Grove Scholars Program
The Fall 2025 Grove Scholars Application is Open!
First-Time Applicants
This online application is only for students who have not yet participated in the Grove Scholars Program.
Essay Questions for New Applicants
- There are three (3) separate essay questions
- All essays must be submitted for the application to be accepted
- We recommend writing the 3 essays BEFORE starting the application form and copy/pasting into the form.
- There is a strict 2,000 character limit on each essay. Be mindful not to exceed this limit.
Essay 1: Statement of Financial Need
Please thoroughly describe your current financial situation and how the Grove Scholarship funds will impact your educational journey. (2,000 character limit).
Essay 2: Academic Commitment
Please tell us why you are committed to your academic program and describe the strategies you are using to achieve academic success. (2,000 character limit).
Essay 3: Career Goals
What is your 5 year professional plan after you complete your certificate program at Skyline College? What steps have you taken toward achieving your career goal? (2,000 character limit).
Renewal Applicants
This online application is only for students who have already participated in the Grove Scholars Program in a previous semester.
Essay Questions for Returning Applicants
- There are four (4) separate essay questions
- All essays must be submitted for the application to be accepted
- We recommend writing the 3 essays BEFORE starting the application form and copy/pasting into the form.
- There is a strict 2,000 character limit on each essay. Be mindful not to exceed this limit.
Essay 1: How has Grove Scholars Helped You
Please describe how participating in the Grove Scholars Program has contributed to your education and career goals. (2,000 character limit).
Essay 2: Benefits of Advising Services
Please describe what you have gained through Financial Coaching and Career Counseling. (2,000 character limit).
Essay 3: Semester Accommplishments
Please describe the accomplishments you have achieved as a Grove Scholar this semester. (2,000 character limit).
Essay 4: Next Semester
Please describe how you will benefit from participating in the Grove Scholars Program for an additional semester. (2,000 character limit).
Optional Essay: If you did not maintain a 2.0 GPA
If you did not maintain a 2.0 term GPA for Fall 2024, please indicate how you plan to improve your GPA to maintain the 2.0 overall status required by the program. (2,000 character limit).
Sign up for Information Sessions
Let us know if you have any questions about the Grove Scholarship by signing up and participating in one of the info sessions.
- Thursday, August 14
- In-person: 10 AM – 11 AM
- Zoom Info Session: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Monday, August 18
- Zoom Info Session: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Thursday, August 21
- In-person Info Session: 10 AM – 11 AM
- Zoom Info Session: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Monday, August 25
- Zoom Info Session: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Thursday, August 28
- In-person Info Session: 10 AM – 11 AM
- Zoom Info Session: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Consider the following as you complete your application:
Statement of need
- How will this scholarship help you?
- What is your current financial situation?
- What difficulties do you have paying for school and other expenses?
- How will your situation improve if you receive this scholarship?
- How does your financial situation impact other friends and family members?
- What areas of your financial life can be improved (savings, banking, budgeting, credit, investments etc.)?
- Why is financial planning important?
- Please provide a detailed breakdown of how you plan to spend
the $2,000 award (e.g., $200: books, $100: transportation etc.)
Career Goal/Academic Commitment
- Why did you choose your CTE Program?
- What is your dream career in this field?
- What have you done or do you currently do to make sure you stay
on track and succeed in your classes? - What other responsibilities take a lot of your time and how do you make school a priority?
Career Plan:
- Give specific step-by-step examples on how you’re going to achieve career success.
- Do you have any additional trainings, certifications or work experiences planned?
- What will your first job(s) be?
- What is your ultimate career goal?
How do I access my Student Education Plan (SEP)?
Student can access Student Education Plan (SEP) via WebSMART:
- From WebSMART navigate to Student Tab → Select DegreeWorks.
- In DegreeWorks, select the "ED Plan" tab, Click the “view” option and then click the “load” button on Student Educational Planner.
- Click “Print” button to get a screen of the plan. Select “save to pdf” and then save to desktop.
Upload your SEP to this application:
- When uploading, make sure to include the following in the file name:
- Your First and Last Name
- Student Identification Number (G#)
More information on Student Educational Plan can be found on the Skyline College Counseling website.
For more information or assistance, students should email us at grovescholar@smccd.edu or contact SparkPoint.
About the Grove Scholars Program
Through funding from The Grove Foundation, SparkPoint is proud to offer a needs-based educational scholarship to students pursuing certificates in Career and Technical Education programs at Skyline College. View the Approved CE Programs list.
Students may be awarded up to $2,000 for the semester, which is broken up into 4 installments. Students will need to attend an orientaiton and 4 meetings with SparkPoint team members to receive the full scholarship. To date, over 675 of these $2,000 scholarships have been awarded to Skyline College students. Scholars participate in financial education workshops and individual financial coaching, career counseling, and additional services to support academic success and goals.
The scholarship is offered each semester and there is a competitive application process a student will need to complete.
