The Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation annually awards scholarships to students pursuing post-secondary education for careers in the restaurant industry or in lodging management. Last year, 30 students received scholarships totaling $94,000.

Scholarship Application Deadline: March 15, 2019!

Scholarship Criteria

Academic Scholarship for High School Seniors, GED Graduates and Undergraduate Students Pursuing Foodservice, Lodging or Hospitality Degrees

1. Student must be a resident of Minnesota.
2. Student must be pursuing a hospitality or foodservice (not food science) culinary arts degree at an accredited post-secondary institution. Full-time and part-time students are eligible (with a minimum of nine credit hours). This is not limited to schools in Minnesota.
3. The HMEF Board maintains the right to disapprove the educational institution or program in which the student is enrolled.  
4. Student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA in high school (11th and 12th grades) or current college GPA.
5. Student is required to submit an essay as outlined on the scholarship application.
6. Student must submit at least two letters of recommendation from persons other than family. We suggest both academic and employment references.
7. Student is required to submit high school or college transcripts.
8. Preference will be given to students who are graduates of the ProStart or HTMP programs.
   

Scholarship Denominations, Payment & Eligibility

1. The Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation (HMEF) Board of Directors and Scholarship Committee will determine denominations of each scholarship given.
2. Scholarship awards will be limited to academic tuition and paid directly to the educational institution. The institution will contact HMEF requesting funds and verify that the student has completed his/her coursework satisfactorily.
3. Students may reapply for a scholarship annually if they demonstrate a minimum 2.5 GPA and provide a letter of recommendation from a faculty member.
4. The HMEF Board of Directors will make the determination of annual scholarships based on funds available and applicant pool.
5. Relatives of the members of the HMEF Board of Directors are ineligible.
6. Relatives of contributors are eligible, as are students who are also employed by contributing companies.
7. Relatives of the directors or officers of the Minnesota Restaurant Association, Minnesota Lodging Association and Minnesota Resort & Campground Association boards will be eligible, so long as they do not serve on the HMEF Board of Directors.
8. To ensure unbiased scholarship awards, a selection committee will use a standard application and scoring system based on academics, community involvement, hospitality experience and a submitted essay.
   

Heart of Hospitality Scholarship
Two Heart of Hospitality scholarships may be awarded annually to a ProStart student and a HTMP student who don’t meet the Foundation’s required academic criteria. Students must apply using the same applicant form. A ProStart or HTMP teacher must provide the recommendation for this specific scholarship. Award may be up to $1,000 each and will be determined by the HMEF Board of Directors and Scholarship Committee.