Guide to Scholarships for Hispanic Students

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What are Hispanic scholarships? What are some examples of Latino and Hispanic scholarships? How do you apply for Hispanic scholarships? How do you qualify for Hispanic scholarships?
What Are Hispanic Scholarships?
Having financial need Proving academic merit Living in a specific state Illustrating a commitment to community service Being a military member Belonging to a specific gender or having a specific sexual orientation Having a unique hobby or skill.
7 Hispanic Scholarships
1. Hispanic Empowerment No-Essay Scholarship
2. Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards
3. Hispanic Scholarship Fund
4. Hispanic Scholarship Consortium
5. McDonald's HACER National Scholarship
6. The NAVSEA Scholars Program
7. Papi & Mamita Memorial Scholarship
Applying for College Scholarships
Think small. Many applicants go after larger scholarships, so it can be less competitive to apply for smaller ones that can help cover the costs of things like textbooks and parking. Be honest. Getting caught in a lie about grades or achievements can be an immediate disqualifier. Pay attention to details. Small details about essay word counts and letters of recommendations can make or break an application. Double-check all requirements before applying for any scholarships. Proceed with caution. Unfortunately, there are fraudulent scholarship offers, so it’s important to only apply for legitimate scholarships. Students can ask their school counselors and/or financial aid offices for help to find legitimate gift aid opportunities. Start early. Rushing a scholarship application won’t help applicants stand out. Missing a deadline is an automatic disqualifier so student applicants can benefit from turning in their applications early. Rinse and repeat. Many students feel a push to apply for scholarships during their senior year of high school. Then, once they’re busy with college, they may forget about scholarship opportunities. It can be helpful to apply for scholarships every year a student is enrolled in college. Completing the FAFSA is a great place to start each year.
The Takeaway
3 Student Loan Tips
Once the pandemic-related pause on federal student loan payments ends, going back to making payments may be hard on budgets. One solution is to refinance to a lower interest rate, longer loan term, or both, depending on your situation. (The tradeoff is that you’ll be forfeiting federal benefits such as repayment programs.) Find and compare your student loan refinance options. Paying extra each month on your student loan can reduce the interest you pay and so lower your total loan cost over time. (The law prohibits prepayment penalties on federal or private student loans. If you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income school, you may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
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About the Author
Jacqueline DeMarco is a personal finance writer and editor based in Southern California. While she spends the bulk of her time writing about complex financial issues, she also tackles a variety of subjects ranging from food to fashion to travel. Her work can be found across dozens of publications such as Credit Karma, LendingTree, Northwestern Mutual, The Everygirl, and Apartment Therapy.
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