California Restaurant Association Scholarships

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 2025 CRF scholarship application. The application is live beginning January and the deadline for both undergraduate and high school seniors is May 1, 2025. 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 their 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.