History 

The Mexican Scholarship Fund was established in 2004 by the Consulate of Mexico in Indianapolis seeking to improve access to higher education for Indiana students of Mexican descent.

“ Education is the key to the American dream. Wave after wave of immigrants have brought fresh blood, new ideas, and innovation to this land of opportunity, but it has been through their education that they have been able to add this new vigor to the economy, the culture, and society.”

– Sergio Aguilera, Consul of Mexico in Indianapolis

 The Fund awards scholarships to students who meet the following eligibility requirements:
● Demonstrate academic promise (GPA of 3.3 or above)
● Demonstrate financial need
● Preference is given to students of Mexican descent residing in Indiana

In 2005, the Fund awarded ten scholarships of $2,000 each to students who plan to pursue their dreams in
careers ranging from communications to chemical engineering. Most of these
students are the first in their family to attend a college or university. Going to college also means that they are realizing their families’ American dream to become successful, productive citizens.

Noe Barragan
2005 Scholarship Recipient, Arsenal Technical High School, Indianapolis
“I was born in Mexico in the state of Puebla in 1987. I came to this country five years ago at the age of 12 years.
My parents and I came to this country because we wanted a better future and because they wanted me to have a career…. In only five years I have gone from not speaking any English to being
one of the highest ranking seniors of my graduating class.”

Challenges Facing Mexican Students

Every year, about 39,000 students of Mexican descent complet their high-school education in the U.S.
About one-third of them face obstacles to pursue a college education due to lack of immigration status, but
the main one is that they are not eligible to obtain financial assistance.  Even students born in the U.S., of undocumented parents, are considered by many higher-education institutions as out-of-state students, thus making their tuitions even less affordable.

Annually, between 700 and 800 students of Mexican descent who graduate from Indiana high schools confront this situation. Under this situation, it is not surprising that the drop-out rate among Hispanics in high school is 30 percent.