Sealbearer status before applying.

Award Amount: Up to $5,000

Deadline: February

Eligibility: Graduates of San Mateo County or Santa Clara County high schools with a record of community involvement and a minimum 3.5 GPA can apply. You'll also need to show proof of financial hardship.

Award Amount: $10,000

Deadline: June

Eligibility: High school juniors with a family income of under $55,000 qualify for this award. You'll need a minimum 2.0 GPA and evidence of community service.

Award Amount: Up to $10,000

Deadline: February

Eligibility: High schoolers and community college students in the greater Silicon Valley Region can qualify. You must be a first-generation college student with a minimum 3.75 GPA.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: March

Eligibility: Undergrads attending a UC, CSU, or California community college can apply. The scholarship supports students with a family income and assets up to $217,000.

Award Amount: Up to $3,000

Deadline: March

Eligibility: Applicants must be high schoolers in Sacramento or a surrounding county. You'll need to write an essay based on a prompt chosen by the Physicians for Social Responsibility Sacramento chapter.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: Varies

Eligibility: San Joaquin high school seniors can apply for several scholarships funded by the community foundation. Eligibility requirements vary depending on the scholarship.

Award Amount: Up to $1,000

Deadline: September 15

Eligibility: Students living in nine counties in the greater Sacramento area, including Contra Costa County, may qualify for this scholarship. You must attend an accredited institution and have a record of helping people with disabilities and their families.

Award Amount: $3,500

Deadline: March 1

Major: Any water resources-related field

Eligibility: California residents attending a UC or CSU school studying a major related to water resources can apply. This can include engineering, agricultural, environmental studies, and public administration majors.

Award Amount: Up to $1,000

Deadline: February

Major: Creative writing

Eligibility: If you graduated from a San Mateo County or Santa Clara County high school, you can apply for this scholarship. You'll need to show a passion and talent for creative writing.

Award Amount: $2,000-$4,000

Deadline: March

Major: Architecture

Eligibility: Architecture students at community colleges through master's level programs can qualify for these scholarships, which award funding for 2-5 years. You'll need to be a California resident and identify as a person of color.

Award Amount: $500

Deadline: June 30

Major: Nursing

Eligibility: California nursing students qualify for these scholarships to help pay for a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate in nursing. You'll need to attend an accredited nursing school to receive the award.

Award Amount: $1,000

Deadline: December

Major: Music

Eligibility: Studying jazz education or music? You can apply for this scholarship for high school jazz instrumentalists in California. To qualify, you must currently attend a California high school.

Award Amount: $500 per semester

Deadline: October 31, June 30

Major: Building, construction, or concrete-related industry

Eligibility: California residents studying any topic related to the construction industry, including safety, accounting, and IT, can qualify. You'll need a sponsorship letter from a California Precast Concrete Association member.

Award Amount: $500-$1,000

Deadline: March 1

Major: Viticulture or enology

Eligibility: Central Coast high school seniors and students at Allan Hancock Community College or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo qualify if they're studying viticulture or enology.

Award Amount: $2,000

Deadline: May 1

Eligibility: This scholarship is open to women ages 23 and older who do not have a bachelor's degree. You must live or attend school in San Diego County.

Award Amount: $5,000 per year

Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: Filipino students in qualifying northern and southern California counties can apply for this scholarship. You must be a full-time, first-year student majoring in engineering, math, computer science, environmental science, or physical science. You can renew the award for up to four years.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: July

Eligibility: Black engineering students may apply for this scholarship, which funds upper-level bachelor's students and graduate students. You must attend an accredited school in California to qualify.

Award Amount: $1,000-$3,000

Deadline: February 15

Eligibility: Applicants must be associated with CRWA to qualify. Other requirements include a minimum 2.0 GPA and evidence of study related to the water or wastewater field.

Award Amount: Up to $4,000

Deadline: February

Eligibility: Women earning an undergraduate or graduate degree at specific California colleges near Pasadena can qualify for this scholarship. You'll need a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Award Amount: $6,000

Deadline: February

Eligibility: Residents of northern or central California, as well as LGBTQ+ graduates of Oakland Unified School District, may apply. You can also apply if you're pursuing a medical degree at an accredited California med school.

Award Amount: $400-$1,000

Deadline: April 1

Eligibility: Italian Catholic students attending a public or Catholic high school in California can apply. You must have a minimum 3.2 GPA.

Award Amount: Up to $3,000

Deadline: March 31

Eligibility: African and Black students living in Bay Area counties can apply. You need to be a high school senior with a minimum 2.75 GPA.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: Varies

Eligibility: You can apply for 15 scholarships through the Jewish Community Federation. Most awards target Jewish undergraduates in the greater Bay Area.

Award Amount: $2,500

Deadline: March 15

Eligibility: Korean first-year and transfer students from the Bay Area can apply. You'll need to attend an accredited public California college and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Award Amount: up to $6,000

Deadline: February

Eligibility: Latino/a and Hispanic students in STEM programs can apply. You need to graduate from a Northern California high school or attend a college in an eligible county. You must also demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: Varies

Eligibility: Southern California students earning their bachelor's or graduate degree qualify. You must show financial need and hold a minimum 3.0 GPA. The scholarship also looks for evidence of community service.

Award Amount: $5,000

Deadline: August 15

Eligibility: Women pilots who live within 300 miles of the Sonoma County Airport can apply for this scholarship to fund aviation education or training.

Award Amount: $7,500-$10,000

Deadline: By invitation only

Eligibility: SDSU offers a prestigious merit scholarship to outstanding students who graduate from a local SDSU admission-area high school. The scholarship is by invitation only; first-year applicants learn in December or January whether they qualify.

Award Amount: $6,000 per year

Deadline: May 12th

Eligibility: Full-time UC Berkeley students can receive this award. You'll need to meet Cal Grant A income eligibility requirements and have completed high school, earned a GED diploma, or completed community college transfer requirements in California.

Award Amount: Varies

Deadline: March

Eligibility: UC Berkeley awards over 3,000 undergraduate scholarships annually. The eligibility requirements vary depending on your status. Complete the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application to apply.

Award Amount: up to $5,000 per year

Deadline: April 1

Eligibility: California residents starting their first year at UC San Diego can apply. The scholarship considers financial need, first-generation college status, economic background, and extracurricular activities.