Scholarships & Awards

The Department of Chicano & Latino Studies is proud to offer a number of scholarship opportunities. Students  submit applications for department-specific scholarships using this link.

Applications for departmental scholarships (see below) will be reviewed by a scholarship committee that comprises Chicano and Latino studies faculty and/or staff. Departmental scholarship awardees will be notified by the department chair.

We strongly encourage our majors to apply for department-specific scholarships in addition to college-wide and University-wide awards and scholarships. Students may be nominated by departmental faculty and instructors.

Applications for department undergraduate scholarships are due in late December/early January each year. Graduate fellowship applications are due April 15 of each year. 

The Guillermo Rojas Scholarship

Named after Guillermo Rojas, Professor Emeritus of Chicano and Latino studies, this $500 award acknowledges the perseverance of a student and an ongoing commitment to intellectual growth as a way of honoring the many years of service that Professor Rojas gave to students and the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies. It is designed to provide assistance to deserving students who need support to complete their undergraduate degree.

Value: $500

Applicants for this award:

  • must be accepted majors or minors in the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies
  • must have 21 or fewer credits of coursework left to complete (this can include students who intend to graduate during the current academic year)
  • must submit the application form
  • must submit a two-page, double-spaced essay on how being a Chicano and Latino studies major or minor contributed to personal and intellectual growth

 

¡Adelante! Scholarship for Newly Declared Majors

This scholarship is intended to support new majors who have recently declared. 

Value: $500

Applicants for this award:

  • must have recently declared the Chicano and Latino studies major 
  • must submit the application form
  • must submit a two-page, double-spaced essay on why they decided to become a Chicano and Latino studies major and what they hope this degree will help them achieve

     

Best Chicano Studies Essay Award

Applicants for this $700 award must be accepted majors in the department who have declared the Chicano and Latino studies major. Students may self-nominate or be nominated by teaching faculty. 

To be considered for the competition, students submit a high-quality essay produced while enrolled in a Chicano and Latino Studies course.

Value: $700

Applicants for this award:

  • must be accepted majors in the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies
  • must submit the application form

The winning essay will be posted on the department website.

 

Jesús Estrada-Pérez Memorial Graduate Fellowship

Applicants for this award:

  • must be an accepted graduate student of the University of Minnesota with a scholarly interest in topics relevant to the Race, Indigeneity, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Initiative units (Chicano & Latino studies, American Indian studies, African & African American studies, Asian American studies, American studies, and gender, women, & sexuality studies). 
  • A fellowship of $1000 will be awarded each spring to a student whose project engages some aspect of Queer Latina/o/x artistic production, subjectivity, epistemologies, cultural studies, social justice issues and all relevant interdisciplinary theories and/or methods. Preference will be granted to students with a demonstrated history of engaging in Queer Latina/o/x topics prior to their current application. 
  • Selection: A committee of faculty from the Chicano and Latino Studies Department will review applications and determine awards based on eligibility and merit of the applications. 
  • must submit an application form

 

College of Liberal Arts Scholarships

The College of Liberal Arts offers scholarships for continuing students, currently enrolled in CLA. Each year, academically talented CLA students receive scholarships based on need or merit.

To apply online, complete the application for the College of Liberal Arts Continuing Student Scholarships. Learn more about available scholarships.

 

Additional Scholarship and Educational Resources