The New Horizons Scholarship Program is designed to enrich the lives of Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz assisted families by providing a minimum $1000 scholarship intended to assist any household member seeking higher education.

If your are a member of a household that receives Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz (HACSC) rental assistance or you are a household member residing in a property managed or owned by HACSC and you will be attending a qualifying educational institution or program in the fall, apply now for the scholarship today!

Live-in-Aids are not considered household members and are not eligible to apply.

Before applying, make sure you review the eligibility criteria and qualifying types of educational institutions and programs. From the New Horizons Scholarship home page located under the Programs tab on the Housing Authority website, select the Apply Now link.

This link will direct you to the application packet that includes a checklist of all required materials.

Read all the information provided and follow the checklist carefully. Fill out the application, write your essay, obtain a letter of recommendation, and submit the application and supporting materials by the due date.

• Complete the scholarship application by selecting the Apply Now link on the New Horizons Scholarship Home Page,
• A personal essay (we strongly recommend the essay be typed) – 2-page maximum length. Please refer to the Application Material Checklist included in the Application for the essay prompts.
• One letter of recommendation from an academic professional (teacher, college professor, academic advisor or counselor, principle), your employer or direct supervisor, a co-worker, community volunteer supervisor or athletic coach, or a personal acquaintance or friend.
  • Note: You will receive points in the application scoring process for the type and content of the letter you submit. Please advise the person who is writing the letter to talk about your outstanding qualities and how they help you accomplish your goals.
• Proof of registration/enrollment in a qualifying educational institution or program for the application year’s fall semester either submitted with the application if available or submitted within 30 days after receiving written notification that you are a scholarship recipient.

There are three ways to submit your application.

OPTION 1: Mail your application and supplemental materials to the Housing Authority at the address below.

OPTION 2: Drop off at the Housing Authority office at the address below (onsite mailbox is available at address below).

Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz
Attention: New Horizons Scholarship Program
2160 41^st Avenue
Capitola, CA 95010

OPTION 3: Submit to [email protected]. You must write “New Horizons Scholarship Application” in the email subject line.

This year’s application due date is May 31, 2024

A minimum of $1,000.

The scholarship award will be issued directly to the scholarship recipient and can be used for a variety of expenses which include but are not limited to tuition, fees, books, computer equipment, and other materials required for their selected program.

The total number of scholarships awarded varies annually based on the number of eligible applicants and available funding.

You will be notified in writing whether or not you have been selected to receive a scholarship for the application year.

We expect to notify all scholarship recipients 6-8 weeks after the application due date.