The Karen Ha Scholarship was established by the family of Karen Ha to honor her legacy as a founding member and inaugural Board co-chair of KACF-SF. KACF-SF is committed to improving the quality of life in the Bay Area’s Korean American community and empowering the next generation of Korean American leaders. Through the Karen Ha Scholarship, we provide financial assistance and mentorship opportunities to talented but under-resourced students attending in-state public colleges or universities as undergraduates.
Those enrolling as freshmen are eligible for a $10,000 award ($2,500 per year, up to four years), while those transferring from community colleges are eligible for a $5,000 award ($2,500 per year, up to two years). Applicants must be incoming freshman planning to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year public college or university in California in the upcoming academic year or transfer students from a Bay Area community college planning to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year public college or university in California in the upcoming academic year.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and must be of Korean ethnicity. Applicant household’s pre-tax (gross) earnings must be under five times the federal poverty level for your household size. Applicant must reside in one of five Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. Transfer student applicants must currently be attending a community college in one of these five counties. Undocumented students with DACA status are eligible to apply; International students are not eligible to apply. In order to qualify for renewal, scholarship recipients must submit a renewal application annually, continue to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher each academic year, and be in good community standing.