Scholarships

UC Irvine DCE offers a limited number of scholarships, each covering tuition up to $800 that can be applied toward enrollment in one or more Summer or Fall 2026 courses.

Who is Eligible?

Any student who has met all of the following requirements:

• Registered for a UC Irvine DCE certificate program, specialized studies, international program or concurrent enrollment course.*
• Successfully completed at least two DCE courses since July 1, 2022.
• Earned a grade of ‘B’ or higher in your most recent DCE course.

*Summer Session, OLLI, Technology Boot Camps, Coursera, and UC Irvine degree/certificate programs are excluded.

Students who were previously awarded this scholarship are not eligible to reapply.

How to Apply

• Complete the online application.
• Applications will be accepted between February 17 to April 17, 2026.
• In the online application, you will be asked to answer the following questions:
  • Reason for Application: in 500 characters, or less, briefly describe the reason you are applying for this scholarship.
  • Statement of Personal or Professional Goals: in 1500 characters or less, please describe how the UC Irvine DCE program will help you attain your personal and/or professional goals.
• Submit a Professional or Academic Letter of Recommendation: In support of your abilities, and personal and/or professional goals, please request that a professional or academic colleague (such as a supervisor, manager or recent instructor) directly email a letter of recommendation to dce-services@uci.edu. Please ask your recommender to include your name and "recommendation" in the subject line and to include his or her professional or academic association to you in the body of the letter. Acceptable format for the recommendation letter are MS Word or PDF.

Terms & Conditions

• Scholarship award is provided for course and or program fees only and excludes parking, candidacy, UCInetID, textbooks, as well as living expenses, etc.
• Enrollment must be for Summer and/or Fall 2026 quarters only and forfeited after Fall 2026.
• If you are not able to attend and have to drop your course and/or program, any scholarship applied to that course/program is also forfeited.
• Scholarship cannot be transferred to another individual and cannot be applied to Summer Session, OLLI, Technology Boot Camps, Coursera, or UC Irvine degree/certificate programs.
• Scholarship cannot be used for reimbursement of fees previously paid.
• Applications will be reviewed by the DCE Scholarship Committee and all award decisions are final.
• There is no guarantee of a scholarship pool each year for distribution.
• DCE reserves the right to modify scholarship criteria at any time and without prior notice.

Important Dates

• Online application and letter of recommendation are due by 4pm (PST), April 17, 2026.
• Scholarship recipients will be notified individually by early June 2026.
• The scholarship application period for Winter and Spring 2027 will open in mid-August 2026.

Apply for the DCE Scholarship

DCE will use Verizon’s $10,000 grant to fund scholarships for working adults pursuing short, career-relevant courses. The grant will support 20 learners to complete a single course, removing financial barriers and helping adults up-skill/re-skill for advancement and career transition.

Who is Eligible?

All DCE students are eligible to apply.*

How to Apply

• Complete the online application by the application due date.
• In the online application, you will be asked to answer the following questions:
  • Course Statement: Please identify the specific UC Irvine DCE course you are applying to fund and explain, in 300 characters or less, how this course is directly relevant to your upskilling or reskilling goal.
  • Reason for Application: In 500 characters or less, briefly describe your current employment or career situation and why you are seeking financial assistance to complete this course. Include how this scholarship will remove a specific barrier preventing you from moving forward in your career or professional development.
  • Statement of Personal or Professional Goals:
    • Part 1 – Upskilling or Reskilling Need (750 characters or less): Describe the skills gap or career challenge you are currently facing. Are you seeking to advance in your current role, transition into a new career, or re-enter the workforce? How does the course you are applying for directly address that need?
    • Part 2 – Expected Outcome and Impact (750 characters or less): Describe the specific professional outcome you expect to achieve upon completing this course. What advancement, new role, industry, or opportunity do you anticipate pursuing, and how will this UC Irvine DCE course serve as a bridge to that goal?
• Submit a Professional or Academic Letter of Recommendation:
  • In support of your abilities, and personal and/or professional goals, please request that a professional or academic colleague (such as a supervisor, manager or recent instructor) directly email a letter of recommendation to dce-services@uci.edu.
  • Your recommender should address your professional work ethic, your capacity to succeed in an academic or professional development program, and — where possible — speak to the career advancement or transition goals you have discussed with them.
  • Please ask your recommender to include your name and ‘recommendation’ in the subject line and to include his or her professional or academic association to you in the body of the letter. Acceptable format for the recommendation letter are MS Word or PDF.

Terms & Conditions

• Scholarship award is provided for course and or program fees only and excludes parking, candidacy, UCInetID, textbooks, as well as living expenses, etc.
• Enrollment must be for Fall 2026 to Spring 2027 quarters only and forfeited after Spring 2027.
• If you are not able to attend and have to drop your course and/or program, any scholarship applied to that course/program is also forfeited.
• Scholarship cannot be used for reimbursement of fees previously paid.
• Applications will be reviewed by the DCE Scholarship Committee and all award decisions are final.
• There is no guarantee of a scholarship pool each year for distribution.
• DCE reserves the right to modify scholarship criteria at any time and without prior notice.

Important Dates