The Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund was founded out of the desire and need to help talented Latino students in Indiana realize their dreams of attending institutions of higher education.

In 2007, Sergio Aguilera, the first Mexican Consulate to Indiana, approached the Central Indiana Community Foundation and Strada Education Network about starting a fund that would support scholarship efforts for Indiana Hispanic/Latino youth. The fund was formed with member organizations: Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), La Plaza, Mexican Scholarship Fund, Project Stepping Stone (PSS), Sociedad de Amigos de Colombia (SADCO), and Strada Education Network.

By strategically creating a fund to support the key Latino community-based organizations already providing scholarships to Latino students, efforts and resources were pooled to generate greater impact. This, in turn, provided increased financial opportunities to award more and larger scholarships to top Latino Hoosier students.

The Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund supports and encourages top Indiana Latino students to realize and achieve their dreams of attending higher institutions of education. As the largest scholarship fund for Latinos in Indiana, ILSF has supported Indiana’s Latino students and awarded over $3 million in scholarships since 2007. 

ILSF alliance members work year-round to raise funds, plan events, and spread awareness of the impact ILSF scholarships have on top Latino students across Indiana. In 2019 we held the “1st and Goal for Education” and we continued this theme during the pandemic with virtual “Goals & Dreams” fundraisers. We continue to build partnerships throughout Indiana and bring together community leaders whose passion and willingness to support talented Latino scholars inspire us to make a difference in our state.