The Jerry Gaines 2026 Scholarship

In honor of our former board member, Jerry Gaines, South Bay Credit Union is proud to announce the 2026 Jerry Gaines Scholarship. Mr. Gaines served as a volunteer for 41 years, and his vision, dedication and advocacy on behalf of the credit union has impacted so many lives that we wanted to fulfill his dream of making higher education accessible for all students.

Five for one thousand

Five (5) $1,000 scholarships will be awarded.

To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Student and/or their parent or guardian is a South Bay Credit Union member. If the recipient is not already a member at the time of award notification, they will be required to establish membership and open a share account prior to the disbursement of funds.
• Student must be actively enrolled or plan to enroll in undergraduate college courses within the calendar year
• Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 3.5 out of a possible 4.0

What we’ll need to send your scholastics soaring

• Completed application including a 300-500 word personal essay
  •  You should address in your essay your college goals and choice of major, what you intend to do with your education, and why a scholarship is important to you. Include any academic and non-academic accomplishments, personal characteristics, or experiences that make you uniquely worthy of scholarship consideration.
• Official copy of high school or college transcript
• Two letters of recommendation

Timeline

April 10 Applications due
April 24 Winners selected
Late-May Scholarships presented

Submissions

Apply Online Here

Please email your questions to sbcu@southbaycu.org. Winners will be selected on April 24, 2026. Scholarships will be presented in May.