Scholarship Opportunities For Hispanic And Latino Students – 2020 Overview
There’s no denying the fact that the cost of higher education is increasing by leaps and bounds. With the massive surge in overall educational expenses, many Hispanic students are facing the heat. In fact, compared to white students, the burden of student loans for minority communities is way higher.
Getting a student loan is one of the most preferred options, but it also results in substantial debt, with repayments spanning decades. Hence, applying for scholarships and grants is a must, regardless of your ethnicity. If you’re a Hispanic or a Latino student, use these Hispanic scholarship funds to help raise money for higher studies and avoid student loans as much as possible.
Review Our Choice Of Scholarships For Latino And Hispanic Students
Scholarships for Hispanic students may vary in terms of eligibility. In general, most require you to have a 2.5 GPA and be enrolled at an approved four-year degree college or university. Below, we’ve listed the best funding opportunities regardless of your school and location.
General Scholarships For Hispanic Students
If you’re considering a STEM career, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund can help you. This program also provides funds for students in all majors. It’s one of the best scholarships for Latino students.
Amount: $500 - $5,000 depending on merit
Deadline: February 15th, 2020
Eligibility:
- Must be a student in high school or an undergraduate/graduate program
- Latino heritage
- 3.0 GPA for high school and 2.5 for college
- US citizen, a permanent legal resident, or a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Application Process:
- Complete the FAFSA form and Student Aid Report
- Fill out the essays and transcripts
- Have a letter of recommendation
- Submit a financial aid award letter
- Verification of enrollment
Scholarships For Hispanic College Students
This program offers scholarships for Hispanic college students, so they’re able to fund their higher education. The Colgate-Palmolive and Hispanic Heritage Foundation has partnered with and created the Haz La U Program. The program offers 31 scholarships for Latino youth.
Amount: $2,000 - $15,000
Deadline: November 30th, 2020
Eligibility:
- You must be of Latino heritage that includes Brazil, Spain, or the Philippines
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA
- Plan to enroll in a bachelor program after graduating
Application Process:
- The applicant should be a high school senior student
- Should qualify for DACA
- Must apply for FAFSA
- Citizen or eligible non-citizen
- If the applicant has been selected, it’s mandatory to attend the regional ceremony
The program offered by Haz La U offers scholarships for Hispanics for higher education by providing financial aid through education grants. The grant totals up to $100,000 through 10 bronze awards of $2,000, 10 silver awards of $3,000, 10 gold awards of $3,500, and one national fellowship of $15,000.
Scholarships For Hispanic Females
Grants for females provide financial aid and support to the women who want to pursue their education. MPower Financial provides funding annually with the Women in STEM Scholarship.
Amount: $500 - $2,000
Deadline: March
Eligibility:
- Women should be from a developing country and be eligible students of at least 25 years of age
- Should have enrolled for an accredited postsecondary program that focuses on women
- Permanent resident and agrees to go back to the country of their origin after two years of completing their degree
Application Process:
- Eligibility is limited for women belonging to the DACA category
- Must send a thoughtful essay about their goals and also transcripts
- Will have to prove how they can be role models and advocates for women and girls in STEM
Hispanic Nursing And Medical Scholarships
Hispanic Nursing Scholarships are by the NAHN (National Association of Hispanic Nurses) and are only for Nursing students and members of NAHN.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 1st
Eligibility:
- Currently enrolled with a nursing program in approved categories
- Enrolled with a nursing program located in an Online, Hybrid, or Western WA program
- Individual who becomes a member of WW-NAHN within 30 days of receiving the award
Application Process:
- Submit application materials before the last date through the official website
- Attach application materials including five-page WW-NAHN application form, current college transcripts, and signed letter from employer, professor, volunteer supervisor, leader, or non-relative community member
- A current curriculum vitae or resume with the required headings
Latinos In Technology Scholarships
The Latinos in Technology Scholarship fund was established by the public foundation The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. It gives out funding to around 100 Latino students to help support their education in technology, engineering, math, and science.
Amount: Up to $30,000
Deadline: April 3rd
Eligibility:
- Must be of Latino origin
- Has been accepted and declared a major in a STEM program
- Current college students entering junior or senior year in a four-year undergraduate program
- Current community college students transferring to a four-year undergraduate university or college
- High school graduates from listed Northern California countries
- Have a minimum cumulative college grade point of 3.0
- US citizen or eligible non-citizen
Application Process:
- Fill out and submit the SVCF application form
- Attach personal statements with words ranging from 500-850 words
- Attach evidence of a financial need
- Upload PDFs of unofficial and official transcripts of grades
- Lastly, attach a letter of reference from college professors of STEM
Hispanic Engineering Scholarships
Scholarships for Hispanic students are offered by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to high school students, graduate students, and college students in STEM.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: June 30th
Eligibility:
- The applicant needs to be an active member of SHPE with a minimum GPA of 2.75
- Should be pursuing a professional certificate or STEM degree at qualified schools
- Must be either a graduate or undergraduate student obtaining a second degree
- Be of eligible heritage
Application Process:
- Visit the official website and create a MyHSF profile
- Verify your email address and login to the ‘applicant dashboard’
- Apply for FAFSA
- Supply required documents like SAR copy, essay, enrollment verification, high school and college transcripts, and letter of recommendation
Important Eligibility Requirements
When applying for Latino students’ scholarships, the eligibility criteria will depend on the program you choose. However, some standard requirements are used across the board. These include:
- Need to take the NMSQT or PSAT in junior year
- Must obtain a minimum score to qualify for NMSQT or PSAT
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 - 3.5 or higher in the junior year
- Applicants aren’t eligible to use PSAT 10, PSAT 8/9, or SAT scores to obtain Hispanic scholarships from any college
- Be of eligible heritage and a US citizen, DACA, Permanent Legal Resident of the US, or an eligible non-citizen as defined by FAFSA
- Furnish letters of recommendation from your employers, school counselors, or teachers
- Answer the essay prompts and write in a clear way explaining why the funding is deserved
- Must submit required certificates to prove low-economic status
The individual also needs to have a physical presence in the US when applying. They should also have a single account or joint account with any bank or credit union based in the US.
To qualify for funding, students need to work on their grade point average, community involvement, and test scores. Students need to have a Latino origin as per the Migration Policy Institute.
What Is Expected From Scholarship Applicants?
When applying for scholarships for Hispanic or Latinos, there’s a particular set of documents that needs to be submitted along with the application form. The list of documents includes:
- A heritage document for students who speak Spanish coming from Spain, Mexico, or Cuba
- Grade and test score documents mentioning your ACT or SAT scores with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or above
- A resume revealing a track record of volunteering in the community
- Students who are given scholarships and grants based on their financial needs must fill out the FAFSA form or parental tax info details
- Proof of being a legal permanent resident or US citizen. For DACA students and undocumented students, other residential evidence must be submitted
- Letter of recommendation from the school counselors, employers, or teachers
Bottom Line
High costs and higher education go hand-in-hand, especially for the minorities who find it extremely difficult to cover the expenses without getting into a debt trap. To cater to this problem, various colleges and universities provide higher education scholarships in the US for Latino students.
To find the right aid, it’s highly recommended to review the available programs, compare them as per your requirements and eligibility criteria, then apply with the required documents.
