CSUN

First-time freshmen who apply to the General Education University Honors Program by the program deadline and meet the scholarship eligibility requirements are eligible to apply for the GE Honors Rising Scholar Award.

The GE Honors Rising Scholar Award will recognize 10 first-time freshmen admitted to the GE Honors Program with a $5,000 award. The GE Honors Program combines scholarship funds, enhanced curriculum and a variety of co-curricular activities aimed at increasing the academic success of high achieving students.

All students who meet the criteria below will be eligible to participate in the GE Honors Program and may apply for the GE Honors Rising Scholars Award through the myMatador Scholarship Portal.

Eligibility

• You must have been admitted to CSUN as a first-time freshman
• You must have applied and have been accepted admission to the GE Honors Program before April 30
• You must have a high school GPA of 3.75 or higher
• You must have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) online by the March 2nd priority deadline AND demonstrate financial need of at least $5,000

The GE Honors Rising Scholar Award may be renewed for a second year if a student meets the first-year conditions, continues to enroll full-time each term of the academic year, maintains a minimum 3.5 CSUN GPA, and is on track to complete four (4) GE Honors courses total by the end of the second year.

Admission to the GE Honors Program does not automatically qualify a student for the GE Honors Rising Scholar Award. Scholarship winners are determined through a separate competitive process and must meet eligibility requirements, including financial need.

The GE Honors Program application is available at https://www.csun.edu/undergraduate-studies/ge-honors/admission-requirements

The Matador Scholarship program recognizes students who excel academically and who demonstrate financial need (must complete a financial aid application). Over the years, thousands of students have been awarded scholarships through the Matador Scholarship Program with awards ranging from $250 to $8000.

There are approximately 60 scholarship opportunities available under the Matador Scholarship Program. The online application for programs under the Matador Scholarship Program will be available mid-February through May. If you have software-related questions regarding the online scholarship application, please contact the scholarship staff at 818-677-4907.

Please visit the "International Student Aid" and "Scholarship Web Sources" sections for additional resources, if you are an international student.

Eligibility (General Criteria)

• Must file a financial aid application by March Priority Deadline. Go to http://www.csun.edu/financialaid/apply for information on how to apply.
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA for incoming freshmen, transfer students and current Northridge undergraduates
• Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA for incoming and current Northridge graduate students
• Full-time enrollment (12 units for undergraduate and credential students, 8 units for graduate students) each semester scholarship funds are received
• Pursuing your first bachelor's or master's degree, or credential

Application Process

Begin the scholarship application process using our online application. You may be required to attach or request the following documents:
• Degree Progress Reports or unofficial transcripts must be uploaded through the online application.
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essays
• Unofficial transcripts if you are a freshman, transfer student or incoming graduate student
• A copy of a Degree Progress Report if you are a current CSUN student

Unfortunately, not everyone who applies for the Matador Scholarship Program will be awarded. Scholarships are a competitive process.  Recipients will be notified sometime in fall semester via their official CSUN e-mail address.  Applicants may check their application status by logging into the myMatadorScholarships portal and clicking on ‘My Applications’

Responsibilities

If you are selected to be a Matador Scholar, you must:

Provide a thank you letter to your donor. Many scholarships are provided by private donors who take interest in supporting Northridge students. It is common courtesy to respond with a short note to show appreciation for their commitment to your education. In your award email, you will receive instructions on how to format and submit your thank you letter.  Your scholarship will not be released until a copy of your thank you letter is received by the Scholarship Office. If you need assistance, please see the sample thank you letter here.

Maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA for undergraduates and 3.5 cumulative GPA for graduate students.  If your scholarship requires that you maintain a different GPA, it will be noted in your award email.

Enroll as a full-time student each semester during the academic year you are awarded.

If you are unable to meet the conditions of your scholarship, or if your enrollment status changes, notify the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department by calling 818-677-4907 or emailing .

The California State University, Northridge Outstanding Graduating Veteran Award is given to a student who demonstrates meritorious achievement, strength of character and commitment to service. The award recognizes an extraordinary student who has overcome challenges in reaching an academic milestone and honors those who couldn’t complete a degree because their health or lives were sacrificed in national service. The award expresses the gratitude of the CSUN community and is entirely funded by public contribution.

Award Amount

The award amount is $1,000. The recipient will be recognized at the Veteran Graduation Reception and the Honors Convocation.

Eligibility

• You must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• You must be a CSUN student who is currently or has formerly been placed on active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces (the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard) or the Reserve or National Guard.
• You must graduate in Fall 2021, Spring 2022 or Summer 2022 (must have an official graduation date on file with Admissions and Records).
• You must be enrolled full time (12 units for undergraduate and credential students, 8 units for graduate students).

How to Apply:

1. Go to myMatadorScholarships to begin your online application. Please note that you will be required to complete the General Application before you can complete the application for the Outstanding Graduating Veteran Award.
2. Request two academic letters of recommendation through the online application. At least one of the two required letters must be submitted by a CSUN faculty member.
3. Upload a copy of your most recent transcript.
4. Respond to essay questions.

This scholarship opportunity is open February-March of the current academic year for applications.

The Presidential Scholarship is one of three programs under the Northridge Scholarship Program. The NSP Presidential Scholarship affords CSUN undergraduate students the opportunity to work with faculty mentors on significant original work. Students are funded to undertake a research project, creative project, or applied project that will advance their chosen field of interest and/or contribute to the CSUN community. To be eligible for this award, students must develop a project independent of their mentor's current ongoing research – while the project can be tangential, it must be the student's original work. 

Recipients must be continuing CSUN undergraduates and will receive a $10,000 scholarship, the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a scholarly project, a Matador Bookstore textbook discount, and priority registration.

Students applying for this scholarship must complete a pre-application workshop before applying. For more information regarding the Presidential Scholarship and online workshops, please follow this link: https://www.csun.edu/financialaid/northridge-scholarship-program-pre-application-information

Eligibility

• You must be a current CSUN undergraduate student when applying.
• You must enroll full-time during the award year.
• You must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average.
• You must complete at least 60 units, or 24 Northridge units if you are a transfer student.
• You must complete the online Northridge Scholarship Program Application Workshop.
• You must have a CSUN faculty member agree to sponsor a project the same year you apply for the award.

Second bachelor degree students, graduate students and those graduating in the Fall term of the award year are not eligible to apply.

Application Process

1. Submit a Presidential Scholars application using the online scholarship application located at myMatadorScholarships.  Please note that you will be required to complete the General Application before you can view and apply to the Presidential Scholarship.
2. As part of the online application process for the Presidential Scholarship, you will be required to:
   a. Request your faculty mentor to submit a statement describing your project
   b. Submit a Degree Progress Report (DPR)
   c. Submit a detailed academic plan signed by your academic department advisor 
   d. Submit a Gantt chart to outline your project benchmarks, completion dates and assessments. Follow this link to view a sample Gantt chart: https://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/sample_gannt_chart.pdf

Application Deadline:  The scholarship application will open on December 1, 2023 and close on March 1, 2024.  You can also review these deadlines on the myMatador Scholarship Portal!

Application Workshops

If you plan to apply for the Presidential Scholarship, you must complete an online Northridge Scholarship Program workshop to ensure you have all of the information needed to complete the application. The mandatory online workshop will provide useful advice and answers to commonly asked questions.

Here is the link to Northridge Scholarship Program Application Workshop. Please refer to the application on the myMatador Scholarship Portal for updates and deadlines.

Responsibilities

If you are selected to be a Presidential Scholar, you must develop, complete and present your outlined original research project, creative project, or applied project during the annual Presidential Scholarship Exhibit at the end of the spring semester. You must also work with your faculty mentor throughout the award year, submit a progress report at the end of Fall semester.  A one-time renewal may be possible through a scholarship renewal process if pursuing a new project.

Faculty Mentor Guidelines

If you are a faculty mentor, your time and commitment to the Northridge Scholarship Program is appreciated. The success of the program and scholar depends greatly on your guidance and encouragement. To ensure maximum benefit to the student, faculty may only mentor one student per academic year; faculty are encouraged to consider this when accepting students' mentorship requests. Additionally, students are expected to develop a project independent of their mentor's current ongoing research; while the project can be tangentially related, it must be the student's original work.

Faculty Mentors to Presidential Scholars are encouraged to develop an acceptable mentoring plan that will meet the scholar's needs while honoring the faculty mentor's other commitments. There is no set requirement for the level of involvement between you and the scholar, but the student learning experience depends on the level of engagement you provide. The purpose of the program is to enhance the student's scholarly development and prepare the student for post-baccalaureate education or work. The higher quality of faculty engagement with the scholar will result in a higher quality student learning experience.

Suggestions for areas that might be discussed with the scholar as you develop your mentoring plan include, but are not limited to, the following:

• How often will you meet with the Scholar?  Weekly, biweekly, daily, etc.
• On average how long might these sessions last?  An hour, half hour, several hours, etc.
• What kind of supervision will you provide on the project?  Close, direct supervision; oversight while the student works independently; periodic meetings to monitor progress; provide suggestions for next steps, guidance on resources; etc.
• Your expectations of what the Scholar will learn, what skills will be gained or enhanced, what the outcome of the project might be; etc.

Note that Faulty Mentors will be asked to the address the following topics in support of the student’s application:

• The student’s academic proficiency and other related qualities to undertake and complete the project.
• In what ways this project is the student’s original conception.
• How you will supervise the student to ensure the completion of the project goals.
• How well the project fits the student’s academic preparation, and how it will benefit the student’s future academic and career aspirations.

Faculty mentors are encouraged to view the pre-application workshop for more information, please follow this link: https://www.csun.edu/financialaid/northridge-scholarship-program-application-workshop.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact the Scholarship Office at 818-677-4907 or via email at scholarships@csun.edu.

The University Scholarship is one of three programs under the Northridge Scholarship Program.  The University Scholarship award encourages the scholarly development and engagement of continuing CSUN students. Scholarship recipients must be full-time undergraduates during their award year.

University Scholars are funded to allow for the opportunity to deeply explore their fields of interest through internships, extracurricular activities, community engagement, etc., and develop mentoring relationships with faculty members. Ideally, University Scholars will use the year awarded to prepare for the Presidential Scholarship competition.

The University Scholars award includes a renewable $7,500 scholarship, a textbook discount at the Matador Bookstore, and priority registration for classes.

Applicants will be evaluated primarily on the quality of their essay responses. The essays must highlight personal strengths, such as motivation, creativity, self-confidence, maturity, concern for others and awareness of current issues. Letters of recommendation that highlight classroom experience and extracurricular activities will also be given greater consideration.

Eligibility

• You must be a current CSUN undergraduate student when applying.
• You must enroll full-time during the award year.
• You must complete at least 24 units by the end of spring with a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average.
• You must complete the online Northridge Scholarship Program Application Workshop.

Second bachelor degree students, graduate students and those graduating in the Fall term of the award year are not eligible to apply.

Application Process

1. Submit a University Scholars application using the online scholarship application located at myMatadorScholarships.  Please note that you will be required to complete the General Application before you can view and apply to the University Scholarship.
2. Submit a letter of recommendation from a Northridge faculty member. The faculty member must submit the recommendation through the online scholarship application. 
3. Submit a Degree Progress Report (DPR) through the online scholarship application. You can access your DPR on the CSUN Portal.

Application Deadline:  The scholarship application will open on December 1, 2023 and close on March 1, 2024. You can also review the application deadlines on the myMatador Scholarship Portal!

Application Workshops

If you plan to apply for the University Scholarship, you must complete an online Northridge Scholarship Program workshop to ensure you have all of the information needed to complete the application. The mandatory online workshop will provide useful advice and answers to commonly asked questions.

Here is the link to  Northridge Scholarship Program Application Workshop. Please refer to the application on the myMatador Scholarship Portal for updates and deadlines.

Responsibilities

If you are selected to be a University Scholar, you must develop a mentoring relationship with a faculty member by the end of the scholarship period or pursue scholarly activities, such as additional coursework, internships, research projects, or conference presentations. You must also attend scholarly events during the academic year, enroll in honors coursework when possible, and submit a progress report at the end of Fall semester. Applicants are eligible to apply for renewal consideration.

Faculty

University Scholarship applicants are required to submit a letter of recommendation from a Cal State Northridge faculty member. If you are asked to write a letter of recommendation for a student, you will be emailed through the online scholarship application. Once you submit the recommendation, the applicant will be notified but will not have access to the letter. 

University Scholars are encouraged to develop a mentoring relationship with a faculty member. If asked and you agree, you are encouraged to develop an acceptable plan that will meet the needs of the scholar while honoring your ongoing commitments. There is not a set requirement for the level of involvement between you and the scholar, but the student learning experience depends on the level of faculty engagement. The purpose of the program is to enhance the student's scholarly development, prepare the student to apply for the Presidential Scholarship and for post-baccalaureate education or work.

Please note that you are not required to build a mentor/mentee relationship in order to submit a recommendation letter.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact the Scholarship Office at 818-677-4907 or via email at scholarships@csun.edu.

At California State University, Northridge we are dedicated to helping students have equal access to higher education by providing resources. The CSUN Dreamers Scholarship offers financial support for undergraduate students not eligible for the full range of federal financial aid typically available to students.

Awards

• Scholarships of $2,500 for the academic year to students enrolled in 12 units or more. Eligible students may apply for this award up to four years.
• Scholarships of $1,250 for the academic year to students enrolled in less than 12 units. Eligible students may apply for this award up to four years. Must be enrolled in at least 6 units.
• Scholarships of $12,500 for the academic year for students residing in Student Housing.  Full-time students may receive this award one time only.

Eligibility

• Student must have an approved California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request (AB 540 Affidavit) on file with the University. For information on this process, go to https://www.csun.edu/admissions-records/residency-csu-tuition
• Student must have a completed Dream Act Application on file for the award year being applied for. The application to apply is located at https://www.csac.ca.gov/post/resources-california-dream-act-application
• Must be a matriculated undergraduate student in an eligible program
• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Must be enrolled in at least 6 units for half-time award
• Must be enrolled in at least 12 units for the full-time and Student Housing awards

How to Apply

• Complete the confidential online scholarship application at: myMatadorScholarships
  *First-time freshman undergraduate students entering their first semester are highly encouraged to apply!

For information on resources and services provided to undocumented students, please visit the DREAM Center.