Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino Students: HSF and HSI-Linked Awards

Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund runs the largest scholarship program built specifically for Latino students in the country. HSF distributes more than $30 million a year, with individual awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 based on relative financial need.

To qualify you need a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale as a high school applicant, or 2.5 if you already attend college or graduate school. You must be a US citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA recipient, plan to enroll full time at an accredited public or not-for-profit four-year university or graduate school, and file the FAFSA. Applicants identify as having Hispanic heritage, but HSF accepts students of any race who meet the heritage requirement through family background.

HSF's application window typically opens in early January and closes February 15 each year. The current cycle closed February 15, 2026, and the next opens around January 2027. HSF announces selections in June and pays out awards that fall. Apply early in the window since HSF reviews applications as they come in.

What Hispanic-Serving Institution Status Actually Means

A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is a college where Hispanic students make up at least 25% of full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment, according to the Department of Education's Title V program . Hundreds of colleges nationwide carry this designation, including large public universities and community colleges.

HSI status does not put money directly in your pocket. The federal Title V grant goes to the institution, not to individual students, and colleges use it for lab equipment, tutoring and academic counseling, faculty development, distance learning tools, and student support programming. The practical benefit to you is a campus with more academic support staff, more Spanish-language resources, and often stronger transfer pipelines from community colleges into four-year HSIs.

When you compare college offers, check whether a school carries HSI status alongside its financial aid package. A smaller aid offer at an HSI with strong Latino student support services can be worth more over four years than a slightly bigger offer at a school with none of that infrastructure.

Other Places to Look

• The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) runs a paid national internship program that places Latino students with federal agencies and corporations, which builds your resume alongside any scholarship money you already have.

• Check your prospective HSI's financial aid office directly. Many HSIs run their own donor-funded scholarships on top of federal grant money, and these rarely show up in national scholarship search tools.

• Ask your high school counselor or college access program about local Hispanic community foundations. Regional Hispanic chambers of commerce and community foundations often run small, less competitive scholarships that get far fewer applicants than HSF.

How to Apply Well

Start your HSF application as soon as the window opens rather than waiting for the deadline. Complete your FAFSA first, since HSF needs it to assess your financial need. Keep your GPA documentation, enrollment verification, and a short personal statement ready before you start the online form, so you are not scrambling for materials in the final days of the window.