Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship Grant

The Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship, provided by the UNICO Foundation, offers two $1,000 awards to college students of Italian descent. Candidates must submit an original essay or short story celebrating their heritage while being enrolled in a full-time, accredited U.S. college for the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative highlights UNICO's commitment to supporting educational endeavors and preserving Italian culture within America.

About UNICO
For over 100 years, UNICO National has served as a compassionate and unwavering leader of the Italian American community. With a mission to promote Italian American heritage and to serve others, UNICO has benevolently impacted local communities while also serving as an esteemed national voice for Italian Americans. Each year, UNICO provides over $1 million dollars to support charitable, scientific, cultural, educational, and literary projects. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, UNICO celebrates the many significant achievements of Italian Americans in the United States.
Founded upon the principle of “Service Above Self,” the members of our chapters across the country devote their time, energy and resources to serve their local communities. UNICO supports various worthy causes, including Cooley’s Anemia, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Mental Health Wellness, and Cancer Prevention and Research, Food Banks, Shelters, and other Community Needs.
The UNICO Foundation, through this program, seeks students of outstanding literary talent who show appreciation for the value of an education and are willing to achieve success. It is to be noted further, that along with the maintenance of the required scholastic standards as a condition precedent in awarding the scholarship, the National Director of Scholarships and UNICO Foundation Trustees reserve unto themselves the right to cancel or otherwise terminate a grant at any time an awardee, in their opinion, does not comply with standards of application. The National Director of Scholarships and UNICO Foundation Trustees need not assign any reason for their action and the awardee shall have no recourse.
The UNICO Foundation will provide two literary scholarships, valued at $1,000 each to matriculated college students submitting an original short story or essay celebrating their Italian heritage.

Eligibility

Citizenship—The candidate must be a United States citizen of Italian descent, having at least one parent of Italian ancestry.Sponsorship—An applicant must reside in the home state of an active UNICO Chapter. Every UNICO Chapter or District, in good standing, may sponsor candidates for each of the UNICO Foundation scholarships.Educational Requirements—A candidate must be currently attending, full time, an accredited campus based college or university in the United States. The candidate must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Proof of enrollment must be provided prior to issuing the scholarship award check.Family Members—UNICANS and their family members may be sponsored by their respective Chapters.Timeframe—The candidate must continue study within the academic year of the scholarship grant; any deviation will result in forfeiture.

Ineligibility

Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships.