VAMOS Scholarships
Scholarship applicants will be entered in a drawing to win free Chick-fil-A for a year.
VAMOS Traditional Scholarship
APPLICATION OPENS - December 1, 2025
Requirements:
- Scholarship application
- High School Senior in Hidalgo, Starr or Cameron county
- Official high school transcript with grade point average (GPA), class rank, and class size
- Minimum GPA of 80 on a 100-point scale or 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or rank in the top 30% of graduating class
- Student’s resume
- Must be Pell Grant eligible
- ACT or SAT test scores
- Parent’s income tax return, include tax return used to apply for FAFSA (please redact SSNs)
- Financial Aid Summary Report and Student Aid Index (SAI)
- Financial aid award letter
- Admission offer letter
- Two letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, principals, or other school professional staff
- Plan to enroll full-time at an accredited public or private four-year college or university in the Fall 2026 Semester
- A 600-word essay, please include the following:
- Personal statement
- What are your academic and career goals?
- Why do you believe obtaining a degree in higher education is important?
- Have you experienced any obstacles or exceptional/difficult circumstances that have inspired you to pursue a post-secondary education?
- Conclude your essay with a closing statement.
This scholarship is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study, or until graduation (whichever comes first). Students selected may receive up to $20,000.
Submit your scholarship application online and mail required items/documents by the deadline noted below to: VAMOS Scholarship Committee, 800 N. Main St., Suite 410, McAllen, TX 78501
DEADLINE TO APPLY - April 3, 2026 by 5PM.
Please Note: Our Application Page has changed. Please submit using the new link below.Application Status: OPEN
HSF/VAMOS Scholarship
APPLICATION OPENS – January 15, 2026
Requirements:
- Online scholarship application
- Must be Pell Grant eligible
- Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public or not-for-profit, four-year university during the fall of the scholarship cycle
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- High school graduating seniors only - Cumulative GPA of 2.75. based on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) earned from 9th through the first semester/term of 12th grade
- High school students must be graduating seniors in Hidalgo, Cameron, or Starr County
- This scholarship is open to all majors
All required application materials must be submitted on the HSF application portal. Selected students attending the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will receive $3,000 per year, for four years ($12,000 total). All other selected students attending other institutions will receive $5,000 per year, for four years ($20,000 total).
DEADLINE TO APPLY - February 15, 2026 by 5PM
Application Status: Closed
VAMOS/UTRGV Scholarship
APPLICATION OPENS - October 1, 2025
Requirements:
- Online scholarship application
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
- Be a senior graduating from any high school in Hidalgo, Cameron or Starr County
- Be an entering freshman at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Rank in top 25% of his/her graduating class
- Demonstrate financial need and be Pell Grant-eligible as determined by the UTRGV Financial Aid Office and defined by the U.S. Department of Education using FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
This scholarship is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study, or until graduation, (whichever comes first) and is valued up to $10,000. To be considered, students must be admitted to UTRGV and have submitted a FAFSA application by February 15.
DEADLINE TO APPLY - February 15, 2026