Friends of

Sánchez Scholars

Friends of Sánchez Scholars (FoSS) is a nonprofit organization that was launched in 2017 to help support the three scholarship programs created by Professor Roberto G. Sánchez in honor of his parents’ belief in the power of education and his pride in his Mexican heritage.

Friends of Sánchez Scholars helps promote degree completion and professional success for Sánchez Scholars studying at the high school, community college and university level in Madison, Wisconsin.

The goals of Friends of Sánchez Scholars include:

Advocate for the academic achievement of first-generation Latinx students

Assist in securing financial aid for higher education

Actively engage current and former Scholars in the organization’s mission

Support select educational opportunity funds with similar missions

Madison Community Foundation Scholarship Fund

The Friends of Sánchez Scholars have established a scholarship fund through the Madison Community Foundation to continue supporting the scholars.

Class of 2022 Sánchez Scholars Graduates

Read more about the 2022 graduates in our Student Engagement page

Sánchez Scholars High School Program

In 1998 Professor Roberto G. Sánchez endowed a scholarship program through the Madison Community Foundation to serve first-generation fully bilingual high school students from low-income families who dreamed of pursuing a college education.

Each Madison public middle school annually nominates an eighth grade candidate for this award. A selection committee chooses three to five students to participate during their four years of high school.

Scholars receive financial support to help cover costs such as computers, graphing calculators, supplies, extracurricular activities and fees for summer enrichment programs. FoSS staff members monitor academic progress and help ensure precollege planning. They provide ongoing mentoring for students and guidance for parents and guardians. High school Scholars also take advantage of community volunteer opportunities, internships and workshops on a range of topics.

The Sánchez Scholars Facebook page contains additional information and program updates.

Scholarship Programs

Madison High School Sánchez Scholars

Madison High School Scholarship

Every year MMSD middle school staff nominate promising eighth graders as candidates for the high school Sánchez Scholars program. Eligible students are fully bilingual Spanish speakers with financial need who have a desire to pursue higher education. Preference is given to those who will be the first in their families to attend college.

Sánchez Scholar program coordinators work closely with middle school staff throughout the nomination and selection process. Students and families are not able to apply directly for the high school scholarship

Madison College Sánchez Scholars

Professor Roberto G. Sánchez Hispanic Bilingual Scholarship

In 2008 Professor Sánchez initiated a scholarship through the Madison College Foundation that supports students pursuing liberal arts transfer or associate degree programs there. Eligible candidates are fully bilingual graduates of Dane County high schools who demonstrate financial need. The majority are first-generation college students. Priority is given to prior high school Sánchez Scholars.

UW-Madison Sánchez Scholars

UW-Madison Roberto G. Sánchez Scholarship

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Professor Sánchez completed his Ph.D. and served on the faculty, awarded its first Sánchez scholarships in 2011. The Roberto G.Sánchez Scholarship Fund gives preference to bilingual, first-generation Hispanic students, and prioritizes previous Sánchez Scholars. It is also strongly preferred that assistance be given to transfer students who have already successfully completed two years of post-secondary education.