The San Diego Foundation Announces More Than $3 Million in Scholarships Available

For Immediate Release

December 2, 2020 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation today announced that hundreds of scholarship awards are available for San Diego students pursuing higher education during the 2021-2022 school year.

Through one online application, students can access more than $3 million in available funds for over 140 unique types of scholarships, including those for four-year universities, two-year colleges, graduate and vocational schools. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students and adult re-entry students.

The scholarships are made possible through the Community Scholarship Program and Community Scholars Initiative at The San Diego Foundation. Both programs aim to give more San Diego students the tools and financial support to continue their education.

“Investing in our students is one of the best ways to expand economic equity and opportunity within our region,” shared Danielle Valenciano, Director of Community Scholarships at The San Diego Foundation. “The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program ensures that more youth in San Diego are setup for success as they persist through college and go on to join the regional workforce.”

According to research from the Public Policy Institute of California, only a fraction of students in California capable of earning a degree actually do, and students from Latinx, Black and low-income communities are historically underrepresented in higher education. Additionally, postsecondary education is commonly understood as essential for future employment, though a report by California Competes reveals more than half of San Diegans do not attain an associates or college degree.

“Despite their talent and aspirations, first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students face unique and considerable barriers to achieving their academic dreams,” shared Michelle Jaramillo, Director of Education Initiatives at The San Diego Foundation. “By providing needs-based scholarships and college readiness support, we can help students who are farthest from opportunity to better prepare for, pay for, and persist through college.”

The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program is the largest in the region outside of the university system and provides a variety of scholarships. Since 1997, the program has awarded more than $36 million to thousands of students. The scholarships are made possible through the generosity of more than 100 donors who have opened charitable funds at The San Diego Foundation.

The Common Scholarship Application can be accessed at SDFoundation.org/CSA. The deadline to apply is February 3. For more information about the scholarship process, please contact scholarships@sdfoundation.org.