
Personalized support for your college and career journey
Making Waves Education Foundation’s college and career success program provides need-based scholarship funding, one-to-one college and career coaching, and financial planning support for first-generation, low-income, students of color in the Bay Area.
We partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students on their college and career journeys to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. We meet students’ dreams with personalized support.
How it works
Our unique program offers scholarships, college success coaching, and financial planning to support you on your path to graduating college with minimal to no debt and set up for your first job.



Am I eligible?
Making Waves Education Foundation’s college and career success program is currently available to high school seniors attending Making Waves Academy and high school seniors in the Bay Area.
College and Career Success Program | Bay Area ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Application opens January 15, 2024 PROGRAM BENEFITS * Individualized college and career coaching * A personal financial coordinator * Up to $4,000 (annually) of need-based scholarship funding for up to a maximum of five years * Professional and peer networking opportunities. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY * Currently a high school senior * Attends high school within the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma) * Plans to attend a not-for-profit four-year college or university within the United States * Has a maximum Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $5,000 as indicated by the FAFSA, California Dream Act application, or equivalent Full scholarship rules HOW TO APPLY *Sign up for our free college and career chatbot *Follow us on TikTok *Submit an application between January 15, 2024- February 26, 2024. SELECTION OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS Twenty scholarship recipients and program participants will be announced by April 5, 2024, using a holistic judging procedure to identify eligible students who have the greatest opportunity to benefit from a scholarship and participation in the college and career success program. |
Earn your college degree. Reach your career goals. Be a Wave-Maker!
Our personalized approach means we are here throughout the entire college experience, and beyond. We provide inspiration and guidance for what makes you, as you grow your strengths.
Our Alumni
Our alumni network includes more than 600 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their peers, with 84% graduating from college debt-free.


“Being a part of Making Waves Foundation allows me to graduate college and provide a better lifestyle for my family. Helping me pay for tuition and providing me with an amazing coach have both been fundamental to my sanity. I really appreciate them, and everything they do in helping me break generational barriers.”
Anthony Jacobo gonzalez, pittsburg high graduate and wave-maker at UC DAVIS


Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit committed to equity. We partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. Knowing the opportunities that come with a college degree, we lead college and career programming with more than 500 college students. Centering the journeys of our students, our personalized approach includes college and career coaching, scholarships, and financial planning. Our alumni network includes more than 600 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their first-generation, low-income peers, with 84% graduating debt-free.