Through the Sons of Italy Foundation® (SIF) and more than 650 state and local lodges, the Order Sons of Italy in America® (OSIA) has awarded nearly $50 million in scholarships to date.

Each year, the SIF offers 10 to 12 merit-based scholarships (National Leadership Grants), ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, in a nationwide competition.

General Eligibility: U.S. citizens of Italian descent (at least one Italian or Italian American grandparent) enrolled in an under­graduate or graduate program at a four-year, accredited academic institution for the 2011 Fall term. Previous SIF scholarship winners are not eligible. (Please note: Additional eligibility requirements may apply to specific scholarships.)

General Requirements: Please see each scholarship description for its specific requirements. The following general requirements apply to all scholarships.

Application Form: Must be submitted along with requirements for each scholarship.

Transcripts: For each scholarship, transcripts provided must be through the December 2010 term. All transcripts must be stamped by the institution and included in a separate, sealed envelope. Transcripts may be submitted with entire application package, however, we understand some schools prefer to send them separately.

Processing Fee: A $30 non-refundable processing fee is required with each scholarship application. The fee includes a one-year national at-large membership to the Order Sons of Italy in America and a subscription to Italian America magazine.

• Only money orders will be accepted; no exceptions. Make money orders payable to the Sons of Italy Foundation.

• Any application without the processing fee or with the processing fee postmarked after the deadline will not be eligible. Processing fees for incomplete or late applications will not be refunded.

Deadline: The deadline for all scholarships (unless otherwise noted) is February 28, 2011. All requirements for a given scholarship must be met or the application will not be considered. All required materials must be in one package and postmarked no later than February 28, 2011. Transcripts may be mailed separately but must be postmarked by February 28, 2011. Express mail, FedEx or the equivalent is highly recommended for those sending applications in late February. Applications and required materials postmarked after February 28, 2011, will not be accepted under any circumstance. No exceptions will be made. The SIF takes no responsibility for incomplete or late applications.

To expedite application processing, please mail all materials in one packet and send via certified or express mail.

All complete applications should be sent to:
Sons of Italy Foundation
Attn: National Leadership Grant Competition
219 E Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Process: Applications are screened by education professionals. Final selection is made by OSIA's National Education Committee. Scholarship recipients only will be notified by May 1. Monetary awards are presented directly to students' academic institutions in accordance with eligibility requirements.

The 2011 scholarship winners will be invited to attend the 23rd Annual National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala in Washington, D.C., where they will be recognized by hundreds of leaders in the Italian America community and in government, business, sports, labor, entertainment, the arts and the media. Details will be provided to scholarship winners when they are notified of their scholarship

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