The information requested in this application is for the sole purpose of assisting HLSF in the evaluation of applicants. Your information will be kept strictly confidential and will be disseminated only to the HLSF Board. All questions must be answered fully. Incomplete applications will not be considered by HLSF. By submitting this application, you consent to verification by HLSF of the information furnished herein.
To be eligible for a scholarship you must:
- Be currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school;
- Submit a personal statement that describes your career goals, the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them, and how your heritage or culture has motivated you (see esp. FAQs);
- Submit a complete law school transcript thru Fall 2025 grades;
- Submit your financial award letter for the 2025-2026 academic year;
- Submit a current resume; and
- If awarded a scholarship, be available to accept the award at the HLSF scholarship reception in April 2026.
* Scholarship awards are generally $5,000 but amounts may vary depending on available funding.
* 1L Applicants may not have a transcript prior to the application deadline. 1L applicants should submit their application and supplement the application with a transcript immediately upon receiving first semester grades, but no later than January 23, 2026. In the event your school will not make grades available prior to January 23, 2026, please email info@hlsf.org after you have submitted an application.
* Students selected for an interview should plan to be available via ZOOM on or about the weekend of February 21-22, 2026.
* Click the FAQ section below for further insight into the application questions.
Application FAQ (Click to expand)
HLSF Scholarship Application 2025-2026 – FAQs
Connection to Illinois
Q: I don’t understand the question about my connection to Illinois. Please explain.
A: Please describe your connection to Illinois as someone who lives, has lived, or plans to live in Illinois. For example, tell us:
- Are you a native Illinoisan?
- How many years have you lived in Illinois?
- Did you move here to attend school?
- Do you have a spouse or other family in Illinois?
- Do you own real estate located in Illinois?
- In what state are you licensed to vote?
- If you are licensed to drive, which state issued your license?
- Are you employed in Illinois/seeking employment in Illinois post-graduation?
Finance Portion
Q: What information should be included in the Finance portion of the application?
A: In addition to questions about the total expenses and funding of your education (see below), we ask you to identify your employment in the current year and for the next year. We also ask you information about your parents’ income, their home ownership, and the provision of their health care.
Q: Please explain how detailed you’d like my responses to the questions about the Expenses and Funding of my law school education.
A: We ask you to identify all expenses/costs and all funding/sources used to pay for your tuition. An example is provided below. Please be as specific as possible and provide specific dollar amounts for each question. If the answer is “zero” or “none”, then write “0.00” in the space provided.
For expenses, include all costs associated with your education, including the full cost of tuition (regardless of whether you are getting any scholarships, grants, or waivers, see below), costs of books and other supplies, and school fees or other costs. Feel free to use the Description box to elaborate on your other fees and costs.
For funding (i.e., money), include all dollar amounts that are/were given (i) to you directly and/or (ii) to your school on your behalf to finance your law school education. Please identify all sources of money used to pay for your law school education, including your personal contributions (from savings and current employment), spousal and/or family contributions, scholarships/grants, loans, and any tuition waivers you have received, as well as any other source not previously mentioned. Feel free to use the Description box to elaborate on your other sources.
The following Hypothetical Student’s costs and funding sources is provided as an illustration to help you complete this portion of the application. Note: TOTAL EXPENSES should equal TOTAL FUNDING.
Expenses (i.e., What does it REALLY cost me to go to law school?) – Please tell us about the costs of your law school education:
Tuition $45,000 per year
Books $5,000 per year
Fees $3,000 per year
Housing $12,000 per year
Food $6,000 per year
Other Expenses?* $0.00
Total Expenses $81,000 per year
Funding (i.e., How am I paying for law school?) – Please tell us about your funding sources for your law school education:
Student Loans $68,000 per year
Scholarships $10,000 per year
Work Study, if any $0.00
Savings/Employment $0.00
Family Contributions $2,000 per year
Other sources** $1,000 (law school work-study program)
Total Funding $81,000
*Please describe other expenses you incurred that are not listed above.
**Please describe other sources of income (e.g., lottery winnings) that are not listed above.
Community Service
Q: What should I write about my community service?
A: Include any community service activity(ies) with which you have been involved in the last ten years. Describe what community benefited from your service; in particular, we are interested in what you have done to support the Hispanic community. For each activity, please include the dates of your participation, a short description of the organization and the community they serve, and a description of the activity you performed to help them. Do not feel compelled to limit your response to activities formally labeled “community service”.
Background Statement
Q: How long should my background statement be?
A: A minimum of 1 page/maximum of 2 pages, double spaced.
Q: What should I write about in my background statement?
A: Describe the person you are today and who you hope to be in the future. Tell us about an experience(s) you have had that have shaped the person you have become and/or hope to become. Describe what inspires you and from where you draw your strength, especially focusing on how your ancestry inspires your career goals. Explain what adversities or challenges (e.g., educational, social, family, etc.) you encountered on your path to law school and how you handled the situation, including how race has affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. Elaborate on any community service activity(ies) that have shaped your background or inspired your future service in the law.