California College Scholarships

California is a huge state with a large population and a vast number of colleges and universities that entice both residents and out of state students to the coast for an excellent education. However, like most institutes of higher learning, the schools in California cost more than most people can stomach. That's why California scholarships are available to help waive some of the incredible fees that are charged for attendance, awarding needy and meritorious students for their goals in achieving a higher education.

The Cal Grants program offers several options for both need and merit based scholarships that are configured to assist each individual in qualifying in some way for aid. The University of California at Berkeley also has its own line of scholarship programs to help entice students to enroll in the most renowned universities in the country.

Among the most widely distributed funds in California each year for undergraduates are the California Alumni Association Scholarships, offering the Leadership Awards and the Achievement Awards. The former is for freshmen and transfer students who show aptitude for leadership. The merit-based program offers up to $2500 per academic year. The latter is need-based and offered to the most financially strapped students who have overcome great challenges to achieve a degree. Awards are disbursed for up to $5700 per academic year.

Disadvantaged students may also be eligible to receive the Cal Opportunity Scholarship for attendance at one of the state's top schools. Eligible candidates have graduated from one of the partner high schools in school districts that include San Francisco, West Contra Costa, Ravenswood, and Oakland Unified.

List of California Scholarships

• Alice Newell Joslyn Medical Fund — $500 to $$2000 awarded each year to varied number of 10 Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students attending San Diego county college and majoring in health care field.


• ANLA National Scholarship Endowment-Usrey Family Scholarship — $1000 to $1500 awarded to one undergraduate or graduate student attending a California college.


• Associated Press Television/Radio Association-Clete Roberts Journalism Scholarship Awards — $1500 awarded each year to three undergraduate or graduate students attending a California or Nevada college and majoring in broadcast journalism.


• California Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. Scholarship — $500 to $5000 awarded to varied number of undergraduate and graduate students attending a California college.


• California Masonic Foundation Scholarship Awards — $1000 to $12000 awarded to varied number of freshmen undergraduate students attending a California college.


• CAPPS Scholarship Program — $1000 to $25000 awarded to 200-250 freshmen undergraduate students attending a California college.


• Kaiser Permanente Allied Healthcare Scholarship — $3000 to $4000 awarded to 20-40 undergraduate students attending a California college and majoring in health education.


• Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship-California — $1500 awarded each year to up to 700-800 undergraduate students attending a California college.


• Scholarship Program for Hispanic Student — $1000 awarded each year to 10 Hispanic junior and senior students attending a California college.


• The Begun Scholarship — $3000 awarded each year to one freshman student attending California college and majoring in library science.

Top Online Colleges

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Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.