ZAGREB, 25 July (Hina) - The Croatian Scholarship Fund (CSF) from California, the largest scholarship foundation established by Croatian emigrants, has awarded a record number of new scholarships this year, 42, to students from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina who will begin their studies at Croatian universities this autumn.
From several hundred applications, 42 secondary school graduates from various parts of both countries were selected. The selection criteria focused particularly on their academic performance, talents, community involvement, leadership potential, and financial background.
If they maintain a high academic standard, the students will receive scholarships of US$ 2,500 per year throughout the five years of their studies.
Under the motto “Developing Leaders Through Education,” the CSF expects only that recipients excel in their professions and contribute to their country and the common good by helping others.
Currently, more than 170 young people are included in the CSF’s scholarship programme, in addition to the 42 new first-year students. Some have already received recognition for their innovations during their undergraduate studies in their home country.
Several hundred students have graduated over the past 36 years thanks to CSF support and are now successful doctors, professors, scientists, engineers, and business professionals.
This, the CSF states, is the clearest proof that investing in talented and capable young people is the wisest contribution the Croatian diaspora can make to the development of Croatia.
They encourage secondary school students in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will be graduating in the spring, to apply for a CSF scholarship at that time.
The CSF was founded in 1989 in Northern California and is supported by American Croats, many of whom are second- and third-generation. It is known for its strong values and transparency, with most scholarships funded directly by sponsors who maintain personal connections with their students and often build long-lasting friendships.
All leadership roles within the CSF are carried out on a voluntary basis, according to the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
