Notable Black College Funds and Scholarships

There may be more money available than you think to fund your education. Philanthropic and civil rights organizations, private businesses, universities, local business, and the government all offer college scholarships and funds for black college students.

The United Negro College Fund

Setting the standard for black college funds and scholarships, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) currently supports more than 65,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities. In its 64 years, UNCF has raised more than $2.5 billion to aid over 350,000 students. And scholarships aren't the whole story: UNCF administers over 300 programs, including internship and fellowship programs, mentoring, and summer enrichment programs.

Here are just a few current scholarship programs through UNCF:

• Corporate Scholars Program: Supports hundreds of students with scholarships and internships at Fortune 500 companies
• Gates Millennium Scholars Program: Supports students from undergraduate to doctoral study levels
• UNCF-Merck Science Initiative: Offers students biotechnology and bioscience research fellowships and institutional support

NAACP Scholarships

Depending on your course of study and other qualifications, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) offers scholarships that may fit your needs including:

• Earl G. Graves Scholarship: $5,000 for an undergraduate junior or senior business major in the top 20% of his or her class
• Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship: $1,500 (undergraduate) or $2,000 (graduate), based on financial need
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Fund: $2,000 for an incoming freshman or current student of a historically black college or university

Other Black Scholarships & Funds

The following smaller scholarships are a sample of those available for students with specific majors or those living in certain local or regional areas:

• Hearst Minority Fellowship: $15,000 fellowship for minority individuals pursuing certain public affairs or arts degrees at Indiana University
• NACME, Inc: The nation's largest privately funded source for minority engineering students
• GEM PhD Science Fellowship Program: A stipend and internship for minority students pursuing science at the doctoral level

These scholarships and more may be available to you. You can research funding online at free scholarship search sites or through local organizations that support funding specifically for black college students.

Sources
NAACP
UNCF