ACEC California Scholarship

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) California Scholarship Foundation awards yearly scholarships from $1,000 to $10,000 to college students studying engineering and land surveying in California. We will be awarding over $80,000 in scholarships for the 25-26 academic year.

Some applicants from Riverside/San Bernardino, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego regions may be eligible for up to $50,000 in additional awards from local ACEC California Chapters based on their school location, residency, and hometown.

By completing the ACEC California scholarship application you will also have access to over $1,000,000 of engineering and land surveying scholarship available nationwide on the ACEC Research Insitute Scholarship Portal.

Student Eligibility

To qualify as an applicant for the ACEC California Scholarship Program, a student must:

1. Be entering their junior, senior, fifth or master’s degree year in the Fall of 2025. Students graduating in December 2024 are not eligible.
2. Be enrolled as follows:
   1. Upper-division undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time and working toward a degree in an engineering or land-surveying curriculum approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
   2. Master’s degree students must be enrolled at least half-time, and either be in an ABET-accredited Master of Science (MS) engineering program or have a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
3. Meet the following minimum grade point average requirements:
   1. For ACEC California’s State Competition: Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 in completed engineering and land surveying courses and a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
4. Be interested in the possibility of pursuing a career in consulting engineering or land surveying.
5. Citizenship: You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for an ACEC California scholarship. However, U.S. citizenship is required for some chapter scholarships and ACEC National scholarships

Scholarship Application Checklist

Before starting your online application:

1. Check to see if you are eligible for an ACEC California Scholarship.
2. Prepare two 250-word limit essays on the following topics:
   1. How would receiving a scholarship help you achieve your education and career goals? What financial impediments do you face that the scholarship would ease?
   2. In what specific industry or type of firm are you interested in putting your Engineering Degree to use?
3. Gather your unofficial transcripts (with Fall 2024 grades).
4. Gather your FASFA Student Aid Report (only required if applying for need-based scholarships).

Online Application:

1. Create an ACEC Research Institute account.
2. Complete the General Application.
3. *Send the recommendation form to a consulting engineer, consulting land surveyor, engineering professor, mentor, or supervisor. (Additional points are awarded if your recommendation is from a consulting engineer or land surveyor.)
4. Apply for the ACEC California Scholarship.
5. Apply for any additional scholarships you may be eligible for.