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20 Scholarships for Latino and Hispanic Students



Scholarship awards and financial aid can help ease the financial burden of attending college. For students who identify as Hispanic or Latino, there are many scholarships worth exploring.

Consider these 20 scholarships for Hispanic and Latino students as a starting point in finding ways to fund your higher education.

20 scholarships for Hispanic and Latino students

Eligibility requirements vary for these scholarships, but they usually require you to be enrolled at an accredited four-year college or university and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

1. ABA Diversity Scholarship
2. ACS Scholars Program
3. ALCOA Fund Scholarship
4. AMS Minority Scholarships
5. Association of Cuban-American Engineers Scholarship Foundation (ACAESF)
6. Cooperativa Latino Credit Union
7. José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund
8. HACU IES Abroad Scholarship
9. Haz La U Program
10. Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards
11. Hispanic Scholarship Fund
12. Latinos in Technology Scholarship
13. La Unidad Latina Foundation Scholarship
14. LULAC National Scholarship Fund
15. NBCC Minority Fellowship Program
16. NBCUniversal/LNESC Scholarship
17. Prospanica Foundation Scholarships
18. The Randy Falco Scholarship
19. RTDNF Carole Simpson Scholarship
20. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships

Plus:

Where you can find more scholarships for Latino and Hispanic students
Additional ways to fund your college education

1. ABA Diversity Scholarship

Focus: Transportation studies

Deadline: Typically, early April

This $5,000 scholarship award from the American Bus Association (ABA) is awarded to students who plan to study a major related to the travel and tourism industry. ABA seeks to support underrepresented students pursuing careers in transportation, travel and tourism.

Winners are selected based on such factors as academic performance, character, leadership, financial need and a commitment to advancing the future of the transportation, travel, tourism or hospitality industries.

2. ACS Scholars Program

Focus: Chemistry

Deadline: Typically, March 1

The ACS Scholars Program awards over $1 million in scholarship aid to more than 300 students each year. This renewable scholarship focuses on underrepresented students wishing to pursue a career in the chemical sciences.

You must have a 3.0 GPA, be a high school senior or any year in college, identify as Hispanic and Latino and have U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency to qualify. If selected, you can receive up to $5,000 per academic year.

3. ALCOA Fund Scholarship

Focus: Cleveland residents

Deadline: Typically, mid-March

Run by the Cleveland Foundation, the ALCOA Scholarship is available to Hispanic students who graduated from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District or a Catholic school in the greater Cleveland area. If you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and demonstrate financial need, you could win a scholarship award between $2,000 and $5,000.

4. AMS Minority Scholarships

Focus: Meteorology-related studies

Deadline: Typically, early April

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) provides a $6,000 two-year scholarship ($3,000 per year) to first-year and sophomore students. It awards students underrepresented in the sciences, including Black, Latino and Native American students.

To be eligible, you must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and plan to work in the atmospheric, oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Note that marine biology doesn’t qualify.

5. Association of Cuban-American Engineers Scholarship Foundation (ACAESF)

Focus: General

Deadline: Typically, early September

ACAESF provides awards between $500 and $2,500 to undergraduate and graduate students of Cuban or other Hispanic heritage. You’ll need a minimum GPA of 3.0 to qualify, and you can receive this scholarship award for up to three years.

6. Cooperativa Latino Credit Union

Focus: General

Deadline: Typically, mid-May

The Cooperativa Latino Credit Union (LCCU) has awarded $455,000 in scholarship awards since 2016. Its scholarship awards are available for LCCU members pursuing higher education at a technical college or university in the U.S.

To qualify, you must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and show distinguished character and leadership qualities. The application involves essays and reference letters, both of which can be written in English or Spanish.

7. José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund

Focus: Florida residents

Deadline: April 1, 2023

The José Martí Foundation awards scholarships to Florida residents of Hispanic descent. To be eligible for this $2,000 scholarship, you must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and demonstrate a financial need of at least $2,000.

8. HACU IES Abroad Scholarship

Focus: Study abroad

Deadlines: Typically, May 1 and Nov. 1

This award is available to students attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution and studying abroad through an IES Abroad program. Priority is given to students who have demonstrated financial need or are first-generation students.

If you win this award, you could receive up to $5,000 for a semester abroad or up to $2,500 for a summer program abroad.

9. Haz La U Program

Focus: General

Deadline: Nov. 13, 2022

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive partnered to create the Haz La U or “Make the U” Program, which offers 100 scholarships worth $1,000 each for Hispanic youth.

This scholarship requires Hispanic heritage (high school students with heritage from Spain, Brazil and the Philippines are also eligible), a 3.0 GPA, and plans to enroll in an accredited bachelor’s degree program.

Preferred areas of study are business and entrepreneurship, community service, education, health care and science, media and entertainment and STEM programs (science, technology, engineering and math).

10. Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards

Focus: General

Deadline: Nov. 13, 2022

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Youth Awards award a grant you can use for college or fund a community service project. To win this award, you must be of Hispanic heritage and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The foundation looks explicitly for students who excel academically and in their community, particularly in business, finance, engineering, entrepreneurship, education, health care, science, media, entertainment, social justice or technology.

11. Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Focus: STEM

Deadline: Typically, mid-March

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is available to Latino students of various ages — from high school seniors to graduate students. All study majors are accepted, but there is an emphasis on STEM majors. There’s also a GPA requirement of 2.5 for college students and 3.0 for high school students. Recipients can receive from $500 to $5,000.

12. Latinos in Technology Scholarship

Focus: STEM

Deadline: Typically, mid-March

The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley offers up to 100 scholarships for a maximum of $30,000 (paid out over three years). Recipients must be of Latino or Hispanic origin and be studying in a STEM field.

This award is available to undergraduate students entering their junior or senior year or community college students transferring to a four-year school. You’ll need a GPA of at least 3.0 and plan to attend a school in a qualifying northern California county.

13. La Unidad Latina Foundation Scholarship

Focus: General

Deadline: Typically, mid-October

La Unidad Latina Foundation offers scholarships of $500 to $2,000 to qualified recipients. They must also be currently enrolled in an eligible master’s or bachelor’s program and maintain at least a 2.8 GPA.

Students must have already completed one full year of undergraduate study. Undergraduates can major in anything, while graduate students must pursue one of the following degrees: Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Public Administration/Policy, Master of Social Work, Master of Education, Master of Divinity or Doctor of Philosophy.

14. LULAC National Scholarship Fund

Focus: General

Deadline: Typically, the end of March

The LULAC National Scholarship Fund helps youth in underserved communities by providing scholarship awards that range from $250 to $2,000. To determine winners, the selection committee looks at such factors as academic performance, motivation, sincerity and community involvement. This scholarship is only available in states with a participating LULAC Council, which is updated yearly.

15. NBCC Minority Fellowship Program

Focus: Counseling

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2022

The National Board for Certified Counselors issues up to 30 fellowships worth $10,000 each, plus related travel expenses. Although eligibility isn’t limited to minorities, the organization prioritizes those from underrepresented populations, including Hispanic and Latino students. Additionally, candidates must pursue a master’s degree in counseling at an accredited school, plus have experience working with underserved minority communities, child/adolescent and geriatric groups, minority individuals or military families.

Recipients must attend the NBCC Foundation’s Bridging the Gap Symposium in the summer, along with two training events during the school year. Furthermore, students must agree to a two-year commitment of teaching, researching or working directly with the minority groups listed above within one year of graduation.

16. NBCUniversal/LNESC Scholarship

Focus: Media and entertainment

Deadline: Typically, mid-October

The NBCUniversal/LNESC Scholarship was created to help Latino students pursue careers in media and entertainment. The scholarship of $5,000 each is available to 10 college sophomores and juniors, all of whom must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students can major in anything but should express an interest in working in the media and entertainment industries.

Stay in the loop for upcoming opportunities with the League of United Latin American Citizens email updates.

17. Prospanica Foundation Scholarships

Focus: General

Deadline: Typically, the end of April

Prospanica offers scholarships of up to $5,000 for students of Hispanic or Latino heritage. To qualify, you’ll need to be a Prospanica member with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (or 2.75 if you also have two years of full-time work experience).

This scholarship is available to both undergraduate and graduate students. If you’re an undergraduate, you’ll need to be a sophomore or higher to apply.

18. The Randy Falco Scholarship

Focus: Media and entertainment

Deadline: Typically, mid-March

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) offers several scholarships. One of these scholarships is specifically for Hispanic or Latino college-bound students who intend to pursue a career in the television industry. The Randy Falco Scholarship awards $10,000 to its recipient.

19. RTDNF Carole Simpson Scholarship

Focus: Media and entertainment

Deadline: Typically, early February

The Carole Simpson Scholarship aims to support minority students pursuing a career in electronic journalism or broadcast media. This award is available to sophomores, juniors and seniors enrolled full-time with good academic standing. You can only receive this award once.

If selected, you’ll receive $2,000 and an invitation to the RTDNA conference.

20. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships

Focus: STEM

Deadline: Typically early May

Hispanic students interested in STEM programs can take advantage of various scholarships through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). The GPA requirement is a minimum of 2.75. You’re also required to have full-time membership in the SHPE.

Tips to make your scholarship application stand out

To increase the likelihood you’ll receive an award, try these tips:

Read the requirements thoroughly. Submitting an incomplete application is a recipe for disaster. Make sure to highlight key features, such as essay length, recommendations and other necessary paperwork.
Pay attention to deadlines. If you find scholarships that seem ideal, set a reminder to ensure you get your application submitted on time.
Gather letters of recommendation early. Most scholarships require a letter of recommendation from a teacher, mentor, counselor or manager. Approach them well in advance to avoid any delays in the application process.
Tweak your essay to fit each program. Your scholarship essay shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all template. Instead, alter the wording accordingly to showcase your specific talents, skills and expertise for this individual scholarship.
Be yourself. Stand out from the crowd by being your authentic self. Let your accomplishments, goals, dreams and uniqueness shine through.

Where you can find more scholarships for Latino and Hispanic students

The awards outlined above are the beginnings of a much longer list. You can access additional college scholarships for Hispanic students specific to the school you plan to attend, the location where you live or went to high school and programs for minority groups.

A great way to do this is by using a specialized search engine. You can check out our scholarship search guide for the full picture, but here are some scholarship platforms to get you started:

Additional ways to fund your college education

The cost of college continues to rise, with the 2020 average bachelor’s degree recipient graduating with an average of $28,400 in student loan debt. Although scholarship funds can help alleviate some of this financial burden, you’ll likely need other sources to cover the remaining expenses.

Here are some additional financing options to consider:

  • Federal financial aid: You’ll need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) every year you’re in school. Your financial aid award letter will outline what aid you’re eligible to receive, such as a Pell Grant, work-study grants and federal student loans. It’s best to exhaust this option before private student loans since you’ll have access to government-sponsored benefits, like income-driven repayment plans and student loan forgiveness.
  • Private student loans: Compared to federal loans, private student loans tend to come with higher interest rates and don’t have the same special benefits. They are a great way to help cover financial gaps when needed. See our private student loan guide for more information.
  • 529 college savings account: If college is a few years away or you’re thinking ahead for a child, you can invest money in a 529 college savings account. You’ll enjoy tax-free withdrawals if you use the funds toward qualified education expenses.
  • Crowdfunding: Consider asking friends and family to donate to your college funds instead of traditional birthday and holiday gifts. You can launch a GoFundMe campaign or collect funds via the Gift of College or UGift.

A college job: Having a decent-paying college job can help you stay on top of bills, thus reducing the amount you need to borrow in student loans.




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