Scholarships & Awards

Scholarship Opportunities for Re-entry Students

The Re-entry Student Program offers two scholarships: Crankstart for newly admitted students, and Osher for continuing students. Applications for these scholarships are open during each fall term and typically have deadlines around the end of September/early October.

Fall 2023 Crankstart & Osher Scholarships deadline is October 7, 2023 at 11:59pm

Crankstart Re-entry Scholarship

The Crankstart Re-entry Scholarship provides up to $5,000 awards to ten first-semester (if you began taking courses during summer, you may still apply) undergraduate re-entry students who demonstrate the potential and capacity to positively contribute to society beyond Berkeley.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • UC Berkeley re-entry students having experienced a cumulative gap in their education of five or more years (age 25 and up)
  • Undergraduates pursuing their first baccalaureate degrees
  • Anticipate workforce participation for a significant period of time subsequent to graduation
  • All applicants must have filed a FAFSA and be eligible to receive federal aid, Dream aid included
  • Hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 from all colleges attended

Your application must include: 

  1. A personal essay of no more than 3 pages (single or double-spaced accepted) describing what it means to be a re-entry student, highlighting your personal achievements through your work, school, family or community service in spite of obstacles and explain how your leadership and perseverance made a difference. Please address the interruption to your college academics and your plans for employment upon completion of all your schooling as part of the essay. At the top of each page of your essay, print your full legal name.
  2. Copies of transcripts from all colleges attended (unofficial accepted)
  3. No more than 2 letters of recommendation* (can be from, for example, a former instructor, supervisor or mentor who can speak to your ability to apply your Berkeley education to future contributions to society)

Apply for the Crankstart Re-entry Scholarship here!

Osher Re-entry Scholarship

The Osher Re-entry Scholarship Program awards several continuing (completed at least one semester at Berkeley) undergraduate re-entry students who demonstrate the potential and capacity to positively contribute to society beyond Berkeley with awards up to $5,000 for the academic year.

 Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Must be an undergraduate re-entry student at UC Berkeley who has experienced a considerable gap in the pursuit of their education (age 25 and up) and who can look forward to significant years of workforce participation
  • Must have completed at least one regular term (fall or spring) at UC Berkeley
  • Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 from all colleges attended
  • All applicants must have completed a FAFSA and be eligible to receive financial aid, Dream aid included

Your application must include: 

  1. A personal essay of no more than 3 pages (single or double-spaced accepted) describing what it means to be a re-entry student, highlighting your personal achievements through your work, school, family or community service in spite of obstacles and explain how your leadership and perseverance made a difference. Please address the interruption to your college academics and your plans for employment upon completion of all your schooling as part of the essay. At the top of each page of your essay, print your full legal name.
  2. Copies of transcripts from all colleges attended (unofficial accepted)
  3. No more than 2 letters of recommendation* (can be from, for example, a former instructor, supervisor or mentor who can speak to your ability to apply your Berkeley education to future contributions to society)

Apply for the Osher Re-entry Scholarship here!

Re-entry Student Leadership Award

The Re-entry Student Program Leadership Award fund is designed to provide support to Re-entry Student Program peer advisors, advocates and interns. Student leaders will propose a service leadership project that will not only enhance your leadership in our campus community, but also advance our commitment of better meeting the current needs of re-entry students at Berkeley.

Note: these funds are intended to support you and your educational expenses—this is not a program budget for your project.

Who can apply:

  • Any student actively participating in the Re-entry Student Program leadership team (this includes peer advisors, interns and 198 co-facilitators). 

Applications are open in the Spring semester.