Scholarship General Information

The Bella Scholarship is a renewable academic scholarship to support attendance at either a community college, a four-year college or university, or an accredited vocational school. The scholarship is meant to cover tuition, mandatory student fees, books, room & board and other college related expenses.

​

The award amount (scholarship amount) will be determined based on the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and loan burden. Our scholarship awards are intended to cover school costs after: Federal Government grants (e.g., Pell Grant) and/or State of California grants (e.g., Cal Grant, California Promise Grant) and institutional financial aid. The average scholarship award is $2,500 for 4-year institution or college and $1,500 if you attend a Community College.

 

Priority will be given to students who plan on attending one of the following: University of California, California State University or any California Community College.

​

It is our wish to be a partner in your education and to make sure that we do everything in our power to see that you achieve your academic goals. The Bella C. Foundation is dedicated to the students it supports. For this reason, there are 2 mandatory events you will need to attend:

​

• Meeting at Impact Academy to review the conditions of your scholarship, to sign the scholarship contract and to receive your Award Certificate.

• Attend the Bella Scholar Award Luncheon and Workshop, tentatively scheduled for August 3, 2019. Topics include: Transitioning to College, Academic Success/Study Strategies, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Reducing Stress, and Social-Emotional Resilience. The workshop and luncheon is free of charge to Bella Scholars.

​

We also require that Bella Scholars check-in with us on a regular basis during the first year. This will mean a one on one phone call to check to see how things are going half way through each semester and at the end of each semester or quarter. Unofficial transcripts are required after each semester or term during the first year.

​

Student Expectations

Bella Scholars must be enrolled full time at an accredited university, college or vocational school by the fall semester after high school graduation.

​

• If your institution is on a Semester System you must earn 12 to 15 credit units per semester; or 30 units annually. For example, if you only earn 24 credits after 2 semesters, you will have to take a summer term to make up the difference.

• If your institution is on a Quarter System you must earn 15 credit units per each quarter (3 quarters) and earn at least 45 units annually.

​

If, for any reason, you defer school attendance for a semester, or drop out before completing the semester, you must notify the Bella Charitable Foundation immediately. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your scholarship. We encourage all students to deal with problems as they arise. We are available to answer questions, discuss options for solving issues or just to listen. No Bella Scholar that has maintained communication with BCF has lost their scholarship.

​

Academic Standing

Bella Scholars are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher. If your GPA falls below this minimum, you may lose your scholarship until your GPA meets the minimum 2.0. It is our opinion that meeting with your school counselor twice yearly, in order to review your academic goals is very important to student success. Learning campus resources and using those resources is also vital to academic success.

​

If a drop in GPA is due to hardship, e.g., poor health or extenuating circumstances, we will review individual circumstances to determine future scholarship eligibility.

​

Extension Request

We understand that extenuating circumstances or hardships sometimes arise and may require extending the scholarship beyond 4 years. Bella Scholars who have received awards all four years and are in good academic standing, but are not ready to graduate, can apply for an extension.

​

Contact Information

Any changes to your contact information must be provided as soon as possible to the BCF at anita@bellacf.org. This includes: phone number, address, or intention to transfer schools. Failure to update your contact information may result in late payments to your college or university. Your student I.D. number provided by  your college is required in order for scholarship checks to be mailed.

​

If you have any questions or issues with the application feel free to email us at director@bellacf.org or call/text Elena Castanon at (415) 362 0440.