Historically Black or African American students are underrepresented in all forms of education.
But scholarships and other financial aid opportunities are turning out to be boon in reducing racial inequalities in higher education.
Scholarships and grants available for African American or Black students have given access to more quality and affordable educational opportunities.
If you are searching for scholarship opportunities for Black students, then you can go through this article.
This article will provide you with a complete guide on scholarships available for black students.
| Scholarship Type | Example Of The Scholarship | Scholarship Amount |
| General Scholarship. | ACS Scholar Program. | $5,000. |
| Scholarships for Black Women. | Achievement Scholarship by Dr Barbara Odom-Wesley | $3,000. |
| Scholarship for First-generation Students. | Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program. | $5,000. |
| Scholarships for Black Graduate Students. | Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship. | $5,000. |
| STEAM Scholarships. | STEAM Scholarship by the National Society of High School Scholars | $1,000. |
Types Of Scholarships.
Paying for educational expenses is a major challenge, but the scholarships and financial aid provided by various sources have made it easy for students to pursue further education.
The following are types of exclusive scholarships available for Black Students.
General Scholarships For Black Students.
General Scholarships provide financial assistance to students on the basis of their academic accomplishments or demonstration of financial needs.
General scholarships are mainly offered through financial aid offices and university scholarship offices.
Below are some examples of general scholarships available for Black students.
- ACS Scholars Program
The ACS Scholars Program offers scholarships to students who belong to minority groups and aim to pursue a career in the field of Chemistry.
All the African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students pursuing degrees in chemical sciences or chemical technology are open to apply.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this scholarship.
As per FAFSA, students must demonstrate their financial need and should maintain a minimum grade point of 3.0 in the field of science or chemistry.
Scholarship amount: $5,000.
Application deadline: 1st March 2023.
- Brown and Caldwell Minority Scholarship
This scholarship provides financial assistance to applicants who are permanent residents or citizens of the United States and belong to a minority group.
The candidate should be a full-time student enrolled at an accredited university or college in a field relevant to environmental sciences, civil, chemical engineering, etc.
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained by the student to be eligible for the scholarship.
Scholarship amount: $5,000.
Application deadline: 15th April 2023.
Scholarships For Black Women
Many great scholarship opportunities are available for African American women in the United States.
Scholarships available for Black women helps them to waive their college expense and accomplish their dreams of pursuing further education.
Let’s check out some examples of scholarships available for Black women.
- Achievement Scholarship by Dr Barbara Odom-Wesley.
Dr Barbara Odom-Wesley Spirit of Achievement Scholarship is awarded to the most dedicated female African American high school seniors studying in Tarrant country.
A minimum grade point of 2.5 should be maintained by the applicant in order to be eligible.
The candidate needs to submit a 1000 words essay and a letter of recommendation to receive this scholarship.
Scholarship amount: $3,000.
Application deadline: 14th February 2023.
- Dr. Gussie M. Ware Memorial Scholarship
The above scholarship provides educational awards to deserving Black women enrolled in two-year or four-year universities or colleges.
Applicants must be GED recipients or graduating high school seniors and should have a grade point average of 2.5.
The candidate should be a permanent resident of Winnebago country.
Scholarship amount: Amount varies.
Application deadline: 1st February 2023.
Scholarships For First-Generation Students
Numerous scholarships are offered to students who are the first in their families to attend college or those whose parents have not earned a graduate or undergraduate degree.
First-generation students are eligible to apply for both need-based and merit-based scholarships.
Listed below are some of the scholarships for first-generation students.
- Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship
Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship provides financial rewards to students belonging to minority communities.
Candidates applying for this scholarship must demonstrate financial need and community involvement and should attend law college in Bay Area.
Scholarship amount: $10,000.
Application deadline: 27th May 2023.
- Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program
This scholarship program is open to all college-bound first-generation students.
The candidates must be full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree in maths, science, engineering, transportation, architecture, environmental design, etc.
Students must provide proof of attending college, a recommendation letter from a faculty member is optional but would add value and maintain an average grade point of 3.5.
Scholarship amount: $5,000.
Application deadline: 14th March 2023.
Scholarships For Black Graduate Students
Scholarships provided to the students help them to pay educational expenses and other mandatory expenses.
Numerous scholarships are available for graduate students, like federal and state scholarships, school-specific scholarships, and scholarships offered by private companies and non-profit organizations.
Here are a few examples of scholarships available for Black graduate students.
- Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
American College of Healthcare Executive offers this scholarship to minority students pursuing education in healthcare management
To apply for this scholarship, you have to fulfill certain requirements as given below.
- Application form.
- Essay and Resume.
- Official transcript.
- Letter of recommendation.
Scholarship amount: $5,000.
Application deadline: 31st March 2023.
- National Black MBA Association Scholarship
This scholarship program offers financial assistance and creates growth opportunities for minority students, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
Applicant must be an active member of the National Black MBA Association and should be involved in community services.
The eligibility criteria to apply for the scholarship is that the student must be enrolled in a graduate business degree program.
Scholarship amount: Amount varies.
Application deadline: 15th May 2023.
Steam Scholarships For Black Students
STEAM Scholarships are scholarship programs that are designed to provide financial assistance to students pursuing careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and maths.
Some examples of STEAM scholarships are listed below.
- STEAM Scholarship by the National Society of High School Scholars
NSHSS STEAM Scholarships are provided to high school seniors pursuing careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.
To apply for the scholarship, applicants must follow the given criteria.
- Applicants should demonstrate academic excellence.
- Should submit transcript and reference letters.
- Essay and Resume.
Scholarship amount: $1,000.
Application deadline: 30th March 2023.
- AMS Minority Scholarships
The AMS Minority Scholarships are offered to minority students pursuing careers in atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences.
To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or should have permanent resident status.
Scholarship amount: $6,000.
Application deadline: 3rd February 2023.
How To Find Scholarships?
Finding suitable scholarships is a difficult task, but don’t worry.
Here in this article, I have enlisted some sources and websites that might help you to find scholarships and related information.
There are many free sources where you can search for scholarship-related information; below are some of them.
- Financial aid office at college or university.
- Federal and State grant agencies.
- Ethnicity-based organizations.
- TRIO or high school counselor.
- Community groups and business organizations.
Besides the above resources, there are some legitimate websites that provide opportunities to search and apply for numerous potential scholarships.
1. Unigo
Unigo is a legitimate scholarship website that provides opportunities for students to scroll through a wide range of scholarships.
You can create your Unigo account and get access to over 3.6 million scholarships and grants.
2. Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com covers a broad database of over 3.7 million scholarships for students. You can sign up and get access to exclusive scholarship opportunities.
You can filter scholarships as per your interests, eligibility, major, financial need, age, etc., and can apply for them.
3. Fastweb
Fastweb provides access to students to search for more than 1.5 million scholarships worth more than $3.4 billion.
You can create your Fastweb account and start browsing scholarships as per your interests and matches.
4. Peterson’s.
Peterson helps students discover great scholarship opportunities and houses more than $10 billion in private aid.
You can use the website’s search tool and filter scholarships as per your major, interest, age, and other eligibility requirements.
How To Apply for the Scholarships?
If you are wondering how to apply for scholarships, here are a few tips for you.
- Complete the FAFSA.
The most crucial step before applying for the scholarship is completing FAFSA, i.e., Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
FAFSA is used by the government and other scholarship providers to determine your eligibility for awards, scholarships, grants, loans, etc.
- Gather all required documents.
Essential documents, such as official transcripts and letters of recommendation by mentors, teachers, bosses, employers, etc., should be gathered and submitted within time.
- Write a great essay.
Understand the topic and start writing appropriately. Use attention-grabbing sentences.
Essays provide access to the scholarship committee to know you better, so make sure these are written by you.
- Pay attention to deadlines.
Deadlines are set by scholarship-issuing organizations and are needed to be followed strictly.
So start searching for scholarship opportunities early and make sure to fulfill requirements within the given deadline.
Grants For Black and African American Students
Apart from scholarships, various grants are available for Black and African American students.
You can go through some of the grants given below.
- Wisconsin Undergraduate Minority Grant
This grant is awarded to students who belong to a minority community and are residents of Wisconsin.
The applicant should be an undergraduate enrolled in Wisconsin technical college, universities, and tribal colleges.
These grants are based on financial needs.
Grant amount: up to $2,500.
Application deadline: The deadline varies.
- Lettie Pate Grant
This grant provides financial assistance to female students from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia etc.
To qualify for this grant, students must need to submit FAFSA. As funds are limited, therefore grants are provided on a first-come-first-served basis.
Grant amount: Amount varies.
Application deadline: The deadline varies.
Challenges Faced By Black Students.
When it comes to pursuing education or scholarship, Black and African American students face challenges to a great extent as compared to that White students.
Let’s have a quick look at the challenges faced by Black students.
- Lack of resources.
The availability of resources to black students is scarce as compared to that available for white students.
- First-Generation students.
First-generation black students are likely to earn lower college readiness scores, less family support, and receive lower success rates.
- Racism.
Racism leads to inequitable opportunities between Black students and White students.
Black students have less access to educational opportunities or scholarship opportunities than White students.
- College Readiness.
As per the national survey, Black students feel less prepared and more stressed about college than White students.
Racism gives rise to low retention and success rates of Black students.
Related Read:
- Best Scholarships For Nursing Students
- Best Scholarships For Graduate Students
- Scholarships For High School Seniors & Juniors
- How To Apply For Colleges
- How To Find A Scholarship & Apply For It?
Key Takeaways: Scholarships For Black Students (2024)
A large number of challenges are faced by Black students, whether it is pursuing education or applying for scholarships.
But don’t worry; many colleges, universities, community groups, non-profit organizations, etc., are providing great scholarship opportunities for Black students.
As per NCES, 72% of Black students receive the Pell Grant, and White students receive 36%.
That’s all about scholarships for Black students.
I hope you find this article helpful. Let us know in our comments section below.
FAQs
Can everyone apply for scholarships?
Yes, everyone can apply for scholarships depending on the eligibility criteria of that scholarship.Before applying for scholarships, pay attention to the eligibility criteria and requirements of that particular scholarship.
What is the common factor that qualifies you for a scholarship?
Different scholarships have different qualifying criteria; some of them are Need-based, some of them are merit-based etc.
You need to fulfil the given eligibility criteria in order to qualify for the scholarships.
Are scholarships needed to be paid back?
The answer is No.
Scholarships are the source of free money provided to students to waive their college expenses, so they are not needed to be paid back.
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