ACWA Scholarship

Each year through the ACWA Scholarship Program, ACWA awards one $5,000 scholarship to qualified graduate students.

Apply for this Scholarship

Please review the ACWA Scholarship Guidelines thoroughly before completing the scholarship application. Applicants who do not meet the minimum eligibility requirements will not be considered.

Apply now for the 2026-’27 academic year using the link below. 

Eligibility and Application Requirements

  • Applicants must be attending an accredited public or private U.S. college, at the start of the academic year covered by the scholarship;
  • Applicants must be pursuing a graduate degree (Masters, PhD, or Law School) in water law and policy or public administration with a demonstrated concentration in the field of water resources;
  • Applicants who are enrolled either part-time or full-time for the entire academic year are eligible. This will vary by school but usually equates to 5-10 units for part-time enrollment and 12-25 units for full-time enrollment;
  • Applicants must submit two current letters of recommendation (but no more than three), with at least one of the letters originating from a college professor or employer;
  • Applicants must submit official transcripts for each college they have attending; sealed transcripts are not required but printed class schedules will not be accepted; and
  • Applicants must submit an essay responding to a specific prompt (no more than 1,000 words).

Selection Criteria

Scholarship recipients will be selected based on:

  • Scholastic achievement;
  • Demonstrated motivation to the vocation of water resources-related management; and
  • The quality of the student’s essay.

Purpose and Disbursement

Scholarship funds are not disbursed to the student directly. Funds are disbursed to the appropriate Financial Aid Office in a lump sum of $5,000 and must be applied to the student’s account for tuition and fees. Scholarship funds should not be transferred directly to the student or be used for any other purpose.

If a scholarship recipient fails to meet the terms of this scholarship in any way, the award may be rescinded.

Past Recipients

  • Kirsten Larson, CSU Fresno (2025)
  • Amelia Flores, UC Davis (2025)
  • Brayden Smith, San Jose State University (2024)
  • Joseph Silvi, UC Berkeley (2023)
  • Abdel Rahman Zaro, UC (2022)
  • Eric Rodriguez, CSU Fresno (2022)
  • Sean Low, CSU Long Beach (2021)
  • Sasha Vanley, UC Berkeley (2021)
  • Marcus Sanchez, CSU Long Beach (2020)
  • William Welch, UCLA (2020)
  • Nicholas Caton, UCLA (2019)
  • Fernanda Rocha, UC Irvine (2019)
  • Ashley Green, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2018)
  • Benjamin Clemons, UC Berkeley (2018)
  • Brian Clark, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2017)
  • Dylan Goodwin, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2017)
  • Holli Tripp, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2015)
  • Gregory Borba, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2015)
  • Martha Moak, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2014)
  • Sierra Minchaca, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2014)
  • Emily Kislik, UC Berkeley (2013)
  • Hilary Olsen, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2013)
  • Kerilyn Ambrosini, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2012)
  • Rebecca Peters, UC Berkeley (2012)