Hundreds of scholarships available for Cuesta College’s 2016-2017 academic year are open for application, including the Cuesta Promise. The deadline to apply for Cuesta College’s general scholarships is March 2, 2016; the priority deadline to apply for the Promise Scholarship is also March 2, 2016. Students can apply for the Promise Scholarship up until August 1, 2016; however, they will no longer be eligible for the 2016-2017 general scholarships after March 2. To apply for both the general scholarships and Promise Scholarship, click here. 

“We encourage all students to apply for scholarships; many who think they won’t qualify for a scholarship end up getting multiple awards,” said Interim Financial Aid Director Patrick Scott. “Scholarship monies can be used for tuition, textbooks, and other expenses that can be challenging for students to finance over the course of the year.”

Cuesta College’s general scholarships are open to all incoming and continuing Cuesta College students.  The scholarships reward and assist students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership skills, and success in making progress toward a degree or certificate at Cuesta College. Last year, 434 general scholarships were awarded, each one with different donor criteria and different award amounts. In 2015, $306,000 in scholarship funds was distributed to 260 students. For more information on the college’s general scholarships, click here.

The Promise Scholarship Program is open to all recently graduated San Luis Obispo County high school students, including those who received their GED or are home-schooled. The program removes financial barriers by paying all student fees an entire year (consecutive fall and spring semesters). Whether a student is part or full-time, the Promise will pay for the following costs: enrollment fees, health fee, Associated Students of Cuesta College ID card, student fee, Student Center fee and course materials fees that are included in the course description on Class Finder. In total, 1,341 students have received the Promise since it launched in the fall of 2014, with $676,000 in student fees paid. On average, Promise recipients save $1,400 in fees over the course of an academic year. For more information on the Promise, click here.

Scholarships are provided by generous donors to the Cuesta College Foundation. For more information on the Foundation, click here.