Scholarships

National Leadership Grants – General Information

Through the Sons of Italy Foundation® (SIF), the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America® (OSDIA) has awarded tens of millions of dollars in scholarships to date. Every year since its inception, the SIF has offered 10 to 12 merit-based scholarships (National Leadership Grants), ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. These figures and the number of scholarships may vary according to funding each year.

General Eligibility: Individuals* of Italian descent** enrolled in a four-year undergraduate program, graduate program, or a professional school at an accredited academic institution for the Fall 2025 term.

* U.S. citizens and Green Card holders

** at least one Italian or Italian American grandparent

Please Note: Previous SIF scholarship winners are not eligible.

General Requirements:

• Application Fee: A $35 non-refundable fee is required to process your scholarship application. The fee includes a one-year At-Large Membership to OSDIA, with all included benefits.
• Upon receipt of the application fee, the applicant will receive an email with the link to complete their submission.
• What you will need:
  • Transcripts through December 2024
    • For application purposes, an unofficial transcript will be accepted. If a student is selected for a scholarship, an official transcript will be required.
  • 2 Recommendation Letters
    • Letters must be from someone who has worked with or overseen the applicant in a professional capacity. Letters from family members or friends will not be accepted.
  • Official Test Scores
    • Submit official results from all standardized tests (ACT, SAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) taken during the past 5 years

Deadline: The deadline for the 2025 Scholarship program is March 14, 2025. All requirements for a given scholarship must be met or the application will not be considered.
No exceptions will be made. 

Process: Applications are screened by education professionals. The final selection is made by OSDIA’s Scholarship and Grants Committee. Monetary awards are presented directly to the student’s academic institutions in accordance with eligibility requirements.

Results: All of the scholarship applicants will be notified of their outcomes in April 2025.

Applications for the 2025 scholarship cycle are now closed. Stay tuned for more details on next year’s scholarships.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

In addition to the National Leadership Grants, state and local lodges may offer scholarships. Please contact those lodges directly. View the list of lodges.