National Society of Hispanic Accepting Scholarship Applications.

For the 14th year in a row, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) is accepting scholarship applications from Latino students and professionals seeking a master’s degree in business administration. Up to 200 awards may be granted this year.

If selected as a recipient, a full-time student will receive an award ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, and a part-time student will receive $1,500.

Since the inception of the program, NSHMBA has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships. NSHMBA’s mission is to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development. The society works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S., so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation’s diverse workforce.

“The NSHMBA scholarship program is one of several ways we are helping Latino students pursue their MBA education,” says Ana Herrera-Malone, director of marketing and development for NSHMBA. “Although Hispanics represent approximately 14 percent of the population in this country, we’re underrepresented in business schools and corporate America. There’s a gap and we’re here to help close it.”

Latinos are the fastest growing, second largest minority population in the United States, totaling approximately 37 million of the total U.S. population of 250 million, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in 2000. It is estimated that by the year 2025 Latinos will become the largest minority group in the nation and that by the year 2050 they will represent about 20 percent of the total U.S. population.

With the average cost of an MBA program totaling $80,000, Jose Villa was glad to receive a $5,000 scholarship last year. Villa is founder of Focus Multimedia, an interactive agency based in Burbank, California, and has entered his second year in the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. “The scholarship money I received from NSHMBA has helped tremendously this past year,” says Villa, who used the scholarship to defray tuition costs. “For me the scholarship meant going to the MBA program of my choice instead of compromising based on financial constraints. I really want to encourage Latino students to apply for a NSHMBA scholarship ¬¬¬– it can really make a difference.”

Eligibility requirements include:
· Hispanic background – one parent Hispanic or both parents half Hispanic
· U.S. Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency
· Enrolled in an MBA Program at an accredited college/university for Fall 2005
· GPA – 3.0 or above
· NSHMBA Membership Required

The deadline for applications is June 1. Applicants will be notified in late July if their scholarship has been granted. Scholarship and membership applications can be downloaded from the NSHMBA website: http://www.nshmba.org