Thank You Donors!

Scholarships provide critical support to the success of students at UCSB. Due to the generous support of donors, students have received millions in scholarships. On behalf of the many students who have received support from scholarships, we would like to extend a special thank you to our generous donors!

Notice for Scholarship Agencies

Scholarship checks for students at UCSB should be made payable to UC Regents.
Please send scholarship checks to the following address:

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
University of California, Santa Barbara
2103 SAASB
Santa Barbara, California 93106-3180

In order to notify our office that you have received an external scholarship or if your scholarship agency has a verification form that they need our office to complete/sign, please email FinAid@sa.ucsb.edu.

For a copy of UCSB's W-9 form or tax ID number please visit: https://bfs.ucsb.edu/tax-services/taxpayer-identification-numbers-overview.

Once a scholarship check is received by our office, please allow 2 weeks for processing. During peak periods, processing times may be longer.

For each term, scholarships received will be handled as follows:   

  • Scholarships WILL NOT disburse until 10 days prior to the first day of classes.
  • Scholarships for students not enrolled in sufficient units at or before census date WILL BE RETURNED to the scholarship agency.
  • Scholarships received for individuals we cannot verify as students WILL BE RETURNED to the scholarship agency upon receipt.

 

Tips for students to find additional outside scholarship resources:

 

  1. Ask your professors/advisors/TAs: Professors, advisors, and TAs often are plugged into industry-specific organizations that may host scholarships for current students. They can also read over essays and offer helpful feedback.

  2. Look local: Local organizations and businesses don’t stop giving once you’ve graduated from high school. Search up your hometown and home county (and Santa Barbara/Goleta) on the web for local opportunities.

  3. Get your materials reviewed: Hit up Career Services to get your resume/CV polished. If the scholarships you’re applying for require essays, utilize CLAS’s Writing Lab. They can help at any point in the writing process.

 

Scholarship Essay Builder

We are happy to provide this list of questions to help students identify topics they may want to include in a scholarship essay. Hopefully these prompts will assist you with brainstorming and drafting a personal statement that can be used in applying for scholarships.

  • WHAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE YOU TO ATTEND COLLEGE?
  • WHAT RECENT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU OVERCOME?
  • LIST YOUR CURRENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
  • LIST CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR COMMUNITY
  • CALCULATE AND EXPLAIN YOUR FINANCIAL NEED

Requesting A Letter of Recommendation

Request a letter of recommendation from faculty, staff, administrators or community leaders that are familiar of your accomplishments, aspirations, and academic achievements.

The most formal approach of requesting a letter is by writing an email and attaching a resume along with a personal statement to keep that person up to date on recent accomplishments. Include the website or brief information on the scholarships you are trying to apply for to inform your mentor about the qualifications you wish to highlight. Ask for the letter to be printed or typed on a formal letterhead.