Applying for Undergraduate Scholarships

How and When to Apply

2010-2011 Scholarship Applicants

Now is the time! 2010-2011 undergraduate scholarship applications for continuing students will be available online from October 1, 2009 through January 8, 2010. Take advantage of an opportunity to be rewarded for your hard work.

The awarding process for 2009-2010 undergraduate scholarships is now complete! We’ve awarded all Regents Scholarships and freshmen, transfer and continuing recipients have been notified. All other campus-based scholarships have also been awarded. If you were an applicant to the University for fall 2009 or are a continuing UC Davis student who completed a 2009-2010 undergraduate scholarship application and are a recipient of a scholarship, you would have been notified by email. All scholarships will be posted to students’ MyAwards site.

Unfortunately, many highly eligible students were not awarded scholarships for the upcoming year as the applicant pool was very competitive. The University continues to raise money for scholarships, which means the funding available for next year will be even greater. If you will be a student in 2010-2011, we hope you will consider applying during the scholarship application period, October – January, 2010.

Prospective Students


Freshmen applicants:

Apply for scholarships when you complete the UC Application for Admission and Scholarships between November 1 – 30. A 3.25 GPA is required, but no additional documentation should be submitted unless specifically requested. Be sure to read all instructions pertaining to scholarships when completing the application, paying particular attention to the restricted scholarship eligibility codes. Not all codes apply to UC Davis funds, so we've created a list of UC Davis specific restricted scholarship eligibility codes.


Transfer applicants:

Apply for scholarships when you complete the UC Application for Admission and Scholarships between November 1 – 30. A letter of recommendation is suggested, though not required, to be considered for UC Davis campus-based scholarships; a 3.25 college GPA is needed. Transfer applicants who wish to be considered for the Regents Scholarships must have a minimum 3.80 college GPA and are required to submit a letter of recommendation by the January 8 deadline. All transfer students who submitted a letter of recommendation by the deadline will have their application packets holistically read by the Scholarship Committee, which may result in a more favorable review. Be sure to read all instructions pertaining to scholarships when completing the application, paying particular attention to the restricted scholarship eligibility codes. Not all codes apply to UC Davis funds, so we've created a list of UC Davis specific restricted scholarship eligibility codes.

Current/Continuing

Continuing undergraduates, including those who started UC Davis in Fall 2009, should reapply for UC Davis Scholarships each year. The Continuing Undergraduate Scholarship Application for 2010-2011 is available online on October 1, 2009, with a deadline of January 8, 2010. A letter of recommendation and a 3.25 cumulative UC GPA after fall quarter are required for all continuing scholarship applicants. Students must maintain a 3.25 cumulative UC GPA in order to be awarded a scholarship.

Scholarship Application Tips

Continuing undergraduates applying for UC Davis scholarships may find our Application Tips useful when completing the continuing undergraduate scholarship application. The tips are transferable for all scholarship applications, however, and so all students applying for any form of scholarship aid may find the information helpful.

Reporting Scholarships to the Financial Aid Office

Whether awarded by UC Davis or an off-campus organization, scholarships are credited against any remaining need or the student's self-help and loan expectations, thus reducing the amount the student may need to borrow or work to contribute to the cost of his or her education. Students who are awarded a scholarship after reviewing their awards on the electronic Financial Aid notice (MyAwards), will be instructed to view the revised MyAwards to see the changes. Because the amount of financial aid a student receives cannot exceed the need determined by the federal formula, students must report to the Financial Aid Office all additional outside scholarship awards. Students may be billed for any aid received in excess of their financial need.

Non-UC Davis Scholarship Search Tools

The Internet is an excellent resource to look for outside scholarship aid; but, it’s important to be aware of scholarship scams. A good rule of thumb is: “If you have to pay money to get money, it’s probably a scam” (finaid.org). Be sure to read up on scholarship scams at:

You may find the following links useful in your search for scholarships to help finance your education. The UC Davis Scholarship Office does not guarantee the services provided by these organizations.