Select the link for each of the following off-campus scholarships to learn more:
- Ventura County Community Scholarships
- Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
- California Strawberry Scholarship
- Governor’s Scholarship Program
- Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS)
- Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- AB540 Students
- Immigrants Rising
- United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
- Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) Scholars
- Southern California American Indian Resources (SCAIR)
- Scholarships for Women
- The National Council of Jewish Women | Los Angeles
- Scholarship Search Engines
Ventura County Community Scholarships
There are many individuals and agencies in Ventura County that offer scholarships. Counselors at local high schools and community colleges are an excellent source of information and guidance regarding these scholarships. A major source of community support is the Ventura County Community Foundation. For further information, please visit the VCCF website at vccf.org.
Apply for Ventura County Community Scholarships. The application process is for the 2023-24 academic year and students must be enrolled in an accredited institution by Fall 2024 to receive the scholarship. The scholarship application period begins on November 6, 2023 and ends on January 19, 2024.
In addition, VCCF offers a variety of scholarship workshops to assist students in completing the application. To register for a scholarship workshop, please visit the VCCF Student Scholarship Applicants website.
If you have any questions regarding Community Foundation scholarships, please email vccf@vccf.org.
Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
The Scholarship Foundation believes that students need and deserve education beyond high school, and that every motivated, deserving student with the desire for higher education should have the opportunity to pursue it. The online application is available to students between October 15 and January 15.
The scholarship program requires that applicants have attended high school in Santa Barbara County and plan to be full-time students at an approved vocational school, community college, four-year college, or graduate or medical school. Students complete an application that includes an essay, academic transcripts, extracurricular activities list, an academic recommendation letter, an employer or other supervisor recommendation letter, and parent and student financial information.
For more information, visit the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara web sources.
California Strawberry Scholarship
The California Strawberry Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors and students enrolled full-time at colleges, universities, community colleges, or accredited trade schools. Scholarship awards start at $300 and can be renewed annually. The scholarship amount is based on merit. These scholarships are only available for the children of California strawberry field workers. The scholarship application deadline is February 15, 2024.
For additional information and to apply visit the California Strawberry Scholarship website or email the foundation at scholarships@calstrawberry.org
Governor’s Scholarship Program
If you are the recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship Award:
Claim your award and complete a Qualified Withdrawal Form at the Governor's Scholarship Program.
Make checks payable to:
Student Business Services Office
CSU Channel Islands, Sage Hall #146-148
One University Drive
Camarillo, CA 93012
Be advised that it may take 6-8 weeks for the University to receive the check once you have completed the withdrawal form.
Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS)
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS), established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential. The GMS program is more than just a scholarship. The GMS program offers Gates Millennium Scholars with Academic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship information.
For additional information and to apply visit the Gates Millennium Scholars Program website.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
Students awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship will be sent an email notification with instructions on how to accept the Gilman scholarship and submit the required documentation (i.e., transcripts, proof of citizenship, etc.).
All applications for the Gilman Scholarship Program are certified online by the Scholarship Office. Once a student submits his or her online application, the Scholarship Office will then verify that the applicant is currently receiving a Federal Pell Grant and estimate the amount of financial aid, in grants and scholarships, that the student may apply to his or her study abroad program.
Please remember, if selected to receive a Gilman scholarship, the applicant will be required to mail an official transcript. For more information, visit the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program website.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
HSF empowers families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional students as possible.
Since 1975, HSF has awarded over $500 million in scholarships to more than 65,000 Scholars. The HSF Scholarship is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage obtain a university degree.
For more information, visit the Hispanic Scholarship Fund web sources.
AB540 Students
AB 540 Undocumented Student Resource Guide (PDF, 161KB)
Immigrant students in the U.S. who do not have a valid social security number do not qualify for any federal financial aid. However, all are encouraged to apply for private scholarships to assist in funding the cost of your education. Scholarships do not have to be repaid and are funded from a variety of community organizations, local and national foundations, private donors and state and federal government agencies.
Please visit these external sites for additional information for undocumented students:
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
- Scholarships for Undocumented Students
- Latino College Dollars
- Cesar Chavez Foundation: Inspiring & Transforming Communities
Immigrants Rising
Founded in 2006, Immigrants Rising transforms individuals and fuels broader changes. With resources and support, undocumented young people are able to get an education, pursue careers, and build a brighter future for themselves and their community.
Many scholarships do not require proof of citizenship. Use Immigrants Rising’s Scholarship Lists and additional scholarship databases to identify scholarships that you are eligible to apply. The more scholarships you apply to, the greater your chances are to be awarded a scholarship.
For more information, visit the Immigrants Rising webpage or download the Immigrants Rising Scholarship Resource Guide (PDF, 416KB).
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. For more than seven decades, UNCF raise more than $5 billion and help more than 500,000 students and counting not just attend college, but thrive, graduate and become leaders.
UNCF offers a variety of scholarship programs, internships, fellowships and faculty development opportunities - each opportunity comes with its own eligibility criteria, application requirements and deadlines.
For more information, visit the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) webpage.
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) Scholars
Based in Washington, D.C., APIA Scholars, formerly APIASF, is the nation's largest non-profit provider of college scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA). If you are a student, teacher, college counselor, mentor or volunteer scholarship reviewer, sign up for an APIA Scholars account to engage with us today!
For more information, visit the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) Scholars
web sources.
Southern California American Indian Resources (SCAIR)
SCAIR’s mission is to provide career, educational, cultural, mental health and emergency supportive services to Native Americans/Alaska Natives and their families, living within urban and tribal communities throughout SCAIR’s diverse service region. At SCAIR, participants receive assistance in reaching personal and professional goals by overcoming individual barriers and challenges.
For more information, visit the Southern California American Indian Resources (SCAIR) webpage.
Scholarships For Women
Many scholarships and grants are available to women in all ethnic groups. Funds are even available for subgroups such as women over 40 who would like to pursue a degree and single mothers. For women who would like to further their education, funds are widely available which will enable them to do so. Identify the grants and scholarships that you might qualify for and review the application requirements for each type of funding. Be sure to pay particular attention to the deadlines for application materials. Most scholarship application instructions post a deadline for all materials to be submitted in order to be considered.
For more information, visit the Scholarships for Women and/or Scholarships for Minority Women web resources.
The National Council of Jewish Women | Los Angeles
The women that founded NCJW | LA were committed to bringing about social and political change to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families. NCJW|LA Scholarships are focused on supporting local students pursuing degrees in specific fields as well as non-traditional students who were working hard to achieve their academic goals.
For additional information and to apply visit the NCJW | LA website or email the foundation at scholarship@ncjwla.org