How hard is it to get the Hispanic Scholarship Fund?

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is a competitive award based on academic merit and need. There are numerous ways to get involved. HSF selects 10,000 scholars from a broad and talented pool of applicants each year. Winners get ongoing career and academic support. Some also receive scholarships ranging from $500-$5000. Applications are due March 15.

What percentage of Hispanic do you have to be to get scholarships?

Each program will have a different definition of what qualifies a student for a Hispanic or Latino/a scholarship. Some require applicants to prove 25%, 50%, or 100% Hispanic heritage. Check with each program as you apply. The Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund, for example, which offers awards of $3,500-$5,000 to students attending college in Central Florida, requires applicants to be born in a Hispanic country, or be first- or second-generation descendants of Hispanic immigrants.

What qualifies as a Hispanic-Serving Institution?

HSIs are nonprofit universities and colleges with a full-time undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of eligible HSIs. These schools qualify for more federal funding and meet certain grant and scholarship requirements.

Does my immigration or citizenship status affect my eligibility for certain scholarships or awards?

Yes, some scholarships will be open to anyone of Hispanic heritage, but others will require U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or DACA designation. Carefully read over eligibility requirements when applying for a scholarship to make sure you are spending your time on applications for which you are the most competitive.

Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino/a Students

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Updated on August 28, 2024

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Universities are trying to expand their reach to the growing Hispanic population. Check out our listing of Hispanic and Latino/a scholarships.

More than 4 million Hispanic and Latino/a students are expected to attend U.S. institutions of higher education by 2026, outpacing growth among all other racial-ethnic groups, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

Despite this projection, Hispanic and Latino/a students often face serious financial challenges associated with attending college. Some might come from low socio-economic groups, be a member of a migrant family, or be the first in their family to attend college.

Scholarships and grants geared specifically toward Hispanic and Latino/a students are an important resource for making higher education accessible. Below is a list of scholarships, along with eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and award amounts.

General College Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino/a Students

Sixty-one percent of families used scholarships to help pay for college in 2023, according to the lender Sallie Mae. Eighty-six percent of Hispanic families said this financial aid made college possible.

Here is a listing of general scholarships set up to support the United States’s growing Hispanic and Latino/a population.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be of Hispanic heritage and U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to be eligible. High school applicants need a minimum 3.0 GPA, and college or graduate school applicants need a minimum 2.5 GPA. Eligible students should plan to enroll in their accredited educational program full-time.
Deadline: February 15
Award Amount: $500-$5,000

Jean DeGrace Crandall Memorial Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be seasonal or migratory farmworkers (or the children of those workers) with a history of migration in one of the following New York counties — Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, or Westchester counties — looking to pursue a college degree. Individuals must submit a copy of a migrant education certificate of eligibility.
Deadline: April 5
Award Amount: $1,000 minimum

Jose Marti Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund

Who Is Eligible: Need-based grant awarded to Hispanic students planning to attend a Florida-based public or eligible private college. Students must demonstrate a need of at least $2,000. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens as well as Florida residents at the time of applying. This scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students based on exceptional financial need. Recipients must take a minimum of 12 credits at an eligible college each semester for renewal of the grant each year.
Deadline: April 1
Award Amount: $2,000 annually

The Gates Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be Hispanic Americans who are high school seniors and in good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.3). Applicants must be Pell-grant eligible and be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Awards cover all costs associated with attendance (tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, etc) not covered by financial aid or family contributions.
Deadline: September 15
Award Amount: Remaining college costs after aid

TheDream.US National Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is specifically for DACA- or (Temporary Protected Status) TPS-certified students preparing to, or who have already, graduated from a U.S.-based high school or a GED program. It’s also open to students with less than 21 college credits under certain conditions. Applicants must have arrived in the U.S. before they turned 16 and must plan to enroll full-time in an associate or bachelor’s degree program.
Deadline: February 28
Award Amount: $6,000-$33,000

The Nike HSI Scholarship Program

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must come from a “Hispanic-Serving Institution” or HSI. This means you must be attending a school where the undergraduate student enrollment is at least 25% Hispanic. Recipients must be of Hispanic heritage and have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5. First-year undergraduate students who do not yet have a college transcript must submit their high school grades.
Deadline: September 15
Award Amount: $5,000-$10,000

Scholarships for Latina and Hispanic Women

Not only are Latinos nearly twice as likely to have a bachelor’s degree today than they were in 2003, but according to the Pew Research Center, Hispanic women are more likely than Hispanic men to have crossed the graduation stage.

There is significant support to help historically excluded women access higher education. Below are some scholarships reserved for Latina and Hispanic women.

Chicana Latina Foundation

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must self-identify as Chicana and/or Latina women, be enrolled in an accredited program (including community colleges), and have lived at least two years in one of 13 California counties. Undergraduate students (including community college) must have a 2.0 GPA; graduate students must have a 2.7 GPA.
Deadline: January 1
Award Amount: $1,500

Illustrating Awesomeness Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Open to women, or gender nonconforming individuals, of color. Applicants must be currently enrolled, or plan on enrolling during spring semester intake, in an undergraduate program at a college or university in the U.S. Awards must be applied to tuition fees.
Deadline: Fall
Award Amount: $750

New York League Of Puerto Rican Women

Who Is Eligible:Puerto Rican and Hispanic women who value academic excellence and community service are invited to apply. Applicants must be enrolled in college. They need to have earned a minimum of 12 credits and hold a GPA of 3.0. They must not have any failing grades or other scholarships. Applicants must submit an essay, photos, transcript, and two letters of recommendation. They also are required to meet with the scholarship committee.
Deadline: May 24
Award Amount: Undisclosed

National Hispanic Business Women Association Educational Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is open to female residents of southern California who are enrolled or planning to enroll at an accredited U.S. college. Applicants must demonstrate a financial need and a commitment to service and academics. A 3.0 GPA is required.
Deadline: March 31
Award Amount: Undisclosed

NextDay Animations Illustrating Awesome Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is for young women and gender non-conforming individuals of color who are actively working to change the world. The scholarship is awarded in winter to be put towards the spring semester. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an U.S. undergraduate program or plan to begin their bachelor’s degree during the spring semester.
Deadline: Fall
Award Amount:$750

Subject-Specific Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino/a College Students

Narrowing your list of scholarship applications to those that are field-specific is one way to be more competitive in your scholarship search.

Ample funding is available for specific sectors, especially STEM-related fields, government, communications, and business. Check out some niche scholarship options for Hispanic and Latina/o students below.

ACS Scholars Program

Who Is Eligible: Available to individuals of underrepresented groups looking to major in, or are already majoring in, chemistry and related fields (see list of eligible majors). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and must be enrolled in an accredited academic institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Deadline: March 1st
Award Amount: $1,000-$5,000

NBCUniversal Media Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be Latino/a college sophomores or juniors enrolled in an accredited program full-time who are at least 18 years of age. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher andust be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and eligible to work legally in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship. Available to all majors with an interest in the media and entertainment industry.
Deadline: August 1st
Award Amount: $5,000

Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Latinos in Technology Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship supports third and fourth-year undergraduate Latino/a students in Northern California who have declared a major in a STEM-related field. Applicants should have graduated from a high school in Northern California or be enrolled at a 4-year college or university there. You need at least a 3.0 GPA and a demonstrated financial need.
Deadline: Rolling
Award Amount: $6,000-$18,000

Government Finance Officers Association Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Graduate or undergraduate minority students pursuing a career in state or local government finance can pursue this award. Suggested majors include: public administration, finance, political science, economics, business, or nonprofit administration. A letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your commitment to the public sector is required.
Deadline: Opens in November
Award Amount: $10,000

Prospanica Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This award is reserved for undergraduate and graduate business students committed to uplifting the entire Hispanic community. Applicants must be of Hispanic or Latino/a heritage and be a United States citizen, legal permanent resident, or DACA recipient. A GPA of at least 2.5 is required. Applicants must be members of Prospanica and be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited business school in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Deadline: April 22
Award Amount: $5,000

Scholarships for First-Generation Hispanic and Latino/a College Students

According to Sallie Mae’s 2023 report, “How America Pays for College”, 83% of first-generation college students receiving scholarships said the financial aid made getting to college possible. A financial lifeline can be life-changing. Many scholarships are geared to help the first in a family earn a degree.

EducationDynamics Minority First Generation Scholarship Contest

Who Is Eligible: Minority students who are the first in their families to attend college. Applicants must be at least 17 years old and enrolled in an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or certificate program at an accredited college or university.
Deadline: August 30
Award Amount: $10,000

Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program

Who Is Eligible: Open to underrepresented first-generation high school students entering college. Applicants must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and plan on attending a four-year college or university in the U.S. to study a select group of fields. Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens.
Deadline: March
Award Amount: $5,000

Dorrance Scholarship Program

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is for Arizona high school students who will be the first to attend college in their families. Applicants must have been accepted to one of Arizona’s three state universities and agree to live on campus for at least the first two years of their education. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and 1110 SAT and 22 ACT composite scores.
Deadline: January 31
Award Amount: $12,000 per academic year

Castillo Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Any Hispanic, first-generation high school, undergraduate, or graduate student who is pursuing STEM may apply for this scholarship. Applicants who are Michigan residents are preferred. An essay is required.
Deadline: August 1
Award Amount: $500

Charles Cheesman’s Student Debt Reduction Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship seeks to reduce student loans for African-American and Hispanic or Latino/a first-generation students who are currently in college or have graduated with debt. Workers who are no longer students but are trying to pay off student loans are eligible. An essay is required.
Deadline: November 30
Award Amount: $1,650-$5,000

Additional Financial Resources for Hispanic and Latino/a Students

National Hispanic Institute

NHI collaborates with 80 colleges and universities nationwide and serves 2,000-2,500 Hispanic high school and college students each year through youth leadership programs, financial awards and fellowships, and national and international outreach programs.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

HACU comprises more than 500 colleges and universities in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain, serving more than two-thirds of the world’s Hispanic college students. The organization works to provide access to high-quality academic and professional programs for Hispanic and Latino/a students.

Postsecondary National Policy Institute

PNPI helps guide existing and emerging postsecondary education policies through research and advocacy programs. The institute remains a leading national resource for statistical reporting on issues affecting Hispanic and Latino/a student groups in postsecondary education.

Excelencia in Education

This organization promotes student engagement, academic achievement, and workforce preparation for the Latino/a postsecondary community. Excelencia in Education comprises a variety of initiatives that aim to improve federal and state policy, education pathways, and financial aid opportunities for historically excluded students.

Frequently Asked Questions About Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino/a Students

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person of Hispanic or Latino/a descent is from a Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Spanish, or South or Central American culture.

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