Scholarships for Cal State Long Beach: A Comprehensive Guide

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is committed to providing its students with access to quality education. Recognizing that financing higher education can be a significant challenge, CSULB offers a variety of scholarships, grants, and other financial aid options to help students cover the costs of their education. This article provides a detailed overview of the scholarship opportunities available to CSULB students, as well as other resources to explore.

BeachScholarships: Your Gateway to CSULB Scholarships

BeachScholarships is an online platform designed to connect students with the latest scholarship opportunities available at CSULB. This tool allows students to search for CSULB-exclusive scholarships and grants, as well as external opportunities, through a single, streamlined application. Many California State University System Wide Scholarships can be applied to through BeachScholarships during the spring cycle.

CSULB-Exclusive Scholarship Opportunities

CSULB offers a range of scholarships specifically for its students, including:

Athletic Scholarships

CSULB has eighteen NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) sports teams. Students interested in athletic scholarships should contact the coach of their respective team for information on current opportunities.

President’s Scholars Program

The President’s Scholars Program is a competitive program for high-achieving students admitted to the CSULB University Honors Program (UHP). Awardees receive financial support, priority registration, smaller class sizes, and individualized academic advising.

Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide

College of Business Scholarships

The College of Business offers scholarships to business majors, minors, and graduate students. Application is through BeachScholarships. Criteria for each scholarship vary. Scholarships enhance the quality of education and experience at the College of Business as students are prepared for leadership in the business field upon graduation. Students who are graduating in the fall semester are not eligible for COB scholarships.

Other Campus-Based Scholarships

Many departments across CSULB offer scholarships to students in their respective programs. Students should contact their department for more information on available opportunities.

CSU Systemwide Scholarships and Fellowships

The California State University system offers a variety of scholarship and fellowship opportunities to students across all CSU campuses. Students can search by opportunity or by campus to find opportunities that match their eligibility and interests. A majority of their scholarships can be applied to through BeachScholarships during our spring cycle.

CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement

The CSU Trustees’ Awards recognize students who have overcome adversity, demonstrated financial need, and possess attributes of merit, including superior academic performance, significant personal achievements, and exemplary community service. The recipient with the highest score is designated the Trustee Emeritus Ali C. Razi Scholar and receives an $18,000 scholarship. Most scholarships will be $7,000.

Gregson Bautzer University Fund Scholarship

This scholarship is open only to incoming freshman students who have graduated from the California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) and who are continuing their education at any of the California State University campuses. Two scholarship recipients are selected each academic year by the California Academy of Mathematics and Science, and awarded $3,000 per year for four years while enrolled full-time at a CSU campus.

Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships

Howard C. Christiansen Trust Scholarship

This scholarship is for undergraduate or graduate students studying any major in engineering. Scholarship nominees for the CSU Trustees' Award will be reviewed first. If there are not enough applicants nominated who are in an engineering field, the scholarhship may be awarded to a second pool of engineering applicants outside the CSU Trustees' Award. Six (6) $5,000 scholarships will be awarded for the academic year.

Glenn S. Dumke Fellowship

This fellowship encourages student scholars to engage in graduate work in fields such as public policy, American history, economics, archival management and government. Preference will be given to projects that involve research about the state of California. The selected scholar is expected to pursue research projects within special CSU library/archival collections. One fellowship of $1,600 will be awarded for the academic year.

Nathaniel R. and Valerie Dumont Scholarship

Strong consideration should be given to students who are visually impaired, followed in priority by students with other physical impairments. Students without visual or physical impairments are also eligible for this scholarship. Eight scholarships of $5,000 will be awarded for the academic year.

Hampton Scholars Scholarship

The Hampton Scholars Scholarship was funded in honor of Dr. Claudia H. Hampton, the first Black woman to serve as a trustee of the California State University and recognizes students who excel academically and exemplify Dr. Hampton’s dedication. Four (4) $5,000 scholarships will be awarded for the academic year.

Stephen Y. Ho Memorial Scholarship

Students must be currently enrolled or be entering a first semester as a student at a California State University campus and must hold a student status during the scholarship period. Students must participate in the CSU International Programs in China or Taiwan. Two (2) $2,000 scholarship to be awarded.

Read also: Scholarship Guide

Dale M. Schoettler Scholarship for Visually Impaired Students

Applicants must currently have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale and must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale during the academic year in which the award is received. Applicants must be currently enrolled in 6.1 units or more as a CSU undergraduate or graduate student in any major field and must remain enrolled in 6.1 units or more during the academic year in which the award is received. Applicants must have a visual disability. 46 scholarships of $10,000 each will be awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year.

External Scholarship Opportunities

In addition to CSULB and CSU-specific scholarships, students can explore external scholarship opportunities from various organizations and foundations:

AmeriCorps Education Award - National Service Trust

Congress established the National Service Trust to provide an AmeriCorps Education Award for members who successfully complete service in AmeriCorps. Students may use this award to pay educational expenses at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans.

UNCF

UNCF is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. Popular scholarships include the Gates Millennium Scholars, Panda Cares Scholars Program, Target Scholars Program, and more.

HACU-IES Abroad Scholarship

The HACU-IES Abroad Scholarship is available to students who are currently attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is a member of Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU). You must be a US citizen or permanent resident, have a minimum GPA of 3.3, and demostrate financial need to be eligible for this award.

Other Financial Aid Options

Besides scholarships, CSULB offers other financial aid options:

Graduate Equity Fellowship

Graduate Equity Fellowship grants range from $500 to $2,000 per year. This program seeks to increase the number of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds completing graduate degree programs at the CSU, encourages continuation toward doctoral programs, and promotes consideration of university faculty careers. To learn more about applying for a Graduate Equity Fellowship grant, please consult your campus's financial aid office.

CalKIDS

CalKIDS is a state program that gives children in California a jump start on saving for college. Newborns and eligible low-income public school students are automatically enrolled and given a CalKIDS college savings account with an initial deposit. Eligible participants are identified by data received from the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Education.

Middle Class Scholarship

The Middle Class Scholarship is available to undergraduate students and students pursuing teaching credentials at University of California and California State University campuses.

Private Loans

CSULB is an approved school for many private education loan programs, such as MPOWER Financing. Unlike scholarships, loans do have to be repaid. Please research the specific terms of the various external loan options.

On-Campus Job Opportunities

Given the large student population our campus serves, there is a great need for student workers to support the university's daily functions. International students enrolled in a full-time degree program can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the spring and fall semester, and up to 40 hours per week during the winter and summer break. Please visit the Center Development Center for information on job openings, resume writing and more!

Payment Plan

To help ease the financial burden on students, CSULB offers tuition payment plans to divide up the tuition payment into multiple installments.

Graduate Assistantships

Many CSULB academic departments have Teaching Associate (TA) and Graduate Assistant (GA) positions available for graduate students. Contact a department directly for more information about opportunities.

Funded Research Opportunities

CSULB offers many funded research opportunities through the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED). Funding you receive as part of a research program is coordinated with any financial aid you currently have and is disbursed through your student account. Depending on the program, funding may be awarded as a stipend paid out in monthly installments and/or payments at the beginning of each semester. Some programs have summer funding as well, which follow the same general payment rules.

Additional Resources and Tips for Scholarship Applications

Career Development Center

Through career counseling, employer connections, and professional development opportunities, the CSULB Career Development Center prepares students to become skilled and productive members of the local, national, and global workforce.

Dream Success Center

The vision of the CSULB Dream Success Center is to foster a friendly and inclusive campus community dedicated to students’ educational achievement and personal success regardless of immigration status.

Graduate Center

The CSULB Graduate Center offers resources for current and prospective graduate students (masters, credential, certificate, and doctorate)--including graduate advising appointments, mentor programs, workshops, and more. The center also connects students with unique graduate funding and fellowship opportunities.

Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED)

ORED is dedicated to promoting research and other scholarly activities that contribute to the mission of the University.

Crafting a Strong Personal Statement

The personal statement is generally one of the most important components of your scholarship application. It allows the readers of the selection committee to learn more about you and your goals as they relate to a particular scholarship. When writing your personal statement, consider the following guidelines:

Stay at or under the word limit.
Use 12-point font unless directed otherwise.
Make sure to directly answer the question (if there is a specific prompt).
Try rephrasing the question or prompt in your introduction to make sure you address the scholarship’s main criteria!
Draft your statement in a Word document before you apply.

Many scholarships require applicants to respond to specific prompts in their personal statements. Common prompts include:

What experience has impacted your personal growth?
Tell us about a time you failed. What did you learn from that experience?
Why are you pursuing your major? How does it relate to your career aspirations?
Provide an example of service beyond the classroom (i.e., have you taken on significant family obligations, helped other in a specific way, been involved in political action, worked/volunteered/interned at a particular organization, etc.). Why is this example significant to you?

Understanding Financial Aid Packages

Every student's financial aid package is unique and may be impacted by additional grant funding. It is important to review your financial aid package again if you are the recipient of a scholarship. In general, all financial aid is limited by two factors: your cost of attendance and your unmet need.

The cost of attendance, or budget, is the standard amount that it has been determined it costs a student to attend CSULB for nine months. This includes billed expenses, such as tuition and fees, and non-billed expenses, such as transportation and books and supplies. Aid cannot be awarded above this amount, since, theoretically, all educational expenses would be covered under the standard cost of attendance. There are exceptions that can be made on a case-by-case determination by our office. If you believe that you have significant educational expenses that are not being considered in the standard cost of attendance, you can submit a Cost of Attendance Appeal.

Unmet need is the difference between your cost of attendance and what you are expected to be able to contribute to your education (your expected family contribution). Need-based programs, such as Federal Work-Study; Subsidized Loans; State University Grant; Cal Grant; and scholarships, all must fit into your unmet need. If you receive need-based funding that exceeds your unmet need, the new funding will likely replace loans and then State University Grant or Cal Grant.

Important Information Regarding Scholarship Disbursement

Scholarships disburse the semester after the deadline date. You must be enrolled in the following semester to receive the scholarship disbursement (i.e: spring scholarship deadline means you will receive the scholarship money in fall).
CSULB processes external scholarship funding based on an assumption that you must be enrolled either half-time (6 units) or full-time (12 units). If you are enrolled in fewer than 6 units, your external scholarship funding will not be disbursed, even though your donor sent the funding to the University.
All funding begins disbursing ten days before the start of each semester; so even if your donor sends the check early, you might not see it apply to your account until just before the term.
Once funds have been deposited and your enrollment confirmed, CSULB will post your scholarship on your student account.
If you need the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to post your scholarship as anticipated aid on your student account prior to the funding being sent to the University, you can submit your scholarship notification letter to our office.
If you need the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to complete a needs analysis form or confirm eligibility for an external scholarship, you can submit the document to our office.
Stipends are paid in monthly installments and will be disbursed to your account around the 20th of each month you are awarded.

Contact Information for External Scholarship Checks

California State University, Long Beach ATTN: Adrienne Robertson Student Financial Services 1250 Bellflower Blvd., BH-155Long Beach, CA 90840-0103

Make sure to have your donor make the checks payable to California State University, Long Beach, and include your name and student ID on the check's memo line. The donor should also note the term for which you or they would like the funds applied (Fall, Spring, or Fall/Spring) and any enrollment requirements (full-time, half-time).

Enrollment Verification

If you need proof of enrollment without the details typically outlined on a transcript, CSULB enrollment verification certificates are available for free for most students through the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). The Office of the Registrar (Student Records) can also support you with Enrollment Verification requests.

tags: #scholarships #for #cal #state #long #beach