Do you know that you can be eligible for a vast number of scholarships in your state? Do you reside in California? Are you a student seeking financial aid through scholarships?
By being a member of the California Scholarship Federation, you automatically become eligible for a handful of scholarships in California.
What is this federation? How can you be a member of this federation? Keep reading, then.
OVERVIEW OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP FEDERATION
The California Scholarship Federation is a non-profit organization that aims to encourage high-achieving students who reside in the city of California.
The organization supports students in middle and high schools who are academically excellent.
There are a thousand, five hundred and fifty-seven (1,557) chapters of this federation in high schools and middle schools throughout California.
Each of these chapters is headed by a staff adviser and comprises students who meet the standards required.
Every one of these 1,500 approved chapters also actively encourages the federation’s ideal of community service.
Charles F. Seymour, the then vice principal of National City High School in San Diego County, first proposed the idea of a state-wide organization created to honor academically excellent high school students in 1916.
He organized a scholarship society at his institution, structuring it after one already founded at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
At the time of the establishment of the organization, no action was taken concerning his proposal.
The next five years saw a series of active campaigns in support of his proposal. In 1921, Charles Seymour, in a convention for principals held in San Rafael, made his proposition and despite all oppositions, it was considered and approved.
A few weeks after the convention, all high school principals were notified to send representatives on the 4th of June to Los Angeles, where the establishment of such a state-wide organization will take place.
A committee of five worked on a constitution and on October 15, it was ratified and the organization was created.
After its creation, charter membership was applied for by thirty-four schools. Out of these schools, 29 of them were given full status right off the boat. All other chapter numbers have been subject to approval.
A subsequent student branch was created in December 1921 in Pasadena. This branch was created to provide students in the federation with opportunities to exchange ideas among themselves and their leaders.
As of now, regions have replaced the student branch of the federation. On October 18, 1930, votes were made in favour of the incorporation of the federation under the laws of the state.
This led to the federation becoming a legal entity, able to make valid contracts and receive bequests.
The Board of Directors in 1925 initiated a program for students who were members of the federation.
This program was established alongside several colleges and universities to create tuition scholarships for students who are life members of the federation.
Over time, several scholarship programs have been established to acknowledge and encourage outstanding students who are devoted to community service.
These scholarships, as earlier mentioned, are open only to students who are members of the California Scholarship Federation.
To become a member of this federation, students who apply must have earned 10 federation points.
These points are earned based on the grades of the students from the previous semester. Students who get an A in any course get 3 CSF points, those who get a B get 1 CSF point, and those who get a C get 0 CSF points.
Students who get a D or an F in any of their courses are disqualified from being members of the federation.
Members of this organization stand to gain a myriad of benefits from the organization.
RELATED THE DAVIDSON FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP 2024
SUMMARY OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP FEDERATION
The California Scholarship Federation was established at the proposal of Charles Seymour.
The scholarships are awarded annually to students who are members of the federation. Student membership in this federation is renewable semesterly.
Students who renew their membership for up to four semesters in the federation are considered CSF life members and stand to gain numerous other benefits from their membership.
Students are advised to join the federation upon the completion of the first semester of their sophomore year.
This scholarship is awarded to academically excellent students who are committed to serving the community.
Eligible students can apply for membership in this federation by submitting applications, determined by their report card grades.
Members of this federation are open to a variety of tuition scholarships for universities across the state.
In addition, subcommittees of various regions nominate several members based on their character, community service and leadership abilities as life members.
Fifty such members are then awarded two thousand dollars ($2,000) per student. Five such students from each region of California will be awarded three thousand dollars ($3,000) by the federation as support for their college tuition.
These awards are distinct from the variety provided by their membership in the federation. Members of the federation stand to gain scholarship opportunities such as the nursing scholarship, which awards $4,000, the general scholarship which awards $2,500, the merit-based scholarship, which awards $5,000 and a host of others.
COVERAGE
The federation provides members with scholarship opportunities in a variety of schools, aimed at supporting the payment of their tuition.
ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for the California Scholarship Federation program, students must:
- Be residents of California.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Submit an application and an essay giving reasons they derived a scholarship
For semester membership, they must:
- Have earned at least ten (10) CSF points.
- Use no more than five courses to quality.
- Be willing to participate actively in their community service exercise.
APPLICATION
Students who desire to apply for any of the scholarships provided by the federation must first be members.
They are advised to apply during the first semester of their sophomore year.
Submissions of applications are done based on the regions and the scholarships applied for. Visit http://www.csf-cjsf.org for applications.
DEADLINE
The deadline for the application for these scholarships varies. There is no one due date for all scholarships
For more information, do visit their official website http://www.csf-cjsf.org
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the GPA requirement for the California Scholarship Federation?
Students who obtain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are eligible to apply for membership in the federation.
Is the California Scholarship Federation worth it?
Students who are members of this federation are open to a variety of scholarship opportunities with awards of thousands of dollars. Adding their membership of the federation to their resume gives them a sense of dignity and accords them with respect. The federation provides its members with a lot of beneficial opportunities and it is safe to say the federation is worth it.
When can you join the California Scholarship Federation?
Students who desire to join the federation are advised to do so after they have completed their second year in their various sections in their secondary schools.
CONCLUSION
The California Scholarship Federation was created to acknowledge and promote high-achieving students in the area of their academics.
The federation provides several opportunities for its members. Students who are eligible residents of the state of California are advised to apply for membership in the federation to qualify for her myriad opportunities.
