The Common Scholarship Application with $3 million available opened to local students through the San Diego Foundation.
The scholarships are made possible through the Community Scholarship Program and Community Scholars Initiative at The San Diego Foundation, both providing San Diego students the tools and financial support to continue their education.
Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduates, medical and professional school students, and adult re-entry students through March 10, and students may apply at SDFoundation.org/scholarships.
Over 140 unique scholarships may be accessed through one application, including four-year universities, two-year colleges, graduate and vocational schools.
“To foster equity of opportunity in San Diego, we need to support historically under-resourced college students,” said Danielle Valenciano, Director of Community Scholarships for The San Diego Foundation. “Scholarship support helps students start and finish college, and research shows that for every $1,000 of grant or scholarship support, a student is 5 percent more likely to continue their education.”
The San Diego Foundation announced the historic awarding of more than $3.4 million in college scholarships in 2021 to 1,025 local students for the 2021-2022 academic year. Of those recipients, 69 percent were first-generation college students or the first in their immediate families to pursue higher education.
There was 96 percent that was considered low-to-middle-income students based on their Earned Family Contribution data. It is through donor support of over 146 unique charitable funds at the San Diego Foundation, and the program awarded nearly $40 million since 1997 to more than 10,000 college students from San Diego.
Those who are interested in opening a scholarship fund to support students fueling our San Diego economy are asked to contact Danielle Valenciano, Director of Community Scholarships, at DanielleV@SDFoundation.org.
