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 18 merit-based scholarships (National Leadership Grants), ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. 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 2026 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:
  • Official Transcripts through December 2025, or most recent completed academic term.
    • Official transcripts are required. If unavailable before the application deadline, an unofficial transcript may be submitted. Selected recipients will be required to provide official transcripts before receiving the scholarship.
  • 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 2026 Scholarship Program is 5:00PM EST on February 27, 2026. 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 2026.

Applications for the 2026 scholarship cycle are now closed. Please check back later this year for updates on the 2027 cycle. 

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

More Scholarship Opportunities Below!

OSDIA Announces Two Full-Tuition Scholarships with the Swiss School of Management – Rome Campus

The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America® (OSDIA) and Sons of Italy Foundation® (SIF) is proud to partner with the Swiss School of Management (SSM) in Rome, to offer two full-tuition scholarships for outstanding students of Italian descent pursuing business degrees at SSM’s Rome campus for fall 2026.

These awards honor two Italian American icons whose leadership and innovation shaped modern business:

• The Amadeo Peter Giannini BBA Scholarship – Celebrating the founder of Bank of America and his enduring legacy of opportunity and entrepreneurship.
• The Lee Iacocca MBA Scholarship – Honoring the legendary automotive leader known for his vision, resilience, and transformative leadership.

Each scholarship covers full tuition for either the Bachelor in Business Administration (3 years) or Master of Business Administration (16 months) program (housing and living expenses not included).

These scholarships celebrate the proud legacy of Italian and Italian American achievement while empowering the next generation of global business leaders.

Applications for the SSM full-tuition scholarships are now closed.