Yes. To qualify for this program, students must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic category, not a racial category; students may be of any race. For the purposes of the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program, students must be from a family whose ancestors came from at least one of these countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, El Salvador, Spain, Uruguay, or Venezuela.

Yes.  High school students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 based on a 4.00 scale (or equivalent), and college/graduate students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent). 

Details:

High school graduating seniors - Cumulative GPA is the average of grades earned from 9th through the first semester/term of the 12th grade (if available).

Undergraduate college students - Cumulative GPA is required for a minimum of 12 units/credits earned.

• If you are a first-year freshman at the time you apply, enter your high school and college information and upload your college transcript, when requested.
• First-year transfer students must enter their high school and community college information on the application. If selected, applicants will need to submit their community college transcripts.  

Graduate students - Cumulative GPA is required for a minimum of 9 units/credits earned.

• If you are a first-year graduate student at the time you apply, you will enter your undergraduate and graduate information.

Yes. Students with a GED are eligible for Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. However, you must attend Cal State Bakersfield in the following fall term.

No. An applicant must be a US citizen, permanent legal resident, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), or an eligible non-citizen (as defined by Federal Student Aid). For more information, click here.

Yes. Additionally, students with refugee or asylum status must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for a Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. For more information about FAFSA eligibility, click here.

No. At this moment students with an International Student Visa are not eligible for the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program.

High school seniors can apply to the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program beginning January 1st of every year.  

Yes. Our scholarships are not age-based. Students may apply as long as they meet all the eligibility requirements, regardless of age. 

No. The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program is only open to students who attend, or plan to attend, Cal State Bakersfield. 

Yes.  Applicants may be enrolled part-time at the time of application.  However, students must be enrolled full-time in the fall term, in order to be eligible to receive funding.  The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Team verifies enrollment before scholarship awards are disbursed.

No. The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program requires all recipients to be enrolled full time in the year in which they are awarded. Please note, official institution deferments, documented leaves of absence, and gap year programs in the fall will not be considered.

Yes. All students must attend, or plan to attend, Cal State Bakersfield.

Yes. Students must be attending Cal State Bakersfield in the fall of the desired academic year.  Eligible students include: graduating high school seniors (who plan to enroll at Cal State Bakersfield), current undergraduates (including community college transfers), and graduate students.

No. The applicaiton is only available in English.

To apply, please create a scholarship account. Once signed-in, you will be able to complete a scholarship application, when available. 

Phase I of the application is open from January 1, 2023 through February 8, 2023, 5:00PM PT.

Yes. Please be sure to periodically check your spam and/or junk email*. All communication regarding students’ status is done electronically; therefore, students are responsible for checking their email regularly.

*Please note, that each applicant must use his/her own personal email address – not a family member’s email address.

No. Applicants must submit scholarship applications using the online application system. 

No. Scholarship applications should never require a fee.

No. Once the deadline for Phase I of the application passes, the application will close and will no longer be available for that academic year.

No. All documents must be uploaded into your scholarship portal, when requested. Only documents uploaded into the scholarship portal will be reviewed. Documents sent by US Mail or fax will not be accepted. 

You will need to upload:

• Your latest transcript
• A copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR)
• An Employment Authorization Document (EAD) for students with DACA status
• Financial Aid Award Letter (FAAL) from your institution
• An Enrollment Verification form

All documents must be uploaded into your scholarship portal, when requested. Only documents uploaded into the scholarship portal will be reviewed. Documents sent by US Mail or fax will not be accepted. 

No. Our online system is completely secure. Encrypted documents usually lead to disruptions in the scholarship application review process. Often times, the Scholarships Team is unable to read and verify the receipt of documents if they are encrypted.

You are required to upload your official or unofficial academic transcript(s) only when requested to do so. If requested, scan and upload a PDF copy of your transcript(s) to your scholarship portal. You may also submit a screen shot of your transcripts from your college student portal. Handwritten transcripts will not be accepted.

Your transcript(s) must clearly indicate your name and institution. You may click ‘View’ after uploading your transcript(s) to verify the document is legible.

If your transcript does not include an academic GPA, please request a GPA and written explanation that describes how the GPA was calculated from your counselor or Registrar.

If a particular transcript runs more than one page, you must scan all pages and merge into ONE file, then upload the entire transcript in PDF format to your scholarship portal. The same procedure is required for any additional, multi-page documents you wish to upload.

If your question is not answered and you require additional assistance, please contact us via your Message Center. 

If a particular transcript runs more than one page, or you have multiple transcripts, you must scan all pages and merge the documents into ONE file, then upload the entire document in PDF format to your scholarship portal.

Yes. If classes and grades received in a foreign country are not already listed on your home institution’s transcript, you will be required to submit an English translation of each non-English transcript.

If your US institution does not translate your transcripts for you, visit either www.ece.org or www.wes.org, for more information. Once your transcript(s) is/are translated, upload each international transcript, along with a copy of its translation, to your scholarship portal.

The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program processes citizenship verification through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Student Aid Report (SAR). Therefore, it is not necessary to submit additional proof of residency to Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program.

Please note that all US citizens, permanent residents, and eligible non-US citizens must submit a FAFSA, in order to be able to provide the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program with a SAR, regardless of class level. If you meet the residency criteria previously mentioned and do not file a FAFSA, you are ineligible for the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program.

Yes. Students with DACA status will be required to upload a copy of their valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to their scholarship portal, when requested. 

Finalists will be prompted to list recommenders’ contact information in Phase II of the application cycle.

Recommenders must complete the electronic Recommendation Form online. Please note that one recommendation must be from an academic reference; the second is optional and can be submitted by anyone who is not a family member or friend. All online Recommendation Forms must be submitted by April 15, 5:00 PM PT. 

Please note, some email security systems block emails from the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. Therefore, we recommend that you ask your recommenders to check their spam folders.    

Recommenders are persons whom you have asked to complete an online Recommendation Form on your behalf, as part of your scholarship application.  In order for your application to be considered complete, you must submit 1 completed academic recommendation. Your academic recommender must be an instructor, an advisor/counselor, or someone who is able to evaluate you academically (e.g., academic performance, motivation, plans and goals).

Additional recommenders can be academic or nonacademic. Secondary recommenders must be able to evaluate your community service and extracurricular activities (e.g. leadership, work ethic, and commitment).

If you have been out of school for two or more years, your academic recommendation may come from a non-academic recommender who is familiar with the work you do and holds a position that is greater than your title. The recommendation should evaluate your intellectual capabilities, as well as your work ethic. Non-academic recommenders can be colleagues in your field of work and or anyone in a managerial position that has worked closely with you (such as a boss, a coach, a volunteer coordinator – or a pastor or priest, if you are active in your church and your pastor or priest is able to comment on your intellectual capabilities and work ethic).

Please note, recommendations from family members, family friends, and other close friends are discouraged.

Please be sure to ask your recommenders’ permission prior to submitting their names and email addresses to us.  Be sure they have agreed to complete the online Recommendation Form for you, and let them know that they will receive an email from us on how to proceed, within 24 hours after you have submitted your scholarship application.

The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program team suggests you provide your recommenders with an updated resume to assist them in filling out their forms.

Please note, some email security systems block emails from the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. Therefore, we recommend that you ask your recommenders to check their spam folders.    

Recommenders will be able to access the Recommendation Form by setting up and logging into their account. The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program will release recommender emails after the successful submission of an applicant’s Phase II form. Hence, we require the contact information you provide on your application form to include an email address for each recommender.

Please note, some email security systems block emails from the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. Therefore, we recommend that you ask your recommenders to check their spam folders.    

Early submission allows the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Team to process the application quicker. However, all online Recommendation Forms must be submitted by April 15th, 5:00 PM PT.  

On their home page, recommenders have the option to click on ‘Forgot Your Password?’ in order to retrieve their login information. If the issue continues, ask your recommender to contact us via their Message Center immediately, using the email address that you provided for that individual, in your application.

Don’t delay! Ask the recommender to provide us with your name and the technical issue encountered.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA) is a form that can be submitted annually by current and prospective college students in the US to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including Pell Grants, work-study programs, and loans).  All US citizens, permanent residents, and eligible non-US citizens must submit a FAFSA, in order to provide the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Team with a Student Aid Report. If you meet the residency criteria previously mentioned and do not file a FAFSA, you are ineligible for the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program.
 
The US Department of Education starts accepting FAFSA applications October 1st of each year, for the upcoming academic year.  For more information and eligibility requirements, click here.

Please note, you can apply for financial aid before you file your taxes. Corrections to your (FAFSA) application can always be submitted after you and/or your parents have filed for taxes and/or after the FAFSA has been submitted.

The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a report of your responses on the FAFSA by the US Department of Education, once the FAFSA application has been processed. The SAR contains information the student provided on the FAFSA as well as the resulting federally calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  The financial aid office of the student’s institution will use the information contained in the SAR in order to determine the student's eligibility for federal student aid programs. The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Team uses the EFC, as well as the student’s financial aid package, to determine the student’s financial need. For more information about the SAR, click here. 

The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program requires students with DACA status, who do not qualify for the FAFSA as a result of their immigration status, to apply for their state’s financial aid program, if available. Scholarship applicants from particular states that have state financial aid programs available to students with DACA status must submit a copy of their state’s version of a State Student Aid Report to the the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Team. If you are a student with DACA status and your state of residence does not permit you to apply to your state’s financial aid program, you can still apply to the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program. For more information about state financial aid programs for undocumented students, click here.  

When requested, please upload your Student Aid Report (SAR), in PDF format, to your scholarship account. 

After you submit your application for financial aid, you will receive a FAAL from the college(s) that you were admitted to and that you listed on your financial aid application, typically in early to mid-April. This letter outlines the details of your financial aid at that institution. Please note, your FAAL may also be contained within your college/institutional portal.  A financial aid package is a collection of different types of financial assistance from multiple sources (federal, state, and from the institution) and different types (grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study). It is intended to help you pay for college costs, or the cost of attendance (COA). 

We acknowledge that every student has a unique financial situation. As a result, we customize scholarship awards based on a careful assessment of remaining student need, after all other financial aid is calculated. The Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program will use your FAAL to verify the awards you listed on the form.

Contact Cal State Bakersfield’s financial aid office to inquire about your FAAL. Additionally, make sure to check your college portal for any pending documents and/or actions required by your institution. Please note that many institutions no longer mail FAALs to students and instead post them on student college/institutional portals.

Enrollment Verifications are due between August and November. 

Yes, there are several options for submitting an official Enrollment Verification form to the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program team. You can go directly to your institution's registrar’s office and request an official Enrollment Verification form.

OR

Quickest method: You can submit an official Enrollment Verification from the National Student Clearinghouse. This is an organization with whom most US institutions register, and which offers a verification form as an expedited service. You can go to their website at http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/ and for a nominal fee, they will send you a PDF version of your Enrollment Verification instantly.

OR

You can download the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Enrollment verification form which will be emailed to you. You can take this form to your registrar’s office for completion. Please be sure to complete the student portion of the form and that the registrar’s office has completed all questions on their portion.

Your Enrollment Verification form must be dated at least one day after your first day of class.  

Once your scholarship application has been submitted, you will not be allowed to make any changes to it.

However, you can update your contact information on your Profile after you sign into the system.

Notifications of scholarship awards are emailed in June.

All applicants who complete the application process will receive notification, via email, once the selection process has been completed. To check the status of your application, please refer to your profile.

Please note, funds may continue to be available for a period of time after the initial notification. Please check your email regularly in case you are selected at a later date.

Scholarship awards are disbursed in the fall of the year awarded.  Please note, all scholarship awards are contingent upon proof of full-time enrollment and the student’s total financial aid package.

Successful candidates are selected on the basis of academic achievement, personal strengths, leadership, and extracurricular accomplishment, in addition to meeting all stated requirements. All completed applications are evaluated by certified readers. Once they have been read, we then begin our rigorous process of selection. It is important that the information an applicant provides regarding his/her "intended" school/major be as up to date as possible, prior to our selection process.

Yes. The selection process consists of four stages: Phase I, Phase II, Verification (for both pre-selected and waitlisted students), and disbursement.

All applicants must submit a Phase I application to be considered for an award. Applicants given the highest scores will be selected as Finalists and invited to complete Phase II of the application.

Students who submit Phase II will be evaluated. The top scoring applicants will be pre-selected or waitlisted for a scholarship. Students waitlisted for an award may not receive an initial award but will continue to be considered for an award if additional funding becomes available during the current award cycle.

Both pre-selected and waitlisted students must submit Verification Documents (enrollment verification, etc.) throughout the summer and early fall to ensure continued eligibility.

Money is disbursed between November and December.

Unfortunately, every year, the applications we get from deserving students greatly outnumber the awards we have available. Accordingly, selection is highly competitive and not every strong student will make the final cut.

It’s also important to remember that if your application is incomplete, you will not be considered for a scholarship. Many bright students miss out on opportunities because they submit incomplete applications.

Take charge of your application process by:

• Following up with school officials, as well as recommenders, and making sure they have completed the forms they’re responsible for, correctly and on time.
• Make sure to follow all instructions carefully.
• Have a teacher, counselor or parent review your application to make sure you didn’t overlook anything.
• Submit all requested documents by the due date.

Documentation between Cal State Bakersfield and your second institution will be required. You must submit the following items*:

• Enrollment Verification forms from each campus you are attending
• A copy of official documentation from Cal State Bakersfield (i.e. Consortium Agreement; Dual Enrollment; Transient Agreements, etc.). If you are unsure what a Consortium Agreement is, please visit your academic advisor.
• A brief written explanation as to why you cannot be full-time at one campus that includes a list of the classes and their unit/hour value, in which you are enrolled, per campus

*It is important that these documents be uploaded to your scholarship portal. We will need to review this documentation in order to make a final decision.

No. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time in the fall and spring terms to receive their full scholarship, for the year in which the scholarship is awarded. Please note that scholarship funds cannot be deferred to another academic term or school year.h

If you still have a question after reviewing the FAQ’s, please contact us via your Message Center located in your online account.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to protect a student’s confidential information, the Cal State Bakersfield Scholarship Program Team cannot disclose student information to third parties (e.g., parents, friends, counselor, teacher, etc.). Applicants must contact our office directly via their Message Center.