Other SDF Scholarships

Application opens March 2022; deadline early June

Arthur Goodman was a true pioneer in the field of small business finance and community development. He founded CDC Small Business Finance Corporation in 1978, and spent the next twenty years building it into the most successful SBA Certified Development Corporation in the country. Art made community and economic development a core value and mission of the Corporation he created. He was very committed to the development of minorities and women in economic development and to those communities struggling to build a better economy.

In response to the many requests the CDC received from organizations and individuals expressing a desire to contribute to a cause in Art’s memory, the CDC established the Arthur H. Goodman Scholarship Fund. The fund provides scholarships to women and minorities who are committed and engaged in their communities. Scholarships are targeted to those individuals graduating from a community college and transferring to a four-year university.

Click here more information about CDC or contact Robert Villarreal at (800) 611-5170.

Application closed

The funders of the Ascend Scholarship grantor values the importance of higher education and believes every student- regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status- should be afforded the ability to pursue a college degree. Fueled by a passion to prepare and support the next generation of talent, the funders believe students can invoke a renewed entrepreneurial spirit that will affect change and advancement in today’s society. The Ascend Scholarship was founded on the belief that any motivated individuals in need should have the opportunity to further their education. Removing some of the financial burdens associated with college, the Ascend Scholarship seeks to increase college access to minorities and first-generation applicants.

Successful, The Ascend Scholarship applicants will meet the following criteria:

• Be graduating high school seniors or community college transfer students who plan to enroll full-time at UC San Diego
• Be members of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group
• Have a demonstrated financial need
• Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

This scholarship may be used for tuition, fees, books, room & board and other educational expenses

The scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds) for either two years (community college transfers) or four years of undergraduate coursework at UC San Diego provided the student maintains full-time enrollment a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, continues to demonstrate good citizenship, and continues to have financial need.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the application and guidelines, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Application closed

During his 20 years as President and CEO of SDF, Bob Kelly built an enduring legacy that has seen The Foundation become the regional leader for information about charitable giving and a strong voice for civic engagement. Among a number of significant achievements as President and CEO, Bob was instrumental in building the Community Scholarship Program which is now the largest scholarship provider in San Diego County outside of the university system.

When establishing his own scholarship, Bob wanted to recognize the important role that both San Diego City College and UC San Diego play in the education of so many San Diegans. His hope is to provide a unique scholarship opportunity to those students who may not have been the top of their class, but have since taken advantage of their own “second chance” and are on the path to success.

The Bob Kelly Scholarship is open to:

• San Diego County residents over the age of 21 who are currently attending San Diego City College with plans to transfer and attend UC San Diego full-time in the fall. Applicants must be on the path to successfully complete the requirements for acceptance to UCSD.
• Have a commitment to making their community a better place as demonstrated by their community service or extra-curricular activities
• Have a demonstrated financial need

This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, fees, room & board, and other educational expenses.

The scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds) for up to two years of undergraduate coursework at UC San Diego provided the student maintains a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, good citizenship, and continues to have financial need.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the application and guidelines, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Application closed

Cathy Hopper was a long-time educator and resident of San Diego County. She received her Master of Arts in Education from San Diego State University. She was a teacher in the social studies classroom of Gompers Middle School and then Taft Middle School. She became Vice Principal at Madison, then Patrick Henry High which she helped open. Cathy became Principal at Wright Brothers Career High, then Bell Jr. High and was the first Principal at University City High, being one of only two women high school principals at the time. Cathy then served as Assistant Superintendent of Operations for the San Diego Unified School District. She was one of the administrators during the tumultuous integration movement and worked tirelessly to allay fears and helped make for a peaceful transition. Upon her retirement, Cathy helped inaugurate the Aaron Price Fellows Scholarship Program.

Cathy Hopper Memorial Scholarship applicants must:

• Have resided in San Diego County for at least one year
• Have graduated from a public high school in San Diego County
• Be current college/university students currently pursuing their teaching credential and/or student teaching at a university in California with the goal of a career as a K-12 public school teacher in California
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Have shown a commitment to their community through meaningful community service
• Have a demonstrated financial need

This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, and fees room & board, and other educational expenses.

The scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds) for up to two years total, provided the student maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, good citizenship record, and continues to have financial need.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the application and guidelines, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Application closed

The David C. Sommerville Memorial Scholarship was established by Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local Union 230 for the purpose of providing financial assistance to college bound children and grandchildren of Local Union 230 members.

Click here for more information about Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local Union 230 or call (858) 554-0586.

Application closed

Diana Venable was a successful San Diego entrepreneur who spent much of her adult life devoted to helping financially disadvantaged children and young adults achieve a sense of respect, responsibility, and academic achievement in order to overcome the repeated cycle of poverty. As a member of the Rotary Club of San Diego, Ms. Venable exemplified the Rotary Motto of “Service Above Self” by contributing her time, financial resources, leadership, and enthusiasm to the cause of helping others experience the fulfillment of a more rewarding life through personal and educational achievement. This Scholarship Fund is dedicated to carrying on a small portion of the legacy of Ms. Venable, who, unfortunately, died at an early age.

The purpose of the Diana Venable Scholarship Fund is to enable low to moderate-income students who have a record of academic achievement and personal growth, along with leadership potential for both professional careers and civic contributions, to attend a college program. The primary focus will be on students who have ties to Rotary School Programs at Hoover, San Diego High and Monarch or students who have past Rotary ties through the Club’s other school programs or Club members at large. Recipients will be chosen during the second semester of their junior year and must meet rigorous standards in their senior year including: academic performance, personal growth through extracurricular, community service, and other activities, financial need, a high degree of motivation, and excellent communication skills. Recipients are also expected to actively pursue other sources of financial aid. The Diana Venable Scholarship committee will select one recipient to receive $20,000 over 4-5 years.

The Diana Venable Scholarship Scholarship is open to:

• Priority for this scholarship is given to high school juniors in the graduating “Class of 2021” who are or were previously involved in a Rotary Club partnership at: Hoover High School, Monarch School or San Diego High School. Additionally, applications will be accepted from students in other Rotary Interact Clubs in high schools within the City of San Diego.
• Students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and making meaningful progress towards high school graduation requirements. Students who will enroll full-time in an accredited community college or four-year college beginning Fall 2021
• Are actively involved in serving their community as demonstrated by their involvement in extra-curricular activities, community service, work experience or other responsibilities
• Are highly motivated to succeed
• Have exemplary citizenship and attendance records
• Have demonstrated financial need
• United States citizens

For more information or to obtain a copy of the application and guidelines, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Application closed

The EHS Class of ‘56 Scholarship Fund was established by members of the Escondido High School graduating class of 1956 to assist current graduating Escondido High School seniors who have attended EHS all four years, have a financial need and plan to attend a community college in the United States. The alumni of the EHS Class of 1956 wish to contribute to furthering the education of EHS graduates for years to come.

EHS Class of ’56 Scholarship applicants must:

• Be graduating seniors from Escondido High School (EHS) who have attended EHS at least three years
• Plan to attend an accredited two-year community college or trade school in the United States in fall
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA between 2.0-3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Have a demonstrated commitment to community service
• Have a demonstrated financial need
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident

Preference for applicants who enroll/participate in the FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE) and the SUMMER BRIDGE program for entering Community College students

For more information, contact Esther Barcoma, M.Ed., Counselor at Escondido High School at (760) 291-4046 or ebarcoma@euhsd.org.

Application closed

The desire to encourage a student to attend college was the catalyst for Katrina L. Thompson to establish her scholarship endowment fund. As a graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in accounting, she realized that not everyone has an equal chance for education and, therefore, to a bright career future. Through her fund, Katrina will help students from her own hometown area of Palouse, Washington realize their education goals and life dreams.

Katrina Thompson Scholarship applicants must:

• Be graduating high school seniors from Garfield-Palouse High School in Palouse, Washington
• Plan to enroll full-time at an accredited public community college, four-year college or career/technical school in the United States in fall
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Be actively involved in serving their community as demonstrated by their involvement in extra-curricular activities, community service or work experience
• Be United States citizens or permanent residents

For more information, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

Application closed

The Kyoto Symposium Organization and SDF, in collaboration with Japan’s Inamori Foundation, have made applications available for the 2022 Kyoto Prize Scholarships. Named in honor of the Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, these scholarships recognize high school seniors from San Diego County and the greater Tijuana region.

The scholarships, based on the annual Kyoto Prize categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy, will assist three San Diego County and three Tijuana-area students with higher education. They are valued at up to $10,000 each. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Kyoto Symposium Organization Gala event in March 2022.

The Kyoto Prize Scholarship is open to:

• Graduating high school seniors from San Diego County public, private and parochial high schools who will be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited four-year university in the United States
• Students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Students who are actively involved in serving their community

Additional materials: In addition to completing The San Diego Foundation Common Scholarship Application, applicants are required to submit a maximum 500 word essay in response to the following prompt:

“Select one of the below 2021 Kyoto Prize Laureates and describe what inspires you most about his/her life achievements, work and contributions to society.”

• Dr. Andrew Chi-Chih Yao- Advanced Technology
• Dr. Robert G. Roeder- Basic Sciences
• Dr. Bruno Latour- Arts and Philosophy

H.B. Goodlin Contest for young San Diego County musicians

The Music Teachers’ Association of California Goodlin Scholarship provides scholarship awards for music students in San Diego county. The awards are primarily designed to seek talented young musicians and encourage them. San Diego County’s finest young musicians under 18 years of age compete in the yearly spring contest.

From its beginnings in 1993, the awards have offered 1st and 2nd prizes in two divisions, a junior division to the age of 14 and a senior division, up to the age of 18, as well as awarding students with honorable mention ribbons or encouragement awards. Since 1998, the Chet and June Schmidt Awards, funded by the William E. Schmidt Foundation, have funded the two senior first place awards of $2000, keyboard and instrumental.

Click here for more information.

Application deadline October 1, 2022

The Robert L. Wiegel Scholarship for Coastal Studies is sponsored by the California Shore and Beach Preservation Association to honor a graduate student whose work best exemplifies the passion for coastal science and engineering that marked the career of Robert L. Wiegel, Professor of Coastal Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. From 1946 until his death in 2016, Professor Wiegel’s involvement as an investigator, instructor, mentor, advisor and consultant to students, private industry, public utilities and government agencies (both national and international) spanned virtually every phase of coastal and oceanographic research.

Terms of the Award

• The award will be made to a student pursuing (or recently having received) a graduate degree at a California university or college
• The study must deal with a coastal problem occurring in the marine environment (e.g. beaches, the nearshore zone, ports/harbors, coastal rivers and bluffs, lagoons, and wetlands) preferably in the State of California. The search for a solution to the problem should be a primary study goal
• Preference will be given to students who undertake field work with the intent of discovering the true nature of the problem while experiencing a wide range of ocean conditions
• The work must identify the importance of the research and the inter-related nature of the scientific/engineering findings with the social, economic, and environmental issues so common to coastal issues
• As promoted by Prof. Wiegel throughout his career, the research must demonstrate a high level of scholarship in which the applicant clearly states the importance of the work and cites relevant studies that have been conducted previously

Click here for more information.

Application closed

The Lamp of Learning is a fundraising organization for San Diego-based high school students attending 4-year universities. Since its inception in 2004, they have raised more than $175,000 toward need based, merit scholarships. The annual scholarship is open to qualified high school students throughout San Diego County that participate in the internationally acclaimed AVID Learning Program. AVID (Achievement via Individual Determination) students are often the first in their family to attend college and often underrepresented in higher education.

University Club Lamp of Learning Scholarship applicants must:

• Have resided in San Diego County for at least one year
• Be high school juniors who plan to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year university in the United States upon graduation from high school
• Have been enrolled in AVID a minimum of two years in high school (including junior year) and preferably at least one year in middle school
• Have been enrolled in Honors/ Accelerated courses in addition to a minimum of two AP and or IB courses and AP exams
• Have a history of community service, employment and/or responsibilities within the family that is referenced in the application and/or letters of recommendation
• Have demonstrated maturity or leadership abilities in extracurricular activities and school or community activities
• Have a demonstrated financial need
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale

For more information, contact SDF at scholarships@sdfoundation.org.

The UCSD Black Alumni Scholarships were established to attract qualified African-American students to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and support them through graduation. The UCSD Black Alumni Scholarship Board recently enhanced the scholarship to include mentoring, faculty engagement, a first summer residential program and other enrichments that enable scholars to thrive at UCSD and graduate well prepared for success.

The UCSD Black Alumni Scholarships are open to:

• Prospective African-American students who will be enrolling full-time at UCSD or African-American students currently enrolled full-time at UCSD
• Current UCSD students must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale
• Students must be majoring in either the arts, social sciences or humanities OR engineering, mathematics or science
• Students must show evidence of community involvement
• Financial need will be considered if scholarship committee members must choose between two or more students who are otherwise equally qualified
• Students must be United States citizens or permanent residents; California residency preferred, though domestic non-residents will be considered based on fund availability

This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, fees, room & board, and other educational expenses.

This scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds). Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, positive citizenship standing, and submit an annual renewal application.