The BASIC Fund Scholarships

The BASIC Fund Scholarships is sponsored by The BASIC Fund. The BASIC Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit scholarship-granting organization whose mission is to advance education equity for low-income families by helping offset the cost of tuition at private schools in the Bay Area.

How to Apply – Basic Fund Congratulations on making a great choice in your child's education! We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 School Year Waitlist only. Please continue to apply.

The BASIC Fund will award scholarships periodically through the summer of 2026 if funds become available.

Accepting New Applications for Waitlist To qualify for tuition assistance families need to meet the following requirements: At least one child from the family will be entering private school for the first time The student will be entering PreK-8th Grade The student will attend a registered private school in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano or Sonoma counties in the upcoming school year The student meets all academic and other admission requirements of that school The family must agree to pay a portion of the tuition, and participate in their children’s education The family meets the following income eligibility guidelines If you have any questions about our qualification guidelines please check out our FAQ page , or contact us.

Maximum Annual Household Income Household Size includes you and all other family members living at your address for which you claim financial responsibility and claim as a dependent on your tax return. Household Income includes the total gross income of ALL household members. * BASIC Fund eligibility guidelines for the 2026-2027 School Year are based on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for 2025.

The BASIC Fund accepts all siblings in each family, keeping families supported and together. Here are the ways you can apply for a BASIC Fund Scholarship: Our scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need, determined by household size and income. The awards cover anywhere from 25-75% of a school’s tuition (after financial aid is applied), up to a maximum of $2,750 per student per year.

Participating families are required to contribute to their children’s education and are therefore responsible for costs not covered by the scholarship. The family must pay at least $500 for each school year but may be more.

Scholarships are renewable annually through the 8th grade provided that the family maintains their portion of the tuition payments, the family remains financially eligible, and the child remains enrolled in an accredited private school. 2026 BASIC Fund Online Application Existing Family Application (Now Closed) *Only click the 'New Family Application' link if you have never applied before to the BASIC Fund.

Scholarships are awarded on a first come, first served basis starting in mid-January, until the application deadline. The earlier you apply the better your chances of receiving a scholarship! Families applying to BASIC Fund must submit a copy of their filed Federal Tax Return (1040 Forms), including all supporting schedules, and W-2’s/1099’s.

If you do not file Taxes, additional IRS verification of non-filing can be requested. Complete applications received after the deadline will be placed on a waitlist and will be awarded periodically through the summer if funds become available. Please Note: You must submit a complete application to be considered for a scholarship.

If any part of the application or financial documentation is incomplete, the submitted date will not be honored. BASIC Fund will inform you if any part of the application is incomplete. BASIC Fund will email when an application has been processed – Please regularly check your inbox, as well as your spam or junk mail folder, to make sure you don’t miss any email communications from the BASIC Fund.

In this section you will find resources for Families and Schools. We encourage all of our schools and families to participate in the excellent programs offered by the organizations listed in these pages. If you’re looking for help with a specific issue please contact us!

Helping families connect with the services they need to ensure their own stability and assist their children in being successful is a very important part of the program. The BASIC Fund tries to make the application process as easy as possible, but please visit this page if you have any questions.

"I thank you for what you have done because you have given us something no one can ever take away: hope and the courage to strive to reach whatever we aspire to be."

-Tammia, a BASIC Fund alumna, and graduate from Ithaca College The BASIC Fund is a privately funded 501(c)3 scholarship-granting organization whose mission is to advance education equity for low-income families by helping offset the cost of tuition at private schools in the Bay Area.