Scholarship recipients must be full-time students during the semester for which they are scholarship recipients.
Do I need to be a graduate student to be eligible?
No, this scholarship is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Do I need a letter of recommendation?
No, we need only a letter from your internship agency verifying your internship. Letters of recommendation are not read or considered.
Internship Requirements
I'm working at an agency this semester, can I cite that on my application?
No. You must serve your internship during the semester for which you are a scholarship recipient.
Where can I serve as an intern?
You can serve your internship at any non-profit, community organization, legislative body, or public policy commission which has, as part of its mission and focus, service to the Latino community.
Is there a list of acceptable agencies?
You can view a list of past internship sites here, but there are many other agencies at which you can serve. If you have a question about a particular agency, please contact us.
Does the agency have to be located in Sacramento?
No, the agency can be anywhere in the Northern California region.
Am I still eligible to receive the scholarship if I have a paid internship?
Yes.
Does my internship have to be a major requirement?
No, we want to encourage students of all majors and backgrounds to aply for the Serna Center's scholarship programs. As long as you can verify your internship, you are welcome to apply.
Internship Verification
How do I verify my internship hours?
Just include a letter from your agency supervisor or major advisor if your major has an internship requirement.
Application Process
What happens after I turn in my application?
Applications that meet the criteria are reviewed by the scholarship selection committee and ranked. The top three candidates are then chosen as the recipients.
Notification and Disbursement
When do you notifiy the recipients?
Typically all applicants are notified in early January or June depending on the semester for which they applied.
When will I receive my scholarship money?
All scholarship monies are disbursed the week before the beginning of the semester.
Duties as a Scholarship Recipient
I've just received my notification letter, what now?
Please send us a clear headshot that has not been taken with a camera phone. We will crop the photo as needed, but please do not send us a picture you wouldn't want your grandmother to see.
What happens at the Scholarship Awards Ceremony?
Every semester the Serna Center holds a Scholarship Awards Ceremony where we honor the semester's recipients. You are not required to attend, but we highly recommend it as you will be able to meet and mingle with your fellow recipients. You will be asked to discuss your internship and how it and the scholarship have effected you.
Anything else?
Yes. At the end of the semester, we ask that you send us a statement about your internship and what it meant to you along with a letter from your internship supervisor verifying that you have completed your assignment for the semester,
