ITALIAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION AT CASA BELVEDERE
THIRD ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Creating Opportunities for Students of Italian American Heritage

The Italian Cultural Foundation Scholarship Fund was established in 2023 to celebrate and preserve our shared Italian American heritage while supporting academic excellence, fostering leadership, and helping to alleviate the financial burden of higher education. This annual scholarship, funded by the Italian Cultural Foundation, offers Casa Belvedere members an opportunity to invest in the next generation of leaders.

The Vito and Rosalia Biancardi Memorial Scholarship Fund, also founded in 2023, honors the legacy of Vito Biancardi (1936-2017) and Rosalia Biancardi (1938-2022). As Italian immigrants, Vito and Rosalia made countless sacrifices to provide better opportunities for their children, believing education to be a powerful equalizer and a gateway to success. Their family continues to uphold that belief by helping outstanding Italian American students pursue higher education. This scholarship is funded annually by the Biancardi family.

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

Students submit one application to be considered for both scholarship opportunities. One recipient will be chosen for each scholarship, with each receiving $2,500 per year for up to four years, contingent on maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA annually.

Additionally, past recipients from 2023 and 2024 will receive a renewal award of $2,500 for the upcoming academic year, provided they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Scholarship Committee will review applications from eligible college-bound students of Italian American origin based on the following criteria:

• Academic achievement and merit
• Involvement in community, extracurricular, and social activities
• Recommendations from educators and other professional individuals
• Strength and originality of the required essays
• Financial need, as demonstrated in the application

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To qualify, applicants must:

1. Be of Italian American heritage (at least 25 percent).
2. Be a high school senior accepted into an accredited college/university for Fall 2025.
3. Have a 5 GPA or higher (verified by an official transcript).
4. Be sponsored by a Casa Belvedere member in good standing (the member sponsor can be a relative, friend, educator, business associate of a parent).
5. Reside in the New York Tri-State area
6. Demonstrate financial need (submit a 2024 1040 tax return with Social Security numbers blacked out).
7. Participate in an in-person, or Zoom, finalist interview.

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS

To receive the annual $2,500 renewal award, recipients must remain enrolled full-time and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA.

APPLICATION DEADLINE & AWARD NOTIFICATION

• Application Deadline:Friday, May 9, 2025 (including all required documents)
• Final Selection:May 30, 2025
• Recipients Notified By Mail

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY

Recipients of the 2025 ICF Scholarship and the Vito and Rosalia Biancardi Memorial Scholarship will be honored at a special ceremony at Casa Belvedere on Thursday, June 12. Attendance is required.

APPLICATION PROCESS

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All required materials must be emailed to scholarships@casa-belvedere.org with the student’s name in the subject line, following the format below.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

PART I: ONLINE APPLICATION

• Must be submitted via the designated online application portal.
• An email confirmation will be sent upon submission.

PART II: ESSAYS

To be emailed as a PDF attachment with subject line format. Subject line example: The Vito and Rosalia Memorial Scholarship 2025 Essays – (Student Name)

PART III: LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Submitted directly by the referee (educator or professional) via email. Subject Line Example: Italian Cultural Foundation Scholarship 2025 Letter of Recommendation for (Student Name)

PART IV: OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT

Submitted directly by the applicant’s school via email. Subject line Example:  The Vito and Rosalia Memorial Scholarship 2025 Transcript – (Student Name)

PART V: PARENTS’ 1040 TAX RETURN (FIRST TWO PAGES)

Submitted by the student, with Social Security numbers redacted. Subject line example: Italian Cultural Foundation Scholarship 2025 Tax Return – (Student Name)

PART VI: ACADEMIC INDEX (SAI) NUMBER

Submitted directly by the applicant’s high school or college. Subject line example: Italian Cultural Foundation Scholarship 2025 SAI – (Student Name)

PART VII: FAFSA FORM

Submitted by the student. Subject line Example: Italian Cultural Foundation Scholarship 2025 FAFSA – (Student Name)

CONTACT INFORMATION

For any questions, please contact Audrey Urcia at The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere. Email Audrey@Casa-Belvedere.org or call 718-273-7660.