Susan Steelman Bragato Scholarship

In June 2023, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) will award ten $2,000 scholarships to high school graduates of CCSA member schools. The scholarship is named in honor of Susan Steelman Bragato, the co-founder of the first charter school in California and the founder of the California Network of Educational Charters (which was renamed the California Charter Schools Association in 2003). Susan was one of the first people to recognize the importance of building a strong network of support among charter school leaders statewide. Susan also organized the first California Charter Schools Conference.

The purpose of this scholarship is to celebrate the diversity of charter school communities and the achievements of graduating charter school students by supporting their continuing educational journeys. We encourage students of all backgrounds to apply for our scholarship, including English learners, non-citizens, LGBTQIA+, and students of color.

Application Criteria

• Student must be graduating on or before July 1, 2023 from a charter high school that is a current member of the California Charter Schools Association.
• Student must have a demonstrated need for financial aid.
• Winning applicants will be required to provide proof of enrollment at an accredited two or four-year public or private university, college, or technical school.

How to Apply

To apply for this scholarship, visit the application page here

Timeline

Below is the 2022-23 school year’s timeline for the Bragato Scholarship:

• March 1st, 2023: Bragato Scholarship begins accepting applications.
• April 17th, 2023 at 12pm: Scholarship stops accepting applications.
• June 5th, 2023: Scholarship winners are announced.

Deadline

The deadline to apply for this Scholarship is Monday, April 17th at 12:00pm.

Click here for past award winners.

How winners are selected

Student applications will be anonymized and reviewed by staff of the California Charter Schools Association. Applications will be scored on a rubric, with the ten highest scoring applications awarded a scholarship.

Notification of Award Winners

Award winners will be notified privately in May 2023 and will be featured on our website in June.

Please contact if you have any questions.