Since 1980, El Centro has awarded $564,050 in scholarship money to 580 deserving high school seniors. In 2023, 5 students benefited from the Scholarship Program. We are proud of our program aiding post-secondary education. Candidates who wish to be considered must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and a proven track record of their voluntary involvement with El Centro Hispano. Their required essay and involvement at El Centro play an important role in determining how much money the Scholarship Committee allocates to each recipient. El Centro also offers our high school volunteers small stipends as a thank you for their valuable time and contribution to our educational programs. To date, El Centro Hispano has awarded 327 of our amazing volunteers $324,837.
The Application Process
Every Fall, Hispanic bilingual high school students complete an application form and write an essay. In addition, the school they attend provides a transcript of their work (over the years, most scholarship recipients were students at White Plains High School).
First each applicant’s submission is reviewed by staff to see if it has all the necessary information. If there is a question as to whether a student is bilingual, it is checked by a call – in Spanish – to the student. Then the work of the Scholarship Committee begins.
The Scholarship Committee Review
The Scholarship Committee, which is comprised of contributors, White Plains High School staff, as well as El Centro Hispano staff, reviews each student’s packet making sure the students under consideration all have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher. They review the application form and read the essay written by the student. The essays and the student’s involvement in El Centro Hispano.