Scholarships for Immigrants

Top Scholarships for Immigrant Students to Apply for in 2025

Starting or continuing your college journey is a major milestone, but for immigrant students, the path often comes with added challenges. Balancing academics, financial pressure, and the complexities of immigration status can make higher education feel overwhelming. Scholarships specifically for immigrant students help remove those barriers by offering financial support, mentorship, and opportunities for growth.

Whether you are a first-generation student, a recent arrival, or the child of immigrants, there are many scholarship programs designed to support you. From awards based on academic excellence to those focused on advocacy and social justice, these opportunities make it possible to achieve your educational goals while staying true to your story.

Below, we’ve gathered some of the best scholarships for immigrant students with deadlines in 2025 and 2026. Explore these opportunities to find the ones that fit your journey.

Scholarships for Immigrant Students With Upcoming Deadlines

Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Scholarship

• Award Amount: $500 – $5,000
• Deadline: February 15, 2025
• Who It’s For: Students of Hispanic heritage who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.

One of the most well-known scholarship programs in the U.S., HSF not only provides funding but also mentorship, professional development, and networking opportunities. The award is open to both high school and college students, making it a valuable resource for Hispanic immigrants and children of immigrants.

Denes I. Bardos Award

• Award Amount: $1,000 (four awards)
• Deadline: May 1, 2025
• Who It’s For: Immigrant high school seniors or first-year undergraduates in science or engineering.

This award celebrates innovation and academic excellence in STEM while considering financial need and immigration history. It is ideal for students who combine strong academics with service to family or community.

Jeff Sein Kwan Yang Memorial Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 18, 2025
• Who It’s For: Graduating high school seniors in California’s San Gabriel Valley who are immigrants or children of immigrants.

This award honors Jeff Sein Kwan Yang’s legacy by supporting low-income and working-class immigrant families. Applicants should show a clear commitment to giving back to immigrant communities.

Esperanza Education Fund

• Award Amount: $4,000 – $5,000
• Deadline: February 1, 2025 (Bachelor’s) / April 1, 2025 (Associate’s)
• Who It’s For: Students in Maryland, Virginia, or D.C. who are immigrants or children of immigrants.

Esperanza not only provides significant funding but also focuses on first-generation immigrant families with financial need. This award helps local students access community college or university opportunities regardless of citizenship status.

Ascend Educational Fund Scholarship

• Award Amount: $2,500 – $20,000
• Deadline: February 2, 2026
• Who It’s For: NYC high school seniors who are immigrants or children of immigrants.

This generous scholarship supports New York City students across all backgrounds. With awards up to $20,000, it can make a life-changing difference for families facing the high costs of tuition.

Law Office of Jae Lee Immigrant Student Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: November 3, 2025
• Who It’s For: First- or second-generation immigrants from low-income families.

Attorney Jae Lee created this scholarship to support immigrant students who demonstrate both academic excellence and perseverance. With a GPA requirement of 4.0, it is best suited for students who excel academically while overcoming significant challenges.

2025 Empowering Immigrants Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: September 30, 2025
• Who It’s For: Immigrant and first-generation students across the U.S. with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This scholarship highlights resilience and determination. It is open to students at all levels, from high school seniors to graduate students, making it widely accessible.

2025 First Generation Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2025
• Who It’s For: First-generation immigrant students enrolled in college or graduate school.

Created by attorneys passionate about helping immigrant families, this award supports students pursuing higher education as the first in their family to do so. It represents opportunity and progress for immigrant households.

Immigrant Progress Academic Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 31, 2025
• Who It’s For: Undocumented, DACA, or TPS students in Lake County, IL.

This scholarship is specifically designed for undocumented students and recognizes leadership in the immigrant community. It helps open doors for students who might otherwise have limited financial aid options.

Immigrant Justice Scholarship

• Award Amount: Up to $18,000 over six years
• Deadline: February 28, 2025
• Who It’s For: High school and college students in specific California schools.

This award was created to support immigrant justice as a social cause. It recognizes students passionate about advocacy, activism, and advancing immigrant rights, while providing long-term financial support throughout college.

Why Scholarships for Immigrant Students Are Essential

For many immigrant students, the obstacles to higher education extend far beyond academics. Financial pressures, cultural adjustments, systemic barriers, and at times immigration status challenges can make pursuing a college degree feel like an uphill battle. Scholarships tailored for immigrant students do more than provide financial assistance; they validate the struggles and successes of a community that has always been at the heart of America’s story.

• They reduce financial stress: The high cost of tuition, textbooks, and living expenses often forces immigrant students to work multiple jobs or delay their education. Scholarships help ease that burden, allowing students to focus more fully on academics and career preparation.
• They acknowledge resilience: Immigrant students often navigate language barriers, limited access to resources, and the weight of being the first in their family to attend college. Scholarships honor this determination, turning resilience into recognition.
• They promote representation: From medicine and law to engineering and the arts, immigrant voices are still underrepresented in many professional fields. Scholarships ensure students can access these paths and bring much-needed diversity to industries shaping the future.
• They strengthen communities: Many immigrant-focused scholarships are designed with the expectation that recipients will give back through advocacy, mentorship, or leadership. This creates a cycle of empowerment where today’s recipients become tomorrow’s role models.

In short, scholarships for immigrants are about more than money. They are investments in equity, opportunity, and the future of entire communities.

Tips for Applying to Immigrant Scholarships

Applying for scholarships can feel overwhelming, but with a strategic approach you can maximize your chances of success. Here’s how immigrant students can stand out in the application process:

Share Your Family’s Story: Don’t underestimate the power of your journey. Scholarship committees want to know what makes you unique. Talk about your family’s sacrifices, your identity as an immigrant or child of immigrants, and how those experiences fuel your drive to succeed.

Highlight Community Impact: Many scholarships emphasize leadership and service. If you’ve volunteered with immigrant rights groups, organized events in your community, or supported peers as a mentor, include these details. Demonstrating your commitment to others shows you’re ready to amplify the scholarship’s impact.

Stay Organized With Deadlines: Immigrant scholarships often vary in eligibility by region, GPA, or immigration status. Create a spreadsheet or calendar to keep track of deadlines, required documents, and recommendation requests. Organization ensures no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Apply Widely: Don’t limit yourself to just one or two scholarships. Apply to national programs, local foundations, and regional scholarships specific to your area. Even smaller awards can add up and make a meaningful difference in reducing college costs.

Ask for Strong Recommendations: Choose recommenders who understand your immigrant journey like teachers, mentors, community leaders, or employers who can speak not just to your academic abilities, but also to your perseverance, leadership, and character. Their perspective can make your application more compelling.

Tailor Each Application: Avoid sending the same essay to every program. Instead, connect your story to the mission of each scholarship. Showing that you understand and align with their goals can make you stand out from a crowded applicant pool.

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