If you are an immigrant or first generation American, there are scholarships for you. Scholarships for immigrants help remove barriers to higher education and may fund all or part of a college degree.
Some awards are open to all immigrant students regardless of ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status. Others may be for members of a certain ethnic group and heritage such as Filipino Americans or DACA recipients.
To apply for a scholarship, you need to meet the provider’s criteria. To start with, you may qualify as a first generation U.S. citizen or immigrant.
There may also be awards you could apply to if you are a refugee. The Triangle Community Foundation offers up to $16,000 awards. It’s called Achievement Scholarship Fund for Refugees and Immigrants in Wake County. They offer annual awards to refugees and immigrants in Wake County, North Carolina. To be eligible, high school seniors must have a 2.5 GPA. They also must be enrolled as a full time student in an accredited college in NC.
Many providers also grant scholarships to local residents. You may want to look into your community to see what awards they offer. You can search by nationality, state and college major.
Often these scholarships go to people with high financial need. So, you may first need to fill out a FAFSA or, Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Another thing some providers look at are your transcripts. They may set eligibility for people with a specific GPA (E.g. 2.5 or higher). And may want to see if you have a record of giving back to your community.
Why Should You Apply for Scholarships for Immigrants?
About 43.3 million people in the nation are immigrants. Foreign born groups include about 20.7 million naturalized US citizens. There are 22.6 million non citizens, including lawful permanent residents.
Studies show that compared with all Americans, U.S. born children of immigrants are more likely to go to college. As a naturalized citizen or a permanent resident with immigration status, pursuing a college degree may lead to:
Higher employment rates
Increased salary potential
Potential for home ownership
Chances of independence from public service programs
That said, not all immigrants and international students can afford a college degree. Since a scholarship is free money, it may be a useful way to offset tuition and related costs.
List of Scholarships for Immigrants
If you are a proud first generation American or immigrant, a wide range of donors offer scholarships for immigrants. Check out our list of scholarships worth .
Angels On The Move is commited to improving the quality of life by helping students fund their education. This scholarship is open to all students and can be used for any kind of academic endeavor. There are no restrictions on citizenship, residency, age, level of study, school/college, GPA, scores, finances, activities, or major.
