Full tuition, Full Support, Full entrepreneurial investment

The Startup Scholars cohort-based program provides access and opportunity to deserving students. At the heart of the cohort is a program built in the startup spirit of Silicon Valley.

Startup Scholars group

Those offered admission into the program are given an unprecedented opportunity and level of support:

• Full-ride scholarship.
• Full coverage of living expenses.
• A $10,000 investment into a passion project of their
choice—Tied to computer science, business or another SFBU program.
• Access to and support from President Ladany.
• Access to and tailored support from the to-be-created SFBU Success Concierge.

Apply to be a Startup Scholar
Contact us about Startup Scholars
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What Is A Startup Scholar?

The SFBU Startup Scholars program is an innovative, cohort-based initiative that launched in Fall 2024, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. This program is tailored for aspiring entrepreneurs eager to thrive in an environment synonymous with innovation. Offering a Bachelor of Science in either Computer Science or Business Administration, Startup Scholars receive full-tuition scholarships, living expenses, and a $10,000 investment to fuel their passion projects. With a focus on socially minded and sustainability-driven innovations, this program embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Silicon Valley.

 

Program Details

Students may select from two undergraduate majors: a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Startup Scholars receive:

  • Full-tuition scholarship
  • Full coverage of living expenses in an SFBU residence hall
  • A $10,000 investment into a passion project of your choice. Pursue a project linked to a socially minded or sustainability focused innovation that could have an impact in a community or communities around the world.
  • Personal access to, and support from, SFBU President Nick Ladany, Ph.D.
  • Access to, and tailored support from, our Student Success Counselors — so that you can plot a course of action to achieve your goals

  • An optional Parent Involvement Program so that families can receive communications about upcoming events, reminders and deadlines, updates on new programs, and other pertinent information. We’ll also invite your family on-campus for special events each semester, because we want to keep them engaged. 

     

More Information

Applicants who meet the following criteria are eligible to become Startup Scholars:
  • Minimum high school GPA of 3.0
  • Demonstrated idea/plan for a passion project
  • Recommendation from a mentor, teacher or other community figure
  • Status as a first-generation student
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Commitment to remain at SFBU for a minimum of two academic years fully enrolled
Once enrolled, we expect Startup Scholars to:
  • Engage — with each other and with the Startup Scholars community. This includes attending events, meeting with staff regularly, being timely and professional, and supporting each other.
  • Communicate — with faculty and mentors via emails, text messages and phone calls. This includes promptly responding and addressing any action items outlined in the communication.
  • Prioritize — their education and their future. Life can get hectic, but our team is here to ensure all scholars reach graduation. The program aims to guide scholars in navigating higher education, but can only do so when students put their best foot forward.
  • Collaborate — with respect and kindness, especially when facing challenges that may arise. While conflict and hardship are never easy, learning to work through them is crucial to your professional and personal development.
  • Build — community with each other and the wider SFBU community. We understand students will each have their own college experience, but we expect our scholars to support each other, forge lasting friendships and hold one another accountable.
  • Share — their strengths with each other and the SFBU community to ensure everyone learns and grows collectively. 

Higher education is an investment in your future. But let’s be honest: Cost is the number one barrier students face in making the decision to enroll in college. So, we asked ourselves: “How often do universities invest fully in their students?” The answer? Not often enough.

But SFBU is a different kind of university, located in a different kind of place: Silicon Valley — our nation’s cradle of technological innovation. SFBU and the Valley we call home exist at the crossroads of technology and human creativity. However, if we are going to continue to drive the innovation Silicon Valley and the world requires, SFBU needs you.

At SFBU, our students are our greatest strength, our greatest joy, and our reason for existing. We want you to share your big ideas with us. We want to hear about what inspires you, what problems you want to help solve in your community — and we want SFBU to be a place where you can live, learn and grow with purpose. And cost shouldn’t be a barrier. So we took a cue from Industry and decided to make a significant investment in you.

That’s why we’re offering qualified applicants the opportunity to earn a full scholarship, with full support.