USA Scholarships
Hilton Cares Community Scholarship 2027 - $5,000
The Hilton Cares Community Scholarship 2027 helps students in Hilton neighborhoods pay for accredited college, university, or vocational study without forcing a hospitality major. Hilton Global Foundation and Scholarship America typically grant up to $5,000 per recipient to roughly forty-five community scholars each year, separate from the Hilton team member scholarship track. You can be a high school senior, a graduate, or a current technical, undergraduate, or graduate student in the United States planning part-time or full-time enrollment for the full upcoming academic year. Funds apply to tuition, fees, books, and required supplies. The Scholars Apply portal at learnmore.scholarsapply.org/hiltoncares opens and closes on its own schedule; the 2025 cycle closed 3 February 2025, so expect a similar early-February window for 2027-2028 study once Hilton posts the new dates.
What is the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship 2027?
Hilton Cares Community Scholarship sits in the middle of a hospitality giant trying to fund learning far beyond hotel management. Hilton Global Foundation partners with Scholarship America so students living near Hilton properties can afford another year of college, trade school, or graduate work without proving they will run a front desk someday. Community recipients can receive up to $5,000, and Hilton recent announcements describe on the order of forty-five community awards per cycle, mirrored by a separate team member program for people on the Hilton payroll.
The application lives on Scholars Apply, not on a Hilton careers page, which confuses first-time applicants every year. You need a complete transcript, a clear plan for accredited study, and patience while the portal toggles between closed and open. The 2025 community deadline landed on 3 February, and Hilton used the same early-February rhythm in Scholarship America featured lists, so a 2027-2028 guide should assume a similar window until Hilton publishes fresh dates.
You are not competing against every Hilton employee worldwide on this form. Team members have their own track with service requirements. Community applicants are neighbors, high school seniors, returning adults, and graduate students who happen to live where Hilton already invested in water, meals, or workforce training programs. If your list includes hospitality-adjacent awards, pair this one with the Superior Seating Scholarship for restaurant design majors or the Burger King Scholars Program for another corporate pathway with a distinct essay.
Eligibility
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✓Student in a Hilton community in the United StatesThe community track serves students living in areas where Hilton operates, administered for US applicants through Scholarship America. Confirm your status on the Scholars Apply site when the cycle opens because Hilton also runs a global list of eligible countries.
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✓High school senior, graduate, or enrolled college studentYou may be in your final year of secondary school, already graduated, or currently enrolled in technical, CEGEP-equivalent, undergraduate, or graduate programs.
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✓Plan accredited part-time or full-time studyYou must intend to enroll for the entire upcoming academic year at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school. Certificate programs must meet Scholarship America rules listed on the application.
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✓Not a Hilton team member on the community trackHilton team members apply through the separate Hilton Cares Team Member Scholarship Program. Use the community application only if you are not applying as a current Hilton employee.
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✓Complete Scholarship America application materialsUpload a current complete transcript showing credit hours and grading scale. Grade reports alone are not accepted. International-style diplomas may require additional documents listed in the portal.
Benefits
- Award amount Up to $5,000
- Typical number of awards About 45 community grants per cycle
- Eligible expenses Tuition, fees, books, required supplies
- Hospitality major required Not required
- Room and board Not specified as covered
- Automatic renewal Reapply each year if eligible
Document checklist
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✓Current complete academic transcriptSubmit an official or portal-accepted transcript with cumulative GPA, credit hours, and grading scale. Partial grade reports without cumulative data are rejected.
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✓Scholars Apply online applicationComplete every field on learnmore.scholarsapply.org/hiltoncares before the posted deadline. The application is incomplete until all uploads are attached.
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✓Enrollment or admission proof if requestedBe ready to show acceptance or continuing enrollment at your accredited institution for the award year.
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✓Educational and career goal statementScholarship America reviewers weigh your goals, leadership, work experience, and community activities alongside academics.
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✓Secondary school credential if applicableInternational applicants sometimes must upload upper secondary diplomas or certificates. US students should follow the US checklist in the portal.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship?
It is the public-facing half of Hilton Cares, a Hilton Global Foundation program administered by Scholarship America. Community scholarships of up to $5,000 help students near Hilton properties pay for accredited college or vocational study. Hilton also runs a parallel award for its own team members.
How much is the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship worth?
Selected community recipients receive up to $5,000 for one award year. Hilton press releases describe roughly forty-five community winners alongside several dozen team member winners each cycle, though exact counts can shift with available funding.
When is the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship 2027 deadline?
Hilton posts the exact date on learnmore.scholarsapply.org/hiltoncares when the cycle opens. The 2025 community cycle closed 3 February 2025, so plan on an early-February cutoff for 2027-2028 enrollment unless the portal lists a different day.
Do I need to study hospitality to win Hilton Cares?
No. Hilton encourages hospitality passion but states that recipients are not required to major in hospitality. Eligible programs include undergraduate, graduate, and professional study at accredited institutions.
Can Hilton employees apply for the community scholarship?
Current Hilton team members should apply through the Hilton Cares Team Member Scholarship Program on Scholarship America instead of the community form. The two tracks have different service requirements.
What can Hilton Cares scholarship money pay for?
Funds cover qualified education expenses such as tuition, fees, books, and required supplies as defined in the Scholarship America award agreement. Room and board is not highlighted in Hilton public materials.
Where do I apply for the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship?
Use the Scholars Apply portal linked from learnmore.scholarsapply.org/hiltoncares. Scholarship America processes the file and selects recipients using modified financial-need and merit criteria described in the live application.
Is the Hilton Cares Community Scholarship renewable?
Awards are typically one-year grants. You may reapply in a future cycle if you still meet eligibility, but selection is not automatic.
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