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. The ACEC California Scholarship Foundation will award up to $100,000 in scholarships for the 26-27 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 applying for an ACEC California Scholarship, students will also gain access to additional scholarship opportunities through the ACEC Research Institute Scholarship Portal.

Student Eligibility

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

Be entering their junior, senior, fifth or master’s degree year in the Fall of 2026. Students graduating in December 2025 or Spring 2026 are not eligible.

Be enrolled as follows:

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) during the 26-27 academic year.

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 during the 26-27 academic year.

Meet the following minimum grade point average requirements:

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

Be interested in the possibility of pursuing a career in consulting engineering or land surveying.

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. Review the eligibility requirements listed above to determine if you qualify for an ACEC California Scholarship
2. Prepare two 250-word limit essays on the following topics:
   1. What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering? Share a personal experience, moment, or influence that sparked your interest in the field.
   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 2025 grades).
4. Gather your FASFA Student Aid Report (only required if applying for needs-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.

6. Before 9pm PST, Friday, March 13, 2026: Check to see if your recommendation form has been completed. (Your application is NOT COMPLETE until the recommendation form has been submitted.)

The recommendation form will be sent to your recommender through the ACEC Research Institute. Please tell your recommender to check their junk mail or safelist the email address: ACEC Research Institute, noreply@mail.awardspring.com.