Summer Scholars Support Program – Apply beginning 2/18
Unlock your Summer Potential!
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 an eligible UCLA Summer Sessions offering! In addition to easing the financial burden, the scholarship provides access to UCLA’s world-class faculty, rigorous college-level coursework, and a supportive learning environment designed to prepare students for postsecondary success. A limited number of full or partial scholarships will be awarded to selected recipients. Priority consideration is given to students who have not had any comparable academic, professional, or extracurricular experience.
RSVP to the Summer Scholars Informational Webinar #2 on Monday, February 9th at 5pm (PT). In this webinar, we will provide a deep overview of the eligibility requirements, application process, as well as provide application tips for our Summer Scholars Support Program. There will be time for a live Q&A at the end of the webinar. We hope to see you there!
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 2026 in a California high school (international or out-of-state students are not eligible; current 12th grade students are not eligible);
- [NEW FOR 2026]: You have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (unweighted) from grade 9 to present. An unofficial transcript will be required for submission.
- 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 an eligible 2026 UCLA Summer Sessions offering: either a Summer Course, a Summer Precollege Focus Series, or the UCLA Summer College Immersion Program.
- 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 APRIL 1 to ensure you will have an admission decision. Students still waiting for admission decisions for programs on/after April 1 are ineligible to receive a scholarship. Students interested enrolling in a Summer Course do not require an admission decision and may enroll beginning 2/15.
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 Precollege Focus Series
- Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP/eSCIP/SCIP+; including only one Approved SCIP course up to 5 units)
The Summer Scholars Support scholarship will cover program and course fees only. For all programs or courses, the scholarship will NOT cover course materials, textbooks, housing, and travel costs.
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. Please refer to the example below:
“Josie_Bruin_Transcript”, “Josie_Bruin_Resume”, etc.
All requirements below should be acquired and prepared prior to starting the Summer Scholars Online Application.
- Unofficial transcript – PDF (.pdf) document
- Please be sure to provide an unofficial transcript with your most recent term that meets the 3.0 cumulative GPA (unweighted) requirement.
- 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 2024 or 2025 1040 tax forms will be accepted
For any additional questions, please contact us at (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).
- 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 containing the student’s name.
- Family Annual Gross Income below $60,000.
- Documentation Required: Page 1 of parent/guardian(s) 1040 EZ.
- If you applied for a Summer Precollege Focus Series or SCIP, please do not submit a Deferred Deposit Request until you have gained acceptance into the program. Once you have been accepted, please submit and complete the Participant Agreement in the registration portal. A payment is not needed; however, you must submit the Participant Agreement first before requesting Deferred Deposit.
- If you have registered for a Summer Course, please submit your Deferred Deposit Request once you have submitted your registration.
Beginning Summer 2026, UCLA Summer Sessions will operate a new registration platform that will be located on our webpage under the “Registration” button.
- To apply for a UCLA Summer Sessions offering, students will need to access the Registration Form beginning 2/18.
- Please note all Eligibility and Application Requirements for Summer Scholars are readily available above and will not change for Summer 2026. More details on How to Apply for Summer Scholars will be available in mid-January.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR SUMMER 2026
Webinar #1:January 16th from 4 – 5:30PM PST.- Webinar #2: February 9th from 5 – 6:30PM PST. Sign up here!
- Summer Scholars Application Opens February 18th
- Webinar #3: February 25th from 4 – 5:30PM PST. Sign up here!
- Summer Scholars Application Closes April 1st
- Summer Scholars Award Decisions Announced: April 20th
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
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 comprehensive scholarship program that is only open to current California 10th and 11th grade students. It is completely online, with all BASE students enrolling in one online summer course and attending online co-curricular programming. Additionally, BASE will pair recipients with a UCLA undergraduate student mentor, which is not an opportunity offered in any other UCLA Summer Sessions program.
Summer Scholars Support is not its own program, but instead a standalone scholarship fund that can be used to apply to any of the following UCLA Summer Sessions offerings: Summer Courses, Summer Online, Summer Intensives, Summer Precollege Focus Series, or SCIP. Modality (in-person or online) as well as access to co-curriculars will depend on the UCLA Summer Sessions program the recipients choose to participate in. 9th graders are also eligible to apply for Summer Scholars Support, but not BASE.
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 – March & 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).
All participants must be at least 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions 2026 on June 22nd, no exceptions allowed. 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 2026 in a California high school (international or out-of-state students are not eligible; current 12th grade students are not eligible);
- [NEW FOR 2026]: You have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (unweighted) from grade 9 to present. An unofficial transcript will be required for submission.
- 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 an eligible 2026 UCLA Summer Sessions offering: either a Summer Course, a Summer Precollege Focus Series, or the UCLA Summer College Immersion Program.
Unfortunately, Summer Scholars is a a need- and merit-based scholarship opportunity for California high school students enrolled in grades 9th – 11th only.
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 April 1 deadline with the specified files. Students may be ineligible for the scholarship if they upload incorrect or incomplete documents.
We appreciate your commitment to the application process. It’s important to note that we cannot make any edits once the application deadline has passed. Our deadline is carefully set to ensure a fair and organized review process for all applicants.
- We highly recommend thoroughly reviewing your information before hitting the “Submit Application” button to avoid errors or inaccuracies. However, we understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances can arise, leading to critical mistakes or the need for additional information. If this happens, we recommend that you connect with our office via email (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).
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 Precollege Focus Series
- Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP/eSCIP/SCIP+; including only one Approved SCIP course up to 5 units)
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, if you wish to remain enrolled. If you decide not to continue with your program/course enrollment after not being selected for a scholarship, please follow the instructions via email on 4/20 on how to request your refund for the registration fee.
- Once your Deferred Deposit request has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email informing you of your application status alongside your program/course status if you have not made payment of the $350 registration fee.
Summer Scholars applications must be submitted by 5pm PST on April 1, 2026. Upon submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging your submission. Should you not receive a confirmation email, please contact (confidential@summer.ucla.edu).
Applicants will be notified of award announcements by 5pm PDT on Monday, April 20, 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 April 1.
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).