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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness is announcing the opening of the application period for its annual John Kovacs Scholarship award, designed for persons who identify as having mental health and/or substance use experience, also known as “peers.” This scholarship program was made available through a generous donation from the John Kovacs Revocable Trust which was gifted to Behavioral Wellness. To honor the memory of John Kovacs, the Department established a Memorial Scholarship that awards up to two $2,500 scholarships annually.
Applications are due by September 30th, 2025. The applications will be scored in October and the announcement of 2025 John Kovacs scholarship recipients will occur at the annual Peer celebration in the end of November or beginning of December. For Peers interested in applying, the application can be found online and completed in English here and in Spanish here .