Top Scholarships For Black Students, While education is costly for all students, Black students have a disproportionate amount of student loan debt.
Black college graduates, on average, owing $52,725 in student debt, while white grads owe only $28,006—a almost $25,000 gap.
Carrying too much debt can make it difficult to make ends meet and has a long-term impact on graduates’ professions and life choices.
If you want to attend college, qualifying for scholarships might help you reduce—or perhaps eliminate—the need for student loans.
There are several scholarships available to Black students, and you may combine different prizes to reduce your educational costs.
Top 10 Black Student Scholarships
Scholarships for Black students can be obtained from a variety of sources, such as schools, charitable organizations, and private businesses.
Scholarships signify non-repayable free money that can range in value from a few hundred dollars to full tuition. Some of the best scholarship possibilities are as follows:
1. Scholars Program of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
The deadline for applications is March 1, 2022.
Undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups who want to pursue chemical sciences or chemistry-related fields are eligible for ACS Scholars Program awards. Selected students may win up to $5,000 each year, with the reward renewable until graduation.
To qualify, you must be a high school senior preparing to attend college or a full-time college student. You must be African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino, or American Indian to qualify. To apply, send your application together with proper documentation as well as two letters of recommendation. After completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, you must additionally attach a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) (FAFSA).
2. Scholarship from the Jackie Robinson Foundation
The deadline for applications is January 12, 2022.
Scholarships are available from the Jackie Robinson Foundation for Black high school students. Eligible students can earn up to $30,000 in school funding over four years.
To be eligible, you must be a high school senior, a member of a minority group, demonstrate financial need, and have exhibited leadership potential or civic participation. Students must submit transcripts, standardized test results, four essays, and letters of recommendation.
3. Black at Microsoft Scholarship Deadline: March 20, 2023
Eligible students can apply for the Black at Microsoft Scholarship Program College may cost up to $20,000 over four years.
To be eligible, you must be of African heritage and a high school senior planning to attend college in the fall after your high school graduation. Only students studying in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or specified business majors such as finance or business administration are eligible for the scholarship.
To apply, you must establish a financial need and submit two letters of recommendation, two essays, a CV, and a photo.
4. Application deadline for Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward Scholarship: Fall 2023
The Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to Black high school students who are the first in their family to attend college. Students must meet certain requirements in order to qualify intend to enroll in a United Negro College Fund member university.
Financial aid of up to $12,222 is available to individuals based on financial need, academic performance, and a written essay.
5. Bicentennial Scholarship Program in Honor of Frederick Douglass
Application deadline: Every year in the fall.
The Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program is one of the most well-known rewards for Black students. Every year, it gives two $10,000 scholarships to outstanding students, one male and one female, attending approved historically Black institutions and universities (HBCUs).
Students must be rising seniors at an approved HBCU, have a minimum GPA of 3.5, demonstrate unmet financial need as validated by their institution, and complete the FAFSA to be eligible.
Application date for the Generation Google Scholarship is December 10, 2023.
Black students interested in technological occupations may be eligible for the Google Generation Scholarship. This grant gives financial support of up to $10,000 to Black and African American students, women, Hispanic or Latino students, and members of other underrepresented groups in the field.
Academic excellence, leadership experience, and the candidate’s dedication to diversity and inclusion all play a role in award selection. This grant is open to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.
7. KnowBe4 Cybersecurity Scholarship for Black Americans
The deadline for applications is April 18, 2023.
Undergraduate and graduate students wishing to major in cybersecurity or information assurance may be eligible for the KnowBe4 Cybersecurity Scholarship for Black Americans. The awardees will receive up to $10,000 in tuition expenditures and up to $3,000 in campus living.
To apply, you must be You must be black or African American, have a 3.2 GPA, and consent to a Zoom interview. You must also send official transcripts, letters of recommendation, an essay, and a résumé.
The deadline for the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club (NANBPWC) National Scholarship Application is in the spring of 2023.
The NANBPWC National Scholarship, which is awarded to graduating seniors, fluctuates in value from year to year. To be eligible, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better and write an essay on the question for that year. Scholarship in memory of Ron Brown
The deadline for applications is January 9, 2024.
Through the Ron Brown Scholarship Program, academically gifted students can receive up to $40,000 throughout the duration of their college careers. The award is only available to Black and African American high school students from low-income families with a desire to serve the public.
To apply, you must submit two letters of recommendation, your SAT or ACT scores, an official transcript, and essays.
10. The deadline for applying for the Gates Scholarship is in the fall of 2022.
The Gates Scholarship is intended for low-income high school students from minority communities. The scholarship is a last-dollar grant, which means it will cover the whole amount of your remaining educational expenditures that are not covered by other financial assistance or the projected family contribution as stated on your FAFSA. Students must intend to attend a full-time recognized four-year college university.
Students must be a senior in high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 to be eligible. Candidates should be in the top 10% of their class class with significant leadership experience.
How to Find Black Students Scholarships and Grants
Finding enough financial aid to pay for your school might seem difficult, but there are options available to help. Follow these procedures to identify eligible scholarships and grants:
1. Submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
Fill out the FAFSA to ensure that you receive all of the financial help to which you are entitled (and the CSS profile if your school requires it). Although these documents are used by the federal government and institutions to evaluate your financial assistance eligibility, charitable groups and businesses commonly utilize them when reviewing scholarship or award applications.
2. Make contact with the Financial Aid Office.
If you require further financial assistance, contact your college’s financial assistance office to discuss your circumstances and determine if there are any other options. Institutional scholarships and grants may be available, or they may connect you to a campus diversity club that may give scholarships.
3. Look through scholarship and grant databases.
You’ll have to do some research on your own to uncover grants and scholarships given by organizations and businesses. The Scholarship Search tool from the College Board is a database of over 2,200 prizes totalling more than $6 billion in financial aid. You may use the tool to refine your search depending on your race or ethnicity, gender identity, major, academic concentration, athletic abilities, or creative achievements.
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Planning for College:
You may reduce your education fees and even avoid student debt entirely by taking advantage of grants and scholarships for Black students. If you want to attend college, start looking for scholarships early and stay on top of deadlines to guarantee you obtain the most financial help possible.