For over 30 years CVGMS has supported study within the broad fields of geology and the earth sciences through a scholarship program.

During its first 20 years, the CVGMS scholarship program presented an annual, competitive Scholarship Award to one or two graduates of a Monterey County high school who were transferring from MPC or Hartnell College to a four-year college or university to pursue a major in geology or earth science.

In 1993 the CVGMS scholarship program was refocused to concentrate on local community colleges, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. This change reflected the desire of the CVGMS membership to benefit a larger number of students, to reach students at an earlier age, to support local schools, and to ensure that scholarship funds raised locally would be spent locally.