Kids' Chance of California Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Kids' Chance of California

Kids’ Chance of California, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides post‑secondary scholarships to dependent children of workers who were killed or seriously injured in a compensable work‑related accident or occupational disease while employed by a California employer. Scholarships are awarded annually; students may submit an application each year they are enrolled in school.

Eligibility
- Age: Applicant must be between 16 and 25 years old.
- Relationship: Applicant must be the child or legal dependent of a worker whose death or serious injury was determined to be work‑related and compensable with a California employer.
- Immigration status: Neither the student applicant nor the injured/deceased worker must be a U.S. legal resident — residency in the United States is not required.
- Financial need: Applicant must demonstrate financial need.
- Enrollment status: Applicant must be enrolled, accepted, or applying for acceptance as either a full‑time or part‑time student at a university, college, or technical/trade school.

Required documents
- Completed Kids’ Chance of California scholarship application.
- Proof of enrollment or an acceptance letter from the university, college, or technical school.
- A completed financial aid release form for the 2024–2025 school year (Download KCOCA Financial Aid Form). This form must be completed by the school.
- Documentation verifying an accepted workers’ compensation claim, such as:
- Letter from the claims adjuster accepting liability/claim; or
- Findings and Award issued by a WCAB judge (judge’s decision); or
- Stipulations with Request for Award (settlement decision).
These documents must show that the parent’s injury or death was determined to be work‑related and compensable. Do not submit medical records; if medical records are sent to headquarters they will be destroyed once the application is received.

Application and review process
1. Preliminary review: Kids’ Chance of California will perform an initial review of all completed applications. Application deadline is May 15 for consideration of Fall and Spring scholarship funds. All supporting materials must be uploaded through the “Upload Supporting Documents” tool (once logged in) by no later than June 15 to be considered.
2. Scholarship Committee review: The Kids’ Chance of California Scholarship Committee will evaluate all applications that have the required documentation uploaded.
3. Board review and decision: The Board of Directors will review the complete applications and the Scholarship Committee’s recommendations, and will make the final scholarship award decisions.
4. Notification and distribution: Applicants will be informed of their award status and the method of award distribution.
5. Annual reapplication: Scholarships are granted on an annual basis. Applicants must reapply each year and continued awards are contingent upon submission of current enrollment documentation and availability of funds.

All scholarship decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors of Kids’ Chance of California, Inc.