Financial Aid Scholarships

It takes time and energy to conduct a successful scholarship search, but it is well worth the effort when you are awarded a scholarship to help fund your higher education.

The best ways to find scholarships:

• Check with your high school counselor
• Check with your parent’s employer or organizations with which they are affiliated
• Check with organizations and businesses within your community
• Check with your college or university financial aid and/or scholarship office
• Surf the web

Types of Scholarships

Merit Based Scholarships: Awards based on academic performance and personal achievement.

Merit plus Need Scholarships: Awards based on academic performance, personal achievement, and financial need.

Private Scholarships: Awards based on criteria set by a private, non-affiliated organization or individual.

Institutional Scholarships: Awards based on criteria set by the college or university. These awards can be merit based or plus need based.

Be Cautious of Scholarship Scams

The following are signs of a possible scholarship scam:

• If you are required to pay money to get a scholarship
• If you are guaranteed win a scholarship
• If they say, “everyone is eligible” or “free money”
• If you are contacted for a scholarship you never applied for
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Scholarship Application Timelines

Applying for many scholarships can be done during any time of the year. However, different awards have different deadlines. For institutional awards, the deadlines are typically early Spring. You should check with your college or university to see what their established deadline is. Regardless, if you are late applying for an award one year, you should note the award and make every effort to reapply next year.

Tips for marketing yourself for a scholarship

Develop a great personal statement or essay

The essay is your ultimate communication tool-make a great impression. Think about this question: What makes you worthy of an investment as a student? Proofread, rewrite, and seek peer reviewers (writing is a process).

Develop a great academic transcript

Consistent academic performance is a good sign. A solid GPA is desirable for most scholarships. A bad semester or year is not the end of the world—If you have overcome challenges, explain that in your personal statement. Otherwise, your application will be confusing to the evaluator.

Demonstrate evidence of leadership or service

Submit documentation of leadership, service, or character. Explain your situation and add flavor as to who you are as a person and aspiring student. Connect your personal story with your career or educational goal.

• CFF Foundation Education Award ($1,500 one-time)
  Deadline: applications accepted year-round, 1 student awarded each quarter
  • Cocodrie Fly Fishing (CFF) aims to give advice and tips on how you can have the ultimate fly fishing experience. Whether you are a beginner or pro, our courses and tips can help you hone your skills. CFF is proud to offer quarterly awards to university and college students!
  • To participate, applicants should:
    • be currently enrolled in a college or university.
    • students of all majors are encouraged to apply!
    • submit an essay and submit application on the website.
  • For more detailed information, please visit the scholarship link.
• LA Tutors 123 Innovation in Education Scholarship ($500 one-time)
  Deadline: 20th of each month
  • We at LA Tutors are passionate about sparking the creative genius in students and would love to commend those outstanding students who have a made a difference in the lives of others in some innovative or technological fashion. In order to achieve this, we have established a scholarship for students who meet certain criteria.
  • The application opens the 1st of each month, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on the 20th of each month.
  • To participate, applicants should:
    • be enrolled as a high school or college/university student.
    • have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (or the equivalent).
    • have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others (This could be a website, series of blogs, an app, fundraising event, etc.)
    • submit an essay describing the goal of the particular project and provide supporting documentation.
• Google Career Certificate Scholarship Program (monetary value = $300 (no funds exchanged))
  Deadline: Rolling dependent on openings
  • Google has granted 500 Career Certificate Scholarships for HACU to disperse to its students attending Hispanic Serving Member Institutions. Gain the job-ready skills you need to launch or advance your career with a certificate in Google IT Support, Google IT Automation with Python, Google Data Analytics, Google Project Management or Google UX Design. See below for information about certificates offered through this initiative.
  • Career Certificate Scholarship Program applicants must also meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify.
    • Open to ALL majors
    • Must be attending a 2- or 4-year HACU Member institution
    • Open to undergraduate and graduate students
    • Must complete the program within 6 months
  • Scholarship specific essay question:
    • Please briefly share how you think the Grow with Google Career Certificate you are interested in will benefit your career and/or professional development goals.
  • How to Apply:
    • Fill out the Career Certificate Scholarship Application Form. Your application will be reviewed and upon selection, you will receive an invitation from Coursera learning platform to join and select the certificate you chose. You will receive automated reminders and completion emails from Coursera throughout the program. Please ensure you are reading them for updates and important information.
  • Application Dates:
    • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all scholarships are filled. Applicants are placed on a wait list if all spots are occupied. As certificates are completed, students on the wait list will be invited to join.

2025 Myrna Holmquist Communications Scholarship

Deadline to apply: April 3, 2025

From the City of Buena Park’s website:

Up to $10,000 in scholarships are available to high school seniors and current college students enrolled in or accepted to an accredited college or university.

The Myrna Holmquist Communications Scholarship is established for individuals who have a career interest in the Communications field and have a sincere desire to apply their knowledge and leadership abilities to a career within the field of Communications. It was named in honor of the City’s long-time Communications and Marketing Manager, Myrna Holmquist.

A complete application packet must include letters of recommendation, official transcripts and a written essay. For full scholarship requirements and to apply, download the application here.

Submit by email to City@buenapark.com or mail to:
City Hall – City Manager’s Office 2nd Floor, 6650 Beach Blvd., 90621, ATTN: SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE. Please call (714) 562-3550 for information.

Denny’s Hungry for Education™ Scholarship 

Applications will be submitted though the HACU Scholarship page. 

Deadline to apply: May 1, 2025 

Applicants must meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify: 

• Must be currently enrolled for spring 2025 semester and intend to enroll in the fall 2025 semester at a 2-year or 4-year HACU-member institution in the U.S. or Puerto Rico. 

• Open to Undergraduate and Graduate students 

• Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) 

• Open to U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents 

Scholarship specific essay questions:  

Applicant must also submit a 500-word essay about, “How Denny’s can help bring communities together?” 

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LanguageCert International Student Scholarship

Apply here: HACU Scholarships – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Deadline to apply: May 1, 2025

Applicants must meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify:

• Intend to enroll in the Fall 2025 semester at a 2-year or 4-year HACU-member institution in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
• Open to ALL Majors
• Open to International-Freshman Undergraduate students
• Must be enrolled full-time
• Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)

Additional Criteria:
Applicants must submit proof of English language proficiency to the HACU member school through
their LanguageCert Academic or LanguageCert iESOL English test.
Applicants can submit a copy of this test on their scholarship dashboard.

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Corteva Agriscience Scholarship

Deadline to apply: May 31, 2025

Apply here: HACU Scholarships – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Applicants must meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify:

• Must be currently enrolled for spring 2025 semester/quarter and intend to enroll in the fall
• 2025 semester/quarter at a 4-year HACU-member institution in the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
• Open to Undergraduate students.
• Must be enrolled full-time.
• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
• Open to students pursuing majors in Agriculture or Agrobusiness (or related field).
• Have not received a HACU Conference Sponsorship.

Scholarship specific essay questions:

Commitment to Agriculture and Sustainability: Corteva Agriscience is dedicated to
advancing agriculture and ensuring progress for future generations. Describe how your
personal experience, education, and future aspirations contribute to innovation,
sustainability, or food security in agriculture.

Benefits and requirements for Scholarship Recipient:

The four (4) undergraduate scholarship recipients must attend the ¡Adelante! Leadership
Institute at HACU’s 39th Annual Conference from November 1-3, 2025, in Aurora,
Colorado. Expenses (travel, hotel lodging, and registration) are included as a scholarship
benefit.

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United Health Foundation Health Workforce Scholarship

Deadline to apply: May 31, 2025

Apply here: HACU Scholarships – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Applicants must meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify:

• Must be currently enrolled for spring 2025 semester/quarter and intend to enroll in the fall 2025 semester/quarter at a 2-year or 4-year HACU-member institution in the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
• Open to Undergraduate and Graduate students.
• Open to full-time or part-time enrollment.
• Must have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
• Open to students pursuing degrees (associate, bachelor, master, doctorate) that will lead to careers as Clinical Professionals that may include Physician, Physician Assistant, Nurse
• Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Nurse, Pharmacist, Dentist, Social Worker, Addiction
• Counselor, Clinical Psychologist, or related clinical profession.
• At the time of application, students must have at least (1) one year of study remaining before their anticipated degree completion date.

Scholarship specific essay questions:

• How do you plan to use your background, education, and future career to improve access to quality health care in historically underserved communities? How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals in fostering a more inclusive and culturally competent health care workforce?
• Benefits for Scholarship Recipient:
• All scholarship recipients are invited to attend Webinars with HACU partners to learn about current career opportunities in their field.
• All scholarship recipients are invited to apply for HACU National Internship Program with corporate and federal partners.
• Undergraduate students are invited to attend HACU’s Emerging Leaders’ Summits.

Requirements for Scholarship Recipient:

(40) Forty undergraduate scholarship recipients will be selected to attend the ¡Adelante!
Leadership Institute at HACU’s 40th Annual Conference from October 31 – November 2, 2026, in
Chula Vista, California. Expenses (travel, hotel lodging, and registration) are included as a
scholarship benefit.

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ExtraSpace Storage Scholarship Program 

ExtraSpace will award a total of eight $3,000 scholarships: Five (5) scholarships to any full-time student attending an accredited college or university in the U.S., and three (3) scholarships to employees or immediate family members of Extra Space Storage. 

Apply here: 2025 Extra Space Storage College Scholarship | Extra Space Storage 

Deadline to apply: May 31, 2025 

Applicants must meet the following requirements: 

• Must be enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university for Fall 2025. 

• Must be attending an accredited college or university in the U.S. 

• Must be at least 16 years of age or older at the time of application. 

• Must be a legal resident of the U.S. 

Refer to the full scholarship rules to check your eligibility before submitting your application. Winners will be announced on June 30, 2025. 

Breaking The Cycle Scholarship 

This scholarship will provide a $1000 award each semester to a student who has grown up in a volatile family environment and is committed to “breaking the cycle” for future generations. 

Apply here: Scholarship | Miami Family Law Group PLLC 

Deadline to apply: June 4, 2025 

Requirements to be a candidate for the Fall 2025 Miami Family Law Breaking The Cycle Scholarship include: 

• You have a minimum GPA of 3.0 

• You are or will be enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university for the fall 2025 semester as an undergraduate or graduate student 

• You are a US citizen or permanent resident 

• You are at least 17 years of age 

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2025 GoFoodservice Scholarship 

Who can apply? 

The GoFoodservice Scholarship is open to high school seniors who plan to enroll in college at the start of the next school year, or all students who are currently enrolled in a Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management program. 

Apply here: GoFoodservice Scholarship 

Deadline to Apply: June 15, 2025 

How do I apply? 

Submit your application by filling out this scholarship application. You will need to include: 

• Your name, e-mail address, and phone number 

• The name of the school you attend/will be attending 

• Your major 

• Upload an essay where in 500 words or less you describe how you became interested in seeking a career in Culinary Arts or Hospitality and what you hope to bring to the industry. 

Terms and Conditions 

• Must be enrolled full-time or part-time in a college, or culinary arts school 

• Must be majoring in Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management 

ROI CX Solutions Scholarship Program

ROI CX Solutions awards this scholarship twice a year to college and university undergraduates
who demonstrate a commitment to improving customer experiences and to their education.
By supporting the next generation of professionals in any field of study, we hope to cultivate
leaders who will elevate the standards of customer service and contribute positively to the
industries they choose.

Apply here: ROI CX Solutions Scholarship Program | ROI CX Solutions

Deadline to apply for fall: July 1, 2025

Requirements to be a candidate for the Fall 2025 Miami Family Law Breaking The Cycle Scholarship include: 

• Be a college and university undergraduate student currently enrolled in an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university
• Open to all fields of study
• Be a U.S. citizen

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