The 2026 Scholarship Application
Is Now  Open!

Mandatory Requirements

All applicants must also meet the following criteria:

• Residency: Live in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, or Alameda County. Dependent students’ parents must also reside in one of these counties.
• First-Generation Status: Neither parent has earned a four-year degree from a U.S. university.
• Financial Need: Meet low-income requirements and provide financial documentation as requested.
• Academic Requirement: Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Enrollment: Maintain full-time enrollment (undergraduate or graduate) as defined by the educational institution throughout the scholarship cycle.
• Admission: Be accepted into an undergraduate or graduate program for the 2026–2027 academic year.

If selected for a scholarship, awardees MUST:

• Participate in the CTSF Award Presentation, Seeds to Degrees Summit, and Mentorship Program.
• Participate in foundation activities and requests as outlined below:
  • Minimum of 10 hours of volunteer service with the foundation throughout the year. Scholarship recipients can volunteer on CTSF committees(Fundraising & Communication, Award & Scholarship, or Finance & Governance Committees)
  • Submit updates on your school progress every semester during the scholarship cycle.

Former CTSF scholarship recipients: Must follow the same process as new applicants, and meet the same requirements and criteria. Participate in the CTSF Award Presentation, Seeds to Degrees Summits, and Mentorship Program.

About the Award

• The award ranges from $2,500 to $3,000 for tuition expenses.
• A $250 stipend for technology or school supplies.
• Scholars whose parents are gardeners, farm workers (trabajadores del campo), landscapers, janitors, or housekeepers may be selected to receive an additional $1,000 under the Family Tapia Award of Excellence.
• Awards will be based on available dollars and may be stand-alone scholarships.
  

Scholarship Disbursement Process

If selected, the scholarship award will be disbursed in two installments:‍

    -June 20, 2026: before the first installment is issued.

          -Students who are in their first year of attendance must provide a Statement of Intent to register for their chosen institution.

          -For continuously enrolled students, you must provide a letter of continuous enrollment for the 2026-2027 academic year.  (This document can be requested via Clearinghouse.)

    -January 23, 2027: All recipients must provide proof of continuous enrollment as full-time students before the second disbursement is issued.

All scholarship recipients are expected to be actively engaged and fully participate in CTSF programs, respond to emails, and fulfill requests made by CTSF.

Scholarship awardees will be required to participate in the following mandatory events:

We highly recommend marking these dates on your calendar.

• From Seeds to Degrees Summit Part I and II are mandatory.
• Part I - This will be an in-person event
  • Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
  • Location: TBD
  • Time: from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
• Part II - This will be a virtual. This online event will take place on January 16,  2027, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
  

Need help with your application?

We can assist with the following:

• Application and eligibility questions.
• Questions about writing your personal statement.

Days: Monday through Friday

Times: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Schedule help here

We have created a checklist to ensure you prepare the requested information and documentation before applying.

Required Documentation

• Financial Information – All applicants must submit proof of financial income tax filing (1040 form). ‍
• Letters of recommendations (2) – We recommend all applicants work on this as soon as they plan to apply. Recommenders can be mentors, professors/teachers, counselors, or employers. More details can be found in the application.‍
• Proof of Address: (e.g., utility bill, school mail) showing an address in an eligible county.‍
• Personal Essay –  Preset questions and instructions can be found in the application.‍‍‍
• Minimum of 2.5 unweighted GPA.
• The following documents are required from all applicants, and submission requirements vary by educational level:
  • GED and high school applicants: official or unofficial transcripts, an acceptance letter, and proof of intent to enroll in the Fall of 2025.
  • Continuing Students: official or unofficial transcripts, proof of continued enrollment‍
  • Transfer Students: official or unofficial transcripts, proof of continued enrollment, a college acceptance letter, and proof of intent to enroll for Fall 2025.
  • Graduate students: official or unofficial transcripts, an acceptance letter, and proof of intent to enroll in the Fall of 2025.
    

‍Civic and Community Involvement: We will continue to ask applicants to submit hours completed as volunteers. For the 2025 application, we will accept applications that have not completed the 50 hours required. To satisfy this requirement, we will ask each applicant to submit a brief paragraph (250 words) describing how they have supported their communities, family members, and/or overall personal/professional growth.‍

Scholarship Application Tips

• Meet all application deadlines. Use a calendar or planner, make a schedule, and stick to it. 
• Gather your application materials early. Don't wait, especially when requesting letters of recommendation (LORs), as many scholarship applications open in the first quarter of the year, and recommenders are often very busy during that time.
• Write a compelling essay. Focus on your educational journey, the challenges you have overcome, your path to success, and, most importantly, why you chose your major and how you intend to use it to support your community.
• Treat scholarship applications like a job. Approach your scholarship application(s) with the same professionalism and dedication you would a job application. Rushing the process can increase the risk of errors, including submitting incorrect documents.
• When saving documents to your computer for upload, use clear and consistent file names. For example, instead of "screenshot3456788756," use a descriptive name like "NameLastNameTranscript" or "NameLastNameLOR." This will help you avoid mistakes and greatly assist us during the selection process.
• Understand application requirements: this means thoroughly familiarizing yourself with everything the scholarship provider is asking for.  It's more than just knowing the deadline.
• Ask questions: It means don't let confusion or uncertainty prevent you from submitting your best application.