It is a sad truth that even if the Hispanic community represents the biggest minority group in America, they continue to find no better option than lower-paying jobs. Because of this, it is perhaps the dream of every Hispanic family to send their kids to college, so they may qualify for more rewarding careers and afford a better life. But with the inflated rates of tuition fees and standard cost of living, they've to push these dreams aside to first provide for the basic needs of their families.

Considering the language and cultural barrier among other things, they are still aiming for the same recognition and confidence enjoyed by the dominant African American community. For the meantime, their only source of hope hinges on academic scholarships that will hopefully introduce more Hispanic professionals to both technical and business fields in the American society.

Finding Hispanic Scholarship Grants

College students vying for academic scholarships shouldn't find it hard to locate a number of reputable foundations and organizations that offer such an academic program. These agencies are usually affiliated with different universities and colleges in one of the many U.S. states. Based on your qualification, they provide scholarship grants, sometimes through financial aids from as little as $1,000 to an average of $2,500 for each award. Every year, these agencies receive more than a thousand applications but have to limit the awards given to a certain number only.

In the case of Hispanic College Fund (HCF), they were able to help more than 600 Hispanic students in a single year alone. The scholarship grants were roughly estimated at $2.4 million, creating a new breed of HCF scholars that will also benefit from having the support of corporate leaders and government agencies in building a better career for the Hispanic community. HCF scholars are also inducted in the academic fields of science, engineering, business, and finance. This growing network of HCF professionals were given an opportunity to work for successful companies such as Sallie Mae, Lockheed Martin, and Estee Lauder Companies.

Moreover, non-government organizations also hold fund-raising campaigns to give more Hispanic students a chance to pursue higher education. This is where the Hispanic Scholarship Fund usually sustains most of its financial aid. Part of its growing network of alliances is State Farm Companies Foundation. It sponsors up to 20 students every year for an undergraduate teaching degree. Meanwhile, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation also endorses a good list of agencies and organizations that support scholarship grants for eligible candidates.

Requirements For Hispanic Scholarships

Although the number of scholarship grants may vary depending on qualification and availability of funds, it is said that only three out of 10 Hispanic students usually make it to the annual cut. In proving yourself to be a good candidate, you first have to secure documents in able to qualify. A list of requirements may include a copy of your family's income tax return, financial aid application and verification, residence certificate, and a document pertaining to your citizenship status. Apart from these, you also have to establish your Hispanic background. You will also be asked for a Letter of Recommendation and a copy of your official transcript. In which case, a GPA average of 3.0 is usually required to place your application in a better position. You should also be a full-time student and enrolled only to accredited community colleges or state universities. In addition to these, you also have to submit a resume and an essay, from which, personality and character are usually evaluated.

Hispanic Scholarship Tips

Not all agencies that sponsor college funds for Hispanic students have the same criteria for evaluation. Some may give more credit to financial needs, while others get more impressed with academic standings. In either case, you shouldn't take any chance at all. Secure all requirements beforehand and have your own personal assessment of both strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, you can send your application earlier than expected. Considering thousands of Hispanic students that apply for the same academic grant every year, it would really help to have your resume and other requirement forms to be on top of the priority list.

However, the real secret in scoring more points may also come from knowing what the foundation is all about. Do a research on its background, and you'll have a better idea what it's looking for. Try your best to get more points on your qualifying exam. Better yet, offer them an impressive Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) result. But should you fall a little short on these -- never lose hope. Instead, devote much of your time on the essay portion and resume for submission. Remember that people who will evaluate your resume won't have much time to read, so as they say, rather keep it short and sweet. The same with your essay, be sincere, sensible, and best of all, aim to achieve the best impression.