The Mr. Ray Kuo Scholarship is a named donor fund within the University of the West’s Golden Benefactor Awards, run by the Office of Financial Aid in Rosemead, California.
It offers one restricted US$500 award to a Buddhist monastic studying Religious Studies at UWest. The Financial Aid Committee selects on financial need, academic performance and character; the PDF does not say how many times a year this fund is given.
Benefits & funding
- One restricted US$500 award, used in the semester it is granted.
- Only one Golden Benefactor award per student per semester.
- Cannot be combined with the IBEF, President’s or Lotus scholarships unless the committee grants a petition for exceptional need.
- Recipients write a semester report on their academic progress for the donor.
Eligibility
- Buddhist monastic enrolled in the Religious Studies program at UWest.
- Undergraduate or graduate student in a degree-seeking program, with at least one semester already completed there.
- Full-time: at least 12 units (undergraduate) or 9 units (graduate).
- Not in your final semester.
- Minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Demonstrated financial need.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Applicants must have been previously enrolled for one semester in a degree-seeking program before they can become eligible to apply. … Open to UWest undergraduate and graduate full-time students, except students who are in their final semester.” Eligibility
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Register for the next semester before the deadline; the application is not processed otherwise.
- 2Complete, sign and date the Golden Benefactor Awards application form, including its financial need analysis.
- 3Write a Statement of Objectives (typed, double-spaced, up to 500 words).
- 4Deliver both to the Office of Financial Aid by the first Monday after the previous semester ends, in person or by mail (the PDF rules out fax and email, though another line also lists email).
Program timeline
14 Dec 2026
Spring 2027 application deadline (first Monday after Fall 2026 ends on 13 Dec)
11 Jan 2027
Spring 2027 semester begins
16 May 2027
Spring 2027 semester ends
17 May 2027 (expected)
Fall 2027 application deadline