Culinary Institute of America Scholarships

CIA Excellence Award

• Available if you’ve demonstrated academic excellence as shown by your GPA (high school, college, or both) and leadership qualities.
• This merit-based scholarship is applied specifically to tuition charges.
• Our admissions team will identify you automatically during the application process; you do not need to apply separately for this scholarship.
• Award is renewable with a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• $6,000–$15,000 per year.

CIA Assistance Grant

• Awarded if you’re in a degree program and demonstrate need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Renewable if you complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline, have a calculated financial need, and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• $1,000–$5,000 per year.

CIA Alumni Referral Scholarship

• Awarded if you’re a prospective student (domestic or international) and submit a letter from a CIA graduate who encourages you to enroll.
• Include a copy of the letter with your application for admission.
• Available only for the freshman year.
• $1,000 one time.

National Student Organization (NSO) Scholarship—World, National and State Level Competitions

• Receive a scholarship certificate to attend the CIA if you place in the top three for a CIA-supported competition.
• Renewable if you maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, with the exception of the NAACP competition, for which you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.
• Available to high school students only, with the exception of the SkillsUSA first-place winner in the national post-secondary culinary arts or restaurant management competitions.
• Competition sponsors include:

CIA Recognition Award

• Awarded in recognition of personal and professional achievement.
• Award is dependent on your degree program and time of enrollment.
• Renewable if you maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• $1,500–$3,500 per year.

CIA Excellence Award

• Available if you’ve demonstrated academic excellence as shown by your GPA (high school, college, or both) and leadership qualities.
• This merit-based scholarship is applied specifically to tuition charges.
• Our admissions team will identify you automatically during the application process; you do not need to apply separately for this scholarship.
• Award is renewable with a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• $2,000–$5,500 per year.

CIA Assistance Grant

• Awarded if you’re in a degree program and demonstrate need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Renewable if you complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline, have a calculated financial need, and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• $3,000–$7,000 per year.

CIA Alumni Referral Scholarship (degree only)

• Awarded if you’re a prospective student (domestic or international) and submit a letter from a CIA graduate who encourages you to enroll.
• Include a copy of the letter with your application for admission.
• Available only for the freshman year.
• $1,000 one time.

National Student Organization (NSO) Scholarship—World, National and State Level Competitions

• Receive a scholarship certificate to attend the CIA if you place in the top three for a CIA-supported competition.
• Renewable if you maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, with the exception of the NAACP competition, for which you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.
• Available to high school students only, with the exception of the SkillsUSA first-place winner in the national post-secondary culinary arts or restaurant management competitions.
• Competition sponsors include:

CIA ACAP Alumni Referral Scholarship

• Awarded if you’re a prospective student (domestic or international) and submit a letter from a CIA graduate who encourages you to enroll in ACAP.
• Include a copy of the letter with your application for admission.
• Available for two semesters of the certificate program.

OR

• For graduates of a CIA bachelor’s degree with a letter from a former CIA instructor encouraging you to enroll in ACAP.
• Available for two semesters of the certificate program.

CIA Assistance Grant

• Awarded if you’re in a degree program and demonstrate need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Renewable if you complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline, have a calculated financial need, and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• $1,000–$4,000 per year.

CIA Alumni Referral Scholarship

• Awarded if you’re a prospective student (domestic or international) and submit a letter from a CIA graduate who encourages you to enroll.
• Include a copy of the letter with your application for admission.
• Available only for the freshman year.
• $1,000 one time.

National Student Organization (NSO) Scholarship—World, National and State Level Competitions

• Receive a scholarship certificate to attend the CIA if you place in the top three for a CIA-supported competition.
• Renewable if you maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, with the exception of the NAACP competition, for which you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.
• Available to high school students only, with the exception of the SkillsUSA first-place winner in the national post-secondary culinary arts or restaurant management competitions.
• Competition sponsors include:

El Sueño Scholarship

• Covers a significant portion of program costs.
• Must have a completed CIA San Antonio application for admission on file and submit the El Sueño Scholarship application.
• Submit a 400- to 500-word essay describing how the El Sueño Scholarship will assist you in fulfilling your dream of pursuing a culinary arts or baking and pastry arts degree.
• Renewable for the sophomore year if you maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and continue to demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

Many organizations, corporations, and individual donors generously offer scholarship assistance to CIA students. Once accepted, incoming and current students have access to the CIA scholarship site, $HEF, which provides opportunities to apply throughout the year to more than 200 scholarships donated by friends of the college. More than $4 million was awarded last year from these donated funds.

A variety of sources outside the CIA offer private grants and scholarships. Accepted students also have access to information about additional private scholarship opportunities for which they would apply directly through the specific granting organization. View some current opportunities here.

The Internet, public libraries, and high school guidance counselor offices are also great sources for scholarship information.

There are a variety of industry organizations that support students pursuing culinary, restaurant management, and/or hospitality degrees. Here are a few such organizations:

• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
• American Culinary Federation
• James Beard Foundation
• The Trotter Project
• Goya