Top Scholarships for Immigrants in 2021
Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a Scholarships360 writer who focuses on scholarships and financial aid. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.If you are an immigrant, or the child of immigrants, there are many scholarships that have been designed with you in mind. Organizations have set aside funds for scholarships for immigrants in any situation. There are scholarships designed for green card holders, DACA recipients, naturalized citizens, and any other citizenship status you could imagine.
We’ve attempted to include a survey of all of these situations in this list, so scroll through to find the best scholarships for immigrants to make your education affordable!
Jump ahead to:
- Top Scholarships for Immigrants
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Summary of Scholarships for Immigrants
- Upcoming Scholarships
Keep on reading to learn all about the top scholarships for students who are immigrants!
Top Scholarships for Immigrants in 2021
American Sociological Association Minority Fellowship Program
- Eligibility: Minority students enrolled in a Sociology Ph.D. program, having completed one year of the application. Applicants can be citizens, non-citizen nationals, or DACA recipients
- Amount: $18,000 annually
- Deadline: November 1, 2021
Dream Scholarship
- Eligibility: Illinois residents attending high school, college, a vocational program, or university in Illinois, with a minimum 2.5 GPA and a demonstrated history of community service. DACA recipients are eligible to apply
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: January 31, 2022
Related: DACA Scholarships
Frequently asked questions about scholarships for immigrants
Can an immigrant get a scholarship?
There are many scholarships available to immigrants in the United States; the Nargis E. Ragab Scholarship for First Generation Immigrants and the Children of First Generation Immigrants is a great example. All of the scholarships on this list are open to immigrants, and each has different requirements for residency status, meaning there are some open specially for DACA recipients, while others are for green card holders, or for people of any residency status.
Can non-citizens get scholarships?
Many scholarships are open to non citizens, such as the Red Thread Foundation Scholarship, which is open to women of international backgrounds regardless of citizenship status. Many of the other scholarships in this list are available for non citizens; check their eligibility requirements to make sure.
How do undocumented students pay for college?
Undocumented students face many hurdles in the struggle to pay for college. Though there are many scholarships that they are not eligible for, there are also scholarships made specifically to help undocumented students pay for college. Many of these scholarships are listed on this page, such as the Dream.US National Scholarship.
Can green card holders get Pell Grant?
Most green card holders are considered “eligible non-citizens” and therefore can get the Pell Grant. Green card holders are also eligible for most of the scholarships on this list, so if you are a green card holder looking for help paying for college, check out some of our top scholarships for immigrants!
Summary of scholarships for immigrants
Upcoming scholarships for immigrants
$500 WiseGeek Recent Immigrants Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students who immigrated to the United States on or after January 1, 2010 and plan to live & work in the US
- Amount: $500
Dream.US National Scholarship
- Eligibility: DACA or TPS recipients, or anyone who can prove that they came to the US before they turned 16, have lived in the US since then without obtaining lawful status, and are currently in high school or have graduated from high school or obtained a GED. See website for further details
- Amount: Up to $16,500 for associate’s degrees and $33,000 for bachelor’s degrees, plus additional perks (see website for details)
Dream.US Opportunity Scholarship
- Eligibility: DACA or TPS recipients, or anyone who can prove that they came to the US before they turned 16, have lived in the US since then without obtaining lawful status, and are currently in high school or have graduated from high school or obtained a GED. Student must live in a “locked-out state” and never have attended college in the past. See website for more details
- Amount: Up to $20,000 per year
- Opens: November 1, 2021
Esperanza Fund Scholarship
- Eligibility: Recent high school or GED graduates residing in DC, Maryland, or Virginia who were born outside of the US, or two parents born out of the US. Must be enrolling full-time in a public college or university, with a 2020 total family income below $100,000
- Amount: $5,000 to $20,000
Jack G Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship
- Eligibility: First-generation American students of Arab heritage who are juniors or above studying journalism, radio, television, and/or film
- Amount: $2,500
Nargis E. Ragab Scholarship for First Generation Immigrants and the Children of First Generation Immigrants
- Eligibility: High school seniors or college students enrolled in a two or four-year institution in the United States who are first generation immigrants or the children of first generation immigrants
- Amount: $1,500
Students of Salaam
- Eligibility: Students who immigrated to the United States and are enrolled or planning to enroll in a post-secondary institution in the fall
- Amount: $1,000
- Opens: Spring 2022
Red Thread Foundation Scholarship
- Eligibility: Women of international backgrounds who are entering a US college or university program in the fall
- Amount: Varies
- Opens: January 2022
Vipin Agrawal Memorial Scholarship
- Eligibility: California high school graduates attending college or university in California with a 3.0 minimum GPA, household income below $75,000, pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science, science, technology, engineering, or medicine. Student or their parents must have immigrated to the US.
- Amount: Varies
- Opens: Spring 2022
