The California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment (CCCSE) provides over 3,000 student scholarships each year. Over 90 California Community Colleges participated in fundraising efforts that resulted in a $76 million scholarship endowment that will forever support our students.

The CCCSE and corresponding three-year fundraising campaign were made possible thanks to the generosity of The Bernard Osher Foundation. In May 2008, the Osher Foundation made a historic pledge to the California Community Colleges, giving an unprecedented lead gift of $25 million to establish the endowment, and committing additional match dollars for amounts raised by the system.

Even though the match campaign is complete, you can still contribute to the CCCSE, making the possibility of a better life a reality for generations of students to come.

For Community College students across California, the possibility of a better life begins with higher education. Yet each year more students are struggling to make ends meet and stay in school as affordability continues to become a growing barrier to student success. Today, approximately half of all Community College students still have unmet financial need after all financial aid is considered.

Scholarships from the CCCSE, which were first distributed to students throughout the state in Fall 2009 and will continue to be distributed every year in perpetuity, address this growing need.

• Scholarships of up to $1,100 per academic year help financially strained students offset educational costs, making it possible for them to stay in school. The scholarships can been applied to textbooks, lab equipment, uniforms, lab fees and other instructional supplies.
• These scholarships are intended to support those students with the most financial need who have demonstrated success and commitment in their coursework. To qualify, students must have completed 24 units of degree-applicable study, be enrolled in at least six units for the ensuing semester, and qualify for a California College Promise Grant (formerly Board of Governors Fee Waiver).  Criteria may differ between colleges.