Jose Marti Scholarship Challenge Grant

Scholarship Sponsored by Florida Student Scholarship Grant Programs

Here’s a clear, teacher-friendly summary of the José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund and the initial eligibility requirements for the 2025–26 academic year. What the scholarship is - A need-based, merit scholarship that helps eligible students of Hispanic origin pay for attendance at Florida public colleges or certain eligible private institutions. Eligibility checklist (for 2025–26 applicants) - Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA), error-free, by April 1, 2025. (The FFAA will be available starting October 1, 2024.) If awards must be prioritized, applicants may be ranked by the date they submitted their FFAA. - Be of Spanish culture: either born in, or have a natural parent born in, Mexico or a Hispanic country of the Caribbean, Central America, or South America. Note: applicants from Brazil, Spain, and Haiti are not considered for this scholarship. - Meet the GPA requirement: - Undergraduate applicants must have at least a 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) by the end of their seventh high school semester, based on subjects that count toward a high school diploma. - Applicants seeking a graduate-level scholarship must have at least a 3.0 institutional cumulative GPA based on their undergraduate college work. - Certification: the student’s seventh-semester high school GPA must be certified online to the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) by the high school principal or designee; for graduate-level applicants, an admissions office official at the postsecondary institution must certify the institutional GPA online to OSFA. These certifications must be submitted by the deadline set by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). - Demonstrate at least $2,000 in financial need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) so it is processed, error-free, by the U.S. Department of Education on or before May 15, 2025. Quick to-do list (practical steps) - Fill out and submit your FFAA by April 1, 2025 (available starting Oct. 1, 2024). - File the FAFSA early so it’s processed by May 15, 2025. - Ask your high school principal/designee or your college admissions office to certify your GPA to OSFA by the FDOE deadline. If you want, I can turn this into a one-page checklist you can print or share with students and families.