La Jolla Rotary Foundation administers two scholarship programs under which approximately $200,000 is distributed each year to graduates of La Jolla High School, The Bishop’s School, La Jolla Country Day School & The Preuss School. These are known as: La Jolla Rotary Scholarships & Florence Riford Scholarships.
Both of these scholarship programs provide financial assistance during the first year of college, and are intended to reward achievement and enable graduating seniors of these four La Jolla area high schools to further their education. However, the criteria for considering the scholarship applicants differ somewhat and are described in sections A & B. below. Students may be eligible to receive additional scholarship assistance during their Sophomore, Junior and Senior years. (See section D. below).
La Jolla Rotary Foundation is a charitable “501(c)3” corporation, contributions to which are fully tax-deductible.
Funds to support La Jolla Rotary Scholarships are derived from donations, grants, bequests and fundraising activities of the La Jolla Rotary Club. Scholarships awarded to graduating seniors tend to be in the range of $4,000 to $6,000.
The Florence Riford Scholarship program was established and endowed by the late Mrs. Florence Riford, who was the first female member of the La Jolla Rotary Club. Scholarships awarded to graduating seniors tend to be in the range of $4,000 to $6,000.
Students who might qualify are required to fully complete the application using the link for the Google Form below. Note: The scholarship program (Riford or Rotary) that the student may be considered for will be determined by the Scholarship Committee.
Additional scholarship assistance may be available to college students who received either La Jolla Rotary or Florence Riford Scholarships as graduating high school seniors.
Fill out this Google Form to reapply for the La Jolla Rotary or the Florence Riford Scholarships
Before filling out the Google Form, you will need to have a pdf or Google Doc of a letter written by you requesting additional scholarship funds. Please tell us something about what you are doing in college and why you deserve further scholarship assistance. Please keep the letter to no more than one page. You will upload this to your Google Form.
After filling out and submitting the Google Form, you will also need to email a certified transcript to:
LJRotaryScholarships@gmail.com
La Jolla Rotary Scholarship recipients need to submit a certified transcript from a four year college or university which includes your most recent grades from your last completed term, and which reflects your cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.
Florence Riford Scholarship recipients need to submit a certified transcript from a four year California college or university, which sets forth all of the following: confirmation that you are majoring in a STEM major such as science, technology, engineering, math, or pre-medicine (or, if you haven't yet declared a major, that your course work is focused on one of these areas), your most recent grades from your last completed term, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.
Once you have been approved to receive additional funding, you must have the Registrar's Office of your College/University forward proof of registration for your following school year to the La Jolla Rotary Scholarship Committee. This verification from the Registrar’s Office must be postmarked no later than October 30th. The registrar can email it to Natascha Vossen atLJRotaryScholarships@gmail.com
NOTE: All applications including requested information must be complete or they will not be accepted for review, no exceptions.
The following procedures must be followed by scholarship recipients (including reapplication participants) in order to receive disbursement of scholarship funds for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. Please note that strict compliance with these procedures is obligatory.
On or before October 30th, 2023:
Upon receiving all of the foregoing in a timely manner, we will issue you a check as promptly as possible.
NOTE: If we have not received the requisite Registrar’s Certified Document and all other required information on or before October 30th, 2023, your scholarship will be forfeited.
For all scholarship matters, text La Jolla Rotary Scholarship Committee Chair Natascha Vossen at 858-344-9172 or email her at LJRotaryScholarships@gmail.com