Summer Scholars Support Program – Opening soon for 2025 Application Cycle
Elevate Your Summer!
The 2025 Summer Scholars Application opens on February 1, 2025.
Summer Scholars Support is a need- and merit-based scholarship opportunity for California high school students enrolled in grades 9th – 11th to cover the costs of your UCLA Summer Sessions program or course! About 30 to 40 full scholarships will be awarded (some recipients may be offered partial scholarships). Priority consideration is given to students who have not had any comparable academic, professional, or extracurricular experience.
Summer Scholars Support Information
To apply for Summer Scholars Support, you must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:
- You are 15 years of age or older and attending grades 9 – 11 as of Spring 2025 in a California high school (international or out-of-state students are not eligible; current 12th grade students are not eligible);
- You have not received UCLA Summer Scholars Support in the past;
- You have a family annual adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less; and
- You have applied to or enrolled in a 2025 UCLA Summer Sessions program: either a Summer Course, a Precollege Summer Institute, or the UCLA Summer College Immersion Program.
- Payment of the registration fee is required (with the exception of those applying for Deferred Deposit – for more information, read the “Deferred Deposit” section). The registration fee will be refundable for those who can no longer participate if they are not selected as a recipient of the scholarship.
- Most programs will take 2-3 weeks to provide you with an acceptance decision. Please be sure to leave enough time to apply to your program and learn of your admission BY the March 15 scholarship application deadline. Students still awaiting for admission decisions after March 15 are at risk of having their scholarship application be ineligible.
If you DO NOT meet the above eligibility criteria:
While we do not offer scholarships for international or out-of-state students attending UCLA summer courses or programs, we highly encourage you to utilize the following scholarship search engines to explore financial aid opportunities which may be available to you. These scholarship search engines offer a wide variety of aid that are available for many different types of students. Please note that many of these scholarships will not fully cover the cost of your courses or programs; however, getting an early start on your scholarship applications can allow you to apply and possibly receive multiple scholarships. Utilizing these scholarship search engines is not only an excellent way for you to research ways in which you can fund your summer studies here at UCLA, but also is a great way to familiarize yourself with what funding opportunities may be available for your undergraduate studies.
Summer Scholars Support award amounts will vary and can cover up to one of the following:
- One summer course (up to 5 units)
- One Summer Institute
- Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP/eSCIP/SCIP+; including only one approved course)
The Summer Scholars Support scholarship will cover program fees only. For all programs, the scholarship will NOT cover course materials, textbooks, and travel costs. Please be sure to check whether your program includes housing before applying for this scholarship.
- For programs that are considered on-campus residential programs (Summer College Immersion Program and mandatory housing Summer Institutes – please see institute page to determine if housing is an integrated part of the institute), the course fee, meals, and housing are included in the program fees, and therefore the scholarship will cover these program fees in their entirety.
- For programs which do not include housing as part of the program (Summer Courses and commuter or virtual Summer Institutes – please see institute page to determine if housing is an integrated part of the institute), program fees will only cover the course fee; therefore, the scholarship will NOT cover meals and housing.
Please be sure to name the document files with your name and document type. To ensure your submission is considered, please adhere to the specified file format. Documents submitted outside this format may not be eligible for review.
All requirements below should be acquired and prepared prior to starting the Summer Scholars Online Application.
- Unofficial transcript – PDF (.pdf) document
- Student resume – Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) document
- Personal Statement (see below)
- Applicants will select 3 out of the 6 questions below and answer each question in 250 – 300 words. Personal statements should be saved in one single Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) document. Please include the question you have selected above each answer.
- Describe a pivotal experience in your education and how it has shaped the person you are today and/or your goals for the future.
- Describe a significant challenge you have faced. How has it affected you and what steps have you taken to overcome it?
- What class or extracurricular activity has had the biggest impact on you, and why?
- Why are you interested in the program and/or course you have registered for, and what do you hope to get out of it?
- Describe a community you are a part of. Why it is important to you, and what role have you had in that community?
- What issue are you passionate about, and why? How have you acted on that passion
- Applicants will select 3 out of the 6 questions below and answer each question in 250 – 300 words. Personal statements should be saved in one single Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) document. Please include the question you have selected above each answer.
- 1040 Tax Form (first 2 pages only) – black out all social security numbers
- Only 2023 or 2024 1040 tax forms will be accepted
For questions, please contact us at (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).
Applying for the Summer Scholars Support scholarship can be done conveniently online with the following steps:
- Apply to or register for a Summer Course, Precollege Summer Institute, or the UCLA Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP).
- Payment of the registration fee is required (with the exception of those applying for Deferred Deposit – for information on Deferred Deposit, see “Deferred Deposit” below). The registration fee will be refundable for those who can no longer participate if they are not selected as a recipient of the scholarship.
- Most programs will take 2-3 weeks to provide you with an acceptance decision. Please be sure to leave enough time to apply to your program and learn of your admission BY the March 15 scholarship application deadline. Students still awaiting for admission decisions after March 15 are at risk of having their scholarship application be ineligible.
- Gather and prepare all “Application Requirements” prior to starting the scholarship online application.
- Access the Summer Scholars Support Online Application starting 2/1. Read all terms and conditions, then scroll to the bottom and select “Continue to Application”.
- Provide responses to all required questions on the first page of the online application. You will then upload all required application materials on the second page of the online application and select “Submit”. The application will close 5pm PDT on March 15.
- Applicants will be notified of award announcements by 5pm PDT on Monday, April 21, via email.
Registration for UCLA Summer Sessions requires a $350 registration fee. However, the registration fee may be deferred for students who meet all eligibility requirements for Summer Scholars Support, complete the Summer Scholars Support application prior to the deadline, AND meet one of the following qualifications:
- Current recipient of the State of California (CalFresh) or U.S. Public Assistance (including food stamps, cash, and/or medical assistance).
- Documentation Required: Copy of EBT Card and photo ID.
- Participant in the free and reduced lunch program.
- Documentation Required: Photo of lunch tickets or official letter from your high school.
- Family Annual Gross Income below $60,000.
- Documentation Required: Page 1 of parent/guardian(s) 1040 EZ.
Those applying for Deferred Deposit can indicate their intention to apply during the Summer Scholars Online Form and will receive a confirmation email with next steps to apply for Deferred Deposit upon successful submission of the Summer Scholars Support application.
Receiving Deferred Deposit does NOT waive the registration fee and does NOT indicate the student will receive a Summer Scholarship. In the event you apply for a scholarship and are not granted one, you will still be responsible to pay the registration fee, in addition to the other program/tuition fees, in order to remain enrolled.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR SUMMER 2025
January 17: Summer Scholars Webinar #1 at 5pm PST. Register here!
February 1: Scholarship Application Opens
February 10: Summer Scholars Webinar #2 at 4pm PST. Register here!
February 27: Summer Scholars Webinar #3 at 5pm PST. Register here!
March 15: Scholarship Application Closes at 5pm PST
April 21: Award decisions announced
Frequently Asked Questions
Summer Scholars Support is a need- and merit-based scholarship opportunity for California high school students enrolled in grades 9th – 11th to cover the costs of your UCLA Summer Sessions program or course!
- The Summer Scholars award may help students:
- Take their Academics to the next level and choose from our multitude of summer offerings that can help explore new areas of study or build on your high school coursework
- Experience UCLA Campus Life and enjoy all that UCLA has to offer
- Earn college credit in our official academic precollege programs or select from our Approved Summer Courses for High School Students.
BASE is a six-week online scholarship program for current 10th-11th grade California high school students from economically under-resourced communities. Summer Scholars Support is a need- and merit-based scholarship opportunity for California high school students enrolled in grades 9th – 11th to cover the costs of a UCLA Summer Sessions program or course.
We highly recommend interested applicants to attend & register for one of our webinars that provide more in-depth context about the Summer Scholars Support Award. These webinars will take place between January – February & registration links may be located on this webpage.
We understand that some families may not file a federal tax return (Form 1040) due to their financial or extenuating circumstances. If this applies to your situation, we kindly request alternative documentation to verify household income. To best assist you with eligibility concerns, please email (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).
To ensure your submission is considered, please adhere to the specified file format requested (Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) document). Documents submitted outside this format may not be eligible for review.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete the Summer Scholars application in its entirety by the March 15 deadline with the specified files. Students may be ineligible for the scholarship if they upload incorrect or incomplete documents.
Summer Scholars Support award amounts will vary and can cover up to one of the following:
- One summer course (up to 5 units)
- One Summer Institute
- Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP/eSCIP/SCIP+; including only one approved course)
Students seeking to apply to more than one program must list their preferred program/course they are seeking to receive a scholarship for. If awarded, the scholarship will cover the preferred program/course as listed in the application. Applicants must notify our office by 5pm PDT on March 15 if their preferred program/course has changed and/or if their program/course is full or waitlisted . Failure to notify of such changes may result in delays in processing your application or may result in a denial.
Students must be fully enrolled in their selected program to be eligible to apply for the Summer Scholars award. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept applications from students who are on the waitlist at the time of their application submission. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need additional information regarding your waitlist status.
Registration for UCLA Summer Sessions requires a $350 registration fee. Those applying for Deferred Deposit can indicate their intention to apply during the Summer Scholars Online Form and will receive a confirmation email with next steps to apply for Deferred Deposit upon successful submission of the Summer Scholars Support application.
- NOTE: Receiving Deferred Deposit does NOT waive the registration fee and does NOT indicate the student will receive a Summer Scholarship. In the event you apply for a scholarship and are not granted one, you will still be responsible to pay the registration fee, in addition to the other program/tuition fees, in order to remain enrolled.
- Once your Deferred Deposit request has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email informing you of your application status alongside your program status if you have not made payment of the $350 registration fee.
Applicants will be notified of award announcements by 5pm PDT on Monday, April 21, via email. Applicants may be awarded, waitlisted, or denied; please refer to our email for more information when released.
Unfortunately, the deadline for the Summer Scholars Support scholarship is strict and we will not accept any additional applications for the scholarship after March 15.
Applicants who have applied for Summer Scholars in the past and were awarded are not eligible to apply. We recommend utilizing scholarship search engines that may offer a wide variety of aid that are available for many different types of students.
If you have specific questions not answered on this page regarding Summer Scholars, please email (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).