Scholarships

For some applicants, attending ICE can feel out of reach because of financial barriers. The ICE Cares Scholarship supports academically qualified applicants who demonstrate financial need and may not otherwise be able to enroll at the Institute of Culinary Education. Available to students applying to Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, or Health-Centered Culinary Arts diploma or associate degree programs, this scholarship provides a tuition credit of up to $5,000, with access to additional funding options for those who qualify. Up to 30 scholarships (up to 15 from the NY campus and up to 15 from the LA campus) will be awarded in 2026 to applicants who have completed the financial aid process and still need help meeting educational expenses.

Applicants must:

1. Apply to ICE and pay the application fee.
2. Complete the ICE financial aid process including submitting a FAFSA (a copy must be submitted to ICE to demonstrate financial need) and have been denied by Plus, NJ Class, Sallie Mae and Tuition Flex.
3. Have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in high school or college.
4. Be planning a career in the culinary industry.
5. Satisfy the entrance requirements for ICE
   1. Applicants must be a high school graduate.
   2. Those with international documentation must have an official certified translation indicating that the student completed the equivalent of at least a secondary school in the U.S.A.
6. The amount of the scholarship will depend on the amount of financial aid received. All financial aid must be applied to the cost of tuition, books, uniforms and equipment (as applicable) before utilizing the ICE Cares Scholarship funds to cover the remaining balance due. The maximum value of the Scholarship is $5,000.

There is no deadline for this scholarship opportunity — awards are announced on a rolling basis. The scholarship will be in the form of a tuition credit applied to the student's Balance Due upon enrollment in the Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts or Health-Centered Culinary Arts program. The scholarship must be redeemed within one year of being awarded.

Please contact your Admissions Representative for additional information.
 

The ICE High School Senior Scholarship is intended for current high school senior applicants, and may be applied towards tuition for all degree and diploma programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts or Health-Centered Culinary Arts. A total of up to six (6) scholarships, each worth a maximum of $10,000 will be awarded annually, up to 3 from the New York campus and up to 3 from the Los Angeles campus.

Applicants must:

1. Meet entrance requirements (except having a high school diploma)
2. Be in their senior year of high school at time of application (with documentation from their school)
3. Take the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test 

The highest scoring applicants on the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test administered at the New York and Los Angeles campuses will receive a scholarship. An applicant may take the examination only once. In the event that an applicant fails to graduate from high school, is unable to utilize the scholarship, enrolls at a different school, or declines the scholarship, the scholarship will be awarded to the next highest-scoring applicant.

Scholarships for the Los Angeles campus will be awarded on the third Monday in July of each year. The scholarship is paid via a tuition credit issued by ICE to the student’s account. The credit is good until the end of the calendar year (December 31) of the date of award and may not be transferred.

Scholarships for the New York campus will be awarded on the first Monday in August of each year. The credit is good for one year from the date of award and may not be transferred. 

The Yellow Ribbon Scholarships are worth up to $5000 and can be applied to tuition and fees for the enrolled program. To receive benefits under the Yellow Ribbon program a student: 

• Must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill
• Have served an aggregate period of 36 months of active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001
• Have been honorably discharged from active duty due to a service-connected disability after serving at least 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001

This benefit can also be applied to dependents that are eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on the service eligibility criteria listed above. Effective August 1, 2022, active duty service members, and their spouses using transferred entitlement, may participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. 

A $5000 scholarship award may be applied to Career Culinary Arts, Career Pastry and Baking Arts, Career Health-Centered Culinary Arts, diploma or associate degree programs offered at ICE's LA campus after all applicable benefits have been applied. 

A $2,000 scholarship award may be applied to the following online diploma or associate degree career training programs offered through the LA campus: Culinary Arts & Food Operations, Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations, Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations. Students will receive a $2000 discount applied to their Balance Due. 

A $1,500 scholarship award may by be applied to the Restaurant and Culinary Management program offered at the LA campus. Students will receive a $1500 discount applied to their Balance Due.

Founded in 1990, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) has worked to enhance the culinary arts curriculum in public schools as well as better prepare underserved students for college and career opportunities in the culinary and hospitality industries. 

Each year, ICE partners with C-CAP to offer culinary scholarships to students enrolled at our New York and Los Angeles campuses. 

New York Campus Scholarships:
ICE NY partners with C-CAP to offer one culinary scholarship through the C-CAP Scholarship Program: One (1) tuition credit towards the Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts or Health-Centered Culinary Arts diploma program.

The scholarship amount varies by program and class schedule selected. The scholarship covers tuition only for the program selected; student’s own funds must cover expenses for program supplies. The scholarship recipient needs to pay the $85 application fee but will be refunded upon enrollment.

ICE NY also partners with C-CAP to offer one management scholarship through the C-CAP Scholarship Program: One (1) tuition scholarship is awarded each year for the Restaurant & Culinary Management diploma program in the amount of full tuition. The scholarship recipient needs to pay the $85 application fee but will be refunded upon enrollment. The scholarship does not apply to expenses for the program such as books and supplies. Applicants must be a current or past participant in C-CAP in high school. Winners are selected by C-CAP in April and October annually.

Los Angeles Campus Scholarships:
ICE LA partners with C-CAP to offer up to five (5) scholarships through the C-CAP Scholarship Program:

• One (1) full-tuition scholarship for the Culinary Arts program.
• One (1) full-tuition scholarship for the Pastry & Baking Arts program.
• One (1) full-tuition scholarship for the Health-Centered Culinary Arts program.
• One (1) full-tuition scholarship for the Restaurant & Culinary Management program.
• One (1) full-tuition scholarship for any program for a student residing in Arizona at the time of their application.

In addition to these scholarships, the Los Angeles campus is also proud to offer all graduating Los Angeles area C-CAP students a scholarship to attend ICE. 

• Graduates are eligible for a $4,500 scholarship for the Culinary Arts and Management Associate Degree program, $3,000 scholarship for the Culinary Arts, Health-Centered Culinary Arts or Pastry and Baking Arts programs, or a $1,500 scholarship for the Restaurant & Culinary Management program.

The scholarships cover tuition only for the program selected; student’s own funds must cover expenses for program supplies such as uniforms and knives.

Eligibility Requirements: 
To be eligible for the NY or LA scholarships offered through the C-CAP Scholarship Program, applicants must be currently attending a C-CAP partner public high school or after school program and must complete the C-CAP Competition application process. Applications are submitted through a student’s culinary teacher or local C-CAP Coordinator (https://ccapinc.org/who-we-are/our-team/) and are accepted typically from September through December annually.

The culinary scholarships are awarded to finalists in the C-CAP Cooking Competition for Scholarships, which is typically held in April of each year. Finalists and scholarship winners are selected based on performance in the competition, soft skills (such as attitude and integrity), scholarship eligibility, financial need and the applicant’s school preferences.

To qualify for the additional scholarships offered to graduating Los Angeles area C-CAP students, a recipient must:

• Be graduating from a Southern California or Arizona C-CAP program with a high school graduation date within one year of their start date at ICE.
• Have at least a 2.75 GPA.
• Meet ICE’s general admissions requirements.

Please speak with your Admissions Representative or contact C-CAP with any questions regarding the scholarship at [email protected].

Kevin Nurse graduated from ICE's Culinary Arts Program in 2008. Kevin triumphed over remarkable odds with his own health to graduate from ICE and become a chef. Shortly before enrolling at ICE, he underwent a lifesaving heart transplant and discovered that in an amazing coincidence his heart donor had also attended culinary school and worked as a chef. Kevin felt that he was meant to carry on the donor's legacy. Sadly, Kevin passed in July 2010. This scholarship program honors his memory and celebrates his life and passion for the culinary arts, helping further carry on his inspirational story.

The scholarship is intended for a student who has overcome a medical hardship afflicting him or herself, or who has a family member with a medical hardship. Applicants should submit a 1,000-word essay explaining the applicant's medical hardship, passion for cooking and why he or she is deserving of the scholarship. 

Details:
Up to one total scholarship awarded in the amount listed below (varies by program):

• Culinary Arts Program: $10,000
• Pastry & Baking Arts Program: $10,000
• Health-Centered Culinary Arts Program: $10,000
• Restaurant & Culinary Management Program: $5,000
• Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management Program: $5,000

Submission timeframe: Applications are typically accepted annually from January through March. The winner is typically announced each year in July. 

All submissions should be sent electronically to [email protected]. No paper submissions will be accepted.
 

Each year, up to three (3) scholarships are offered by ICE through the Emma’s Torch Scholarship Program. Scholarships may be applied to the Culinary Arts, Health-Centered Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management or Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management diploma programs.

Scholarship value varies by program and class schedule selected. The amount of the scholarship includes full tuition, excluding books, uniforms, and supplies (where applicable) for the program selected.

Scholarship applicants must be graduates of the Emma’s Torch Program and meet their scholarship requirements. In addition, the applicants must meet ICE admissions requirements.

From January 5 through May 1, 2026, individuals who sign up to receive emails about planning and paying for college from Keystone Student Loans by PHEAA will automatically be entered to win one of twelve $2,500 scholarships to help pay for school. This scholarship is for students and their parents who are enrolled or planned to be enrolled for the 2026-27 academic year.

To apply for a chance to win this scholarship, complete the scholarship entry form below between January 5 and May 1, 2026. 

Applicants must:

1. Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, and be a legal resident of one of the following states: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

2. Satisfy the entrance requirements for the Institute of Culinary Education. 

3. Complete the Keystone $2,500 No Essay College Scholarship entry form in its entirety by May 1, 2026. The entry form can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KSL_SS_26 

NOTE: Employees of PHEAA, Entech, and their immediate relatives (spouses, parents, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, or step-grandchildren) and other household members are not eligible to win the $2,500 No-Essay College Scholarship.

The ACF Education Foundation, with the support of the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), offers educational scholarships to high school students, college students, current culinary students and professional chefs looking to further their education.

Please visit https://www.acfchefs.org/ACF/Education/Scholarships/ACF/Education/Scholarships/ for additional information.

Each year, the trust provides merit-based scholarships to students at member institutions who are committed to pursuing careers in accredited programs in the foodservice profession or related areas.

Please visit https://www.collegescholarships.com/scholarships/detail/131060 for additional information.

The leading scholarship research database. Visit https://www.fastweb.com/ to find additional culinary scholarships.

A collection of regional chapters, the Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH) seeks to promote scholarship, education and interest in the Hospitality Industry and related fields.

Please visit https://newh.org/scholarship/about-scholarships/ for additional information.

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation provides scholarships and support for students across the U.S.

Please visit https://rankinfoundation.org/scholar-grants/ for additional information.

National Restaurant Association (NRA) Education Foundation offers a variety of merit-based scholarships to students who want an education and a career in the foodservice industry, starting at $2,500 per award.

Please visit https://chooserestaurants.org/programs/scholarships-grants/ for additional information.

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