Scholarships

The James H. Ring Undergraduate Scholarship Award was inaugurated during the spring semester of 2001 and offered annually thereafter. This financial award to Urban Studies and Planning majors is made possible through the donation of James H. Ring a distinguished alumnus who graduated from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in the class of 1972. The intent of the award is to help students achieve their academic and career goals. This scholarship is open to undergraduate URBS student who are projected to graduate in spring, summer, or Fall 2022 and who have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

The James H. Ring Graduate Scholarship Award is designed to recognize graduate students with an outstanding academic record in the Master of Urban Planning program and provide financial support to help complete their graduate studies. This award is made possible through the generous donation of James H. Ring, a distinguished alumnus, who graduated from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in the class of 1972. This scholarship is open to graduate URBS student who are projected to graduate in spring, summer, or Fall 2022 and who have a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

The Urban Studies and Planning Alumni Scholarship is funded by the generous donations of departmental alumni. The scholarship award is intended to recognize a major in urban studies and planning who has demonstrated meaningful service to one or more of the following: fellow students, campus based student organizations related to planning, the Urban Studies and Planning Department, the CSUN campus community, and/or the community at large. This scholarship is open to all majors and graduate students.

The Professor Warren Campbell Scholarship is funded by the generous donations of a departmental alumnae to honor the teaching and mentorship of Professor Warren Campbell one of the founders of the Urban Studies Program at CSUN. The intent of the award is to help students achieve their academic and career goals. This scholarship is open to all majors and graduate students.

The Paul T. Johnson Scholarship is available only to students from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning.  It is administered by the California Homebuilders Foundation. The scholarship is intended to assist students with financial need, a GPA of at least 2.5, and an intention to pursue a career in the California homebuilding industry (understood to encompass the broad range of careers involved in housing provision in California – planners, brokers, real estate professionals, homebuilders, engineers, community advocates, etc.). This scholarship is open to all majors and graduate students.

The Dye Scholarship Foundation was created to honor the memory of Jeffery Dye. Jeff was a Ventura County search and rescue volunteer who tragically lost his life while assisting in a rescue operation in 2019. Jeff started his college education later in life and built a successful career by returning to school. The Dye family decided to start this scholarship with the goal to assist people who were in similar situations as Jeff. The ideal applicants for this scholarship are older students with financial constraints, career changes, or those who have family or work responsibilities and need assistance to complete their education. To be eligible for this scholarship you should be a student who is returning to school with a desire to improve your life circumstances and be a resident from Ventura County. The foundation accepts applications on an ongoing basis and is reviewed quarterly. Please visit the Dye Scholarship Foundation website to find the application form you need to complete and email it to Jefdyelegacy@gmail.com.

The Real Estate Scholarship is funded by the State of California's Real Estate Scholarship and Internship Grant ("RESIG") endowment to help support students considering a career in real estate. Under the internship option, students may receive an award for an unpaid internship in which they are participating. This scholarship is open to all majors with an interest in real estate, broadly defined. Students must be currently enrolled in at least one course in real estate, broadly defined (e.g. urban planning, urban economics, geographic information systems, and property tax classes all qualify). To learn more about the criteria needed to apply and the application process please visit this website.

The PlaceWorks Scholarship Program was established to support the next generation of planners, environmental specialists, urban designers, and landscape architects. The annual program offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students from historically underserved backgrounds who are pursuing degrees in planning, urban design, architecture, environmental planning, landscape architecture, and related fields.

Applicants must identify as American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Additionally, applicants must be California residents who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an accredited California college or university and who are planning to enroll full-time in an eligible program during the next term. 

The deadline to submit an application is 1:00pm PT on April 7, 2022. PlaceWorks will award up to two $5,000 scholarships in this application cycle, and each recipient will be eligible for an internship with Placeworks. To learn more about the program's requirements or start an application, visit PlaceWorks scholarship website.

Merritt Community Capital recently announced their Commitment to California initiative, which is a $2.5 million financial contribution over the next three years to educate, train, and support over 800 professionals through scholarships, internships, career development, and innovative engagement. Part of this initiative includes a $10,000 scholarship and access to a mentor, full paid attendance at local and statewide industry conferences, and engagement with industry leaders. At the end of the program, Merritt may assist scholars in obtaining employment in the affordable housing industry. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in affordable housing through classwork, volunteerism, employment, or other areas. To learn more about additional requirements and how to apply visit the Merritt Scholars website. The deadline to submit an application is April 17th, 2022. If you have any questions about the application process please email merrittscholars@merrittcap.org.

The California Homebuilding foundation is offering a scholarship opportunity to urban studies and planning students. The hall of fame scholarship is an annual award bestowed to selected colleges building industry-related programs. Applicants must be enrolled in an approved institution of higher education with a current status of freshman, sophomore, or junior obtaining their Bachelor's or Master's degree. Additionally, the applicant must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be a California resident. To apply, submit a complete application, personal statement, two letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a suitable self portrait to tbrunson@mychf.org. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, April 29th, 2022. To learn more about the scholarship opportunity and access the application visit this website.

The AWAF offers annual cash awards to women students studying architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, land planning, or environmental design leading to a college degree. These awards vary in amounts from $2,500 to $10,000. Applicants must be residents of California and have completed a minimum of 18 units in their major by the application deadline of Friday, April 15th, 2022. To learn more about the scholarship application and how to apply visit the AWAF's website.

LA-AEP is offering scholarships to students pursuing a career in the environmental field. They are pleased to offer one $1,000 scholarship to an undergraduate student and one $1,000 scholarship to a graduate student. Full time current undergraduate students who are actively engaged in the pursuit of a career with an environmental emphasis and attend a university within the Los Angeles county are eligible to apply. To learn more about the scholarship and application process, visit the LA-AEP website.