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Top 16 Culinary Scholarships in December 2022
Aspiring chefs, we cooked up a special batch of scholarships just for you! If you are seeking a culinary, restaurant management, or hospitality degree, the following culinary scholarships are an excellent opportunity to help fund your education.
Julia Child once said, “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” These culinary scholarships will help you pursue those interests, whether they are in the kitchen, restaurant, or hotel.
Jump ahead to…
- Top culinary scholarships
- How to win culinary scholarships
- Resources for culinary students
- Frequently asked questions
- Additional scholarship lists to explore
Top 16 Culinary Scholarships in December 2022
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Open to all postsecondary students, regardless of the type of training/education they are pursuing.
“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Open to current undergraduates at four-year universities in the U.S.
GoFoodservice Scholarship
Offered by GoFoodservice
Open to high school and college students enrolling or enrolled in a culinary arts or hospitality management program.
ACFEF Scholarships
Offered by The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation
Open to high school seniors accepted to college majoring in culinary education.
Food Dreams Scholarship
Offered by Food Dreams
Open to Pell-eligible high school graduates interested in pursuing the Culinary Arts.
Gourmet Foods International Culinary Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to current and future students pursuing careers in culinary arts or food science.
College Beef Advocacy Program
Offered by American National CattleWomen
Open to college students under 24 years of age who are dedicated to beef advocacy and promotion.
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Sponsored
Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students.
John Kitt Memorial Scholarship
Offered by American Association of Candy Technologists
College sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending a four-year U.S. university with a demonstrated interest in confectionery technology.
James Beard Foundation Scholarships
Offered by James Beard Foundation
Aspiring and expierienced culinary workers wanting to further their education at a culinary school, hospitality institution, or university.
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Scholarships
Offered by National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Open to students enrolled in or accepted to undergraduate restaurant, foodservice, or hospitality-related programs.
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.
How to win culinary scholarships
Now that you’ve got a list of great culinary scholarships, it’s time to start applying! Writing effective essays is one of the best ways to stand out from the pack in your applications. We can help you through this process with our guides on how to start a scholarship essay, how to write a winning scholarship essay, and how to respond to “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” prompts. Here are a few more guides worth checking out:
Resources for culinary students
American Culinary Federation
The ACF is a nationwide network of culinary workers offering special benefits and discounts to student members. In addition to access to their summits and conferences, you’ll get access to discounts for a variety of products and services that prove useful to those in the culinary profession. You can even join the Young Chefs Club to meet other aspiring chefs around the country!
USDA Food Service Organizations Hub
This list of resources from the US Department of Agriculture includes organizations geared towards individuals in any subsection of the culinary sector. Check it out today to see which of the posted opportunities suits you!
Frequently asked questions about culinary scholarships
Is culinary school cheaper than college?
Culinary school is typically cheaper than college, but costs can vary widely for both college and culinary school. For example, as of 2022, New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute charges about $16,400. This is significantly less than most undergraduate college programs. However, you can find culinary schools that are both cheaper and more expensive than this price. Furthermore, it should be noted that their quoted price does not include housing.
Can you get a scholarship for cooking if you don’t go to culinary school?
Yes! For example, some students taking food-related courses qualify for culinary scholarships. So, this could include classes such as Sociology of Food. It could also include students who take cooking courses but do not plan on going to culinary school. Check out some of the other options on our list for more cooking scholarships.
Can I use the Pell Grant for culinary school?
Yes, you can! Accredited culinary schools count as qualifying undergraduate institutions, so as long as you have not already used up your Pell Grant funds on a Bachelor’s, you can use Pell Grant money for culinary school. Just remember, you will need to qualify for the Pell Grant through economic need, by filling out the FAFSA.
Is culinary school considered college?
Some culinary schools offer bachelor’s degrees, while others offer certificates, and so might be considered more of a trade school. The answer to this question varies based on which school you attend and how long you spend in school. To read more about the differences between these different types of degrees, check out our article on different types of undergraduate degrees.
