Scholarships for Black and African American Students

Q: Can I get scholarships to attend an HBCU?

Yes, some scholarships require candidates to be accepted at or enrolled in an HBCU as a condition of the award. Some scholarships, grants, and fellowships are funded through partnerships between HBCUs and regional or national organizations such as UNCF, while other HBCUs offer their own institutional scholarships and awards.

Q: What is the difference between need-based and merit-based scholarships?

Need-based is determined by your financial need, while merit-based is determined by your achievements. Need-based scholarships require students to demonstrate a significant financial need, typically through income tax returns or other reported family contributions on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. Merit-based scholarships are award funds granted for achievements such as academic performance, leadership potential, or community service experience instead of primarily being based on financial need.

Updated on July 30, 2025

Edited by

Learn more about our editorial process

Scholarships can help Black and African American students further their education while minimizing college debt. Explore scholarship options.

Key Takeaways

There are many private scholarships serving Black and African American students.
To get a scholarship, a number of factors may be considered, such as academic achievement, financial need, commitment to public service, and more.
Some awards fund full tuition or provide support across multiple academic years.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion has extended to schools’ and companies’ scholarships for Black students, among other underrepresented student groups. As a result, you might have a harder time finding scholarships this year.

Still, BestColleges compiled a list of programs that have upheld their commitments to recognizing Black students and helping them pay for college.

Explore scholarships and grants — which do not need to be repaid — before considering loans or other conditional methods to fund your college education.

You can also stack scholarships and pursue financial aid specifically for women, first-generation college students, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, or high-need majors.

Apply for the STEM Pathways Scholarship

Black and African American Scholarships

American Association of Blacks in Energy Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be high school seniors within an AABE chapter area with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Candidates must intend to enroll in a college, technical or trade school, or university the semester following high school graduation, majoring in a STEM field. This scholarship is open to all, but mostly awards Black and African American applicants.

Application Deadline: April annually

Scholarship Amount: $3,000-$5,000

American Bus Association Diversity Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship focuses on underrepresented groups pursuing careers in the transportation, travel, and tourism industries at the management or operational level. Undergraduate or graduate students may apply.

Application Deadline: Varies

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Education Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Eligible applicants include Black and African American students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees. High school seniors may also apply. Applicants must live or go to school in a Congressional Black Caucus member’s district.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: $2,500-$20,000

ETS Presidential Scholarship for HBCU Students

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is awarded by ETS and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Juniors or seniors enrolled in a historically Black college or university (HBCU) may apply. Students must demonstrate financial need and possess a minimum GPA of 3.5.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: Full cost of tuition

Jackie Robinson Foundation

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is awarded to minority high school seniors who demonstrate leadership potential and academic excellence. Applicants must plan on attending an approved four-year college. Recipients also receive career guidance and internship placement.

Application Deadline: January annually

Scholarship Amount: Up to $35,000 over four years

Eric R. Marshall and Susie Mitchell Marshall Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Black/African American college juniors and seniors with unmet financial need enrolled full time at Michigan State University and Rust College.

Application Deadline: July annually

Scholarship Amount: $6,000

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Herbert Lehman Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Candidates must be graduating high school seniors, first-year college students, or transfer students in their first year or sophomore year. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a history of academic excellence and public service experience and whose combined family income does not exceed $70,000.

Application Deadline: April annually

Scholarship Amount: $3,000 per year for four years

National Black Nurses Association Scholarship Program

Who Is Eligible: The NBNA offers numerous scholarships for Black and African American students pursuing a career in nursing. Students must be NBNA members currently enrolled in a nursing program.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: $1,000-$15,000

Ron Brown Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be Black or African American high school seniors who hold U.S. citizenship or meet permanent resident requirements. Candidates must also demonstrate financial need, academic excellence, leadership potential, and community service experience.

Application Deadline: Dec. 1

Scholarship Amount: $40,000 over four years

The Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is awarded to one female and one male rising senior attending an HBCU. Applicants must possess a minimum GPA of 3.5 and demonstrate financial need, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to community service.

Application Deadline: TBD

Scholarship Amount: $10,000

Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program

Who Is Eligible: Candidates must be first-generation high school seniors from an underrepresented minority group. Applicants must be accepted into an accredited four-year university and intend to major in a qualifying subject such as STEM, pre-med, or psychology.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: Varies

STEM Scholarships for Black and African American Students

Black at Microsoft Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship is for Black and African American high school seniors who demonstrate a passion for technology and intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or specific business programs.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: $2,500-$5,000

Brown and Caldwell Minority Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Black, African American, and other minority students may apply. Students must be undergraduates in their junior or senior year or enrolled in a graduate program in engineering or environmental science.

Application Deadline: February annually

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Development Fund for Black Students in Science and Technology

Who Is Eligible: African American undergraduate students majoring in scientific or technical fields and enrolled at HBCUs may apply. Applicants are evaluated based on their academic achievements, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, and financial need.

Application Deadline: June annually

Scholarship Amount: Up to $3,000 per year for up to four years

Future Women in STEM Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Women-identifying high school seniors or undergraduates from an underrepresented group studying STEM.

Application Deadline: Dec. 1

Scholarship Amount: $1,040

Nightwing Underrepresented Groups in Cybersecurity Scholarship

Who Is Eligible: Applicants must be pursuing a degree focused on cybersecurity or information assurance. Undergraduates or graduate students with a minimum GPA of 3.3 may apply.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: $10,000

Scholarships for Black and African American Graduate Students

George A. Strait Minority Scholarship and Fellowship

Who Is Eligible: This scholarship honors distinguished law librarians and accepts minority applicants intending to pursue a career in law librarianship. Students must be enrolled in law school or an American Library Association-accredited library graduate program.

Application Deadline: April annually

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Spectrum Scholarship Program

Who Is Eligible: The American Library Association (ALA) Spectrum Scholarship offers awards to racially and ethnically diverse populations, including Black and African American students. Applicants must attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information science or an American Association of School Librarians-recognized school library media program. Recipients also receive mentoring opportunities.

Application Deadline: March annually

Scholarship Amount: $5,000

Frequently Asked Questions About Black and African American Scholarships

What is the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)?

UNCF represents the largest minority education organization in the U.S., helping to facilitate scholarships, internships, fellowships, and international learning opportunities for college students. UNCF partners with thousands of U.S. universities to enable low- to moderate-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students to pursue a postsecondary education program.