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Scholarships and grants are a form of financial aid that you don’t have to pay back. These monetary awards are based on merit, financial need, or both.

While there are a multitude of scholarships and grants out there open to everyone, many companies, institutions, and organizations offer scholarships specifically created for minorities and underrepresented groups, including the Hispanic community.

Read on for a partial list of scholarships available for Hispanic students, plus helpful tips to give you an edge when applying.

Eligibility Requirements

There are many different types of scholarships out there, and with all applications, you’ll need to provide the basics, such as your name, address, and contact information. Additionally, you may be asked your race/ethnicity and gender identity, age or date of birth, and whether or not you’re a U.S. citizen.

Usually, scholarship applications will require a transcript of your grades and/or your grade point average (GPA), your SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendation, and if the scholarship is need-based, financial information. In this case, you’ll typically need to fill out the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Since scholarships all have their own particular guidelines, taking the time to review them and verify that you meet the criteria is key. Otherwise, you’ll be automatically disqualified.

How to Find Hispanic Scholarships

Fortunately, there are a multitude of available Hispanic scholarships you can access at your fingertips.

One starting point is to use SoFi’s scholarship search tool, which allows you to streamline your search by simply typing “Hispanic” into the keyword field. This mechanism will bring up the name of the award, the amount, provide deadline dates, and let you know if the scholarship is renewable or not.

Two other search tools you can use to pursue Hispanic scholarships are ones offered by Sallie Mae and the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop. You can also get information on scholarships for Hispanic students by contacting your college or university’s financial aid office, or if you’re a high school student, consulting your guidance counselor.

Recommended: Enter SoFi’s Monthly $2,500 Scholarship Sweepstakes

11 Scholarships for Hispanic Students

Scholarships and grants can be extremely helpful in offsetting the need to take out federal student loans or private student loans, so it’s worth it to apply for as many as you can.

Below is a list of 11 scholarships and grants specifically geared toward Hispanic and Latino students. When applying, be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully, since some may be catered to very specific people within the Hispanic community; for example, Latina women, Mexican-Americans, or those of Cuban descent.

1. Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Every year, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) gives merit-based awards to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients with Hispanic heritage. Applicants must have plans to enroll full-time in an accredited U.S. four-year university or graduate school in the upcoming academic year. Eligibility requirements include having a minimum 2.5 GPA for undergraduate and graduate students, and a 3.0 GPA for high school students.

HSF awards range from $500 to $5,000 depending on financial need. Students must complete the FAFSA or a state-based financial aid form (if applicable). Deadline is February 15, 2025.

Recommended: Can DACA Recipients Apply for Student Loans?

2. Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards

Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards are one-time grants of up to $4,000 that are awarded through the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. The foundation’s Youth Awards honor Latino high school seniors who excel both in school and in their community, and recognize a student’s excellence in various categories including education, public service and social justice, technology, health care and science, and more. Applicants must plan to enroll at an accredited higher education institution for the following academic year.

The expected deadline is early November 2025.

3. Prospanica Foundation Scholarship

Prospanica Foundation Scholarships
offer up to $5,000 to both Hispanic and Latino undergraduate and graduate business students. In order to be eligible, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident or DACA recipient, and of Hispanic/Latino heritage. They must have a minimum 3.0 GPA or a minimum 2.75 GPA in combination with work experience during that time.

Student applicants must also have a Prospanica membership and be enrolled or planning to enroll in a Master’s or PhD program or an undergraduate program in an accredited university business school in the U.S. or Puerto Rico. Students who are applying for the undergraduate awards must be a college sophomore or higher. Expected deadline for the next round of applications is April 2025.

4. McDonald’s HACER National Scholarships

The McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarships aims to provide educational opportunities for college-bound Hispanic and Latino high school seniors. To be eligible, a student must be under 21, a legal U.S. resident, U.S. citizen, or a DACA recipient, and have at least one parent of Hispanic/Latino heritage.

Applicants must plan to attend a two- or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school with a full-time course of study. The scholarship program criteria requires that you disclose other scholarships you’ve applied for.

Scholarship amounts are awarded in three tiers: Tier 1 recipients get up to $100,000, Tier 2 receive $20,000 or $10,000, and Tier 3 recipients get $5,000. Awards are based on an applicant’s academic achievement, community involvement, personal statement, and their financial need. The deadline is February 6, 2025.

5. HITEC Foundation Scholarship

The HITEC Foundation offers scholarships of up to $5,000 to Hispanic students who want to pursue a college degree in technology. In order to be able to apply, individuals must be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or have active DACA status, and have at least one parent of Hispanic heritage.

Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or a current undergraduate or graduate college student, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and major or intend to major in an approved technology-related major, such as artificial intelligence, computer science, cybersecurity, or web development. The expected deadline is mid-April 2025.

6. Café Bustelo El Café del Futuro Scholarship Program

The Café Bustelo® El Café del Futuro Scholarship Program is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to 25 students of Latino descent who are 18 years or older, a legal resident of any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, and who are enrolled as a full-time student at a Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) member institution. 

Applicants are required to submit a short essay related to their Latino heritage, future plans with their degree, and how they plan to give back to the community. The estimated deadline is June 30, 2025.

7. National Association of Hispanic Nurses

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) gives out annual scholarships to active nurses who are also NAHN members. The scholarship is for those in an accredited LVN/LPN, associate, diploma, bachelor’s, or graduate degree nursing programs.

NAHN selects recipients based on several factors, including financial need, academic merit, and course of study. Amounts and deadlines vary depending on scholarship.

Recommended: A Look at the Average Cost of Nursing School

8. National Organization of Professional Hispanic NRCS Employees (NOPHNRCSE) Scholarships

Hispanic students who are pursuing a degree in the fields of agriculture, national resources (including conservation), or public affairs can apply for one of the several scholarships offered by the NOPHNRCSE
. Scholarships are for those attending an accredited school of higher education.

One award, the Martha Guerra-Arteaga Scholarship, is specifically for Hispanic female students who are majoring in natural resources conservation, public affairs, or communications. NOPHNRCSE award amounts vary, and the expected deadline is late July 2025.

9. José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American Scholarship Fund

Mexican or Mexican-American high school graduates who are already or will be a first-generation college student and have work or strong volunteering experience can apply for the José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American
$1,000 scholarship. An essay about why the applicant is passionate about being a first-generation, Mexican-American student is required. The deadline is December 2, 2024.

Recommended: Important Things to Know as a First-Generation College Student

10. Haz La U College Grant

Colgate’s Haz La U (Make the U) is a college grant program sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive in partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and one of the Foundation’s Youth Awards previously mentioned. The program awards 31 educational grants totalling $100,000 to high school seniors of Hispanic heritage who maintain academic excellence and show dedicated leadership and service to the community.

Applicants must be a current high school senior enrolling at an accredited higher education institution and have a minimum 3.0 GPA (or 7.5 on a 10.0 scale). Grant amounts vary, and the expected deadline is November 2, 2025.

11. Mas Family Scholarship Program

Mas Family Scholarships are for those who are Cuban-born or are of direct Cuban descent. Applicants must already be enrolled in an accredited college or university for the upcoming school year while pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, have a minimum 3.5 GPA, and demonstrate involvement in community activities and leadership potential. The deadline is January 31, 2025, and award amounts vary.

Types of Scholarships Available for Hispanic Students

Hispanic students can apply for need-based and merit-based scholarships, though in many cases, a scholarship can be both need and merit-based. Let’s dive into what distinguishes one from the other:

Need-Based Scholarships

Need-based scholarships are for those in financial need who may not otherwise be able to afford higher education without this financial aid. Students tend to qualify for need-based scholarships if they are low-income.

The goal of a need-based scholarship or grant such as the Pell Grant, is to help remove the obstacles minority students often face in paying for higher education. Need-based financial aid often comes from the government; however, there are many scholarships, including some of those mentioned above, that award recipients based on their financial circumstances.

Recommended: 30 Scholarships for Minority Students

Merit-Based Scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are given to individuals who have excelled in certain areas, including academics, athletics, the arts, and extracurricular activities. Merit-based scholarships may look for students who have shown leadership qualities and given back to their community.

Applicants for merit-based scholarships will also be asked to provide certain documentation along with the application, such as transcripts, a resume, an essay, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation. While merit-based scholarships’ primary purpose is to reward a student’s achievements, there are a good number of awards that also take a student’s financial need into account.

Tips for Applying

It may be helpful to create a college application checklist, perhaps in the form of a spreadsheet, to keep track of scholarship deadline dates and eligibility requirements.

Here are additional tips to help make the application process easier and increase your chances of getting some free money for college:

•   Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application. The last thing you want to do is feel rushed to gather your materials and run the risk of submitting an incomplete or messy application.

•   Take your time to write a good essay. This is your opportunity to highlight your experiences as a Hispanic person. Make sure you do a thorough spell and grammar check before submitting. If possible, have a trusted advisor, such as a teacher or professor, give it a read. They may have valuable input that can help you stand out even more.

•   Apply for all scholarships. Seek out as many Hispanic scholarships that fit your situation, even if the monetary amount is small. The competition for a $500 or $1,000 award may not be as fierce, upping your odds of being chosen. Besides, every little bit helps.

•   Seek out scholarship workshops. Check to see if your school offers any online or in person scholarship workshops. These seminars can offer valuable information and strategies when you’re doing your initial research and throughout the application process.

The Takeaway

If you are a Hispanic student and are looking for a way to help fund your education, the good news is that there is a wide variety of scholarships out there. Scholarships for Hispanic students are created to support this segment of the population who are often underrepresented in colleges and universities.

Hispanic scholarships can be need-based, merit-based, or a combination of the two, and found through scholarship search tools; individual organizations, companies and education institutions; and college, university, or career school’s financial aid office.

In addition to scholarships, students can apply for grants, federal student loans, and private student loans to help cover the cost of college.

If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.

Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.

FAQ

Are there scholarships specifically for Mexican-American students?

Yes. While many scholarships are open to all Hispanic students, some are tailored to those individuals who hail from a certain country and/or ancestry, including Mexico.

Do Hispanic scholarships consider financial need?

Many do. These scholarships, also referred to as need-based, primarily or exclusively take into consideration an applicant’s financial situation. There’s not one overall standard a student needs to meet in order to be eligible, but qualification is typically determined based on family income.

Can I apply for Hispanic and general scholarships?

Absolutely. There is no limit to how many scholarships or the types you can apply for, so casting a wide net and applying for all types of awards only increases the odds of gaining more money for school.

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This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.

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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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