Scholarships at California State University San Marcos

The John Burnham Foundation Scholarship awards two two-thousand-dollar scholarships to graduate or undergraduate business or pre-business students at Cal State San Marcos. Selection occurs in the fall scholarship cycle from applicants who complete the CSUSM General Scholarship Application by February 1. This donor award supports students pursuing degrees in the College of Business Administration. Need-based scholarships at CSUSM also require a submitted FAFSA for financial need determination by the scholarship office.

The Jean and W. Keith Kellogg Scholarship awards four fifteen-hundred-dollar scholarships to undergraduate CSUSM students registered in at least twelve units. Selection occurs during the fall scholarship cycle from applicants who submit the CSUSM General Scholarship Application by the February 1 priority deadline. This donor-sponsored award is among more than one hundred CSUSM scholarship opportunities matched through the university's single general application and essay each award year. Students must remain enrolled full time at Cal State San Marcos when funds disburse.

The Ella J Thedinga Memorial Scholarship provides at least six fifteen-hundred-dollar awards to entering freshmen at Cal State San Marcos who demonstrate financial need and hold a cumulative high school GPA of 3.35 or higher. Scholarships are selected in the spring semester through the CSUSM General Scholarship Application process. Awards may be renewed up to three additional years if recipients pass at least twenty-four units in the prior year, maintain a 2.75 overall GPA, uphold academic integrity, and continue to demonstrate financial need through FAFSA.

The Louis V Messner Memorial Scholarship in Accounting awards one six-hundred-dollar scholarship to a currently enrolled junior at Cal State San Marcos majoring in accounting with a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Financial need must be demonstrated as determined by the CSUSM Financial Aid and Scholarship Office through FAFSA. The scholarship is selected in the spring semester from the general scholarship application pool. Students must complete the CSUSM General Scholarship Application and essay by the February 1 priority deadline to be considered.

The Megan O'Brien Memorial Award for Leadership Excellence in Research recognizes undergraduate CSUSM psychology or child and adolescent development majors who demonstrate compassionate leadership, exemplary research skills, and professional ethics through student research projects completed at CSUSM. Recipients receive a five-hundred-dollar prize announced at the Annual CSUSM Psychology Student Research Conference. Each application includes a personal statement responding to four prompts plus a full research proposal, manuscript, or poster. Submit by March 27, 2026 at 11:50 PM Pacific. Each student may receive this award only once.

The Joel Grinolds Memorial Scholarship awards one three-hundred-dollar scholarship to a Cal State San Marcos student who is a nursing or health sciences major with a minimum 3.00 GPA. Selection occurs in the fall scholarship cycle from the CSUSM General Scholarship Application pool submitted by February 1. This memorial award supports students preparing for clinical and community health careers through CSUSM's nursing and health sciences programs. Applicants must complete the general application and essay annually and remain enrolled when the award disburses.

The Keogh-Yoshii Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate Cal State San Marcos students majoring in computer science at the junior or senior level. Selection occurs during the fall scholarship cycle from the CSUSM General Scholarship Application pool due by February 1. This donor award supports upper-division CS majors completing their degrees in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Only undergraduate students are eligible. Applicants must complete the general application and essay each award year to be matched to this and other CSUSM scholarships.

The Carolyn R. Mahoney Scholarship at Cal State San Marcos supports students majoring in mathematics who are enrolled at least full time. Awards are made in the spring scholarship selection cycle from applicants who submit the CSUSM General Scholarship Application by the February 1 priority deadline. This donor award recognizes mathematics majors in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Need-based scholarships require a submitted FAFSA. Students must remain enrolled full time at CSUSM when scholarship funds are disbursed for the award term.