Scholarships

Generous community members support the higher education dreams of students throughout Santa Cruz County through financial scholarships.

Start a Scholarship Fund

Help students achieve their educational goals and leave a legacy that supports local youth for generations to come! We make it easy to establish a scholarship in your name tailored to your specifications. To learn more, click the link below to contact Hilary Bryant, our Donor Services Director.

Welcome Students!

Thank you for your interest in our scholarship opportunities! Please read the scholarship descriptions and eligibility criteria below to learn about the scholarships available to students in Santa Cruz County.

APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP

Apply Now

Applications due by January 29th, 2024, to be considered.

Complete all required fields and include any required third-party elements (letters of recommendation and official transcripts).

Don’t have access to your FAFSA Submission Summary by January 29? Submit your otherwise completed application, and as soon as you obtain your Summary, return to the portal to add it.

Click here to access our Scholarship Portal

Need Help?

Click below to visit our FAQs page or contact our Scholarship Coordinator, Sarah Sondossi, at ssondossi@cfscc.org.

FAQ

Available Scholarships


The descriptions below provide a summary of the eligibility qualifications established by the generous donors who have provided the award opportunities. Scholarships range in award amount and include both one-time awards and renewable awards. Award amounts are subject to change from year to year.

Dates & Deadlines

November 28, 2023 - Application opens to new applicants.

December 15, 2023 - Renewal application opens. Renewal applicants will receive an email notifying them of launch.

January 29, 2024 – Deadline for new applications (11:59 PM PST)

February 15, 2024 - Deadline for renewal applicants (11:59 PM PST)

February-April 2024 - Application review period.

April 20, 2024 - All applicants will be notified of their status via email and/or phone call.

Early June 2024 - Scholarship Award funds disbursed.


Barbara J. Thompson Scholarship

Multiple one-time awards of $1,000 or more are available for graduates or current graduating seniors of any accredited high school physically located within the Santa Cruz City Schools District who have a minimum 3.0 GPA, are US citizens who have resided in Santa Cruz County for three of the past four years and have participated in three of the following activities during their high school term: Employment, Family Care, Community Involvement, Volunteer Work, and Sports.

Bert and Carolyn Post Scholarship

A one-time award of $2,500 is available for a graduating senior from Watsonville High School with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who demonstrates financial need and has the intention of becoming a public school teacher. Priority will be given to applicants who are first in their family to go to college and/or are bilingual in Spanish and English.

Bob & Betsy Darrow Scholarship

Multiple one-time awards of up to $5,000 are available for current graduating seniors of any high school in Santa Cruz County who demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 2.0 GPA.

Burton Scholarship

Multiple awards of up to $5,000 (renewable annually) are available for graduates or current graduating seniors of any high school in Santa Cruz County who have maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA for two consecutive years, demonstrate financial need, and are US citizens.

Emmett & Elsie Geiser Scholarship

Multiple awards of up to $1,000 (renewable annually based on academic performance) are available for graduating seniors from Watsonville High School, Pajaro Valley High School, and Aptos High School who have earned at least one letter in an athletic program.

Ernest V. Cowell Scholarship

A one-time award of $1,000-$5,000 is available for a graduating senior or graduate of any public high school in the Santa Cruz City Schools District, who demonstrates financial need, and who will be attending a University of California campus.

Hank Garcia Jr. & Family Scholarship

Awards of $2,000 (renewable annually) are available for graduating seniors from Aptos High School, Monte Vista High School, Pajaro Valley High School, St. Francis High School, and Watsonville High School who have a minimum 3.5 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and are US citizens.

Isabel Fowler Sewell Scholarship

Six one-time awards of $5,000 are available to graduating seniors from Pajaro Valley High School, or any public high school in Santa Cruz County, who has a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrates financial need, and will be attending college at Cabrillo or an accredited 4-year college or university full-time.

Jack DeBord Memorial Scholarship Fund

One award of $5,000 (renewable annually) is available for a graduating senior from San Lorenzo Valley High School who has a minimum 3.0 GPA, and who has excelled in a team sport at SLVHS. Recipient may attend any accredited community, vocational, or two or four-year college.

John L. Turner Scholarship

A one-time award of $1,000 or more is available for a graduating senior from Watsonville High School or Pajaro Valley High School who has a minimum 2.0 GPA, demonstrates financial need, and is a US citizen.

Judy Anton Woman of Valor/Lupita Loves to Read Project Scholarship

An award of $1,000 or more (renewable annually) is available to Latina students who are graduates or current graduating seniors of any high school in Santa Cruz County, or a current student of Cabrillo College, reside in the Live Oak or Watsonville area at the time of application, and demonstrate financial need.

Laura Segura Scholarship

Three one-time awards of $4,000 are available to a student who attended a Pajaro Valley private or public school and/or Cabrillo College. This scholarship is intended to support an applicant who has been involved with the juvenile justice system (including being on probation, in foster care or otherwise involved).

Louis J. & Mary Ellen Schultz Scholarship

Multiple awards of $2,000 or more (renewable annually) are available for graduates or current graduating seniors of any high school in Santa Cruz County who demonstrate financial need and are enrolled as full-time students.

R.H. Beel Memorial Scholarship

Multiple awards of $1,000 or more (renewable annually) are available for graduating seniors from Santa Cruz High School who show academic achievement and a history of service activities or volunteer work, will personally contribute to their educational costs, demonstrate financial need, and are US citizens.

Simunovich Family Agricultural Scholarship

One or more awards of $1,000 or more (renewable annually based on continued study in Agriculture) are available for graduating seniors of any high school in Santa Cruz County or the Pajaro Valley, or a student of Cabrillo College or Hartnell Community College who were residents of Santa Cruz County or the Pajaro Valley for at least two years prior to registration, and will be attending a 4-year university to study Agriculture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to frequently asked questions about our scholarships.

Congrats 2023 Winners!

2023-2024 Scholarship Recipients

Meet the 34 local students who received scholarships through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

JUDY ANTON WOMAN OF VALOR / LUPITA LOVES TO READ PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP

Zoe Barrera, Soquel High School (UC Santa Cruz)

R.H. BEEL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Ruben Canchola-Jimenez, Santa Cruz High School (Cabrillo College)

BURTON SCHOLARSHIP

Andrew Alvarado, Watsonville High School (UC San Diego)

Maya Manildi, Harbor High School (UC Berkeley)

Greta Mitchell, Santa Cruz High School (UC San Diego)

Rachelle Pastor-Juarez, Watsonville High School (UC Los Angeles)

Grace Shipp, San Lorenzo Valley High School (Willamette University)

BOB AND BETSY DARROW SCHOLARSHIP

Nadia Gomez Cruz, Santa Cruz High School (San Francisco State University)

Leslie Valdivia Mendoza, Harbor High School (San Francisco State University)

JACK DEBORD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Katie Wise, San Lorenzo Valley High School (Point Loma Nazarene University)

HANK GARCIA JR. AND FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

Riley Carrera, Aptos High School (UC Davis)

Morielle Mamaril, Watsonville High School (Cornell University)

Alondra Martinez, St. Francis High School (Cal Poly SLO)

Abigail Rader, Monte Vista High School (Pepperdine University)

Karla Leyva, Pajaro Valley High School (Yale University)

EMMETT AND ELSIE GEISER SCHOLARSHIP

Nadia Ramirez-Cerrillos, Aptos High School (San Jose State University)

Ana Ruiz-Macias, Watsonville High School (UC Irvine)

Karla Leyva, Pajaro Valley High School (Yale University)

LAURA SEGURA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Lexus Castrejon-Cervantes, Aptos High School (San Francisco State University)

Reyna Maharaj, Saint Francis High School (UC San Diego)

Anonymous, Santa Cruz County Office of Education School (Cabrillo College)

ISABEL FOWLER SEWELL SCHOLARSHIP

Aramis Diaz, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)

Jose Gonzalez Arreola, Pajaro Valley High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

Julissa Rocha, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Los Angeles)

Brandon Romero, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Cruz)

Adilene Solano, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)

BERT AND CAROLYN POST SCHOLARSHIP

Victoria Zumaya Long, Santa Cruz High School (University of Hawaii Mānoa)

LOUIS J. AND MARY ELLEN SCHULTZ SCHOLARSHIP

Sofia Cunha, Aptos High School (UC Berkeley)

YaQi Wang, Harbor High School (UC Irvine)

SIMUNOVICH FAMILY AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP

Priscilla Noh, Watsonville High School (The Master’s University)

BARBARA J. THOMPSON SCHOLARSHIP

Estrella Contreras, Santa Cruz High School (UC Berkeley)

Emma Lin, Harbor High School (UC Berkeley)

Lynda Otero, Soquel High School (UC Berkeley)

Amy Canizal-Flores, Harbor High School (Sacramento State University)

JOHN L. TURNER SCHOLARSHIP

Selina Salvador-Lopez, Watsonville High School (San José State University)