Steph Curry creates new full-ride scholarship program at Davidson, with a twist
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- Steph Curry and Davidson College will launch full-ride Curry Scholars program.
- 5-10 full scholarships will be granted per year to lower-income students from Bay Area.
- Program will begin in Fall 2027; applications to be in first Curry class due Sept. 21.
What do Steph Curry, Davidson College and the Oakland Unified School District have in common?
The trio is teaming up on a unique academic scholarship program — one that will allow 5-10 students every year to earn a full-ride scholarship to Davidson. The twist: All of the students will attend Davidson, but will need to travel cross-country to get there, because they will all hail from California.
The Davidson College Curry Scholars Program will be open to talented students from lower-income communities in the California’s Bay Area. The 5-10 Curry Scholars named each year will receive tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, a computer allowance and a trip to Davidson during April of their senior year in high school, alongside a guest of their choice, to visit the college.
“Davidson is where I learned what kind of person I want to be as much as I learned about basketball,” Curry said in a statement. “It means so much to me to help high-achieving students from the Oakland area, not just get a chance to go to college, but to learn, explore and grow as a human being like I was able to do.”
Curry rose to national prominence at Davidson in the 2000s, leading the school to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2008. Curry went on to become a 12-time NBA all-star, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. He has spent all 17 years in the league with Golden State and has long lived in the Bay area, along with his wife Ayesha and their children.
Curry also now serves as an assistant general manager for Davidson’s basketball programs while continuing his NBA career.
Although Curry, now 38, left Davidson a year early for the NBA in 2009, he worked steadily toward his college degree and returned to graduate from Davidson in 2022.
Davidson said in a statement that the new Curry Scholars Program would reflect “the college’s longstanding efforts to recruit first-generation college students and build a community of students from all backgrounds.”
The program’s first class will enter Davidson in the fall of 2027. Interested Bay Area students can apply at the Davidson College Curry Scholars web page, with applications and financial aid information due Sept. 21. College Track, a national college completion program, will be a partner in the Curry Scholars program. A sports background isn’t necessary for potential Curry Scholars, as the award is academic in nature.
According to Davidson, the Oakland Unified School District enrolls nearly 34,000 students. More than half of them qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The school district’s counseling teams will work alongside Davidson to identify prospective applicants.
“Davidson College’s mission is to send graduates into the world to lead and serve,” Davidson College President Doug Hicks said in a statement. “Stephen has proven himself a leader, not just in his career, but in devotion to his family and in working to create better opportunities for the children and young adults in Oakland. We’re excited to partner with him, again, and this time to help his young neighbors who are so important to him and to the future.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Steph Curry creates new full-ride scholarship program at Davidson, with a twist."
