The Esperanza Education Fund awards scholarships of up to $10,000 to graduating high school seniors or recent graduates/GED recipients in DC, Maryland, or Virginia who were born outside the U.S. or have two parents born outside the U.S., regardless of immigration status. Awards are disbursed in equal payments each qualifying semester of college enrollment - for example, $4,000 over four semesters for a two-year program or $5,000 over eight semesters for a four-year program - and household income limits apply based on family size (from $74,800 for a one-person household up to $141,000 for eight). The fund selects roughly 6-10 recipients each year from over 200 applicants and pairs recipients with mentors and career-advice programming. The 2026 application ran May 1 through July 1, 2026; the 2027 cycle has not yet been posted.
Eligibility
DemographicsImmigrants or children of immigrants, any status, in DC/MD/VA
Applying
Disbursed each semester toward public college costs; e.g. $4,000 over 4 semesters (2-year program) or $5,000 over 8 semesters (4-year program), up to $10,000 total.