Grand Chapter of California Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Order of the Eastern Star

Overview The Scholarship Fund awards one-time scholarships to qualifying students. Amounts range from $500 to $5,000 for those attending four-year colleges or universities, and from $250 to $1,000 for students enrolled in community colleges or vocational/trade schools. Key deadlines and mailing instructions - All application packets, including supporting documents, must be postmarked by March 15, 2025. - Send your materials in a 9" x 12" envelope. Do not use staples. Submit pages single-sided to allow proper scanning. Eligibility Applicants must meet all of the following: - Be a graduating high school senior or a continuing undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college, university, community college, trade school, or religious institution. - Be a United States citizen and a California resident. - Have a minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0. (On page 3 of the application enter your UNWEIGHTED GPA — do not submit a weighted GPA.) - Demonstrate financial need. - Exhibit a strong record of leadership in high school and/or the community. - Applicants for the Eastern Star Training Award for Religious Training (ESTARL) must be planning to enroll in a theological college or seminary. Application materials and required documentation - Complete the California Eastern Star Foundation Scholarship application in full. Be sure to check the box at the top of page 2. - Include photocopies of pages 1 and 2 of the most recent Federal Income Tax Return (yours or your parents’, if you are claimed as a dependent). W-2s are not acceptable substitutes. Black out Social Security numbers so they are unreadable. - If you provide your parents’ Federal Tax Return, a parent must sign the application authorizing the Scholarship Committee to review those tax documents. Failure to include the required parental signature on page 4 will result in disqualification. All tax documents will be shredded after review. - Graduating high school seniors: submit an official high school transcript that includes first-semester grades of 12th grade, and include the Teacher/Counselor Report (application pages 6 and 7). - Current undergraduates and graduate students: may submit unofficial transcripts and should not submit the Teacher/Counselor Report. - If any requested document is not yet available when you submit your packet, include a brief written explanation. - Optional: letters of recommendation and a resume/CV may be added to support your application. - If available, include a copy of your college acceptance letter. Notification and award disbursement - Scholarship recipients will be notified by June 15, 2025. If you have not heard back by July 1, 2025, please contact the Scholarship Committee at [email protected]. - Proof of enrollment (class registration) and proof of payment or partial payment of tuition/fees must be submitted before scholarship checks will be released. Send enrollment verification to [email protected]. Scholarship checks are mailed directly to recipients. Questions For questions or to submit enrollment/payment proof, email: [email protected].