Outside Scholarship

The OCC Scholarship Office provides information about outside scholarship opportunities. These sites are not affiliated with the college. The sites are meant as a tool in aiding students who are researching opportunities. The information provided is periodically updated by the OCC Scholarship Office.

The following documents may be helpful when writing your scholarship essay.

FastWeb Tips on Writing a Scholarship Essay (PDF)
Writing a Personal Statement (PDF) by Chuck Whitchurch, Honors Transfer Council of California

Scholarship Tips

Be organized. Gather all applicable information or documents and watch for deadline dates. Don't wait until the last minutes.
Follow instructions. Most scholarships require an essay, letter of recommendation, or transcript. Make sure you proofread everything before you submit your applications.
Be honest and be yourself. Don't give false or exaggerate your qualifications such as your campus club participation, extracurricular, community services, GPA, or organization memberships.

These scholarships are from outside organizations that have asked Orange Coast College to make this information available to the students. These organizations are not affiliated with or endorsed by Orange Coast College. Please contact the organization directly with questions about their scholarships.

If you are an organization interested in having your scholarship featured, then email the Scholarship Office at scholarshipoffice@occ.cccd.edu and include the scholarship name, criteria, amount, deadline, and link to complete the application on your website.

The Doyle Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

The Doyle Foundation, Inc. Scholarship Application for the 2025-2026 school year is now available at doylefound.org. The application will be available from November 1, 2024 thru February 1, 2025 ONLY.

Applicants should be encouraged to complete their FAFSA application as soon as it becomes available, since the 2025-26 FAFSA Submission Summary is a part of the scholarship application.

The HEEF Scholarship

We are excited to share that the 2025 HEEF Scholarship Application is currently open!

Applications can be submitted at bit.ly/3Duikvg through January 17, 2025.

The HEEF Scholarship program is a collaborative of more than 30 funding partners passionate about helping first-generation college students. The scholarship program offers individual scholarship awards of $2,500 - $5,000 across multiple areas of interest for high school graduates and community college transfer students enrolling at a four-year college or university for Fall 2025.

Applicants to the program submit ONE application to be considered for all matched HEEF scholarship opportunities!

Apply at bit.ly/3Duikvg by January 17, 2025

To apply, students must:

1) Complete a General Application at bit.ly/3Duikvg

2) Click "Apply To" HEEF in the Opportunities Tab to complete the sub-fund supplemental questions

The Minerva Scholarship Program

The Minerva Scholarship program was established by Women in California Leadership to support the advancement of women in the State of California. Launched in 2015, the foundation was established with the purpose of empowering women and enhancing the lives of women and girls. To this end, the foundation is committed to providing scholarships to select women of promise in order to help them achieve their educational objectives.

The Application Period is from April 15 to May 31. You can find more information at: WICL - Women In California Leadership | Scholarship Program

O.A.S.I.S. Scholarship

We need you to pursue your education in areas to help people with aging health needs:
• Gerontology
• Mental health
• Social Services
• Mental Health
• Kinesiology
• Recreational and Cognitive Training
• Caregiving
• Senior Facilities Administration
• Other focuses on helping older generations with their aging problems

We will help you!!
Friends of OASIS offers scholarships up to $2,500 each school term for you to obtain a certificate, degree, masters, or certified training in any of these or related areas.
Application below or contact Friends of OASIS (ask for Berenice or Rose) 949.718.1800, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar 92625, or chairman Walt Howald (walt@howald.us) on or before August 1, 2023.

oasis_scholarship_application.pdf

CIA Medical Scholarship

The CIA Medical Scholarship was established to help students pursuing a post-secondary education with the cost of tuition and other expenses. Our annual essay-based scholarship is an opportunity to support the next generation of leaders and celebrate the healthcare professionals who have dedicated their lives to the service of others. For more information and to apply, check out CIA Medical Scholarship website.

TuffShippingContainers.com $1,000 Scholarship

Tuff Shipping Containers offers a nationwide solution to connect our clients with steel shipping container companies in their area. With over 200 affiliates across the United States, we assist our clients when renting or buying new and used metal storage containers.

We care about our communities and are committed to giving back. This program offers a bi-annual scholarship valued at $1,000 to one student. For more information and to apply, check out Tuff Shipping Containers website.

Francis Santa Scholarship for Business Students

Francis Santa is an entrepreneur based in Boca Raton, Florida. He wants to help the next generation of tech pioneers, and would like to give back through the “Francis Santa Scholarship for Business Students”. This scholarship is available for students who are currently enrolled in a University or High School, and have plans to attend a University. The scholarship is meant to help a deserving student with scholarship funding who is in school studying business.

Here is some brief information about our scholarship:

Award of $1,000 to a Single Student
Deadline for this scholarship is February 15, 2023
A winner will be announced by March 15, 2023

All of the details and criteria can be found on our page:

https://francissantascholarship.com/francis-santa-scholarship/

College Sports Scholarships

The Athnet Sports Recruiting Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship eligible to undergraduates attending a two to four-year college full-time, who were athletes at the high school level. You do not need to be an athlete at the college level. For more information and to apply, check out College Sports Scholarships website.

HEEF (Hispanic Education Endowment Fund)

HEEF scholarships are based on a combination of low-income family background, academic achievement and involvement in extracurricular activities, community volunteer work, church service or work-employment . For more information and to apply, check out HEEF website.

OCCF (Orange County Community Foundation)

The Orange County Community Foundation manages a variety of grant programs to honor our donors’ charitable intentions and help our community thrive. Through the generosity of our donors, we are able to make these grants that allow us the flexibility to meet changing community needs, now and in the future. For more information and to apply, check out OCCF website.

NCJW Scholarship Program

Merit-based scholarships to those who live and attend school in the greater Los Angeles area, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and Ventura counties. Scholarships are awarded regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity, sexuality, or national origin. Apply to the NCJW Scholarship.

General Information for students who have received outside scholarships from an organization other than OCC.

Registration Information

In order for the Scholarship Office to assist your outside scholarship award, you must establish an account by filling out the appropriate paperwork.
You are responsible for paying your tuition fees at the time of registration. However, as a courtesy, Scholarship Office may defer your registration fees if you have an incoming scholarship award from an organization other than OCC scholarships.
- To have your tuition fees defer, please stop fill out the Service Request Form and Submit it to the Scholarship Office. This process is not done automatically by the Scholarship Office. To ensure your classes are not dropped, please fill out the Service Request Form, and submit it to the Scholarship Office prior to your registration date. This must be done in person each semester.

New Account (PDF)

Service Request Form (PDF)

If your tuition fee is deferred, Scholarship Office will pay your registration fees after add/drop date with your scholarship fund. This allows you to finalize your schedule before registration fee is paid. If your scholarship fund is not received by the add/drop deadline, you are responsible for paying the amount due.
If you have paid your fees you may request reimbursement from your scholarship account. Please provide a copy of your registration receipt to the Scholarship Office, A reimbursement check will be mailed to your address within 4 weeks of receiving your registration receipt.

Books Account and School Supplies

You may request a reimbursement from your scholarship if you have purchased your textbooks already. Please provide copies of your book receipts to the OCC Scholarship Office. A reimbursement check will be mailed to your home within 4 weeks of receiving your bookstore receipts.
You may also request the Scholarship Office to set up a Bookstore Account for you to charge through the OCC Bookstore. The Scholarship Office will pay the bookstore using your scholarship fund.
- To request a bookstore account fill out the Service Request Form in the Scholarship Office.
- It takes 24 to 48 hours to set up a bookstore account, please plan ahead.
The account will be active for one semester at a time. Try to request enough to cover your needs for the semesters. At the end of each semester, any unused funds will be transferred back into your scholarship account.
Students need to request a book account open every semester, it is not done automatically.

Reimbursement for school expenses

If you pay all your school expenses out of pocket, you may request a reimbursement of your expenses.

Please provide copies of your receipts to the OCC Scholarship Office. A reimbursement check will be mailed to your home within 2 to 6 weeks of receiving your receipts.

Keep in Mind

Use your funds wisely, especially if you plan on transferring to a four-year college or university. Any remaining balance may transfer with you to higher institution.
Your account will remain active while you are at OCC. Once you transfer or terminate your education at OCC, your remaining balance may return to donor/organization. SO has an obligation to follow the guidelines set by the organization that awards the scholarship to you.
Scholarship accounts are evaluated once a year in the summer. If your account has been in-active for at least a year, the funds may be returned to your donor/organization
Contact the Scholarship Office if you take a break in your education. Appropriate steps are needed to manage the remaining balance.

These websites are provided for informational purposes only and are not endorsed or affiliated with Orange Coast College. For scholarship scam information, check out the following web article. To report a scam, contact The Federal Trade Commission or the National Fraud Information Center.

SmartScholar.com

With Over 24,000 and $80M available, SmartScholar can help you search scholarships based on Major, Ethnicity, or Sports with Non-U.S. Citizen scholarships as well. SmartScholar rates the competition and effort for each of the scholarships as well.

Scholarships.com

Search Over 3.7 Million College Scholarships & Grants, About $19 Billion in Financial Aid to Help You Pay for College.

FASTWEB

This is one of the more popular Scholarship Search sites with a database of 1.5 million scholarships worth $3.4 billion. Create a profile through Fastweb at no cost and they will match you with scholarship opportunities. Fastweb has a thorough screening process for scholarships.

Scholarship Search by Sallie

A new tool from the Sallie Mae® family for you to easily find and sort through thousands of college scholarships. Refreshed monthly. Use our personalized filtering options to find scholarships that fit your background, major, state and more. Check out these scholarships listed on our site. ALL are quick and easy to apply for!

Scholarships Bee

Scholarships Bee features thousands of small and unique scholarship opportunities. Most students forget about the smaller awards, but in many cases, these are the best opportunities for students.This site is dedicated to helping students find less competitive awards tailored to their personality, interests, and career goals.

Affordable Colleges Online

Affordable Colleges Online provides community resources and tools related to higher education with an eye on affordability and accreditation. Affordable Colleges Online provides financial aid resources for women, minorities, and professions that assist in making higher education more affordable.

UNIGO

3.6 million college scholarships worth over $14 billion.

Cappex

We’ve Got More Than $11 Billion in Scholarships.

FinAid

FinAid was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service. This award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools -- on or off the web.

Peterson's College Scholarship Search

Peterson's College is a free scholarship search similar to FastWeb. Start by clicking on the "Sign Up Now" button in the bottom right hand corner or follow any of the links provided to various scholarship opportunities.

Go College

GoCollege.com is one of the oldest and most trusted resources to guide students on how to finance and succeed in college. The site is divided into four categoriesto answer any college questions: Financial Aid, Admissions, Education Options, and College Survival.

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