McFarland Grape Festival Scholarship Program

The City of McFarland is proud to offer the McFarland Grape Festival Scholarship Program to support graduating McFarland High School seniors as they continue their education.

Scholarship funds are intended to help offset eligible expenses associated with higher education or trade school, including tuition, books, educational materials, and other qualifying expenses with supporting documentation.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a graduating senior from McFarland High School

• Maintain a primary residence within McFarland city limits

• Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher

• Be applying to or planning to attend a trade school, two-year college, four-year college, or university

Application Requirements

A complete scholarship application packet must include:

1. A completed and signed scholarship application

2. Responses to all required essay questions

3. Two letters of recommendation from non-family members

   • At least one letter must come from a school-based reference, such as a teacher, counselor, administrator, or other school professional.

   • The second letter may also come from a school-based reference or from another non-family reference such as an employer, coach, mentor, community member, or other individual familiar with the applicant.

4. An official high school transcript

Essay Responses

Applicants are welcome to complete the essay portions of the application on a separate document, such as a Google Doc or Microsoft Word document, if additional space is needed.

If separate pages are used, please clearly include the applicant's name and identify which essay question each response corresponds to. The completed essay responses should be submitted together with the rest of the application packet.

How to Apply

Scholarship applications are available:

• Online through the City of McFarland website

• In person at McFarland City Hall

Download the Application

[Download the McFarland Grape Festival Scholarship Application]

Completed applications must be submitted in person to:

McFarland City Hall
401 W. Kern Avenue
McFarland, CA 93250

Application Deadline

September 10, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Scholarship Awards

Scholarship awards are provided on a reimbursement basis. Before receiving reimbursement, scholarship recipients will be required to provide documentation showing enrollment and eligible educational expenses.

Qualifying expenses may include tuition, books, calculators, laptops, parking passes, required uniforms, tools, equipment, or other materials directly related to the recipient's college, university, or trade school program.

Receipts and supporting documentation will be required for reimbursement.

Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the McFarland Grape Festival.

Questions?

For additional information about the McFarland Grape Festival Scholarship Program, please contact:

City of McFarland
401 W. Kern Avenue
McFarland, CA 93250
Phone: 661-792-3091
Website: mcfarlandcity.org