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The application program will be available again in April, 2023. Please return then to view the updated Eligibility and Awards for the upcoming academic year! If you are an applicant who would like to discover more scholarship opportunities you might qualify for, please continue to the Scholarship America Hub and sign up!

Orange County Community Foundation Scholarship Programs
Application status: Closed

The Orange County Community Foundation has created the Orange County Community Foundation Scholarship Programs to provide a series of scholarships to assist Orange County area students pursuing undergraduate post-secondary education.

The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team. Awards for this scholarship are granted to eligible recipients without regard to creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to the Frank and Ruth Bila Charitable Fund must:

  • Be a high school senior in Orange County, CA or graduated from an Orange County high school.
  • Be planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
  • Be 17 to 30 years of age as of the application deadline date.
  • Be pursuing a career in Restaurant or Hotel Management.
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

Applicants to the Robert C. and Lillian N. DuSoe Scholarship Fund must:

  • Be a high school senior at Laguna Beach Unified School District or Santa Ana Unified School District OR
  • Be a current undergraduate who graduated from Laguna Beach Unified School District or Santa Ana Unified School District AND
  • Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
  • Be pursuing a degree in music or writing.

Applicants to the Charles H. & Ethel E. Wolfe Scholarship Endowment must:

  • Be a high school senior in Orange County, CA or graduated from an Orange County high school.
  • Be planning to enroll in part-time or full-time undergraduate study at an accredited, non-profit two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
  • Receive a recommendation by the high school principal of from which the student is graduating, based on the students high scholastic achievements and community involvement.

Applicants to the Orange County Centennial Academic Scholarship must:

  • Be a high school senior in Orange County, CA who has completed their last three years of high school in Orange County.
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).
  • Have an SAT score of at least 1400 OR an ACT score of at least 31.
  • Demonstrate community involvement and leadership.

*SAT requirement may be waived due to COVID 19 restrictions.

Applicants to the Orange County Centennial Arts Scholarship must:

  • Be a high school senior in Orange County, CA who has completed their last three years of high school in Orange County.
  • Be pursuing a degree in Art (dance, voice, opera, theatre arts, musical theatre, visual arts or music).

Applicants to the Orange County Centennial Certification Scholarship must:

  • Be a high school senior in Orange County, CA who has completed their last three years of high school in Orange County.
  • Be planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- year college, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.

Award Information

The Frank and Ruth Bila Charitable Fund will award up to three awards of $2,500 each.

The Robert C. and Lillian N. DuSoe Scholarship Fund will award between two to five awards up to $1,500 each.

The Charles H & Ethel E Wolfe Scholarship Endowment Fund will award between two to five awards ranging from $1,500 – $2,500 each. Financial need will be considered in determining the amount of each award.

The Orange County Centennial Scholarship Fund will award between two to five awards ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Assuming there are qualified applicants, at least one of each Orange County Centennial Scholarship awards will be granted (Academic, Arts, and Certification).

Awards are one-time only. Past recipients may not reapply.

Awards are for undergraduate study only.

Students can only receive one award.

Selection Criteria

The program will use Scholarship America recipient selection criteria including the consideration of academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of educational and career goals and objectives, unusual personal or family circumstances and an online recommendation*.

*Recommendations for applicants to the Charles H. & Ethel E. Wolfe Scholarship Endowment must be from their high school Principal, based on the student’s high scholastic achievements and community involvement.

Financial need will be considered for the Frank and Ruth Bila Charitable Fund, Robert C. and Lillian N. DuSoe Scholarship Fund, and Charles H & Ethel E Wolfe Scholarship Endowment. Recipients must demonstrate need.

Financial need will not be considered for the Orange County Centennial Academic Scholarship, the Orange County Centennial Arts Scholarship, and the Orange County Centennial Certification Scholarship.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of Orange County Community Foundation play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in late June. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Orange County Community Foundation. Payments are made in one installment in early August.

As part of your application, you must upload the following document:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Unofficial or online transcripts must display student name, school name, grades and credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

    NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than May 10, 2022 3:00 pm CT.

*Recommendations for applicants to the Charles H. & Ethel E. Wolfe Scholarship Endowment must be from their high school Principal, based on the student’s high scholastic achievements and community involvement.

Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically through the Scholarship America Student Hub.

The Orange County Community Foundation has partnered with Scholarship America. Select the button below to be directed to the Scholarship America Student Hub!