Funding a college degree can be challenging in today's climate. With interest rates on some Federal student loans settling in at 6% and some loans heading northward of 8%, funding higher education for students can seem challenging (even outright impossible) at times. For culinary schools, however, there are scholarship options for high school, college, and professional students seeking to earn a degree in culinary arts. Here are a few scholarship options you should check out for culinary school.
Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation
Heralded executive chef, Charlie Trotter, started his culinary education foundation in 1999. Realizing the academic need for need-based scholarship, Trotter's eponymous philanthropic organization raises money through strategic partnerships to award funds to young men and women who otherwise wouldn't have the capital to fund their culinary pursuits. Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation (CTCEF) currently offers scholarship applications through The American Culinary Federation. In 2014, the CTCEF awarded $2,500 scholarships to 10 deserving culinary students in honor of the late Chicago chef. Visit The American Culinary Federation for more information and to apply for the Charlie Trotter scholarships.
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Scholarship
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is the oldest food and beverage society in the world. The heritage of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs can be traced back to the 13th century and King Louis the IX. In 1248, Louis the IX commissioned the Provost of Paris to organize all of France's guilds and trades organizations. One of the results was the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, although known in those days as the "Goose Roasters." Today, they operate chapters globally and the American chapter offers culinary scholarships through its member-funded Chaîne Foundation which awards $75,000 annually to universities and students competing in regional and national Young Chefs competitions. The number of scholarship recipients varies annually, but you can find more information at The American Culinary Federation or from the Chaîne Foundation.
American Culinary Federation Scholarships
The American Culinary Federation (ACF) offers a handful of scholarships itself for both prospective culinary school students still in high school and current students.
Scholarship for Future Postsecondary Students
The ACF Scholarship for Future Postsecondary Students awards variable scholarship amounts based on availability of funds each year from American Academy of Chefs (AAC) Andrew Macrina Scholarship Fund, Linda Cullen Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the Ray & Gertrude Marshall Scholarship Fund. Prospective students are evaluated based on a 100-point scale which weighs cumulative grade point average, participation in ACF culinary contests, volunteer work, and ACF organization involvement among other criteria.
Scholarship for Current Students and ACFEF Apprentices
The ACF also offers culinary scholarships for Current Postsecondary Students and American Culinary Federation Education Foundation-registered Apprentices. This particular scholarship draws its resources from the AAC Balestreri/Cutino Scholarship Fund, AAC Chaîne des Rôtiseurs Scholarship Fund, and the Ray & Gertrude Marshall Scholarship Fund. The scholarships for current culinary students are awarded in the same way as the future students: evaluated on a 100-point scale.
American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation
The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) offers scholarships to a variety of service and hospitality-based disciplines at all education levels. Anyone from a high school senior to a post-graduate degree seeker is eligible for AHLEF scholarships as long as they seek a hospitality degree. For the 2016 academic year, over $860,000 in scholarships will be awarded to a few hundred eligible hospitality students. Scholarship amounts range anywhere between $500 to upwards of $6,000. Unlike the ACF scholarships which are awarded based on a quantitative score across several criteria, the AHLEF scholarships are awarded in a more traditional, objective way based on GPA, academics, work and hospitality experience, extracurricular activities, and a personal essay.
Why Apply for Scholarships and What's Next?
The obvious answer to this question is simple: so you don't have to pay for your culinary education; however, there is more to it. In actuality, very few eligible students apply for available scholarships no matter what level of education they are seeking. Often times, scholarships are not well advertised by the universities and the institutions granting them, and students are often veiled to how easy they are to come by. Applying for scholarships is simple, takes very little time, and can net a major return on both the time invested in the application process and your education at large.
Taking the next step towards your dreams as a chef start with choosing the right school. Get in touch with an advisor at ECPI University's culinary school at the Culinary Institute of Virginia today to discuss your curriculum options and see what scholarships ECPI University can offer you. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
Congratulations to my granddaughter, Aalure Cooke for being accepted into ECPI CULINARY SCHOOL Today! Congrats to Chef Cook!
— Elsie Cooke (@TeeBronze) November 3, 2015
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