Scholarships for Hispanics, and for Ohio Sci-Tech Students

In pursuit of other stuff, I found a couple of interesting scholarship pieces.  One is of interest to Ohio college and community college students pursuing studies in science and technology.  It's the Choose Ohio First program that aims to give scholarships to STEM students in an effort to keep all those brains in Ohio.  Scholarships and other supportive programs are offered at participating colleges all over the state.  See if there are programs near you, covering your sci-tech specialty.

For Hispanic American students all over the country, there is the Hispanic Scholarship Fund that provides scholarship money for Hispanics of all ages--not just high school seniors, but current college students and "non traditional students" beyond the 18-22 year old territory. According to the FAQ, this includes " ...your family (parents, grandparents) must be descended from at least one of the following countries: Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic. Students from Brazil are eligible to apply."  Applications are now being taken for next year through December 15, and there is a Spanish-language version of the online site.

But, as the announcer says, wait!  There's more!  HSF also runs some on-campus tutoring services and other support services for Hispanic students.  They also sponsor events around the country that counsel young Hispanics on successful strategies for getting into--and staying in--college.  See their calendar of events for one near you.

Paid Internships for Minorities

Paid internships are tough to find, but a few are out there.  Some organizations have programs especially to develop the leadership skills and career prospects for minority students. One is an internship by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for Hispanic undergraduates. It provides 12 weeks (8 for the summer session) serving an internship in Congress, a stipend, and possibly credit for school—depending on which school they attend.  The deadline for application for fall session is April 27^th.

The Asian Pacific American Institute also has a summer internship in Washington that covers eight weeks in either Congress or another government office, such as the White House or cabinet.  Entry is closed for this year, but see their website for next year’s information.

In the hard sciences, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has internships in engineering for African American, Latino, and American Indian engineering students.  They also have scholarships and pre-college programs to encourage minorities to enter the field of engineering.

The J. Paul Getty Foundation offers a Multicultural Undergraduate Internship for African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander students that allows them to work for ten weeks, forty hours a week, in the arts.  Students need not be art majors.

A lot of books on the topic, sadly, are several years old.  For more up to date information on internships,  go to your local library and try the scholarship series by Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber on scholarships.  There are volumes for African-Americans, Hispanics, women, Asian-Americans, and members of the military and their families.   You can also look in the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online using the term “internships.”  Another newer book is How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Internships, Resumes and Cover Letters, Networking, Interviews, Salaries, Promotions, and More! by Lily Madeleine Whiteman.