Welcome to $hef!

Welcome to the scholarship website for enrolled and incoming students at The Culinary Institute of America.
Most scholarships require students to have a FAFSA for the current academic year. You can file the FAFSA here.

We post over 60 scholarship opportunities each semester.
Scholarships for the following semesters will be accepting applications between the corresponding dates below:

• Summer 2026: December 22, 2025 – February 2, 2026
• Fall 2026: April 20, 2026 – June 8, 2026
• Spring 2027: August 10, 2026 – October 5, 2026

How to Apply for Scholarships:

• To apply for any $hef scholarship, complete your incoming student deposit.
• Your deposit will automatically create a general application, allowing you to sign in and apply for scholarships the following day.
• Upon signing in, you will be brought to the “Recommended Opportunities” page which lists scholarships you likely qualify for.
• To apply, click the scholarship’s name and review the description. Then, click the orange “Apply” button at the bottom.

Checking Your Scholarship Application Status:
View your application status anytime by visiting the My Applications page after logging in.

• Submitted = Applications are still being reviewed.
• Offered = You have been selected for the scholarship.
• Not Selected = You were not selected for the scholarship.

You will only receive an email if you are selected for a scholarship.
Most scholarships will be awarded within 3-4 weeks of the scholarship’s deadline, but some may take longer.

External Scholarships:
Additional scholarships from outside organizations are posted on the External Scholarships page throughout the year.
To acess the external scholarships, hover or click on the “Opportunities” tab and click “External”. These scholarships are not managed or funded by the CIA.

Helpful Resources:

Scholarship Essay Checklist
Recipe Scholarship Tips
File the FAFSA
Learn More About $hef

Questions?
For questions about the Earn and Learn program: studentworkprograms@culinary.edu
For all other scholarship-related questions: $hef@culinary.edu