Italian Catholic Federation Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by Italian Catholic Federation
Overview
Since 1964 the Italian Catholic Federation (I.C.F.) has provided in excess of $2,000,000 in scholarships to more than 6,000 Catholic high school students who go on to college. Each spring the Federation receives nearly 200 scholarship applications from students attending public and Catholic high schools in California, Nevada and Illinois.
Who is eligible
- Minimum academic requirement: a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 based on 3½ years (grades 9 through the first quarter or semester of grade 12).
- Applicants must be Roman Catholic and meet ONE of the following:
1) Be of Italian descent and reside within a Roman Catholic diocese in California, Illinois, or Nevada where an I.C.F. Branch is established; or
2) Be Roman Catholic (Italian ancestry not required) and have a parent, guardian, or grandparent who is a member of the Italian Catholic Federation.
- Important: If an applicant is Roman Catholic but not of Italian descent, the parent/guardian/grandparent membership requirement is mandatory — simply being baptized Roman Catholic is not sufficient.
- Individuals and families who join the I.C.F. National Branch from states where the organization does not yet have Branches are welcomed and supported in the Federation’s mission. However, children of families in states without established Branches are currently not eligible for I.C.F. scholarships because funding sources and the National Branch’s scholarship administration are not yet in place for those areas.
Number and amount of awards
- Approximately 130 first-year scholarships will be awarded.
- First-year award for 2026: $500.
- Renewals for continuing recipients: second year $600, third year $700, and fourth year $1,000.
How applications are evaluated
Applications are reviewed on the basis of:
- Scholastic achievement (total cumulative GPA for 3½ years) and class rank
- Demonstrated financial need
- Leadership roles
- Extracurricular activities and community/charitable involvement
- Family membership/participation in the I.C.F., if applicable
2026 First-Year Scholarship (Amount $500)
- Submission deadline: April 10, 2026
Application checklist and submission instructions for high school seniors
1. Download the 2026 I.C.F. Scholarship Application.
2. Complete and save the application form.
3. Prepare the required letter of personal assessment (guidelines appear on the application).
4. Obtain your high school transcript showing grades from Grade 9 through the first quarter or first semester of Grade 12.
5. Submit all three items — the completed application, the personal assessment letter, and the transcript — together by email or postal mail.
Submit by email:
- Send all three documents in one email to: info@icf.org
Or by mail:
Attn: Scholarship Committee
Italian Catholic Federation
8393 Capwell Drive, Suite 110
Oakland, CA 94621
Note: Incomplete submissions (missing any of the three required items) will not be accepted. Transcripts must include grades from Grade 9 through the first quarter or first semester of Grade 12.