Colleges campuses are communities that value diversity and inclusion. This can include students from different backgrounds, geographies, and life experiences. This is why many scholarships that are offered support students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Generally, minority scholarships are aimed at supporting students from underrepresented racial backgrounds including African American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American students. Some of these scholarships will also support first-generation college students and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jump ahead to:

• Top scholarships for minority students
• Summary of scholarships
• Expired scholarships

Keep on reading to learn more about the top minority scholarships for students including eligibility details, award amounts, and application deadlines.

Top scholarships for minority students

$2,000 CollegeXpress Community Service Scholarship for Multicultural

• Eligibility: This scholarship is open to students who will be college freshmen in the fall
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: April 1st of each year

$500 Empower Latin Youth Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to Latinx students or non-students who are passionate about giving back to their community and providing for those in need
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: June 1, 2021

Coding for Minorities Scholarship

• Eligibility:  Open to determined minority high school and undergraduate students pursuing a degree/career in coding or computer science
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: June 1, 2021

David Porter Need-Based Diversity Scholarship

• Eligibility: Traditionally under-represented students who are enrolled/planning to enroll in study abroad programs
• Amount: $5,000 (two scholarships are awarded)
• Deadline: May 1 and November 1 of each year

First Generation Matching Grant Program

• Eligibility: Open to high school seniors in Florida who have demonstrated financial need. Students must be planning on attending a Florida state college or university (4 year or 2 year)
• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: Varies depending on the college

LULAC National Scholarship Fund (LNSF)

• Eligibility: Three scholarship programs within the LNSF that supports Latino high school students. Each scholarship has separate criteria as far as GPA and test scores.
• Amount: Up to $2,000
• Deadline: April 30, 2021

Newman’s Own Scholarships

• Eligibility: First generation high school students who are applying to Kenyon College
• Amount: Varies (this scholarship eliminates the loan portion of a student’s financial aid package and replaces it with a grant)
• Deadline: Varies (depending on whether the student applies Regular Decision, Early Decision 1, or Early Decision 2).

Odyssey Scholarships

• Eligibility: First generation high school students who are applying to the University of Chicago.
• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: Varies (depending on whether the student applies Regular Decision, Early Action, Early Decision 1, or Early Decision 2).

Regents’ Scholars Program

• Eligibility: High school seniors with demonstrated financial need who apply to Texas A&M.
• Amount: $6,000 per year for up to four years
• Deadline: January 1st of each year (this is the date that students submit the FAFSA in order to be eligible)

Summary of scholarships for minorities

1. $2,000 CollegeXpress Community Service Scholarship for Multicultural
2. $500 Empower Latin Youth Scholarship
3. Coding for Minorities Scholarship
4. David Porter Need-Based Diversity Scholarship
5. First Generation Matching Grant Program
6. LULAC National Scholarship Fund (LNSF)
7. Newman’s Own Scholarships
8. Odyssey Scholarships
9. Regents’ Scholars Program

Expired minority scholarships

$2,500 Make Your Mark BIPOC Arts Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color students at all levels who are interested in new approaches to theater, dance, and/or film. Essay about a project you would like to complete is required
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: April 2, 2021

ABA Diversity Scholarship

• Eligibility: College freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate students majoring in travel and tourism industry.  Applicants must demonstrate diversity (varying cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, nationality, minorities, age, race, or ethnicity) to evaluators
• Amount: $5,000
• Deadline: April 2, 2021

Averie Bishop All Rise Minorities In Law Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to first-gen college students from minority backgrounds who plan on attending law school
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2020

Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships

• Eligibility: High school seniors who identify as African American
• Amount: $20,000
• Deadline: March 31, 2021

Center for Advancing Opportunity Undergraduate Research Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students who will be sophomores, juniors, or seniors at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)
• Amount: up to $7,500
• Deadline: April 27, 2020

El Cafe Del Futuro Scholarship

• Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate or graduate students of Latino descent
• Amount: $5,000
• Deadline: July 6, 2020

Gabriella Carter Music and Me Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to Black students who write an essay about the comfort that only music can bring
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 4, 2021

Generation Google Scholarship 

• Eligibility: Open to all high school seniors and college students who excel in technology. Historically underrepresented  groups, such as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students are especially encouraged to apply
• Amount: $5,000 to $10,000
• Deadline: December 4, 2020

HACU Scholarship Program

• Eligibility: Open to college students of Hispanic descent with financial need who are attending one of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 
• Amount: $1,000 to $5,000
• Deadline: November 20, 2020

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school, college, and graduate students of Hispanic descent
• Amount: $500 to $5,000
• Deadline: February 15, 2021

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school seniors from minority backgrounds
• Amount: up to $30,000 over 4 years
• Deadline February 1, 2021

Life Reimagined First-Gen Scholarship

• Eligibility: First generation college students currently attending a four year college, two year college, or technical or vocational program.
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2020

Minority Women in STEM Bi-Annual Scholarship

• Eligibility: Women attending a 4-year, 2-year, vocational, or technical institution in the United States. Applicants must be majoring in a STEM field or working on personal projects or jobs in STEM.
• Amount: $3,000
• Deadline: March 22, 2021

Minority Student Art Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to minority undergraduate/graduate students who are interested in, already enrolled in, or are recent graduates who took courses going toward a degree in the arts
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 1, 20221

Nikhil Desai Asian-American Experience Scholarship

• Eligibility: All Asian-American (including Middle Eastern) students who are juniors in high school or older are eligible to apply. First-generation applicants will be preferred. An essay about growing up Asian-American is required
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 1, 2021

Nikhil Desai “Perspective” Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students at all levels of education who submit an essay about a moment that changed their perspective on life. Preference given to first generation students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: February 1, 2021

Questbridge National College Match Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school seniors who have demonstrated financial need (while Questbridge is not exclusive to first generation students, 70% of finalists are first generation students)
• Amount: Full funding (including tuition, room, and board) for four years
• Deadline: September 26, 2020

Ron Brown Scholar Program

• Eligibility: Open to African American students with demonstrated financial aid who are high school seniors.
• Amount: up to $10,000 per year
• Deadline: January 9, 2021

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships

• Eligibility: To be eligible students must be planning a STEM focus at a 2-year college, 4-year college, master’s program or doctoral program.
• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: May 31 (Opens in February)

Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships

• Incoming/full-time college students at one of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Amount: $500 to $15,000 
• Deadline: October 12, 2020

UNCF General Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate students attending a UNCF member college
• Amount: $5,000
• Deadline: March 21, 2021 (Opens June 1)

UNCF STEM Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to African American high school seniors who are taking college-level courses and African American college freshmen
• Amount: range from $2,500 to $5,000
• Deadline: March 19 , 2021

WiseGeek Diversity in Law No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: Aspiring law school students of a racial minority at any level of study
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: December 31, 2020