Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible for the San Pablo Pilot, you must:

1. Be a resident of the incorporated City of San Pablo.  Click here      to verify your address!
2. Be a high school graduate OR have received GED/high school equivalency within the last three academic years. 
3. Be under the age of 25 at the time of application for first time applicants.
4. Have submitted FAFSA or Dream Act request for funding, if planning to attend a 2-year or 4-year college.

   
   

The application will close on March 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT. 

The scholarship award amount is $ 1,000. 

There is a checklist attached to the application where all the required documents are listed. Please cross check with the list before you submit the application. 

• Provide Proof of Enrollment in a College, University, or Career/Technical Program for the 2025-26 school year.
•  Provide Proof of Residence: Please provide proof of residence by submitting a picture or file that includes your name and address or your guardian's name with address (if they reside with you)
• Provide Proof of FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application, if enrolling in college or university.
• Proof of Enrollment Examples:
  • Provide an Enrollment Verification in a nonprofit Career/Technical Program. (Career or Technical Education Students)
  • Proof of Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) includes a receipt for your deposit, a screenshot showing your name and university name and term of enrollment; (College Students)
  • Alternatively, current undergraduate students may provide an invoice or bill for enrollment fees for the 2025 fall semester OR a schedule of their classes for the fall of 2025. (College Students)
• Proof of Residence Examples:
  • Identification Card or Driver’s License
  • PG&E Bill in your name or your guardian's name who resides with you and Parent or Guardian’s photo identification
• Provide Proof of FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application, if planning to attend a 2-year or 4-year college/university
  • FASFA Submission Summary 
    
  • CA Dream Act Email Confirmation 

• The application review team prefers that the documents are in PDF format, but screenshots will also be accepted.
• Adobe Acrobat is free and there is a compatible version for all operating systems, including mobile phones. Adobe Acrobat will help you make PDFs free of charge.

The scholarship is only for one year. The scholarship will prioritize applicants who are attending college or trade school for the first time. However, applicants, who are not in their first year of school or returning applicants will still be considered at a lower priority.  

The San Pablo Scholarship will be disbursed in June.

The scholarship will only be paid to recipients who are enrolled and attending school in the Fall of 2026. If you would still like to apply, you can include that information in the additional information portion of the application.

To maximize the number of students who can benefit from this program, the San Pablo Scholarship Pilot will prioritize new applicants who are attending college or trade school for the first time, but may consider applicants who have yet to apply but who are NOT in their first year of school or returning scholars per availability of funds.   

Returning applicants are encouraged to apply for a scholarship renewal. If you are continuing your educational career path and would like to apply for a renewal scholarship, please complete the renewal application. Please note we offer one-time renewals and are on a first-come-first serve basis. 

Click here for the 2026 San Pablo Scholarship Renewal Application

Selected Scholars will be contacted by the end of April 2026.

Selected San Pablo Scholars will work with City Staff to complete requirements including:  

• Complete required documentation including but not limited to: Scholar Agreement & other financial paperwork including a W9

No, there is no GPA requirement.  

Over the pilot phase, the San Pablo Scholarship is funded through the City of San Pablo's General Fund.

The program was initially funded by federal funding available to the City through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a one-time federal grant intended to support communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. However, Federal ARPA funds will run out on December 31, 2026.

For all other questions, please contact SPScholarship@sanpabloca.gov

The scholarship is $1,000. You may use this money to pay for any expenses related to attending a trade/vocational program or higher education institution. This can include, but is not limited to, tuition, trade dues, school/program fees, books, apprenticeship tools, required equipment and supplies. 

The primary eligibility requirements of the scholarship is being a resident in the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of San Pablo, be under 24 years old, and meet all other eligibility requirements. 

https://www.sanpabloca.gov/2790/San-Pablo-Incorporated-City-Limits-Bound]

If you have not committed to a school yet, you will have to use the additional information section to explain what factors are motivating your decision. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you are required to provide proof of enrollment before you receive your award. 

No, you cannot make changes to your application after submitting. 

If your application is stuck, please immediately contact us at 510-215-3080. You may need to submit your application via email if you cannot submit documents on the application.

You still qualify for the scholarship. As long as you are committed to attending a higher education program you are eligible to apply. If you are not attending a 4-year university, please include this information in the additional information section of the application

No. The Scholarship program is designed for recent high school graduates attending a higher education institution. Unfortunately, graduate students are currently not eligible for the scholarship.

Please contact Paola Cubias-Shirazi at paolac@sanpabloca.gov to discuss the circumstances before submitting your application. You may also include this information in the “Additional Information” Section of the application to provide important context to your application.

Go to the SanPabloCa.gov City Limits Bound page. Click here https://www.sanpabloca.gov/2790/San-Pablo-Incorporated-City-Limits-Bound

The San Pablo Scholarship Pilot Program was launched in 2023 as a last-dollar scholarship for students who completed high school during the social distancing period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was initially funded by federal funding available to the City through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a one-time federal grant intended to support communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.  However, Federal ARPA funds will run out on December 31, 2026.

In July 2026, the San Pablo City Council will consider placing a new sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot. This funding measure, if passed by local voters, will  secure ongoing permanent funding for the City’s scholarship program well into the future.