Did you know? There are specific scholarships to apply for if you want to become a chef or pursue a career in the culinary or hospitality industry. Now that you know this, I will go on to introduce you to the National Restaurant Association scholarships that you can apply for to get free funding to pursue an academic program in the fields of culinary and hospitality.
Writing scholarship guides for over 2 years made me realize that there are scholarships and grants for nearly every category of people. You may not believe me when I say this or maybe you do not understand it so here is an instance. There are scholarships for left-handed people, scholarships for tall people, scholarships for international students to study abroad, scholarships to study online, and many more.
I think by now you must have had a hint of what I’m talking about when I mentioned that there are scholarships for nearly everyone. The good thing about this is that you too have one or more scholarships that are specific to you and you can go ahead to apply for them as you have a higher chance of winning them because it won’t be very competitive since it is just for some unique persons which you happen to be a part of.
Now, the National Restaurant Association scholarships are also meant for a specific category of people and they include bakers, chefs, hotel managers, tourism managers, and every other profession in the culinary and hospitality industry. If you are looking to pursue an academic program whether a degree or apprenticeship program in the culinary or hospitality industry you can apply for the scholarships offered by the National Restaurant Association.
But who are the National Restaurant Association? Now, let’s briefly see who these guys are.
The National Restaurant Association is a US-based restaurant industry business association with over 380,000 restaurant locations across states in the United States but that is not all. The association also operated the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF) which awards more than $1.2 million in scholarships annually to individuals pursuing a post-secondary academic program in the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality industry.
The scholarship program started in 1987 and has since awarded over $26 million in scholarships to support the next generation of industry leaders. Aside from its scholarship provision, the foundation also offers a food safety training and certification program for restaurant employees and runs a national culinary and restaurant management program for high school students known as ProStart.
Without any further ado, let’s see these scholarships from the National Restaurant Association.
Table of Contents
National Restaurant Association Scholarships
The following are the National Restaurant Association Scholarships:
- California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) Scholarship
- NHLRAEF Scholarship
- National Association Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) Scholarship
- HEF Scholarship
- WebstaurantStore Diversity Scholarship
- FEEDNH.org Scholarship
- Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation Scholarships
- DiRoNA Scholarship
- WebstaurantStore Foodservice and Hospitality Scholarship
- AHLA Foundation Academic Scholarships
1. California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) Scholarship
Are you a high school senior who wants to pursue a degree in the culinary or hospitality industry or if you are already an undergraduate pursuing a degree in the field above, you can apply for the CRF scholarship and get a chance to win either a $2,000 scholarship or a $4,000 scholarship.
Recipients for the scholarship are assessed based on their work experience hours, a minimum of 2.5 GPA, and essay. The fund is disbursed directly to the institution and automatically applied towards the tuition of the student. Also, the scholarship is awarded annually so if you missed it this year check in again next year.
2. NHLRAEF Scholarship
New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation is one of the national restaurant education scholarships awarded to students who are in a culinary arts or hospitality degree program. To be eligible, you must be a current or former NH ProStart student.
The funding is $1,500, the number of slots is not specified but it is open for application every year.
3. National Association Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) Scholarship
This is the National Restaurant Association itself and its educational foundation has over 40 different scholarships that it awards annually to students in a degree or about to pursue a degree in culinary arts, business administration, supply chain, hospitality management, and interior design.
You will not apply for each of the scholarships nor will you be applying for a scholarship of your choice, rather, you will fill out a single scholarship application form and the system will match you to funds that match your application.
4. HEF Scholarship
The HEF Scholarship is provided by the Nebraska Restaurant Association Hospitality Education Foundation. The scholarship gives $1,000 to 10 students and professionals who plan to pursue higher education in the hospitality and culinary fields. Follow the link below to download the application form, complete the form, and email it to the management. Selected applicants will attend an online interview via Zoom.
5. WebstaurantStore Diversity Scholarship
This scholarship awards $5,000 to students from minority ethnic groups who are passionate about the culinary arts. The scholarship aims to encourage diversity in the field of hospitality. To be eligible, you must either be a high school senior, a GED holder, or a non-traditional learning student who plans to enroll in a culinary arts or hospitality management program.
Applicants are also required to have a minimum of 2.5 GPA or 2 years of work experience in the restaurant or hospitality industries. You can also apply if you are currently in a culinary or hospitality major. Part of the application requires that you submit your photograph, a short bio, and a 500-word essay attachment describing how you become interested in culinary arts or hospitality management.
6. FEEDNH.org Scholarship
This scholarship is provided by FEEDNH.org Great New Hampshire Restaurants’ Charitable Trust. The $2,000 scholarship fund is awarded to three students who are residents of New Hampshire that are enrolled in a restaurant/food service or hospitality management major.
7. Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation Scholarships
This is one of the national restaurant association scholarships offering four different funding awards to students in Connecticut, US. To be eligible, you must be enrolled in a culinary arts or hospitality management degree program, possess a minimum high school GPA of 2.65 or higher on a scale of 4.0, have two letters of recommendation, and must have graduated from a high school in Connecticut.
Applicants are assessed based on their participation in extra-curricular activities, financial need, participation in the Connecticut ProStart program, prior academic achievement, and employment while attending school.
8. DiRoNA Scholarship
DiRoNA Scholarship was established in 1989 with the NRAEF to provide funding to students who want to pursue careers in the culinary arts industry. The scholarship is provided annually to at least 5 students who meet the criteria.
9. WebstaurantStore Foodservice and Hospitality Scholarship
This scholarship offers $5,000 to students who want to further their education in the culinary arts. Whether you are a high school student, a GED student, or a non-traditional learning student you can apply for this scholarship as long as you have the passion to pursue a career in the culinary arts or hospitality industry. You can also apply for the scholarship if you are already enrolled in any of the programs above.
10. AHLA Foundation Academic Scholarships
AHLA Foundation provides nine different scholarships every year to students enrolled in a culinary arts or hospitality degree program at undergraduate or graduate degree levels. The scholarships are also open to full-time and part-time culinary students and current hotel employees and minorities. The scholarship amount is between $500 to $7,500.
Individuals who want to advance their academics in the culinary arts, hospitality management, or a related field can apply for any of these scholarships to get free funding for their studies and cut down on the cost of tuition fees. Read the eligibility criteria and requirements for each of the scholarships carefully before you go ahead to begin your application.
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