To apply for the California Association of Winegrape Growers Foundation scholarship, you must download and complete the application below:
CAWG Foundation Scholarships
The California Association of Winegrape Growers Foundation is offering a minimum of six scholarships in 2026 to graduating high school seniors. Students may study the subject of their choice.
CAWG Foundation is awarding two types of scholarships:
Scholarships in the amount of $8,000 to students applying to a four-year campus in the University of California or California State University system.
Scholarships in the amount of $2,000 for students applying to any two year, California community college.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026.
Who may apply
Applicants must be a high school senior graduating in 2026. Students currently enrolled in college are not eligible. Only children with a parent or legal guardian employed by a California vineyard during the 2025-2026 winegrape growing season are eligible to apply. Children whose parent or guardian is a California winegrape grower may request a waiver from this eligibility requirement based upon financial need. To qualify for waiver consideration, a letter demonstrating financial need must be submitted with the completed application packet. Children of current directors or employees of the CAWG Foundation are not eligible to apply.
The Selection Process
The CAWG Foundation board will award the scholarships. Selection is based upon the following five criteria:
- Financial need.
- Demonstrated scholastic ability.
- Community involvement and leadership and/or work employment. This is a broad category that assumes one or a combination of the following:
- Community service.
- Employment where the student is contributing to the California economy which may not allow time for community service.
- Sports participation with the understanding that these activities build character and leadership skills, teach strategic and analytical thinking, and promote goal setting and teamwork.
- Your determination to succeed.
- 500-word essay.
To qualify for the scholarships, students must:
- Be graduating from high school and plan to attend a University of California, California State University, or California Community College in the fall of 2026.
- Have a parent or legal guardian who is/was an employee of a California winegrape grower during the 2025 or 2026 growing season.
- Complete the application form.
- Attach an official high school transcript.
- Provide a letter of recommendation from an instructor, the school principal or administrator, or school counselor. The letter must be signed and provide the address, telephone number, and position held in the school.
- Provide a current photo of yourself such as your senior portrait.
Submit a 500-word essay that tells the CAWG Foundation Board or committee about yourself, your financial need, your career goals, and how you plan to help your community. Addressing some or all the following questions and statements below may assist you in writing your essay, but addressing these specific questions and statements is not required to complete the essay.
- Tell us about your family relationships and financial need.
- Is attending college common in your family?
- Why do you want to continue your education?
- Tell us about your extracurricular activities, community service, and any work experience you may have.
- How will this scholarship make a difference in your continued education?
- What is (are) your proudest accomplishment(s)?
- What are your career goals and estimated timeline to achieve these goals?
- How do you plan to give back to your community?
Please note that the CAWG Foundation reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship at any time if the conditions of the scholarship or the CAWG Foundation policies are violated. Students may forfeit their scholarship eligibility and/or award for any of the following reasons:
- Enrollment in less than 12 units per semester.
- Grades that drop below 2.0 in any given semester.
- Providing false or misleading educational or eligibility information.
- Any form of plagiarism.
This application is for a student planning to attend a four-year university or two-year college, and we must be able to verify a parent or legal guarding is/was employed by a California vineyard during the current or previous winegrape growing season.
ROBERT MILLER SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
For Viticulture and Enology
Robert Miller Memorial Scholarship for Viticulture and Enology - Investing in the future of young people from the Central Coast who want to make their career in the Central Coast grape and wine industry.
Robert "Bob" Miller was an effective leader in the California wine community and a significant contributor to establishing the Central Coast as a premier winegrowing region of California. His family has created this scholarship to honor his memory, his passion for innovation, and his commitment to producing high-quality grapes and wine. Bob's enthusiasm for building a world-class wine region will be perpetuated by investing in the future of young people from the Central Coast who want to study and start a career in the Central Coast grape and wine industry focused in the grape and wine industry. Each year either a $500 (for Alan Hancock Community College) or a $1,000 (for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo) scholarship will be awarded.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026.
The Selection Process
The CAWG Foundation board will award the scholarship. Selection is based upon the following five criteria:
- Financial need.
- Demonstrated scholastic ability.
- Community involvement and leadership and/or work employment. This is a broad category that assumes one or a combination of the following:
- Community service.
- Employment where the student is contributing to the California economy which may not allow time for community service.
- Sports participation with the understanding that these activities build character and leadership skills, teach strategic and analytical thinking, and promote goal setting and teamwork.
- Your determination to succeed.
- 500-word essay.
To qualify for the scholarships, students must:
- Be a Central Coast high school senior graduating in 2026 or a student enrolled at Alan Hancock Community College or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
- Plan to major, or are majoring in, viticulture or enology at either Alan Hancock Community College or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
- Complete the application form.
- Attach an official high school transcript and/or most current class enrollment and transcription forms.
- Provide a letter of recommendation from a high school instructor, the school principal, or high school counselor, or college instructor, or college administrator. The letter must be signed and provide the address, telephone number, and position held in the school.
- Provide a current photo such as your senior portrait.
Submit a 500-word essay that tells the committee about yourself, your financial need, your career goals, and how you plan to help your community. Addressing some or all of the following questions and statements below may assist you in writing your essay, but addressing these specific questions and statements is not required to complete the essay.
- Tell us about your family relationships and financial need.
- Is attending college common in your family?
- Why do you want to continue your education?
- Tell us about your extracurricular activities, community service, and any work experience you may have.
- How will this scholarship make a difference in your continued education?
- What is (are) your proudest accomplishment(s)?
- What are your career goals and estimated timeline to achieve these goals?
- How do you plan to give back to your community?
Please note that the CAWG Foundation reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship at any time if the conditions of the scholarship or the CAWG Foundation policies are violated. Students may forfeit their scholarship eligibility and/or award for any of the following reasons:
- Enrollment in less than 12 units per semester.
- Grades that drop below 2.0 in any given semester.
- Providing false or misleading educational or eligibility information.
- Any form of plagiarism.
Children of current directors or employees of the California Association of Winegrape Growers Foundation are not eligible to apply.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026.
How to Apply:
Scholarship Value: $8,000
Awards Available: 7
Award Deadline: Feb 27, 2026