Scholarships or Grants for Culinary Art Schools

Scholarships are a great way to pay for culinary school.

If you dream of pursuing a career as a chef, a degree in culinary arts can provide you with the fundamentals you need to get started. Unfortunately, it can be costly. As of 2010, students enrolled at schools such as Johnson and Wales University or Le Cordon Bleu can expect to pay $24,000 to $35,000 per year for tuition and fees. For many students, scholarships and grants can help offset some of the expense.

Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America offers numerous scholarships for students enrolled in the associate's and bachelor's degree programs at its New York campus. Incoming freshmen are automatically considered for the High-Impact Leader Scholarship, the SAT/ACT Achievement Scholarship, the First-Generation Inner City Scholarship and the National Student Organization Scholarship. The scholarships range from $2,000 to $16,000 annually. The Cream of the Crop Scholarship is a $20,000 award for students who demonstrate superior academic achievement and outstanding leadership skills. The MFK Fisher Scholarship awards $2,000 to an outstanding student who has an interest in food writing. Student members of SkillsUSA and ProStart are eligible to apply for scholarships of up to $3,000.

French Culinary Institute

Based in New York City, the French Culinary Institute sponsors multiple scholarship opportunities for students enrolled in its culinary and pastry career programs. The Friends of the FCI Winter Award is a $10,000 scholarship available to incoming students who begin their studies during the winter term. A $4,475 scholarship is available to students who complete an introductory course in restaurant management. Foreign students may apply for the $2,500 International Student Scholarship. The Lily A. Barberio Culinary Arts Scholarship is a $20,000 award granted to one exceptional student annually.

Culinary Trust

The Culinary Trust provides scholarship and grant funding for students who plan to study or conduct research at culinary institutes in the U.S. and abroad. Several $5,000 awards are available to students attending one of the California or New York campuses of the French Culinary Institute. One $5,000 award is available to a student enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education. Full tuition scholarships are available for students attending Le Cordon Bleu in North America, London, Paris, Australia and Ottawa. Multiple fellowship grants also are available through the Julia Child Fund for students who wish to pursue independent study in France.

Careers Through Culinary Arts

The Careers Through Culinary Arts Program awards thousands annually to students who participate in its cooking competition. The program is open to high school students who plan to pursue a culinary arts degree. National finalists are eligible to compete for full-tuition scholarships to the Art Institute, the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu, Monroe College and the New England Culinary Institute. Full and partial tuition scholarships also are granted for finalists at the regional level. Regional scholarships are awarded to students in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Arizona and Hampton Roads, Virginia.