The California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) is proud to present the
2014 CRAEF scholarship application. The application deadline for both undergraduate and high
school seniors is May 16. All materials must be mailed to CRAEF and postmarked by the
deadline date.
CRAEF scholarships are competitive and awarded to qualified applicants based on an
application, an essay, previous experience and an interview. Incomplete or late applications will
not be considered. Top applicants will be contacted for an interview with the CRAEF scholarship
panel, comprised of educators and industry leaders, by e-mail or phone six to eight weeks after
the deadline. Scholarships will be awarded in two payments following proof of enrollment in two
semesters. The first half of the scholarship is paid in early September and is made payable to the
school financial aid office. The second check is paid to the student for the spring semester, once
proof of enrollment with nine or more credit hours and proof of good standing with the college
requirement are submitted.
In addition to the CRAEF scholarship, we encourage students to apply for other scholarships
including the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF). The NRAEF
scholarship application must be completed online at www.nraef.org/scholarships. The completed
online form should be submitted with the required documentation and mailed to the NRAEF.
Students who reside in Orange County, Riverside County or Los Angeles counties may also
apply for the Norms Restaurants scholarship, which can be found at www.craef.org. Additional
scholarship and educational resources are available online at www.craef.org.
Applicant qualifications
To qualify for a CRAEF scholarship, the applicant must:
 be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
 be a California resident, although students may attend an out-of-state school
 be enrolled in or will be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours at an accredited
foodservice related postsecondary two consecutive semesters or terms
 have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
 be in good standing with the school for the second half of the award
 have completed at least one grading term of a postsecondary program or be a high school
senior going directly to a postsecondary school
 satisfy the minimum hours of industry-related work experience, paid or voluntary:
o 250 hours for high school students going into their freshmen year
o 400 hours for college freshmen going into their sophomore year
o 550 hours for students beyond sophomore year.
All work experience must be verified through paycheck stubs or a signed letter from
employers. Do not send copies of a W-2.
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Required documentation to be submitted with your signed application:
 An essay, which must be typed and double-spaced in a Word document.
 A copy of the applicant’s program curriculum from a college catalog or website with the
major or degree, the number of credit hours and all degree requirements shown.
 A high school or college transcript. Transcripts do not have to be a sealed official copy,
but must be from the school.
 Proof of the required restaurant and hospitality industry work experience as listed above.
Proof can be given in the form of scanned paycheck stubs or a scanned letter from an
employer verifying hours worked. Do not send copies of a W-2.
 Two letters of recommendation.
o One letter from a current or previous employer in the restaurant and hospitality
industry
o One letter from an instructor or faculty member.
Judging
CRAEF scholarships are competitive and awarded to qualified applicants based on an
application, an essay, previous work experience and an interview. Top applicants will be
selected for an interview with the CRAEF scholarship panel. Applicants will be judged on the
following criteria:
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Quality of the application, including spelling, grammar, content, etc.
Essay content, including quality of writing, word count, etc.
Industry-related experience
Personal interview
Notification
Applicants chosen for an interview will be notified six to eight weeks after the scholarship
deadline with further instructions on the location and time of the interview. Winning applicants
will be contacted and provided with information on how to claim funding. CRAEF scholarship
winners are chosen once per year and the scholarships are paid over two consecutive terms.
Deadlines
Undergraduate and high school senior deadline is May 16. All materials must be mailed to
CRAEF and postmarked by the deadline date.
Awards
The first half of the scholarship is paid in early September and is made payable to the school
financial aid office. The second check is paid to the student for the spring semester, once proof
of enrollment with nine or more credit hours and proof of good standing with the college
requirement are submitted.
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2014 CRAEF SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Section 1: Personal information
Social Security Number (required) ________-_______-________
Last name ___________________________________ First name ________________________
Primary e-mail address _________________________________________________________
Alternate e-mail address _________________________________________________________
Preferred phone (_____) ___________________ Alternate phone (_____) __________________
Permanent address ______________________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State _______________Zip _______________
School address (if applicable) _____________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State _______________Zip _______________
Date of birth ____________________________________________ Age___________________
Are you a California resident?
Are you a U.S. Citizen or a permanent resident?
□ Yes
□ Yes
□ No
□ No
Section 2: School information
Are you a former ProStart student?
□ Yes
□ No
If yes, please list high school _______________________________
What level of education are you currently pursuing?
□ high school diploma
□ certificate
□ associate’s degree
Next term I will be a
□ freshmen
□ sophomore
Next term I will attend
□ a community college
□ junior
□ bachelor’s degree
□ senior
□ a four-year college
□ culinary school
A. Current school information
School name_____________________________________________________________
Financial aid office address____________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State_______________ Zip_______________
Phone number (_____) _____________________ Student ID #: __________________________
Expected enrollment date (mo/yr) ________
Expected graduation date (mo/yr) __________
Current major/focus_________________________________________ GPA ______________
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B. Future school information (if different from above)
School name___________________________________________________________________
Financial aid office address_______________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State_______________ Zip_______________
Phone number (_____) _____________________ Student ID # __________________________
Expected enrollment date (mo/yr) ________
Expected graduation date (mo/yr) _________
Future major/focus___________________________________________ GPA ______________
C. Past school information
Past school name________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State_______________ Zip_______________
Phone number (_____) ___________________________________________________________
Dates enrolled (mo/yr) to (mo/yr) __________________________________________________
Major/focus________________________________________________ GPA _____________
Section 3: Restaurant and hospitality work experience
List the dates and locations of any restaurant and hospitality industry work experience. Eligible
candidates must meet the following requirements of paid or voluntary experience: 250 hours for
high school students going into their freshmen year, 400 hours for college freshmen going into
their sophomore year and 550 hours for those beyond their sophomore year of college. Include
only industry-related experience, beginning with most recent. If you require more space, please
include a separate sheet of paper.
Company name ________________________________________________________________
Type of business and position worked _______________________________________________
Company address _______________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State ______________ Zip _______________
Phone number (_____) __________________ Dates employed (mo/yr) to (mo/yr) ___________
Average hours worked per month ________________Total hours worked* _________________
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Company name ________________________________________________________________
Type of business and position worked _______________________________________________
Company address _______________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State_______________ Zip ______________
Phone number (_____) __________________ Dates employed (mo/yr) to (mo/yr) ___________
Average hours worked per month ________________ Total hours worked*_________________
*To calculate total hours, multiply average hours worked per month by total months worked.
Total hours restaurant or foodservice industry experience: _______________________________
Do you have a parent who is currently working in the restaurant and hospitality industry?
□ Yes □ No If so, where? _____________________________________________________
Section 4: Essay
Please respond to the essay prompt as best as possible. The essay must be typed, double-spaced,
on separate sheets of paper and original. It must be submitted with the application as described
on the instruction page. The essay should be approximately 500 to 750 words.
Essay prompt
Briefly describe your motivation for pursuing an education in the restaurant and hospitality
industry. Explain why you have chosen this career path. Please include how past experiences,
people you have met, interests you have, long-term goals and any other factors have contributed
to your aspiration to further your education in the industry.
Section 5: Interests
What areas of the restaurant and hospitality industry do you plan to enter after graduation?
Check all that apply.
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culinary arts
culinary education
environmental health
fine dining
food science
food styling
foodservice advertising/Communication
foodservice marketing
foodservice supply/Distribution
full service
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health care
hotel/lodging
quick service
restaurant and foodservice management
restaurant/facilities design
school foodservice
viticulture
event planning
other __________________________
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Is this a career or major change for you?
□ Yes
□ No
If yes, what career were you previously pursuing? _____________________________________
Section 6: Activities and academic honors
Please describe the community service or restaurant and hospitality industry-related activities
you have participated in and academic honors that you have received in the past four years.
A. List any community service activities.
B. List any restaurant and hospitality-related activities and any officer or leadership positions
you held, including dates, organizations and positions.
C. List any academic honors you have received.
D. List any other extracurricular activities or awards.
Section 7: Questionnaire
How did you learn about the CRAEF scholarship?
Professor or school adviser
Internet, if yes, did you learn about it from www.calrest.org?
Mailing
Employer
Friend, relative or coworker
Other______________
Yes
No
Have you ever been awarded a scholarship from CRAEF or the NRAEF?
□Yes
□No
If yes, list the scholarship, award amount and year_____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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List any other scholarships or tuition-assistance programs you have applied for or received
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
To the best of my knowledge, I have provided CRAEF with accurate responses to all questions
on this form. If I become a scholarship recipient, I agree to have my information released to
promote the CRAEF Scholarship Program throughout the restaurant and foodservice industry.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Signature
Date
Return completed application to:
CRAEF Scholarships
621 Capitol Mall, Suite 2000
Sacramento, CA 95814
All applications must be postmarked by May 16, 2014.
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