About the scholarships
CPF, the California Planning Foundation, supports outstanding planning students across California who are entering their final year of an eligible undergraduate or graduate degree program. Criteria for the scholarships include academic performance, financial need, increasing diversity in the planning profession, and a commitment to serve the planning profession in California after graduation.
About the 2020-2021 CPF Scholarships
For planning students enrolled at eligible professional planning degree programs in the state of California. Scholarships are awarded to students seeking to enter the planning profession based on an application and selection process.
Designed for continuing students entering their final year of an eligible undergraduate or graduate degree program. Criteria include academic performance, financial need, increasing diversity in the planning profession, and a commitment to serve the planning profession in California after graduation.
Applicants need only apply once to be reviewed for all scholarships for which they are eligible. Scholarship awards will be announced during the summer. Scholarship winners will be honored at the Annual CPF Scholarship Luncheon on Saturday, September 12, 2020, in Riverside, California, in conjunction with the APA California Annual Conference. The Chapter’s 2020 Conference will be held September 12-15, 2020 at the Riverside Convention Center.
How to apply
The 2020 CPF Scholarship Application is online! You can apply here.
The application form uses Google Drive to store attachments that applicants upload (e.g., recommendation letters, essay responses, etc.). Applicants will be required to log in using their Google ID. (If you do not have one, please create a free account or contact the scholarship committee.) If you share a file from your Google Drive account, no member of the California Planning Foundation will have access to that file on your system. The system creates a copy of the file and stores it in the CPF Drive. Your Google Drive is never accessible to CPF.
You can also simply upload a file from your computer without it being in Google Drive, but you still need to log into your Google Account. You will be able to edit your application responses, but all applicants are encouraged to preview the application form first so that you know what questions are asked and can gather all of the necessary application materials.
In addition to the application form, applicants will need to submit the following:
- Résumé
- Budget, using this Excel template
- Unofficial transcripts
- Two recommendation letters (one from a faculty member; one from a professional reference), and responses to two essay questions. Please note that members of the CPF Board are not able to provide recommendation letters.
If you are unable to complete the application form online for accessibility reasons, please contact Hilary Nixon, Ph.D., at hilary.nixon@sjsu.edu.
Complete information on the available scholarships, eligible degree programs, and past scholarship recipients can be found here.