ACEC California Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by American Council on Engineering Companies

Overview
The ACEC California Scholarship Foundation awards annual scholarships ($1,000–$10,000) to students in engineering and land surveying programs in California. For the 2026–27 academic year the foundation will award up to $100,000 in scholarships. In addition, some students in the Riverside/San Bernardino, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas may be eligible for additional awards from local ACEC chapters (as much as $50,000 total), depending on school, residency, and hometown. Applying to ACEC California also gives you access to other opportunities through the ACEC Research Institute Scholarship Portal.

Who is eligible
You qualify to apply if all of the following are true:

- Enrollment & class standing
- You will be entering your junior, senior, fifth year, or a master’s year in Fall 2026. (If you graduate in December 2025 or Spring 2026 you are not eligible.)
- Upper-division undergraduates: enrolled full-time and working toward an ABET‑approved engineering or land‑surveying degree in 2026–27.
- Master’s students: enrolled at least half time in 2026–27 and either in an ABET‑accredited MS engineering program or hold a BS from an ABET‑accredited engineering program.

- Academic minimums
- Minimum 3.2 GPA in completed engineering and land‑surveying courses, and
- Minimum 3.0 overall GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

- Other
- Interested in potentially pursuing a career in consulting engineering or land surveying.
- U.S. citizenship is not required for ACEC California scholarships, but some chapter and ACEC National scholarships do require U.S. citizenship.

Before you start the online application (what to prepare)
- Two short essays (each up to 250 words):
1) What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering? Describe a personal moment, experience, or influence.
2) What industry or type of firm do you see yourself working in with your engineering degree?
- Unofficial transcripts that include Fall 2025 grades.
- FAFSA Student Aid Report (only required if you apply for needs‑based scholarships).
- A recommender (consulting engineer, consulting land surveyor, engineering professor, mentor, or supervisor). Recommendations from consulting engineers or land surveyors carry extra points.

How to apply (online)
1. Create an account on the ACEC Research Institute portal.
2. Complete the General Application.
3. Request the recommendation form through the portal (it will be emailed to your recommender).
4. Submit the ACEC California Scholarship application.
5. Apply for any additional scholarships for which you qualify via the portal.
6. Confirm that your recommender has submitted their form by 9:00 p.m. PST on Friday, March 13, 2026. Your application is not complete until the recommendation is received.

Important notes and tips
- The recommendation form is sent by the ACEC Research Institute (noreply@mail.awardspring.com). Ask your recommender to check junk mail and to safelist that address.
- Ask your recommender early and give them a clear deadline—applications will be disqualified if the letter is late.
- Proofread your essays and have someone else read them. Keep each under 250 words and answer the prompts directly.
- Double‑check that your unofficial transcript includes Fall 2025 grades before you upload.

If you want, I can help you draft or edit your essays, or write a short message you can send to your recommender asking them to complete the form.