Financial Aid for Heritage Groups

Heritage scholarships on this page are applicable to iSchool students in several programs.

Resources

Finaid.org website for minority students
This site contains information about scholarships and fellowships for minority students. (Many of these entries are duplicated from elsewhere on the FinAid site.) Native American students should also visit the Financial Aid for Native American Students page.


Individual Scholarships

ALA/ MLA/ NLM Spectrum Scholarship
The American Library Association's Spectrum Scholarships provide 60 African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Pacific Islander individuals attending ALA-accredited library schools with a $5,000 scholarship and $1,500 toward professional development opportunities each year. For more information, contact the ALA Spectrum program at 800.545.2433 x5048, visit www.ala.org/spectrum or email spectrum@ala.org.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund was founded in 1975 to help Hispanic-American college students complete their education. The scholarships are available on a competitive basis for community college, four-year college, and graduate students of Hispanic background who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and attend an accredited postsecondary institution. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.7 and have completed at least 15 college units. Awards generally range from $1000 to $2,500. Deadline is October 15.

Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarships for Study in the United States Provides scholarships in any field of study to full-time graduate or undergraduate students pursuing degrees in the United States.
Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens of Polish descent, Poles with U.S. permanent residency status, or Americans of non-polish descent who are pursuing the study of Polish subjects. Awards are granted for one academic year. This website includes eligibility requirements, application guidelines, an application form, deadlines, and other information.

LuLac Scholarship Funds
A scholarship program cosponsored by some 70 LULAC Councils who raise scholarship funds at the grass roots level which are matched nationally by sponsoring corporations. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), has considered education its number one priority since it was established in 1929. As part of LULAC’s education efforts, the LULAC National Scholarship Fund (LNSF) was established in 1975 to provide scholarships to Hispanic students attending colleges and universities. Under the LNSF program, local LULAC Councils, in partnership with local and national businesses, award scholarships to students in their communities. LNSF is administered by the LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc., a non-profit educational organization established by LULAC to provide educational programs for Hispanics and other youth.

Microsoft Scholarships
Microsoft is committed to building the pipeline of future computer scientists. Our scholarships are designed to encourage students to pursue studies in computer science and related technical disciplines. Students from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be awarded scholarships in recognition of their passion for software, academic excellence, and ability to make a difference in the software industry. We offer four types of technical scholarships to current undergraduate students: General Scholarship, Women's Scholarship, Underrepresented Minority Scholarship, and Scholarships for Students with Disabilities.

The National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking REFORMA Scholarship Program
Provides financial assistance to encourage and enable Spanish speakers to pursue or advance a career in library and information science. Any current or newly entering graduate library school student [M.L.S. or Ph.D.] at an ALA-accredited institution may apply. A minimum of $2000 is awarded annually. The number of scholarships awarded varies from year to year. This website contains an application form as well as additional scholarship information.

National Italian American Foundation
Every year, the NIAF awards more than 100 undergraduate and graduate scholarships in the sciences and humanities. Most of the scholarships carry an award of $1,000. Several are $5,000 each. About 2,000 students, more than half of them women, apply for NIAF scholarships annually. Award criteria include merit, financial need and community service. Most applicants are from families that earn less than $50,000 a year. Their grades are excellent, with nearly half (46 percent) earning a grade point average of 4.0 or straight "A"s. To apply for a NIAF scholarship, use the address given at the web site. There is a $20 application fee.

Northwest Danish Foundation Scholarships
The Northwest Danish Foundation awards $15,000 in scholarships each year. Applicants must be of Danish descent or married to someone of Danish descent, who actively participate in the Danish community and/or show interest in perpetuating their Danish heritage. Consideration will also be given to those of non-Danish descent who have shown exceptional involvement in the Danish community. Applications require an educational reference, a character reference, and a Danish community reference, as well as personal information, transcripts and two essays.

Presidential Freedom Scholarships
The program is designed to highlight and promote service and citizenship by students and to recognize students for their leadership in those areas.

Seetoo/CALA Conference Travel Scholarship
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) is pleased to announce the availability of the C. C. Seetoo/CALA Conference Travel Scholarship. As a joint effort between Mr. Seetoo and CALA, the Scholarship awards an amount of US$500 each year to a library school student for his or her attendance of the CALA program at an annual ALA conference. Designed to provide an opportunity for networking and being mentored at the ALA conference, the award is eligible to all students of Chinese heritage who are currently enrolled in ALA-accredited master's or doctoral programs of library and information science in the higher education institutions in North America. For more information about the application, deadlines and the Scholarship, please visit the CALA's web page.

Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) is pleased to announce the availability of the Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science. Established in 1989, the Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science awards a total of US $500 each year to a full-time student of Chinese heritage who is currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's or doctoral program of Library and Information Science at a higher education institution in North America. The Scholarship is designed to encourage the professional and leadership development in Chinese American librarianship. For more information about the application, deadlines and the Scholarship, please visit the CALA's web page.

UW Heritage-Based Scholarships
Scholarships that consider student's heritage. Complied by Undergraduate Scholarship Office.

UWAA Multicultural Alumni Partnership Scholarships
The scholarships will be awarded to full-time UW students in good academic standing who demonstrate financial need (as determined by the Financial Aid Office).

The Technical Minority Scholarship Program
Pursuing a career in Technology has its built-in challenges. What needn't be a challenge is finding the financial wherewithal that will help you in achieving your goals. To that end, Xerox established the Technical Minority Scholarship Program.