Culinary scholarships are financial supports, offered by individuals, estates or associations designed to enable financially challenged individuals to pursue the education required to become a chef. These supports come in the form of direct monetary contributions, bursaries, trusts or certificates.
Some will pay out cash in a lump sum, others will meter it out on a monthly or yearly basis, and still others will pay the institution directly or provide coupons for purchase of supplies. At times, culinary scholarships can be intended for people of specific genders, cultural backgrounds or circumstances.
How to find Culinary Scholarships
The most likely place to begin the search for culinary scholarships is at the place where you currently are. For some, that may be your high school. Approach your guidance or career counselor and ask for a list of scholarships that might suit your desire to attend culinary school.
Perhaps you are attending college or university. For you, there should be career counselors or the registrar’s office to guide your queries.
For the mature student, approach your employer if the culinary arts field is pertinent to the work that you are currently doing. If not, there are community clubs, churches and recreational associations that can be approached. Go prepared, armed with a letter of request stating exactly where you wish to attend, an itemized list of expenses and the type/amount of support you are hoping for.
The most obvious, but sometimes overlooked source is the institution where you hope to attend. These people will be most eager to assist you in finding the funding you need to begin your education with them. National culinary associations are also another rich resource, eager to promote the continued future of the culinary arts through a variety of culinary scholarships. No matter what your level of need, there are hundreds of culinary scholarships options available. The catch? You have to search to find them.
