Financial Aid & Scholarship Office

External Scholarships

About External Scholarships

There are excellent privately funded scholarships available to students and their families. These awards do not need to be repaid and are funded from a variety of sources including community organizations, local and national foundations, state and federal agencies, and private donors.

Information about scholarships is free and may be found in the reference sections of Meriam Library and public libraries, as well as high school counseling and guidance offices. A good source of scholarship information for upper division students may be their major department office and the Web sites of professional associations in their academic disciplines.

You are required to report any outside scholarships to the school's financial aid office. Federal rules concerning "overaward situations" require the school to reduce the financial aid package when the sum of financial aid from all sources exceeds the school's cost of education. If you fail to report an outside scholarship, you may be required to repay the school or the government all or part of your need-based financial aid package.

How to Avoid Scams

To avoid being a victim of a scholarship scam, students and their families should keep in mind the following tips:

  • Typically scholarship applications do not require your social security number. 
  • If you must pay money to get some money, it might be a scam.
  • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Never invest more than a postage stamp to get information about a scholarship.
  • Legitimate scholarship foundations do not charge application fees.
  • If you are suspicious of an offer, it is usually with good reason.
  • Nobody can guarantee that you'll win a scholarship.

Scholarship Database Tips

Hints for using scholarship databases:

  1. Remember to narrow your search terms
  2. Be as specific as you can about your personal "identifiers"
  3. "Un-check" box which gives your approval for the site sharing information with affiliate partners

Academic Works External Scholarships

csuchico.academicworks.com

The External Opportunities posted on the Academic Works site are provided for informational purposes only. Inclusion in the listing does not constitute an endorsement by Chico State.

Chico State cannot guarantee the accuracy or the timelines of information found at any of the links in the listing. It is critical that you verify the scholarship information, particularly where deadlines are concerned.

  • Academic Works Link (not compatible with Internet Explorer)
  • Under opportunity select “External” Scholarship
  • May search by keywords: specific majors and career choice 

Search Engines

Recipient of External Scholarship

  1. EXPECTING AN EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIP?
    The organization that awards you the scholarship will generally mail the check to Chico State. If they mail it to you directly, please bring it to Student Financial Services (SSC 242) for processing. You are required to report any outside scholarship to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.

  2. YOUR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:
    After the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office has received the student's external scholarship check(s), it is entered into the student's financial aid award.

  3. NOTIFICATION:
    An email notification is sent out informing the student of their updated financial aid award. The turn-around time for complete processing of external scholarships is one to two weeks.

  4. PENDING AID AND TUITION CHARGES:
    This scholarship will be considered as pending aid. Pending aid defers charges until the first disbursement of the semester, after which disbursements occur weekly. Deadline for receipt of checks to count as “pending aid” for the fall semester is July 21.

  5. DISBURSEMENT:
    After all charges are paid, any money remaining will be disbursed to you.

Fall Disbursement

First disbursement of fall term is the Thursday prior to the start of classes in August.

Spring Disbursement

First disbursement of spring term is the Thursday prior to the start of classes in January.

Where to Mail Scholarship Checks

Mail scholarship checks to:

California State University, Chico
Student Financial Services - 0242
940 W 1st Street
Chico, CA 95929-0242

Donors-Scholarship Check Information requirements

If any important information is missing, checks will not be processed and will be returned.

  • Make the check payable to Chico State
  • Enter the student’s name and student ID in the memo section of the check.
  • Provide any specific awarding eligibility in a letter to accompany the check (i.e. full time or part time enrollment and min. GPA requirement). If none is provided, we will assume you have confirmed eligibility and will disburse funds if the recipient is enrolled.
  • Let us know if the check is for one semester, should be divided equally between semesters, or if a second payment will be sent for the next semester. If none is provided, we will award funds based on student's unmet need to fit student's academic year budget.
  • Provide contact information if we should need to contact you.