The Esperanza Education Fund awards a total of $50K - $100K in scholarships annually, depending on available funding. Esperanza selects approximately ten (10) scholarship recipients from a pool of 300+ applications each academic year.
The Scholarship
- Each scholarship award will be no more than $20,000. In 2023, awards for students attending community colleges ranged from $3,000 to $7,000. Awards for students attending four-year universities ranged from $4,000 to $16,000.
- Amounts are determined based on need.
- Scholarship awards are divided into equal payments that are disbursed each qualifying academic semester of college/university enrollment in an accredited degree program.
- For example, a scholarship in the amount of $4,000 to a recipient attending a two-year community college will be disbursed as 4 equal payments of $1,000, one payment per qualifying academic semester to equal a total award of $4,000.
- A scholarship award in the amount of $10,000 to a recipient attending a four-year university will be disbursed as 8 equal payments of $1,250, one payment per qualifying academic semester to equal a total award of $10,000.
- Scholarship awards are disbursed directly to the colleges and universities the scholars attend.
Eligibility
If you do not meet all four criteria, please do not apply. Applications from ineligible applicants will not be reviewed.
- Must have been born outside the U.S. OR have two parents who were born outside the U.S.
- Must be a graduating senior at a high school in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia OR have earned a GED within the last four years and reside in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia
- Must plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public two-year community college or four-year university in the US for the academic year
- Must have had a household income of less than $100,000
Mentorship & Scholar Support
As an Esperanza scholar, you have access to the invaluable resources of mentorship and annual programming. Each Esperanza scholar will:
- Be paired with a mentor who can help them throughout their higher education journey with academic and social support, networking, and career advice.
- Participate in an annual Career Day with professional development activities.
- Gain access to cohort program activities to build community among our scholars.
All eligible applications submitted by April 1 will be read by multiple judges. The top 16-24 applicants will be invited to interview. A panel of approximately five to seven judges will interview the finalists and select the top 8-12 to receive scholarships.