To my knowledge, the only UC that asks for letters is Berkeley. On the UCLA site, it says that it will only take letters if they are specifically requested.
I overheard someone at school saying they were emailed and asked to send some to UCLA. Why could that be? Are they not particularly interested in you (for any merit scholarships… etc) if they don’t ask?
Could I still be a strong candidate for any scholarships at the school? (full or partial)
UC Berkeley is the only campus that is taking letters of recommendation as a trial procedural at this time. Not asking for a recommendation does not mean that admissions faculty do not have interest in you as an applicant. It simply means that they have enough information already and are convinced about you. Usually, they ask for letters of recommendation from students of whom they are doubtful about based on what they have submitted, or they feel interest in knowing something more about so they can enhance their chances. They however do not mean to jeopardize a students chances if he or she has not been asked to provide one. http://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmanpolicy
If you are admitted, you will be considered for scholarships alongside. I would advise you to review the links with information:
http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/regents-and-chancellors-scholarship… This will give you information on your eligibility.