Grants, Scholarships, and Funding Sources

California state funding resources are funds that are available from the state government.  These may come from departments and agencies within the state government, such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) or the California Natural Resources Agency, as well as the Office of the Governor. These funds are aligned with state-wide priorities, which may include air and water quality, workforce training, or public health initiatives.

Federal funding resources come from the United States government at the national level: this includes the executive agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy; as well as other federal agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency.  The minimum funding available from these agencies is usually a larger amount, and they are often very competitive, with extensive reporting and evaluation requirements.  These funding sources reflect both long-term national priorities, such as defense, food and nutrition access, or education initiatives like increasing the number of women in STEM, as well as initiatives of the current administration and Congress.

Scholarships and fellowships are specific types of funding opportunities for education and research activities.  Scholarships are often used to pay for tuition, fees, books, or other expenses associated with education costs.  Scholarships can also be used for specific learning opportunities, such as a summer learning institute or attending a professional conference.  There are several types of fellowships, including research fellowships, graduate fellowships, or professional fellowships.  These are often short-term, competitive awards that allow the awardee to engage in focused research, learning, or professional activities. 

TIP: Not sure where to start with scholarship funding? Start with the Fresno State financial aid scholarship application, which includes awards specific to certain majors, departments, or areas of study. Then, consider your affiliations, attributes, and ambitions:

• Affiliations: Do you or your parents work at a certain company or belong to any civic organizations? These places may offer scholarships to employees and members.
• Attributes: Consider your personal characteristics, such as race or ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, family status-- even if you're a twin or left-handed!
• Ambitions: What field of study or profession do you want to enter? Professional ambitions or career types are good keywords to use when searching for scholarship funding.