Scholarships for Black Students

Black students are one of the most underrepresented demographics in various academic and professional fields. Historically, they have been denied access to education and now this is due to the increasing cost of higher education across the U.S. The general cost of college is not affordable for the majority of African American students. Some organizations, notably the United Negro College Fund, have created scholarships to help Black students obtain a college education, especially at HBCUs. For the majority of Black students getting a college education is still difficult due to financial limitations.

Did you know that 50.8% of Black students use student loans to pay for college? By applying for scholarships, you can avoid student loans altogether with a full-ride scholarship, or at least reduce the student loan debt you end up with.

Our list of scholarships for African American students includes scholarships for Black women, full-ride scholarships, minority or diversity scholarships, and STEM or Business scholarships. We’ve gathered the top scholarships to help you achieve your career goals regardless of your financial limitations. While most of these scholarships are for Black or African American students, some are for minority groups in general.

We’ve gathered the top 10 scholarships for Black students. We evaluated scholarships based on award amount and ease of application and chose 10 with a high award but easier to apply for.

Nowadays, there are several options for Black high school seniors seeking scholarships to help fund their college education. We advise you to start with organizations that offer scholarships specifically for students who identify as African American or belong to the Black community. Many of these organizations provide general or targeted awards, such as those specific to majors, GPA requirements, and financial need. For example, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) provides various scholarships specifically tailored for Black students to help them complete their higher education studies.

You can also search for local organizations, businesses, and foundations that provide scholarships aimed at African American high school seniors. We recommend you check out the Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships worth up to $20,000. Microsoft awards nearly 45 scholarships each year to members of the Black community to make college and a career in technology more accessible. The program is open to Black high school seniors who are intending to pursue a bachelor’s degree in subjects such as computer science, engineering, finance, and even marketing.

Similarly Chevron, in partnership with UNCF, offers the Chevron Corporate Scholarship of up to $15,000 to help and support students from African American communities to advance their education in engineering and computer science. Check out the Black Scholarships for high school seniors page for more information.

Black women make up about 62.2% of enrolled Black undergraduates according to the American Council on Education. In fact, since 1976, female enrollment at HBCUs has been higher than men.

In 2020, Black women made up 14.4% of all enrolled female students — higher than men but lower than white female students (52.6%) and Hispanic (20.9%). To break it down further, 14.2% of all female undergraduates and 15.4% of post-baccalaureate students were Black women.

There are at least 13 scholarships on Scholaroo for African American women. They cover a variety of majors, from engineering and mathematics to public relations and interior design. If you’re looking for more Scholarships for Women, head to our page — we have more than 80 scholarships. Some organizations such as the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (NANBPWC) offer funding to Black women. Also check out the Dr. Blanca Moore-Velez Woman of Substance Scholarship. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is another organization that provides funding opportunities for Black students — the Tampax Flow It Forward Scholarship and Olay Face the STEM Gap Scholarship are programs specifically for Black and minority women.

In the 2019-20 academic year, 55,642 degrees and certificates in total were awarded to Black students in STEM programs. Of which 33,494 qualifications were awarded to men and 22,148 to women. This total accounts for only 8.5% of the number of degrees and certificates awarded in STEM programs— 59.1% were awarded to white students, 14.6% to Hispanics, and 13.1% to Asian students. These metrics indicate a huge lack of representation for African Americans in STEM fields.

The journal article “Empowering Black Scientists in STEM: Early Success of the Black Biomechanists Association” points out that even though Black students have a similar college/university entering rate, the leaving rate of Black students is higher, meaning more Black students leave STEM majors than white ones. The authors put this down to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) barriers. DEI barriers refer to the financial and social obstacles Black people often face — these impact Black students’ ability to complete their degrees.

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics reported that there were 2,027,114 Black or African American students enrolled as undergraduates in 2018. This was actually the lowest enrollment number — lower than 2008 even, 10 years prior, when 2,097,256 students were recorded. But while Black student enrollment may have dropped, degrees earned by minorities increased. They reported that “in 2018, underrepresented minority students received 24.0% of all S&E bachelor’s degrees awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 22.1% of S&E master’s degrees, and 13.6% of all S&E doctoral degrees.”

Under President Biden’s Build Back Better Framework, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) received more financing. The framework is intended to help the American middle class by creating more jobs, helping middle-class workers stay in the labor force, and growing the economy from the bottom up. Among the numerous plans is one to help lower the cost of higher education — which is one of the primary barriers minority groups face in obtaining a post-secondary education. Some examples of this are increasing the amount of the Pell Grant and making it accessible to DREAMers, and investing in HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to provide more financial aid and increase capacity. In 2021, the Biden-Harris released a proclamation officially recognizing National HBCUs Week thereby acknowledging the vital role they play in providing education and training for many. As part of the American Rescue Plan, a pandemic relief fund, $3.7 million was provided to HBCUs. $500 million was awarded to HBCUs by the Department of Education as part of the FY 21 Grant Funding. For the FY 22 Budget Request, President Biden requested $1.06 billion for HBCU-specific funding — these are Title III mandatory funds to “provide formula grants to all HBCUs to invest in capacity-building initiatives and student success programs”.

The Build Back Better plan will also provide tuition subsidies to students who attend HBCUs with a family income below $125,000. In 2020, the U.S. Census reported that 28.1% of Black alone households earned below $24,999 — 11,4% in the $15,000-$24,999 bracket and 16.7% in the below $15,000 bracket. For context, the NCES reported that the average total cost of attending a public four-year institution minus aid and scholarships was $14,200 — it was $28,100 at private nonprofit institutions and $23,200 at private for-profit institutions.

Many of the scholarships for Black students are for studying at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, as they are known. We recommend that you apply for admission to one of the 107 HBCUs across the U.S. to stand a better chance of winning a scholarship. These scholarships are often meant to supplement federal aid so ensure that you have filed for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA). This will also help organizers determine whether you are eligible – financial need is usually an eligibility requirement and qualifying for federal aid is a way to prove that you need assistance. Read the tips we’ve provided on each of the scholarships to ensure you nail your application. Don’t forget the number one rule is to apply as early as possible!

When it comes to scholarships, sometimes you only have time to apply for easy, simple ones that have a short process and provide a decent award. No-essay scholarships are a great option to consider. No-essay scholarships for Black students don’t require any essays, letters of recommendation, or other formal documents that can take time and effort to complete. Instead, they often just require an online application and some basic information about the student’s academic record and financial situation. These types of programs can award from small amounts to more substantial awards that can make a dent in tuition costs. Check out the Rooted in Science Scholarship sponsored by Pantene Gold Series and Head & Shoulders Royal Oils. Up to $10,000 is offered to need-based scholarships to Black students pursuing a degree in a STEM-related discipline.

Here are some other easy scholarships to apply for:
The AICPA Foundation also offers the AICPA Minority Accounting Scholarship of $10,000 to promote greater ethnic and racial diversity among CPA experts.
The American Association of Blacks in Energy offers the AABE National Scholarship ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 to support the studies of students from minority groups pursuing energy-related careers.
The Procter & Gamble Scholarship of $5,000 is offered to make higher education accessible and affordable to minority students troubled by financial constraints. The program is open to a number of majors including accounting, computer information systems, design, finance, human resources, information management systems, information systems, management, marketing, and marketing research.
Female students, who are pursuing careers in communications, can apply for Mission North The Future is… Fellowship of $15,000.