The National Italian American (NIAF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 school year. NIAF offers scholarships in the fields of Italian language and culture, medicine, engineering, business, law, music, and other specialized fields to Italian American students who demonstrate academic promise and take initiative to learn more about their heritage.

For more than four decades, NIAF's Scholarship Program has grown to offer many different scholarships with various criteria, ranging in value from $2,500 to $12,000. In 2022, NIAF awarded approximately $700,000 in direct aid.

"NIAF's scholarship program represents the Foundation's commitment to educating the future generation of Italian Americans and is made possible thanks to the generosity of successful Italian American leaders who want to give back to the community," said NIAF Chairman Robert E. Carlucci.

"We invite Italian American college students to discover the vast selection of scholarships available to pursue their dreams," said NIAF's Scholarships and Grants Committee Co-Chair, Joe Gulino.

Scholarship applicants must be NIAF members or have a parent or guardian who is a member of the Foundation. Applicants must also be enrolled in or entering an accredited college or university in the United States in the fall of 2023. For the purposes of the NIAF Scholarships Program, to be considered "Italian American" the applicant must have at least one ancestor who has emigrated from Italy; applicants must also be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

Only online applications will be accepted. All requirements, including recommendation letters and other supporting documents, must be uploaded to the application portal by the deadline to be considered complete.

The application deadline is Wednesday, March 1, 2023 (11:59 p.m. ET). Scholarship recipients will be notified via email on Monday, May 1, 2023.

For more information on the available scholarships and instructions on how to apply, please visit www.niaf.org/programs/scholarships/.

We also encourage applicants to read the FAQs about NIAF's Scholarship Program at: www.niaf.org/about/frequently-asked-questions/.