Overview
The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) provides scholarships to Latino graduate students pursuing degrees in entertainment-related fields at 8 select US universities. Founded in 1997, the foundation targets graduate-level education specifically, reasoning that advanced training in film and media creates a pathway to leadership positions in the industry.
The scholarship is restricted to students at 8 specific universities: Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, UCLA, USC, and UT Austin. This is a hard restriction. Students at other institutions cannot apply, regardless of program quality or financial need. The foundation selected these 8 institutions based on their track record of creating career opportunities in media, telecommunications, and entertainment.
Historical sources reference awards up to $10,000, though the foundation does not publish a fixed amount on its current website. Award checks are processed in October and disbursed in November following September enrollment verification. The foundation also advocates for increased Latino representation in Hollywood through partnerships with studios, networks, and industry organizations.
Notable alumni include Reinaldo Marcus Green, who received an NHFA scholarship while studying at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He went on to direct the Oscar-nominated King Richard (2021) and Monsters and Men (2018), which won the Sundance Special Jury Award for Outstanding First Feature.
History
Actors Jimmy Smits, Sonia Braga, Esai Morales, and Merel Julia, along with Washington attorney Felix Sanchez, created the NHFA in 1997 to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications, and entertainment industries. The foundation established its graduate scholarship program targeting 8 partner universities with strong film and performing arts programs.
Key milestones include the 1997 founding, the expansion of scholarship recipients to include students across film, theater, broadcast communications, entertainment law, and entertainment business, and the addition of high school musical residency programs in the Rio Grande Valley through the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District. The foundation filed its most recent tax return for fiscal year ending December 2024, confirming active operations.
Award Value
- Cash scholarship toward graduate tuition and educational expenses. The exact award amount varies by year and recipient. Historical sources reference awards up to $10,000, though the foundation does not publish a fixed amount on its current website
- NHFA community access: recipients join a network of Latino arts professionals and scholars
- Industry connections: access to NHFA events and partnerships with entertainment industry organizations
- Career development support: the foundation supports recipients as they transition into professional careers
- Award disbursement: checks are processed in October and disbursed in November following the September enrollment verification
No stipend or cost-of-living component exists. The scholarship is a tuition supplement. At institutions charging $65,000 to $70,000 per year in tuition, even a $10,000 scholarship covers approximately 14 percent of annual tuition. Most recipients will need to combine the scholarship with university financial aid, federal loans, and assistantships.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be of Hispanic heritage (one parent fully Hispanic or each parent half Hispanic)
- Be a US citizen or a legal permanent resident with a permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551 (current)
- Be a graduate student enrolled full-time during the previous or current academic year at one of the following 8 universities only: Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, UCLA, USC, or UT Austin
- Be pursuing a degree in one of the following areas: Drama/Theater, Set Design/Costume Design, Lighting Design, Film (writing/directing/production), Broadcast Communications, Entertainment Law, or Business Administration with an emphasis on entertainment management
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Undergraduate students are not eligible. Students at universities other than the 8 listed are not eligible. Students pursuing degrees outside the listed fields are not eligible. There are no exceptions to these restrictions.
Selection is open-application, not faculty-nominated. Students submit directly through the NHFA website.
Past Recipients
The NHFA does not publish a comprehensive public list of scholarship recipients. Known recipients and alumni include:
- Reinaldo Marcus Green (NYU Tisch, MFA Film, class of 2016): Received an NHFA scholarship during his graduate studies. His debut feature Monsters and Men won the Sundance Special Jury Award for Outstanding First Feature in 2018. He directed King Richard (2021), which earned 6 Oscar nominations including Best Picture. He subsequently directed Bob Marley: One Love (2024).
- Marc Sanchez (UCLA, 2021 recipient): Announced as an NHFA scholarship recipient in November 2021, recognized as a future Latino artist in the film industry with a focus on animation.
- Gina Rodriguez and Eva Longoria: Both recognized by the NHFA network as rising talents who benefited from the foundation's community and industry connections.
The 2024 and 2025 recipient lists have not been publicly profiled as of August 2026. The NHFA announces recipients in August following the July 31 deadline.
What Made Their Application Stand Out
Applicants are evaluated on academic records, academic plans and career goals, financial need (for educational purposes), community service, essay quality (including grammar, punctuation, and spelling), letter of recommendation, and portfolio submission. All selection decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Reinaldo Marcus Green's path illustrates what the committee rewards: a clear career trajectory from graduate film school toward a specific creative goal. Green entered NYU Tisch after helping his brother shoot short films and taking what he called a "leap of faith" from a Wall Street job. His thesis short Stop screened at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, demonstrating that his academic work produced festival-ready results.
The portfolio requirement (2 samples of original work) functions as the primary differentiator. Applicants whose portfolios show completed, screened, or distributed work carry a significant advantage over applicants with academic-only samples. The confidential recommendation letter must address academic record, career goals, personal strengths (motivation, leadership, commitment), and community service, giving the committee a full picture beyond grades.
Renewal Requirements
The NHFA scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable award. There is no renewal process, no GPA requirement to maintain, and no multi-year commitment. The scholarship is disbursed as a single payment in November following enrollment verification.
Recipients can reapply in a subsequent year if they still meet the eligibility requirements (full-time graduate enrollment at one of the 8 partner universities, Hispanic heritage, US citizenship or permanent residency, minimum 3.0 GPA, and an eligible field of study). Each application requires new materials, including a current transcript, updated portfolio, and a new recommendation letter.
The foundation does not guarantee repeat awards. Recipients who reapply are evaluated against the current applicant pool on the same criteria as new applicants.
Application Process
Applications are submitted online through the NHFA website. All materials must be submitted in one package before July 31.
Required Materials
- Completed online application: Answer all questions within the space and word count requirements
- Official transcript: Must include cumulative GPA. If the transcript does not show a cumulative GPA, a school official must confirm the information on school letterhead with their signature. Transcripts must include institution name, applicant name, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have completed only one full-time semester at your current institution, submit both graduate and undergraduate transcripts
- Letter of recommendation: From an instructor or advisor, or if out of school for 2 or more years, from your most recent employer. The letter must be current, confidential, and cannot be from a relative. It should address academic record, academic plans and career goals, personal strengths (motivation, leadership, commitment), and community service. The recommender should send the letter directly to info@hispanicarts.org
- Financial information documentation: If you applied for federal financial aid, include a copy of all pages of your current Student Aid Report (SAR). If you did not apply for federal financial aid, include copies of your federal tax return and W-2 forms, plus parents' and spouse's tax returns if applicable
- Portfolio submission: 2 samples of original work (video/audio, photographs, scripts, etc.)
Selection Calendar
| Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Application Deadline | July 31 |
| Application Processing | July to August |
| Final Determination Mailed/Emailed | August 31 |
| Enrollment Verification | September |
| Award Checks Processed | October |
| Award Checks Disbursed | November |
There is no application fee. Contact the NHFA at info@hispanicarts.org or (202) 293-8330 for current award information.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The NHFA scholarship is one of the few national scholarships specifically for Latino graduate students in film and entertainment. The restriction to 8 universities is a hard rule with no exceptions. If your school is not on the list, you cannot apply. Students at AFI, CalArts, Emerson, or other strong film programs are ineligible.
The award amount varies and is not guaranteed. Applicants should not assume a specific dollar figure. At schools charging $65,000 to $70,000 per year, the scholarship supplements but does not replace other funding. Combine it with university aid, federal loans, and assistantships.
The key trade-off is the graduate-only restriction. Undergraduate Latino film students must look elsewhere. The NHFA network and industry connections provide value beyond the cash award, connecting recipients to a community of Latino arts professionals. The confidential recommendation letter requirement means applicants must plan ahead to give recommenders time to submit directly to the foundation.
Watch
See Also
For guidance on graduate film programs, see Film School vs Self-Taught. To plan your student film production budget, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For understanding how scholarships fit into a broader funding strategy, see Film Grants and Funding.
