Wilson C. Riles Education Scholarship

Please note that CSU Foundation Scholarships offered by the Chancellor’s Office are awarded based on applicants meeting the eligibility criteria and the quality of their submission for these scholarships.

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office Committee will review all applications and select the top one to two qualified candidates by mid-April. These applicants will be nominated and forwarded to the Chancellors Scholarship Committee and applicants from the other CSU campuses to be reviewed in the summer for the upcoming academic year.

Working his way through public instruction, Wilson C. Riles began his career in 1940 as a teacher and administrator in Arizona public schools and later became the first elected African-American state superintendent of schools in the United States.

The scholarship program was established in 2003 to recognize Superintendent Riles deep commitment to education by supporting students enrolled in California State University teacher credential programs, with preference given to first-generation college students.

• Applicants must currently be enrolled in a teacher credential program.
• The minimum enrollment requirement is 6.0 units.
• The minimum grade point average is 3.0.*

Personal Statement (300-word count for each):
1. What experience has impacted your personal growth?
2. Tell us about a time you failed. What did you learn from that experience?
3. Why are you pursuing your major? How does it relate to your career aspirations?
4. Provide an example of service beyond the classroom (i.e., have you taken on significant family obligations, helped others in a specific way, been involved in political action, worked/volunteered/interned at a particular organization, etc.).
Why is this example significant to you?
5. Must have a letter of recommendation from a teaching credential program faculty