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.