Some of the best scholarships for minorities today are fairly easy to find, while many others still are not so easily located. For a master list of 40 options, read on, and slide right past all the research confusion. Here are 40 of the best scholarships for minorities available for use at colleges all across the US right now.
Related resource: 25 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in African-American Studies
1. ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship
Eligibility
– Identify as African American or Hispanic.
– Attend a school in a Council of Great City Schools district.
– Be completing their senior year of high school.
– Have been accepted to a four-year university for full-time enrollment.
– Be pursuing a science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree.
– Demonstrate academic achievement in high school, leadership skills and/or community. service in the area of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
– Have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0.
The Harris Foundation has paired with ExxonMobil to offer the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship. This scholarship targets today’s deficit in minority grads able and ready to work in math and science-based careers. Four recipients are chosen each year, two male and two female. The award is $5,000 paid directly to the student’s college of choice or necessary expenses related to attendance.
2. Ron Brown Scholarship
Eligibility
– Must be Black/African American.
– Must excel academically.
– Must exhibit exceptional leadership potential.
– Must participate in community service activities.
– Demonstrate financial need.
– Be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card.
– Be a current high school senior at the time of your application, not a current college student.
In memory of Ronald H. Brown, the Ron Brown Scholar Program awards its scholarship to the most community-minded and academically engaged African American senior high school students. This scholarship is for $40,000 or four years of tuition. January 9 marks the last postmarked entry deadline, while winners are notified on April 1.
3. Blacks at Microsoft
Eligibility
– Be a high school senior of African descent (African American or African).
– Plan to attend a four-year college or university in the fall of the year following high school graduation.
– Plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or select business programs (such as finance, business administration, or marketing).
– Demonstrate a passion for technology.
– Demonstrate leadership at school or in the community.
– Have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher.
– Require financial assistance to attend college.
Blacks at Microsoft, or BAM for short, is Microsoft’s minority scholarship initiative designed specifically to get more African Americans educated in sciences and technology as well as employed specifically at the company itself. Two $5,000 renewable scholarships are available here for outstanding high school seniors. Five runner-ups will also receive $1,500 technology stipends from the company.
4. Norman Brown Scholarship
Eligibility
– Applicants should be a member of one of the following groups: Black/African American, Native American/American Indian, Hispanic/Latin American, or Asian/Pacific Islander.
– Applicant must have a cumulative equivalent GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4-point scale.
– Applicant must be a graduating senior high school student.
The Brown Medical and Educational (MAE) Foundation offers a great minority scholarship, the Norman Brown Scholarship, to graduating senior high school students living at or below national poverty lines. Applicants must carefully follow submission and essay instructions provided at the foundation’s site.
5. Leon Bradley Scholarship
Eligibility
– Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
– Be a high school graduate or equivalent status.
– Be a minority or person of color.
The American Association of School Personnel Administrators offers its Leon Bradley Scholarship to any minority high school senior applicant with a 3.0 GPA or better. The goal of this particular scholarship is to encourage increased diversity in the world of educators today. Multiple scholarships are actually awarded based on the student’s intended area of career pursuit in the educational industry.
6. Diversity Scholarship
Eligibility
– The student must be a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student at an accredited university.
– The student must have a declared major or course of study relevant to the travel and tourism industry. Travel and tourism encompass a varying range of professions from accounting to hospitality management and everything in between.
– The student must demonstrate their diversity (this includes varying cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, nationality, minorities, age, race, or ethnicity) to evaluators.
The American Bus Association is on a mission to diversify the ranks in today’s travel and transportation industries. Part of this mission is being fulfilled by offering students its Diversity Scholarship. This scholarship offers $5,000 to winning students who are current college attendees working toward a degree in a travel or transportation-based area of study.
7. RWA Internship Housing Stipend
Eligibility
– Applicant must come from a diverse background.
– Applicant must have an official offer from a qualifying publisher
The Romance Writers of America offers the RWA Internship Housing Stipend to selected interns of diverse backgrounds. This stipend will cover $4,000 of housing costs associated with internships with a qualifying book publisher. Two of these stipends are awarded each year.
8. Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
Eligibility
– You are a minority student enrolled full-time in a healthcare management graduate program – MHA, MPH, MBA in Healthcare Administration or similar.
– You are entering your final year (fall/spring) of full-time study.
– You expect to graduate between Sept. 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021.
– You are not required to be a Student Associate of the American College of Healthcare Executives. However, during the selection process, preference is given to applicants who are Student Associates of ACHE.
– You can demonstrate financial need.
– You are an American or Canadian citizen.
– You are not a previous recipient of this scholarship or the Foster G. McGaw Graduate Student Scholarship.
The Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship is offered by the American College of Healthcare Executives to encourage minority participation in healthcare jobs and educational pursuits. Minority winners will receive a total of $5,000 from this scholarship. 15 winners are announced each year.
9. Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship
Eligibility
– Applicants must be US citizens or US nationals.
– Must be currently enrolled as a full-time 2nd-year student in a four-year academic program, or transferring from a two-year to a four-year institution, or a 3rd-year student in a five-year program.
– Studying a discipline related to NOAA’s programs and mission at an accredited minority-serving institution (college or university within the United States or U.S. territories).
– Must earn and maintain a minimum 3.2-grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers a scholarship support package of $45,000 to awarded minority juniors and seniors. The goal is to bring in more minority workers to the STEM career fields, particularly those related to the administration’s particular operations. Participants will also be called on to conduct summer internship research work with the administration, itself provided for via the scholarship.
10. Morris A. Esmiol Jr. Scholarship in Engineering
Eligibility
– You must be currently attending or have been admitted to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs College of Engineering and Applied Science Program.
– Be Black or of African American descent.
The Morris A. Esmiol Jr. Scholarship in Engineering is offered by the Sachs Foundation. The goal of the foundation, as well as this scholarship, is to produce more educational opportunities for persons of color in Colorado. For those interested in applying, applications are only available from January 1 – March 15 every year.
11. School of Dental Medicine Scholarship
Eligibility
– You must be currently attending or have been admitted to the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
– Be black or of African American descent.
The Sachs Foundation offers several minority scholarships, and its School of Dental Medicine Scholarship is another example here. This scholarship is meant for students of color who are already committed to a degree in dental medicine specifically. Like the foundation’s other scholarships, the application for this scholarship is only available January 1 – March 15 of every year.
12. Gensler Diversity Scholarship
Eligibility
– An underrepresented or minority student
– Enrolled in a NAAB-accredited architecture program
– Entering into the final year of their current academic program in the Fall of 2020
Gensler is a massive research and action firm focused on structural and community design. Gensler’s diversity scholarship offers a $20,000 and $10,000 scholarship opportunity for minority students enrolled in NAAB-accredited architecture programs. This scholarship program has run for 20 years now with its yearly application deadline being in December each year.
13. Carrington-Philbert Scholarship
Eligibility
– Applicants should be African American.
– Applicants must plan to attend a US two-year community college or four-year college.
The Carrington-Philbert Scholarship Program is a privately funded scholarship program that seeks to give back to the community as well as encourage African American betterment therein. This scholarship offers a $2,500 one-time scholarship award to an entering US college or university freshman of color. September is the time of this award’s release each year, while May 1 marks its application deadline.
14. Champions of Character College Scholarship
Eligibility
– Demonstrate community service and leadership qualities.
– Demonstrate financial need.
– Be a minority.
– Be a high school senior already accepted to a college.
The United States Tennis Association offers minority students its Champions of Character College Scholarship which offers up to $8,000 in tuition coverage for chosen applicants each year. Applicants for this scholarship opportunity do not necessarily need to be tennis players but do need to be graduating minority high school seniors with financial need and a history of excellence of character. Multiple scholarships are awarded every year.
15. The D.Y.M.O.N Scholarship
Eligibility
– Must be a minority female or male.
– High school senior in Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson Counties.
– Accepted into a four-year college or university.
– Hold a 2.8 minimum GPA.
– Be involved in community service in the current school year.
Dymon in the Rough is a non-profit organization based in Nashville that focuses on helping minorities become academically and vocationally successful. The group’s D.Y.M.O.N Scholarship offers the top winners a $1,500 scholarship toward tuition at the student’s school of choice. Winners of this scholarship are announced each year at their Beauty and Brains Fashion Show which takes place in May.
16. Actuarial Diversity Scholarship
Eligibility
– Must have at least one birth parent who is a racial minority.
– Must be enrolling as or enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at a U.S. accredited educational institution.
– Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
– College freshmen must have a minimum ACT math score of 28 or an SAT math score of 620.
– Must be intent on pursuing a career in the actuarial profession.
For those interested in working in the actuary industry, The Actuarial Foundation offers a very helpful scholarship – the Actuarial Diversity Scholarship. This scholarship offers minority students an award of up to $4,000 depending on their current year of attendance. March 1 is the application deadline for this opportunity.
17. MFEI Scholarship
Eligibility
– Graduated from an Oakland Unified School District public or charter high school in the last three years.
– Completed the most recent FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application by the March 2nd priority deadline.
– Currently attend a four-year institution, two-year institution, non-proprietary institutions, or trade/technical programs with plans to continue in the fall.
The Marcus Foster Education Institute is a private institute centered around aiding in the advancement of the youth of the Oakland area of California. The organization’s MFEI Scholarship takes that mission a step further by specifically reaching out to young black men from the area with tuition assistance. Submission of an application here also enrolls the applicant into several other organizations’ award programs.
18. GFOA Minority Scholarship
Eligibility
– Currently a full or part-time upper-division undergraduate or graduate student in public administration, governmental accounting, finance, political science, economics, or business administration (with a specific focus on government or nonprofit management).
– Be a minority.
– Citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada.
– Student has not been a past winner of a scholarship administered by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.
The Government Finance Officers Association is an organization built around finance workers and their duties in the government sector. With the organization’s GFOA Minority Scholarship, one lucky minority student is picked each year to receive $10,000. The organization’s website also features a write-up of each year’s winning student, their accomplishments, and their goals.
19. Black Employee Resource Group Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a high school senior or graduate, have received GED certification, or be a post-secondary undergraduate student. Veterans and adults returning to school are encouraged to apply.
– Primary residence is a PG&E customer in California at the time of application.
– Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited college or university in California.
PG&E, the primary electric supplier across California, offers numerous, yearly scholarship opportunities including the company’s Black Employee Resource Group Scholarship. This minority-focused opportunity is the company’s effort by and for black workers from the California area, offering a $1,000 – $5,000 scholarship award. Any major is accepted with special consideration given to STEM majors.
20. AFSCME Union Scholars Program
Eligibility
– Be an undergraduate sophomore or junior at the time of the application and the interview process.
– Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average
– Be a college student of color.
– Demonstrate interest in working for social and economic justice through the labor union movement.
– Have a valid driver’s license.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees offers a unique scholarship and internship opportunity all rolled into one. With this opportunity, winners will receive $4,000 in educational stipend funds as well as 10-week internship placement. The actual program itself runs June through August with selections and travel arrangements being made in April.
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21. CGCS-Bernard Harris Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be of African American or Hispanic Descent
– Be a graduating high school senior on the way into a STEM major.
The Council of the Great City Schools is a group dedicated to education in big-city environments. The council contributes to this cause in one way through its CGCS-Bernard Harris Scholarship that offers recipients $5,000 toward continued college expenses. Two African American and two Hispanic students are chosen each year.
22. AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship
Eligibility
– Incoming or enrolled in a NAAB accredited master’s degree program in architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology, School of the Art Institute of Chicago or the University of Illinois at Chicago.
– Demonstrate and show proof of financial need.
– Demonstrate creative potential.
– Fulfill diversity requirements.
The American Institute of Architects Chicago, as its name suggests, represents professionals in architectural work for the Chicago area. The institute also lobbies for minority advancement and does so, in one way, through its AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship. This scholarship offers $10,000 awards to both graduate and undergraduate entrants as well as a $5,000 award.
23. Page Grant
Eligibility
– Be a student of color graduating from a Minnesota high school and attending a Minnesota post-secondary institution.
– Be 18-35 years of age.
The Page Education Foundation offers a great scholarship opportunity by way of its Page Grant. The Page Grant offers, on average, 500 annual scholarship winners an award ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. Founded in 1988 and issuing scholarships every year, the Page Education Foundation has issued thousands of scholarships and opened thousands of subsequent learning opportunities for students over the years.
24. AICPA Minority Accounting Student Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a student of color pursuing an education in accounting.
Supporting diversity and complete inclusion, the American Institute of CPAs is offering a minority scholarship that pays recipients %5,000 in tuition annually. Millions have been awarded over the years through the institute’s scholarships like this one. March 1 is the annual deadline to apply for this valuable opportunity.
25. Multicultural Fellowship Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be of minority descent.
– Be a high school senior in good standing.
Lebanon Valley College offers the Multicultural Fellowship Scholarship to any high school senior of color. Students performing in the upper 30% of their class can also receive another, separate scholarship award from the college. Each award is valued at $1,000 to $5,000 yearly, depending on financial need.
26. Miller Johnson Michigan Diversity Law School Scholarship
Eligibility
– Must be a student of color.
– Must demonstrate financial need.
– Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
– Must be a citizen of the US.
For those minority students already accepted into a law school and hailing from Michigan, Miller Johnson Attorneys offers the Miller Johnson Michigan Diversity Law School Scholarship. This opportunity began in 2009 and has awarded students every year since. Ultimately, recipients of this one are chosen by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
27. Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students
Eligibility
– Enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the upcoming fall and spring semesters or just the fall semester if graduating this December.
– A baccalaureate hospitality management major in a US college or university.
– At least a junior for the upcoming fall semester.
– Minority student.
– US citizen or permanent US resident.
The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation wants to see students of color succeed in the industry. Helping to see this goal through, the foundation offers a yearly scholarship award by way of its Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students. Recipients here are awarded a one-time, $3,000 award along with a commemorating plaque.
28. STEM Scholars Program
Eligibility
– Be African American.
– Be a citizen, legal permanent resident, or national of the United States.
– Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on an unweighted 4.0 scale.
– Pursued a rigorous course of study in high school in math and science courses, including pre-calculus.
– Have demonstrated financial and unmet need as measured by the student’s college or university.
– Show evidence of readiness for and commitment to pursue STEM majors, including biological/life sciences, physics, chemistry, computer science/engineering, information sciences, engineering (industrial, mechanical, electrical or chemical), mathematics.
– Be enrolled for the first time at a U.S.-located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma while taking college-level courses) in the fall as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student.
The UNCF, or United Negro College Fund is world-renowned for aiding so many minority students’ educational pursuits over the years. This organization’s STEM Scholars Program is just one way in which they help. This scholarship opportunity is awarded to 100 students each year and provides up to $25,000 in tiered educational cost coverage.
29. Minority Scholarship in Classics and Classical Archaeology
Eligibility
– Be a minority student.
– Demonstrate prior academic excellence and propensity to classics or archaeology.
– Be of financial need.
The Society for Classical Studies is currently attempting to help fill the current gap in people of color working in classics and archaeology careers. The society’s Minority Scholarship in Classics and Classical Archaeology is part of that effort and annually offers two or more recipients $4,500 in tuition assistance. The yearly application deadline is in December with winners being announced in January.
30. Morgan Stanley, Richard B. Fisher Scholarship
Eligibility
– Undergraduate sophomore and junior students who self-identify as Black, Hispanic, Native American, and LGBT+.
– Applicants must be currently enrolled in a four-year accredited university.
Morgan Stanley, the world-renowned wealth management and banking organization, offers a financial assistance scholarship for minorities each year. Any major or study can apply, and multiple winners are picked each period. To be considered for this opportunity, students must indicate their eligibility intentions on the Summer Analyst Program application.
31. Thunderbird Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a member of the NBMBAA.
Members of the National Black MBA Association are often made eligible for minority-based scholarships, and the Thunderbird Scholarship is built for those wanting to attend a top business school today – Arizona State University’s W.P. Carrey School of Business. Winners of the Thunderbird Scholarship will receive up to $25,000 for school expenses. May 31, is the application deadline each year for those interested.
32. AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship
Eligibility
– Have at least a 2.0 GPA.
– Be in pursuit of a degree in graphic design, illustration, or photography.
– Be a US citizen or Green Card holder.
The Professional Association for Design is the professional group representing designers of many, creative disciplines. The organization also sponsors a yearly scholarship, the AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship, that focuses on minority placement in the industry. Many students are chosen each year, and over $1M in scholarship funds have been paid out by the group since its founding in 1995.
33. Student Opportunity Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
– Have completed the first year of college.
– Be enrolled full time at an accredited college or university in the United States.
– Be in good academic standing (2.5 GPA or greater).
– Be seeking a bachelor’s degree.
– Demonstrate financial need.
The Presbyterian Mission, an association managed by the Presbyterian Church, offers minority students of any degree concentration up to a $4,000 scholarship. Students can also attend any school as long as they maintain faith-based activities during their academic endeavors. This is strictly a need-based program.
34. The Miranda Scholarship
Eligibility
– A member of an underrepresented group, as defined by U.S. government census data.
– First-generation college student.
– Major in music, theater or dance.
– Be a full-time enrolled junior or senior.
– Minimum GPA of 2.5.
– Eligible for federal Pell Grant.
Rhode Island College, a prominent national arts school, has a great scholarship that assists college juniors and seniors who are first-generation college attendees. The Miranda Scholarship is a two-year, fully paid program, offered through the college but backed by Lin-Manuel, an award-winning composer, and the Miranda Family. Applications are due for this one in September each year with winners being announced each November.
35. The Rossiter Family Scholarship
Eligibility
– To be eligible for The Rossiter Family Scholarship you must be a woman or racial or ethnic minority student currently enrolled in an ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)-accredited undergraduate or graduate program in civil or environmental engineering.
– Applicants must be residents of Massachusetts and attend a college or university in Massachusetts.
The Engineering Center Education Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to engineering, surveying, and similar trade work. In its support for minority advancement, the organization offers The Rossiter Family Scholarship. This scholarship specifically benefits women and racial and ethnic minorities via a weighty $10,000 award.
36. Capture the Dream Scholarship
Eligibility
– Financial need.
– Leadership history.
– Community service record.
– Professional recommendations.
– Academic performance.
Capture the Dream is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 to help combat the obstacles that prevent many youths from attending or completing college. The organization’s namesake scholarship works toward this goal by issuing $1,000 awards to several categories of under-represented students. Any major area of study is acceptable to this program.
37. The Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a minority student.
– Be attending a US college.
– Be a US citizen.
– Be of financial need.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is a remarkable contributor to minority causes today. The organization’s The Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship is a wide-applicability scholarship that is easy to apply to. Recipients can receive up to four years of tuition assistance through this one.
38. The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship
Eligibility
– Be a graduating high school senior.
– Plan to attend an accredited and approved four-year institution within the United States.
– Show leadership potential.
– Demonstrate a dedication to community service.
– Present evidence of financial need.
– Be a United States citizen.
– Have a minimum SAT score of 1,000 combined on the math and critical reading sections or a composite ACT score of 21.
– Must not possess a degree from a 2 or 4–year college when applying for the scholarship.
The Jackie Robinson Foundation offers a very generous scholarship in the form of its The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship is actually a four-year grant that allows complete funding for the student to attend the undergraduate school of their choice. Additional educational and job placement services also come along courtesy of the scholarship.
39. Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant
Eligibility
– Be a minority student in the state of Wisconsin.
– Be an undergraduate not in their first year.
– Attend school at least on a half-time basis.
The State of Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board offers a listing of numerous scholarship opportunities with the Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant being a distinctly minority-based option therein. This scholarship offers between $250 and $2,500 per winner and requires nomination via the financial aid office. All minority undergraduate students in the state, excluding first-year attendees, can be eligible.
40. TLF Undergraduate Scholarship
Eligibility
– Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or DACA recipient.
– Must be a minority student.
– Must be a full-time student at a four-year, accredited institution within the US, carrying a total of 12 units or more per semester/quarter.
– Must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
– Must major in a field of study that has an emphasis on advertising, marketing, or public relations.
The LAGRANT Foundation is offering a $2,500 scholarship opportunity to minority students as well as a handsome, complimentary travel and workshop package. The foundation itself is a non-profit organized to help curb a lack of diversity in the advertising, marketing, and public relations fields. To date, 521 students have been awarded this scholarship to the tune of $2.38M.
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