Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation Scholarships

Scholarships that shape the future

Since 2008 HMEF has awarded over $832,000 in Scholarships to 345 students pursuing post-secondary education for careers in foodservice, lodging, tourism and hospitality management. The scholarships were provided through the generosity of Minnesota hospitality operators.

Through a competitive process, students are awarded scholarships based on Minnesota residency, pursuit of degree in culinary arts or hospitality and tourism management, and their application submission. Recipients pursue careers as restaurant owners and managers, chefs, caterers, bakers, hotel and resort general managers, event planners and many other roles.

Scholarship Criteria and Information

Hospitality Scholarship Criteria for 2023 - Eligibility Requirements (read carefully):

Student must be a resident of Minnesota.
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.
The HMEF Board maintains the right to disapprove the educational institution or program in which the student is enrolled.
Student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA in high school (11th & 12th grades) or current college GPA.
Student is required to submit an essay as outlined on the scholarship application.
Student must submit at least two letters of recommendation from persons other than family. We suggest both academic and employment references.
Student is required to submit official high school or college transcripts.
Preference will be given to students who are graduates of the ProStart or HTMP programs.

Scholarship Denominations, Payment & Eligibility

The Foundation Board & Scholarship Committee determine scholarship amounts based on the applicant pool and available funds.
Awards are restricted 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.
Students may reapply for a scholarship annually if they demonstrate a 2.5 GPA and provide a letter of recommendation from a faculty member.
Relatives of the members of the HMEF Board of Directors are ineligible.
Relatives of contributors are eligible, as are students who are also employed by contributing companies.
Relatives of the directors or officers of the Hospitality Minnesota Association are eligible, so long as they do not serve on the HMEF Board of Directors.
To ensure unbiased selection, an appointed 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 that don’t meet the required academic criteria. Students 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 & Scholarship Committee.

Apply Today! The scholarship application process is live.

2023-2024 scholarships applications are open until March 17, 2023.

If you are interested in applying, you can access the application here.

If you have any questions regarding available scholarships or the application process, please reach out! We're happy to help however we can.