Empower Yourself and Your Community with a Hispanic Scholarship?

Answer 1

Hispanics are the largest rising ethnic minority group attending college. The implementation of scholarships designated for Hispanic students means a higher possibility for Hispanics to afford a higher education. Latino-based scholarships realize the issues many Latino students face that can be barriers to attending college. These can include English as a second language, lower income than their White counterparts and coming from schools that did not have as many resources as those from higher income neighborhoods. At the same time, these scholarships recognize the importance of the Latino culture to students as a source of pride and positive reinforcement, such as strong family ties and familial support.

When searching for Hispanic scholarships, it is a good idea to start at the local level. Several businesses, agencies and organizations offer scholarships for Hispanic students. However, cities with a large population of Hispanics tend to have the most Hispanic scholarships. Check the university’s scholarship office or Latino student organizations to find out how to apply. It is important to apply for other scholarships as well, even if they are not specifically for Hispanic students. Scholarship sponsors value those with strong family values, ethics and a well rounded background, which can work to your advantage.

The largest resource of Hispanic scholarships is the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF.org) which has a whole array of Hispanic based scholarships available to Hispanic students of all backgrounds. There are scholarships for all trades and majors, as well as for different levels of education. Competition for scholarships listed on the HSF site is very competitive, but still worth a try, especially if you have a unique background or extemporary merits. Although fastweb.com is not specifically for Hispanic students, you can indicate your ethnicity on the registration form and certain scholarships designated for Latinos will come up in your search results.

Use your cultural background to your advantage while writing your scholarship applications. Talk about how being Hispanic has enriched your vocabulary skills, appreciation for culture and how you value opportunities to empower your community and make a difference. Be honest and positive about your background. Attending higher education and attaining a scholarship is a great example for younger Hispanics to look up to. If you are genuine about using your degree for the greater good of the Latino community, scholarship donors are more likely to pick you as their recipient.