About Golden 1
Founded in 1933. Built to serve Californians.
With a commitment to uplift our 1+ million members, we go beyond what our financial institution can be. As a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union, our #1 priority is to improve the lives of those who trust us with their money, their assets, and their future.
We’re proud to help California’s future leaders achieve their educational goals and dreams with our renewable Golden 1 Scholarship program.
The Golden 1 Scholarship has two components: Members Scholarship and Dependents of Employees Scholarship.
Eligible Recipients
High school seniors and current undergraduate students in accredited, nonprofit California colleges and universities who meet the following requirements:
- Plan to attend an accredited nonprofit, two-year community college or four-year college/university in California as a full-time student for the 2025-26 academic year
- Have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0
- Have a minimum of 24 hours of community service or 24 hours of employment in the past 12 months
- Be a Golden 1 member or a dependent of a member for at least 1 year at the time of initial application¹, OR be a dependent of a Golden 1 employee² who has been employed³ with Golden 1 for at least 1 year at the time of initial application
NOTES:
- Dependents of members who are not members in their own right must open a Golden 1 membership and be the primary account holder on or before the date the scholarship funds are disbursed. However, recipients of a Dependents of Employees Scholarship will not be required to be a Golden 1 member.
- Employees and dependents of employees are NOT eligible to apply for the Members Scholarship.
- Employment status and position are considered when a scholarship is initially awarded and upon renewal each year.
- Immediate family members and dependents of Golden 1 Board or Committee members are NOT eligible to apply for either the Members Scholarship or the Dependents of Employees Scholarship. For purposes of this scholarship program, immediate family member includes spouse, registered domestic partner, sibling, child, in-law, or step-relation.
Application Process
Applicants must:
- Complete all the required fields on the application form
- Upload all required documents
- Submit application
Scholarship Amount
- Up to $1,200 annually to full-time students who plan to attend an accredited, nonprofit, two-year community college in California
- Up to $5,000 annually to full-time students who plan to attend an accredited, nonprofit, four-year college or university in California
Scholarship Renewability
The scholarship is renewable, as follows:
- Two-year community college scholarships will be renewable for up to 1 year beyond the initial year depending on the student’s prior college credits and providing all other criteria are met.
- Four-year college/university scholarships will be renewable for up to 3 years beyond the initial year depending on the student’s prior college credits and providing all other criteria are met.
Application Deadline
January 31, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time