The Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides students of Latino background with financial aid to attend college. The organization also provides workshops and networking opportunities for scholarship recipients.

Scholarships are extended to United States citizens, legal residents, individuals subject to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy, and other non-citizens. ¹

Finances

In 2018 the Hispanic Scholarship Fund received $52,409,435 in contributions,² and possessed $41,061,133 in assets after accounting for all liabilities. ³

In 2018 the Hispanic Scholarship Fund received $7,562,800 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,⁴ $108,000 from the Gilbert and Jackie Cisneros Foundation,⁴ $100,000 from the Ford Motor Company Fund,⁴ $50,000 from the AbbVie Foundation,⁴ $2,500 from the Garry and Pennie Abramson Foundation,⁴ $500 from the Armanino Foundation. ⁴

Qualification for Program

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund not only provides scholarships for United States citizens, but also permanent legal residents, individuals subject to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy, and any other individual who qualifies to apply for federal financial aid under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid’s (FAFSA) eligible non-citizen category. ⁵

In 2008, the Association of Raza Educators (A.R.E.), a far-left education advocacy organization, pressured Hispanic Scholarship Fund to expand its program and provide scholarship funding for all noncitizens, including undocumented immigrants. ⁶

Leadership

Fidel A. Vargas is the president of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Prior to joining the organization, he was a founding member of Centinela Capital Partners, an asset management firm. ⁷ Vargas has made political contributions to the Democratic National Committee, the Hilary Clinton campaign, the Barack Obama campaign, the Xavier Becerra congressional campaign, and other Democratic Party candidates. ⁸

Gene Camarena is the chairman of the board of directors for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. He is the President and CEO of La Raza Pizza, Inc., a company with substantial stakes in Pizza Hut, Marriot Hotels, banking and real estate development. ⁹ Camarena has made political contributions to Kansas Democratic Party congressional candidate Carlos Nolla and I.P.H.F.H.A. Inc., the political action committee for the Pizza Hut Franchise Holders Association. ¹⁰

1. “About HSF” Hispanic Scholarship Fund. https://www.hsf.net/about-hsf
2. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed December 5, 2020. Line 8.
3. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed December 5, 2020. Line 22.
4. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed December 5, 2020. Part XV.
5. “Scholarships” Hispanic Scholarship Fund. https://www.hsf.net/scholarship
6. “An Open Letter to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund from the Association of Raza Educators” 22 Rethink Schools No. 4, 2008. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/open-letter-to-the-hispanic-scholarship-fund/
7. “Fidel A. Vargas” Hispanic Scholarship Fund. https://ee.hsf.net/en/about-hsf/people/bios/fidel-vargas/bio-set/staff
8. “Fidel A. Vargas Political Contributions” Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=FIDEL%20A%20VARGAS
9. “Gene Camarena” Hispanic Scholarship Fund. https://www.hsf.net/about/hsf-team/board-of-directors
10. “Gene Camarena Political Contributions” Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=gene%20camarena