37 Amazing Scholarships for African Americans and HBCU Scholarships

Updated on October 25th, 2023

Many scholarship programs focus on specific types of students. Scholarships for African Americans are one such example, while HBCU scholarships are another. Both scholarship programs aim at assisting the African American community, ensuring that college is more accessible by increasing affordability.

Scholarships have the ability to make any college more affordable, making them a wise addition to any student’s financial aid plan. If you and your student want to find out more about how to locate fantastic scholarships – including awards for African American and HBCU students – sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.

If your student could benefit from African American scholarships or scholarships for HBCU students, here’s what you need to know.

 

What Are African American Scholarships and HBCU Scholarships?

Scholarships for African Americans are a kind of financial aid that aims to help with financial need and make college more affordable for African American students. They have specific requirements for demographics, so a student has to have a qualifying background to be eligible for the award.

HBCU scholarships are a type of financial aid for students attending a historically black college or university, also referred to as an HBCU. In some cases, simply being enrolled at a qualifying educational institution is enough. However, some HBCU scholarships are also scholarships for African Americans specifically, meaning you have to attend an eligible school and be African American.

But that isn’t universally the case. HBCUs welcome students from a range of backgrounds, so some HBCU scholarships and grants are open to those with different backgrounds, too.

37 Amazing Scholarships for African American and HBCU Students

 

Scholarships for African American College Students

Finding ways to pay for college that don’t involve debt is a common goal among students. With scholarships for African Americans, the awarding organization is specifically focused on helping high school students in the African American community gain great access to a college education by enhancing affordability.

Here are some outstanding college scholarships for African American students that are worth checking out:

1. AABE Scholarship Program
2. AICPA Fellowship for Minority Doctoral Students
3. AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students
4. AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships
5. Ally Financial Law Scholars Program
6. Ally Financial Public Policy Scholars Program
7. Amazon Black Employee Network Scholarship
8. Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship
9. CBC Spouses Performing and Visual Arts Scholarships
10. Julianne Malveaux Scholarship
11. Jack and Jill of America Foundation Scholarship
12. Jack and Jill – Jacqueline Moore Bowles Scholarship
13. Louis Stokes Health Scholars Program
14. Mae & Mary Legacy Foundation, Inc.
15. NANBPWC Inc. National Scholarship
16. PCPS George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship
17. Reckitt Scholarship Program
18. Ron Brown Scholarship Program
19. Sherelle T. and Timothy T. Carper III Scholarship
20. Stronger Scholarship
21. The Dr. Blanca Moore-Velez Woman of Substance Scholarship
22. UNCF Element Fleet Scholarship
23. UNCF Healthcare Workforce Diversity Program

As with all scholarships, the exact requirements can vary. For example, some of these are limited to students with specific majors, like technology, healthcare, or accounting.

Others focus on students who are at a certain step in their educational careers. For instance, you can find some scholarships for African American high school seniors that help make a student’s freshman year in college more affordable.

Some are specific scholarships for African American women, while others are not gender-specific. At times, the scholarships are also open to other minorities.

If your student is interested in any of the opportunities above, they should read the requirements carefully. That way, they can make sure they are eligible before they spend time on an application.

Scholarships for HBCU College Students

With scholarships for HBCU students, the goal is to make heading to particular colleges or universities more affordable. Here are some stellar HBCU scholarships that students attending those institutions should explore:

24. CBCF HBCU NREI Scholarship
25. Citrix Scholarship Program
26. Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship
27. Enterprise Holdings Road Forward Scholarship
28. Eunice Walker Johnson Scholarship
29. Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. – UNCF Scholarship
30. Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program
31. Hennessy Fellows Program
32. Joshua David Gardner Memorial Scholarship
33. Resilience Through Diversity Scholarship
34. TMCF | McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Scholarship
35. UNCF F5 Women in STEM Scholarship
36. VWGoA/UNCF Corporate Scholars Program
37. Wyeth-Aryst/AHP Endowed Scholarship

Some of the scholarships above focus on UNCF member colleges and universities. That is a group of 37 HBCUs that are part of the UNCF network of institutions. If a scholarship is limited to UNCF members, it cannot be used at other schools, even if the college may qualify as an HBCU.

Overall, there are 107 HBCUs. If your student is planning to attend one that isn’t part of the UNCF network, they need to carefully read the UNCF-focused scholarship requirements to determine if they can use the award at a non-member institution.

It’s also important to note that many HBCUs offer institutional scholarships. These are school-specific, being only open to students attending that particular college or university. If your student has been admitted to an HBCU, it’s worth seeing if institutional awards are available. Usually, these are listed on the financial aid section of the school’s website or on the program’s page.

More Scholarship Options for African American and HBCU College Students

Along with all of the scholarships above, there are many other awards that could help African American and HBCU college students pay for school without debt. For example, there are awards for specific majors, including scholarships for:

• Language
• Performing and Visual Art
• Political Science
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
• Writing and Journalism
• And many more

There are also options for undergraduate students with learning disabilities, military veterans and family members, women, and volunteers, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Students should always explore a wide range of options during their scholarship search. That way, they can find more award opportunities.

Related Video: African American Scholarships to Apply to in 2022

Remember, if your student can secure multiple scholarships for higher education, they may be able to use them all to cover school costs. That could mean earning a degree completely debt-free, ensuring their dream of graduating doesn’t create a financial hardship.

Scholarships have the ability to make any college more affordable, making them a wise addition to any student’s financial aid plan. If you and your student want to find out more about how to locate fantastic scholarships – including awards for African American and HBCU students – sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.