Cal Poly Humboldt Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

Cal Poly Humboldt offers a diverse range of scholarships to support students in their academic pursuits. These scholarships are designed to recognize academic achievement, assist students with financial need, and encourage students pursuing specific fields of study. This guide provides a detailed overview of the various scholarship opportunities available at Cal Poly Humboldt, along with eligibility requirements and application procedures.

General Scholarship Information

Cal Poly Humboldt awards approximately $600,000 in scholarships annually, with individual awards ranging from $500 to $4,000. Many of these scholarships are renewable, providing ongoing financial support to students throughout their academic careers.

How to Apply

The online scholarship application typically opens on November 15th and closes on January 31st of each year. Students can access the application by clicking the "Scholarships" quick link on the myHumboldt portal.

Accessibility

Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to ensuring that all students have equal access to scholarship opportunities. If you encounter accessibility barriers while searching, viewing, or applying for scholarships through the online portal, please contact the Financial Aid team for assistance.

Scholarship Categories and Specific Awards

Cal Poly Humboldt offers scholarships across various academic departments and based on specific criteria. Here's a breakdown of some notable scholarship opportunities:

Read also: Accessing the Cal Poly Portal

Business Scholarships

The School of Business at Cal Poly Humboldt offers several scholarships to support students pursuing degrees in Business Administration and related fields. These scholarships often consider factors such as GPA, class standing, financial need, and specific areas of concentration.

Michael and Carol Fielding Business Scholarship: A $1,000 award for full-time Business Administration majors with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
William F. "Bill" Jackson Business Scholarship: A $1,000 award for a full-time junior or senior pursuing a Business degree. Financial need, as determined by FAFSA, is considered for equally qualified candidates.
Michael S. Clark Accounting Scholarship: A $1,000 award for full-time senior BA majors pursuing an Accounting concentration with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Financial need, as determined by FAFSA, is also considered.
Redwood Empire Scholarship: A $500 award for full-time BA majors pursuing an Accounting concentration who have completed 12 units of upper-division accounting coursework and have a GPA of 3.0 or better. Applicants must be graduates from a local high school in Humboldt or Del Norte County. Financial need, as determined by FAFSA, is also considered.
Ernest and Louise Pierson Scholarship: A $1,000 award available for a full-time junior or senior pursuing a Business degree or a full-time graduate student. Financial need is based on FAFSA results.
David and Gwynna Morris Scholarship: A $1,000 award available for full-time Business Administration majors with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
The School of Business Scholarship: Two $1,000 awards available for Business Administration majors.
James Yates Business Scholarship: A $1,000 award to support a student majoring in Business, preferably with a concentration in areas such as management or entrepreneurship, or a student with an interest in entrepreneurship (as evidenced by participation in a business plan competition, or start-up competition at Cal Poly Humboldt, or equivalent). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
Dwight and Lavina Bancroft Scholarship: This scholarship prioritizes full-time Business majors in their junior or senior year who graduated from a Humboldt or Del Norte County high school and are seeking accounting careers. However, students with other career goals are also encouraged to apply. Award amounts vary, typically around $2,000 per student. Transfer students are encouraged to apply.

Biological Sciences Scholarships

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a range of scholarships to support students pursuing studies in biology, botany, zoology, and related fields. These scholarships recognize academic excellence, research contributions, and specific areas of interest within the biological sciences.

Brusca Zoology Scholarship: Awarded annually to graduate students in their 1st or 2nd year at Humboldt with an exceptional interest and promise in field and/or laboratory studies of Invertebrate Zoology.
Dennis K. Walker Botany Award: Recognizes the outstanding undergraduate botany student in each year's graduating class based on academic excellence.
Ferguson Family Research Fund: Provides mentorship to undergraduate students by graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences, offering stipends and research supplies. First-generation students are especially encouraged to apply.
Fred and Margaret Telonicher Memorial Scholarship: Granted annually to a Cal Poly Humboldt undergraduate student in any concentration or major within the Department of Biological Sciences based exclusively on academic excellence.
Gregory Mark Jennings Botany Award: Supports graduate students pursuing a degree in Biology, with a preference for those with an area of research in botany, to travel for the purpose of presenting their research to a professional audience, or for expenses related to publishing their research.
Jack S. McGurk Marine Biology Scholarship: Supports students pursuing a Marine Biology degree at Cal Poly Humboldt with a minimum award of $2,000 annually. Students must be in good academic standing.
James Christian Scholarship: Recognizes an outstanding student majoring in the biological sciences at Humboldt, with preference given to a graduate student and based on financial need.
James F. Welsh Biology Scholarship: Provides multiple scholarships (ranging from $2,500 - $3,000) to students who intend to go to graduate school after obtaining their Bachelor's degree from Humboldt and are classified as having senior class standing (90 or more completed units), have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, are a biology, botany, or zoology major, and intend to pursue graduate education in some area of the biological sciences.
Michael B. Smeaton Biology Scholarship: Provides one annual scholarship to a Biology undergraduate student majoring in the Cellular/Molecular concentration with at least a sophomore standing and demonstrated financial need. Preference is given to students planning to enter the medical field or graduate school.
Milton J. Boyd Teaching Associate Award: Recognizes outstanding first-year graduate students in the Biological Sciences who have served the department as a Teaching Associate through exemplary performance to enhance academic instruction.
Moonstone Crossing Award/Cancer Research Assistantship: Supports up to two Humboldt undergraduate and/or graduate students to do a cancer-related BIOL 499 research project in the laboratory of Dr. Amy Sprowles during the Spring semester. One award is for students from backgrounds typically underrepresented in the field of biomedical research.
Siering/Wilson Undergraduate Research Endowment: Funds undergraduate research activities in Microbial Ecology and Environmental Microbiology for students in ALL departments within the College of Natural Resources (CNRS).
Botany Diversity Award: Provides underrepresented students a chance at earning a botany degree, so they can make a positive impact on the community and commitment to the botanical profession.
Vera Woolford Scholarship: Provides scholarships for worthy students at Cal Poly Humboldt who are interested in and who are pursuing study of the medical sciences.

Natural Resources Scholarships

These scholarships are designed for students pursuing degrees in natural resources-related fields.

Ernest P. Fusi Scholarship in Natural Resources: Promotes the interests in furthering the education of full-time CNRS students in the areas of natural resources. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
The Fusi and Dusi Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time student pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in natural resources majors who have completed at least two courses taught by natural resources faculty in the eligible majors at Humboldt, have at least two semesters of coursework yet to be completed at Humboldt, academic achievement with a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5.
Gary Estenson Memorial Scholarship: For undergraduate students who are majoring in Marine Biology or Fisheries Biology with at least a 3.00 GPA and financial need.
L. O. McDuff Scholarship: Awarded to an undergraduate student majoring in Fisheries Biology, Marine Biology or Environmental Science: Ecological Restoration, with GPA of at least 3.0, demonstrated financial need, with preference given to students within minimal or no support from parents.

Marine Science Scholarships

These scholarships support students specifically interested in marine-related studies.

Malcolm Oliphant Scholarships in Marine Science: Awarded on the basis of excellence. Work in progress at the Telonicher Marine Laboratory, Trinidad, will be one factor considered in the award of the scholarships.
Stephen Hillenburg Marine Science Research Award: Awarded based on a research proposal and academic excellence. The award recognizes students conducting creative marine science research who may âthink outside the boxâ in developing and applying innovative approaches to address important ecological and societal questions.

Other Departmental Scholarships

Ballard Scholarship: Awarded to students on the basis of financial need. One scholarship is awarded to a Biology student, and one is open to any major.
Nordstrom & White Pre-Vet Scholarship: Supports students who are enrolled in the Pre-Veterinary Program during their junior or senior years of study. Students must be in good standing and demonstrate financial aid need as determined by the FAFSA or Dream applications.
Peggy & Bob Kirkpatrick Special Education Credential Scholarship: Established to help special education candidates find a job that they love.

Humboldt First Scholarship

A $1000 per year scholarship to First-time freshmen, graduated from a high school in Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, or Trinity Counties.
Up to four years total.
Must enroll in full-time units at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Funds will be disbursed $500 each fall and spring terms.
Can pay any educational expenses.
Will disburse into Student Account and pay any charges due. If no charges are due, funds will be refunded to the student.
Student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
Stackable with housing and other scholarships.

Humboldt International Student Scholarship (Fee Waiver)

The Humboldt International Student Scholarship is awarded to full-time, degree-seeking international students (F1 visa holders) with strong academic history and financial need. Scholarships are awarded as partial out-of-state tuition waivers (reduction in tuition). The scholarship will apply only to undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking, F1 visa holding, international students. Priority is given to undergraduate students first. Graduate students may also seek tuition waiver scholarship and funding opportunities from their graduate department.

Read also: Cal Poly Cost Breakdown

Open to: New, incoming (admitted) international students as well as currently enrolled international students.
Criteria: Acceptance (admission) to Humboldt for the next available term, or current enrollment and good immigration status are required. Award is based on academic performance and financial need.
Amount: Anywhere from 1-6 units of non-resident tuition waived per academic year. This means awards can range anywhere from $471.00 - $2,500 per academic year applied to out-of-state tuition fees (reduction in tuition).

External Scholarship Opportunities

In addition to Cal Poly Humboldt's internal scholarships, students can explore external funding opportunities from private organizations and businesses. These "Outside Resources" can include scholarships, loans, or fee waivers.

California Native Plant Society Research Grants: The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) invites undergraduate and graduate students to apply for their research grants. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their ability to advance the California Native Plant Society's mission of conserving California's native plants and their habitats.
CGCI Scholarships: Annually a minimum of two (2) CGCI Scholarships are available, each in the amount of $2,000. One-year scholarships are available to juniors, seniors, and graduate students pursuing a Master's Degree.
Botany and Beyond: PLANTS III pathway program: Funded by the National Science Foundation (DEB-2138730) and Botanical Society of America to bring a talented and diverse group of undergraduates to BOTANY 2025 in Palm Springs, CA from July 25-31, 2025, where we will provide mentored training opportunities.

Tips for Finding Private Scholarships

Consult with a high school or TRIO counselor.
Use free scholarship search engines online (such as Federal Student Aid & CollegeBoard).
Check your library's reference section.
Explore foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups.
Contact organizations related to your field of interest.
Inquire with your employer or your parents' employers.

Tips for Applying for Scholarships

Start your research early and pay attention to application due dates, as scholarship deadlines vary.
Many scholarships require additional information such as personal essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews. Be sure to fulfill all entry requirements to improve your chances of earning scholarship prizes.
Be prepared to take notes and/or make copies of scholarship announcements. Remember to list the name of the organization, contact address, deadline, and specific requirements.
Study all information in the announcement carefully. If only female descendants of Confederate soldiers are considered for the award, it may not be worth applying. However, if there is some indication of eligibility, you should inquire further.
Neatly print or type applications; complete them thoroughly, and submit them on time. Pay careful attention to grammar and spelling.

Work Opportunities

Students with either the student visa (F1) or exchange visitor visa (J1) are allowed to work on-campus on a part-time basis (20 hours/week or less) while school is in session and full-time (40 hours/week) during breaks, as long as they maintain their F1/J1 status. There are a wide variety of employment opportunities available on campus.

Private (Alternative) Education Loans

Private loans may be an option if additional funding is needed. The Humboldt Financial Aid Office certifies private loans using various lenders to help bridge the gap between the cost of attendance and the amount of Financial Aid awarded or when federal loans are no longer an option.

Tips for Selecting a Lender

Comparison shop: internet search (i.e., sites with .org as part of address)
Select an established lender with a good track record
Ask about their loan servicing after disbursement and whether or not your loan may be sold
Ask about interest rates â most private loan interest rates are variable and generally based on LIBOR or PRIME index plus a percentage
Ask about loan fees â these can vary and may affect the total cost of the loan
Ask about how often the interest rate can change and if there is a "cap" on the rate.
Ask about prepayment penalties or fees.
Customer Service â you want the representative you speak with to be knowledgeable and be able to access your information online.
Co-signer - Most private loans will require a co-signer. The stronger the credit rating of the co-signer, generally the lower the interest rate and fees are.
Repayment - Ask when repayment will begin, what kind of plans are available and any incentives.

Important Considerations

FAFSA: Some scholarships require applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine financial need. However, not all scholarships require FAFSA, and international students are generally not eligible for federal financial aid and should not file a FAFSA.
Informing the Financial Aid Office: Students are responsible for informing the financial aid office of all scholarships received by submitting an Action Request form through the Student Forms portal.
Cost of Attendance: The educational loan, along with other aid and educational resources, can never be more than your total cost of attendance.

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