Amount: Up to $5,000. About: The California Scholarship Federation (CSF), a nonprofit organization aimed at encouraging academic achievement and community service among middle and high school students in California, awards scholarships to high school seniors from the state. Each year, CSF awards $2,000 each to 50 finalists, with five finalists (one per region) receiving an additional $3,000 as a regional award recipient. CSF Scholars must be members of a CSF school chapter – there are about 1,500 chapters in middle and high schools across the state. To join as a member, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and have taken one curriculum class. Students earn their membership in CSF if they apply and have earned 10 (ten) CSF points based on their grades from the previous semester, with an A valued at 3 points, B at 1 point, and C at 0 point. An A or a B in an AP, IB, or Honors-designated course yields 1 extra point, but students may not earn more than two such points per semester. Students with a D or F in any course, even if those courses are not counted for CSF, are disqualified from membership. Students must apply for a CSF scholarship at the end of the second semester of their high school senior year.
Eligible Grade Levels: High School Senior
Eligible Majors: All majors
Residency Requirement: California
Minimum GPA: 3.5
Deadline: December 22 (annually) Please note that scholarship deadlines often change, so make sure to check the scholarship sponsor’s website for up-to-date deadlines.