More than 130 local students from underserved communities received a full scholarship to UC San Diego starting 2017 as part of the Chancellor’s Associates Scholars Program.
Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla created the scholarship in 2013, to recognize and support local, high-achieving and talented students.

The Chancellor’s Associates Scholars Program (CASP) was created to accompany the scholarship and to support admitted scholars throughout their time at UC San Diego.

To be eligible for the scholarship program, students must be admitted to UC San Diego, be California residents, be eligible for the University of California’s Blue + Gold Program (California residents with demonstrated financial need and family incomes of $80,000 or less) and be affiliated with one of the program partners.

The goal of the scholarship program is to recognize and support talented local students with financial need who have great potential and motivation to succeed at UC San Diego. Student recipients are typically first generation college students, some of whom are also from underrepresented groups in higher education.

“The program is important for two reasons. First, we take care of our youth in our own neighborhoods, which is very important. Many of the students will get scholarships from Harvard, but that is not as good as we taking care of our own youth. Secondly, is giving an opportunity to students, who without this program may not go to a UC school, specially UC San Diego,” said Khosla to La Prensa San Diego. “This program basically means that the students go to college for free without loans. Without this program, many students would go to another college or not even study.”

With the scholarship, freshman students receive $10,000 per year, up to four years. And transfer students receive $10,000 per year, up to two years.

A total of 132 scholarships were offered to local San Diego freshman in the 2017-18 school year. A total of 412 Chancellor’s Associates Scholars scholarships have been given since the initiative launched in 2013-14.

“Before being accepted to the program, I thought that I would have to work and probably apply to some kind of student loan,” said Ryan Mckinzie, who transferred to UC San Diego from San Diego City College in 2014, and is a CASP recipient. “Because I have this scholarship, I have been able to do a lot of internships and I volunteer in a lab.”

The students who were awarded scholarships for the 2017-18 school year celebrated along with their family and community members a special induction ceremony on April 25 at the Jacobs Center in Southeast San Diego. Students awarded come from local schools and programs, including Lincoln High School, Gompers Preparatory Academy, The Preuss School UCSD, as well as federally recognized tribes and community-based organizations like RealityChangers.

The scholarship program is made possible by funding from Chancellor’s Associates, which is comprised of UC San Diego alumni, faculty, staff and friends who make an annual investment of $2,500 or more.