The Hispanic Scholarship Fund to Receive the Prestigious Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education

The NEA Foundation and First National Bank of Omaha to honor HSF for making college possible for more young people on February 12, 2016 in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC  (Jan 27, 2016) – Edgar Garcia-Lopez is a student in Brown University’s joint bachelor/MD program and mentors aspiring college students. Luis Ubiñas attended Harvard University and became President of the Ford Foundation, and today is President of the Pan American Development Foundation. Milena Nino studies chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University and works with Engineers Without Borders developing a rainwater catchment system in Peru. These successful, giving Latino-Americans share a common beginning: their higher education was made possible by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

In recognition of its invaluable support for higher education, the NEA Foundation will present the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) with The First National Bank of Omaha Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education. HSF will receive the award at the Foundation’s annual gala on February 12, 2016, which will be hosted by actor Esai Morales.

With this award, the NEA Foundation pays tribute to an organization that addresses the needs of a growing population of Hispanic American students. The 50 million grade school students in the United States include more than 13 million Hispanic students, a proportion that will only rise in the coming years. An increasing number of these students are moving on to four-year universities, thanks in part to organizations like HSF, which provides scholarships and support services to help exceptional Latino American students attend college as well as additional resources and services to college-bound Latino American students and their families.

“Our young people are our most precious resource, and we commend the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s efforts to ensure that more Latino students gain access to higher education,” said Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation. “In addition to scholarships, they also provide invaluable internships and mentoring opportunities, helping to clear the pathway to college for these students. They are an excellent source of information and resources for all Hispanic American families with college-bound students.”

“We honor the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for making higher education possible for so many young people,” said Stephen F. Eulie, Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking, at First National Bank of Omaha. “First National Bank of Omaha believes that sending more young people to college so that they can pursue their dreams and reach their potential is a wise investment.”

“The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is proud to receive this award,” said the organization’s President and CEO, Fidel A. Vargas. “I am confident it will inspire and bring honor to the entire team that works tirelessly on all aspects of our scholarships, support services, programs, and rapidly expanding knowledge base. We hope it will also help spread the word about our important work and the many resources we make available to Hispanic America families across the nation, whose only barrier to the college track for their students may simply be the lack of timely and comprehensive information.”

The outstanding service award pays tribute to those who have significantly increased understanding of public education or have otherwise dedicated themselves to serving educators and students. Past recipients of this prestigious award include former President Bill Clinton, title IX advocate Billie Jean King, Sesame Street Workshop, the NAACP, and Nickelodeon.

The award is part of the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, an annual celebration of the men and women who work in America’s public schools. The NEA Foundation will also honor 42 public school educators nominated by their peers for having attained the highest teaching standards, as illustrated by their exemplary instruction, advocacy for the profession, and staunch support of public education.

The program, which will include performances by students from a range of ethnic backgrounds, will be live streamed on February 12 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET here.

The NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is a public charity supported by contributions from educators’ dues, corporate sponsors, and other supporters of public education initiatives. We partner with education unions, districts, and communities to create powerful, sustainable improvements in teaching and learning. Visit www.neafoundation.org for more information.

First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank of Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First National of Nebraska is the largest privately owned banking company in the United States. First National of Nebraska and its affiliates have $20 billion in assets and 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. Visit www.firstnational.com for more information.

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund empowers Latino families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional Hispanic American students as possible. HSF strives to make college education a top priority for every Latino family across the nation, mobilizing our community to proactively advance that goal—each individual, over a lifetime, in every way he/she can. HSF seeks to give its Scholars all the tools they need to do well in their course work, graduate, enter a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor the generations to come.  As the nation’s largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic American higher education, the Fund has awarded over $470 million in scholarships and provides a range of ancillary programs for students, HSF Scholars, Alumni, and parents. . Visit www.HSF.net for more information.