The Hispanic Americans population is the dominating minority group in the United States. They also make up the most underserved portion of U.S. residents. In addition to cultural, financial, economic, and language barriers, most Hispanics face financial challenges when attempting to pursue an education beyond high school. Most college tuitions surpass $15,000 a year. A part-time job is not enough to finance a proper college education, and juggling a full-time job will almost certainly cost one his grades, health, or sanity. Fortunately, the federal government and several non-profit organizations, institutions, and private individuals seek to rectify this situation, providing grants for Hispanics who seriously desire to better status by pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree.
Completion of the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the first step to tracking down these grants. The FAFSA determines the level of need by which the government then ascertains how much aid a Hispanic student will receive via the Federal Pell Grant. There are an additional four grants, up to three of which students may be eligible to receive. These are the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant. These, and most other grant monies, never have to be repaid.
Grants for Hispanics are based on need and are extremely competitive, but starting early will give a Hispanic student a leg up on the competition. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (www.hsf.net) is where students should start. This organization’s mission is “to strengthen America by advancing the college education of Hispanic Americans.” As of yet, they have funded nearly 100,000 scholarships for students in need. On HSF’s websites, students will find extensive lists of grants available for both high school seniors and college students. Requirements include U.S. Citizenship or eligible non-citizenship and enrollment in an accredited U.S. institution (or intent of enrollment for high school seniors). Additionally, the site offers another list of scholarships students may qualify for beyond Hispanic grants.
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