California Restaurant Association Scholarships

For over four decades, the California Restaurant Foundation has supported future industry leaders with college scholarships. Scholarships are up to $4,000 a year and support California students majoring in hospitality management, culinary arts, food science, and related fields. This year, the Foundation awarded $177,650 in co-branded scholarships to 83 deserving students!

Applications are open January 1 - May 1 each year. Check back here on January 1, 2026 to apply!

CRF Scholarship Opportunities

Check back January 1, 2026 when the applications open!

General Scholarship

• Up to $2,000 for 2-year degree programs
• Up to $4,000 for 4-year degree programs
• What you’ll need: work experience hours, min 2.5 GPA, essay

Guy Fieri Foundation Scholarship

• $2,000 – $5,000
• Submit a 30-second video or 2 photos with captions answering the question: what inspires you?
• What you’ll need: work experience hours, min 2.5 GPA
• Wienerschnitzel / Galardi Group, Inc. Scholarship
• Minimum $2,000
• Do you or immediate family member work for Wienerschnitzel, Hamburger Stand, or Galardi Group? Apply for a scholarship!
• Each year, the Foundation awards dozens of scholarships to deserving high school seniors and undergraduate students who dream of pursuing higher education to study the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries.

Description:

The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) is proud to present the 2026 CRF scholarship application. The application is live beginning January and the deadline for both undergraduate and high school seniors is May 1, 2026. All materials must be submitted by the deadline date.

CRF scholarships are competitive and awarded to qualified applicants based on an application, an essay, and previous experience. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Scholarships will be awarded in two payments following proof of enrollment in two semesters.

Eligibility Requirements:

To qualify for a CRF scholarship, the applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• be a California resident, although students may attend an out-of-state school
• be enrolled in or will be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours at an accredited foodservice-related postsecondary two consecutive semesters or terms starting in the fall
• have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
• be in good standing with the school for the second half of the award
• have completed at least one grading term of a postsecondary program, or be a high school senior going directly to a postsecondary school
• satisfy the minimum hours of industry-related work experience, paid or voluntary:
• 250 hours for high school students going into their freshmen year
• 400 hours for college freshmen going into their sophomore year
• 550 hours for students beyond sophomore year.

All work experience must be verified through paycheck stubs or a signed letter from employers. Do not send copies of a W-2.

Required documentation to be submitted with your signed application:

• A copy of the applicant’s program curriculum from a college catalog or website with the major or degree, the number of credit hours and all degree requirements shown.
• A high school or college transcript. Transcripts do not have to be a sealed official copy, but must be from the school.
• Proof of the required restaurant and hospitality industry work experience as listed above. Proof can be given in the form of scanned paycheck stubs or a scanned letter from an employer verifying hours worked. Do not send copies of a W-2.