IAHS Scholarship Application Guidelines
"What My Italian Heritage Means To Me"
The Italian American Heritage Society (IAHS) is once again offering its annual scholarship program. Applicants must be a high school senior or in college or accepted at a college, must complete the Scholarship Application form (red button below) and also follow the application guidelines listed below. The winners must be able to read their essays at the May or June, 2026 general meeting of the Italian American Heritage Society (usually the second Sunday of the month). This meeting is held in the Parish Hall at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church located at 1730 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, Alabama 35209. Applications for the IAHS Scholarships will be accepted beginning December 1, 2025 through February 27, 2026.
​​
APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
-
Applicant must be a member of the Italian American Heritage Society or have a parent(s)/guardian who is a member.
-
Applicant must be a high school senior providing proof of acceptance to a college or university they will attend in the 2026 school year, or an existing college student with written proof of registration for the upcoming session.
-
Applicant must have a grade point average of at least a 2.75 if already attending college.
-
Applicant must submit the Application Form (red button below) that includes the following:​​
-
his/her name, age, USPS mailing address, email address, and cell phone number
-
the name of the applicant's parent/guardian who is a member of IAHS
-
name of high school and college attending with a copy of letter of acceptance from college attending for the 2026 school year.
-
name and address of registrar of college currently attending or name of registrar of college applicant will be attending (Scholarship monies are tax free ONLY if used for the following expenditures: tuition or other college expenditures such as course fees, textbooks, laptops).
-
the last four digits of his/her Social Security number (used to identify the applicant's essay for anonymous review by the selection committee)
-
list of school and community activities
-
-
Applicant must also write and submit an essay of at least two (2) pages (typed, Times Roman, 12", double-spaced) explaining the topic, "What My Italian Heritage Means to Me." Applicant's name and names of the applicant's parent/guardians or other relatives, must NOT be mentioned in the essay. This essay must be uploaded with the application. Please use Pages, Word, or PDF format for the essay.
-
Deadline for submission (including the Scholarship Application and the essay) is on or before February 27, 2026. Winning applicants will be announced from the Coca Cola Stage at Sloss Furnace during the 3rd Annual FESTA ITALIANA on April 11,2026.
-
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the five (5) scholarships of $3,000 each for 2025: Madison Dunnaway, Brooke Johnson, John Nicholas Koch, Joseph Smaha, and Vincent Truitt. Winners of the scholarships were announced on the main stage of Sloss Furnace at the FESTA ITALIANA, on April , 2026. We wish each of them the best as they continue their education.
For questions contact:
Jeanette Campisi, Ed.D.
Scholarship Chairperson
205 617-4961
​
​