The California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) established the Robert M. O’Dell endowed scholarship fund in April 1987, with a gift of $71,000, primarily the result of contributions from hundreds of private sector companies in support of the 1986 GFOA Conference in Los Angeles, to honor the former city treasurer of Los Angeles. The scholarships are awarded on an alternating basis between northern and southern geographic regions of California to the 17 campuses offering degree programs in public administration. Four (4) scholarships for the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded for the academic year. Eligible campuses are rotated between northern and southern California each year.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be in a degree program in public administration.
Applicants must be in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants must be currently enrolled as a full-time, upper-division undergraduate or graduate student in public administration and must remain a full-time student in good standing during the academic year in which the award is received.
Applicants may not be a previous recipient of this award. Strong consideration will be given to an applicant who is also:
A public administration major specializing in finance
A first-generation college student

 

The California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) established the Robert M. O’Dell endowed scholarship fund in April 1987 to honor the former city treasurer of Los Angeles. The scholarships are awarded on an alternating basis between northern and southern geographic regions of California to the 17 campuses offering degree programs in public administration. Four (4) scholarships for the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded for the academic year. Eligible campuses are rotated between northern and southern California each year.

Application deadline: Contact the financial aid department at your campus for the spring application deadline.

Award amount: Four (4) scholarships for the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded for the academic year.

How to apply: Applications are available through the campus financial aid office. The financial aid office will review applications to ensure that they meet all stated requirements. The campus may submit one (1) applicant for consideration to the CSU Foundation to make the final selection. Priority will be based on GPA.

Completed applications submitted by the campus Financial Aid Office to the CSU Foundation must include the following:

Scholarship applicant information form
An official or unofficial transcript
A brief personal statement describing their background, personal achievements, challenges they have encountered, educational pursuits and aspirations for the future
A completed application checklist

Scholarship recipients will be invited by the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers to attend their annual professional conference in Southern California in the spring. Contact the financial aid department for the spring application deadline.